Her Graceful War Song by Summer's Blaze

Chapter 1159

Isaac and Violet walked side by side along the wide street, leading their horses. The night breeze was gentle, clearing away the last remnants of the alcohol from the evening.

"I was impulsive tonight," Violet admitted with a hint of regret. "I shouldn't have dragged you there."

"It's fine," Isaac replied.

"What's going through your mind? Are you planning to acknowledge them?"

"No." Isaac smiled, his expression becoming noticeably more relaxed. "She invited me and Madam Zoey inside, and talked for a long time. But not once did she ask me how I've been these years. Not once did she ask how I was after being taken away. She was just explaining and trying to clear her name."

"Is that so?"

Isaac ran a hand through his slightly disheveled hair, his carefree demeanor returning.

"I remember my first time leaving the mountain. I was away for a month, and when I came back, Sage Adrian and Sage Everett surrounded me. They asked me a lot of stuff-what I ate, who I met, what inns I stayed at, whether I got into any fights, if anyone tricked me out of money, what sights I saw, among other things."

"My mentor's the same," Violet nodded in agreement. "That's normal."

"Exactly," Isaac chuckled. "I've been surrounded by love since I was a child. I've always had a family."

Violet was unsure of how Isaac truly felt, but he seemed alright. "So, you've made peace with it?"

nodded, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Made peace? Yeah, I guess. It's not all good, but it's not all bad either.

should be moved by the fact that Evelyn had avenged his death by killing David, but he couldn't

on the line, he would do anything to protect them. Even if it meant sending them far away to some place where so-called priests could offer their protection, he

Evelyn hadn't done

too much, but Isaac finally saw through it all. When Caspian had held him, he

maternal love, he realized, had always been for her comfort. It had never been about truly

David sought out medical help

question it? Constantly changing his medicine-how could that

care of him. How

didn't want to assume

if he allowed himself to think that way, he would suspect that, perhaps, she had quietly condoned David's actions Unfortunately, everything unraveled when Vincent found out. Once Vincent named his heir, Evelyn's hope of becoming a countess was

her poor

already sealed their story when the fire had come. Before knowing the truth, he had believed the narrative Adrian had spun for him, holding onto

without that burden, he felt light and

her room,

the way Evelyn had so bitterly recounted poisoning David. The cruelty of it had lingered in Evelyn's voice, as if years of

Won

she poisoned David out of revenge for her son's death-then surely, she would have simply brushed over

repeated,

saying it on purpose for Isaac to hear, or

Evelyn's room. The older woman hadn't slept. Her eyes were