Her Graceful War Song by Summer's Blaze

Chapter 1076

Viola sat in the chair for a long time before finally deciding to compromise.

"Can you promise me two things?" she asked. "If you can, I won't ask for a divorce."

Barrett let out a weary sigh. "What are they?"

"First," Viola said, her tone firm, "you're never to mention Carissa or Aurora again. At least, not in my presence."

Barrett fell into a long silence. Then, finally, he nodded. "All right."

"Second," Viola continued, "you must pull yourself together and return to the Nightsteel Guard. Get your old position back as deputy commander."

Barrett blinked, clearly taken aback. "But I've been dismissed. How am I supposed to return to the Nightsteel Guard?"

Viola leaned forward, her words quick and insistent. "I'll ask my sister-in-law to pull some strings for you. All you have to do is agree. Once you're reinstated, you must commit yourself fully to your duties-work hard, earn a promotion, and listen to me from now on." Barrett shook his head. "I can't ask her to do that. I've already lost the king's favor. For her to help me, she'd have to spend a fortune and exhaust her connections. Those resources are better saved for her children-for their futures and their marriages. It's not right to waste them on me."

frustration flared. "What do you mean, waste? I'm the third daughter of the Earl of Silverstone's family! Her money and her influence belong to the family, don't they?

married woman, I'm still the third daughter

deeply. For a long time,

voice rose, sharp with irritation. "Will you

her eyes and said, "Let me ask you this instead. If I return to the army as a common soldier and start

to her feet,

provide for this household? How

for that despicable woman—and you expect me to suffer through rebuilding from scratch with you? What kind of woman do you think I am?" She was frantic, thinking he

Thomas' army and become a common soldier? Or go to the Southern Frontier or Victory Pass? What difference would there be between that and her living like

"I don't understand do you even want this

he had made a decision. His whole life had been full of uncertainty. He would regret things today, regret them tomorrow, and then reminisce about

flashed

again. Even when he had betrayed her trust and when he had formally divorced her, she had remained composed and unshaken. At the time, he had dismissed

simply made her peace with her choices. After enduring far worse, she had learned to face everything with calm

his past self. He didn't find it laughable, just