Her Graceful War Song by Summer's Blaze

Chapter 960

Once Carissa arrived at Silverstone Estate, she quickly briefed Zoey on the situation.

Zoey immediately said, "This involves General Sullivan, so not a moment can be wasted. I'll go immediately."

Since Barrett had been taken to the Ministry of Justice, Viola had been on edge. She had even returned to her family for help, hoping they could pull some strings on Barrett's behalf. However, Zoey outright refused.

"This is a matter between kingdoms," Zoey had said. "What could a woman like me possibly do to change anything?"

Still, Zoey had made inquiries. She learned that while Barrett was detained at the Ministry of Justice, he was being given special treatment and hadn't suffered any undue hardship.

Zoey shared this information with Viola, but it did little to calm her. She complained incessantly, saying she had worked so hard to see Barrett appointed as commander of the Nightsteel Guard, only for him to end up in prison because of Aurora. She even blamed Natalie for arranging the marriage and Evelyn for agreeing to it.

Zoey had scolded Viola for her complaints, urging her to show more resilience and take responsibility for her choices.

Faced with Zoey's rare display of anger, Viola hadn't dared to argue further and returned to Valor Estate. Once home, she refused to handle any household affairs and left everything to her father-in-law, Jonathan. Word got out, and it became a source of ridicule for some time.

When Zoey arrived at Valor Estate, her first request was for Viola to bring her all the servant contracts.

and asked why, but Zoey simply replied, "I'm looking for a way

visibly anxious, brushed her off. "I'll explain later. Just do what

with no choice, Viola retrieved the contracts and handed

the household staff, focusing particularly on those who

If nothing came to light, she would consider earlier periods. The gatekeeper kept records of entries and exits, though his diligence was inconsistent. Some entries were missing,

logs, Zoey found no significant irregularities. The maids and attendants from the inner household rarely left the estate, except for errands like shopping. As for the male servants, Aurora hadn't employed any in her courtyard for some time. The

reasons for her precautions—she was genuinely afraid that a strong male servant might smuggle in a weapon and take advantage of a moment of inattention to harm her. Her measures were extreme, but they reflected a deeply

in mind, Zoey ruled

no men were allowed in Blessed Haven, any communication had to

This added an

in such a thorough manner, it meant any

intermediaries.

โอน

asked whether anyone had seen the maids or attendants from Blessed Haven leave the estate

of it was mundane or irrelevant,

short time, she knew she had to sift through the mountain of trivial anecdotes for one loose thread-something she could pull to unravel the

nightfall, her

servants, Jill,