Her Graceful War Song by Summer's Blaze

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After being roused from his stupor by the servants, Samuel sat in the courtyard, feeling as though his heart had been hollowed out. No matter who called out to him, he remained unresponsive. Outside Hibiscus Lane, Henry's men kept a close watch. When they reported back to Henry, he frowned.

"Didn't Celeste say she would sever ties with him properly? Forget it. He's of no use anyway. The reputation of the Earl of Gracehold's family is already notorious. It wouldn't matter what he did." Samuel spent two days at Hibiscus Lane, refusing to eat or drink. Celeste's departure wasn't the most devastating blow to him.

The real blow was the words she had spoken before leaving.

He had high ambitions and had achieved the rank of third place in the national examinations, garnering the admiration of many noble young women in the capital. He saw himself as a genius, someone born to stand apart from the ordinary, destined to rise above the common crowd.

In his mind, he wasn't just exceptional-he was meant to be a beacon of inspiration, revered by the masses.

Even when he lost his official position for Ruby, he wasn't afraid. In fact, it only proved how different he was from the world around him. He had broken free from society's shackles and fallen in love with a courtesan. Though he faced slander and criticism, future historians would record his story, and future generations would respect his fearless love for Ruby.

But when he lost his position as heir, a sense of panic began to creep in.

civil service, he would still inherit a noble title. As a titled lord,

Alana had visited a couple of days earlier, and informed Carissa that Leona

guide Leona, to remind her that as a duchess, her

As long as her family opposed it, Leona wouldn't

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middle of the month, the stewards from the estates and shops lined up outside, waiting to report to

of them, it was already midday. Carissa had them stay for lunch before

hands full. Thankfully, the entire estate had previously been managed well under Jacob and Luke, so there was little to clean up. The next

as such, Logan was actually her cousin from the third branch of the Quinton family. His mother, Audrey,

family, but she hadn't been impressed with Logan at first. Now, seeing him well-groomed and graceful, with proper behavior and fluent responses, he seemed far from the idle playboy rumored about. Moreover, Carissa had already advised Helen that Kiera's husband didn't need to

that the two were mutually interested, their

up Logan with the keen eye of a mother-in-law checking out her future son-in-law. The

for Audrey, she was easy to