Her Graceful War Song by Summer's Blaze

Upon receiving Kylie's summons, Carissa found herself bewildered.

Why was she being asked to meet Gerald? If they wanted to question her, they could have called her directly to the palace. Why go to the Quinton family's residence to see him?

Gerald was gravely ill. If he wanted to scold her, she wouldn't even have the chance to retort. And if he died in front of her, no words would save her then.

Violet had filled her in on Gerald's condition, gathered from the past couple of days' inquiries. He had stopped eating and drinking, and it seemed like he was on the brink of death.

"Does Gerald want you there to watch him die? That old man's got some malice," Cynthia said.

She was aware of the whole situation, and she had always been sharp-tongued. Knowing how Gerald had treated Carissa, Cynthia didn't hesitate to speak her mind.

"Don't go just refuse the order," Bun chimed in from the side. "The queen's order isn't that serious. The king's reaction is what really matters.

Violet had matured a lot now, and she said, "Ignoring the queen's summons might seem like no big deal on the surface, but the king will remember. He might not show it, but he'll definitely hold a grudge since he'll think you're disrespecting him. You're better off going. At least you'll be able to go on record as having done your duty. It was bound to happen, and there's no avoiding it."

Violet knew how Salvador operated. When things were fine, there were no issues. But when things went south, he would remember every little detail. He wouldn't come out and say it, but he would give the person the cold shoulder and make life difficult for them.

Carissa had already felt his frustration because of the gentlemen's retreat incident.

In short, both the king and queen were difficult to deal with.

"I'll go with you, Cari," Violet said.

had escalated, she knew she would be blamed no matter what. At

Fine, she would go.

to come with me. I'll have Sebastian accompany me, and I'll request Madam Marjorie to come along as

completely without boundaries. If Kylie had set a trap, she could try to avoid it. But even if she did, they would still use Gerald's death against her. In that case, it was better

than to remain ignorant of a trap. At least this way, she would

Sebastian and ask if

ask. He'll agree without question. Sebastian's always looking

smiled brightly. "That's

Bun

dealt with. If they needed people, they had them. If they needed money, Violet would provide it. If all else failed, they could retreat to Meadow Ridge. It

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Jeremiah already waiting at the gates. She watched as the coachman helped Jeremiah down the carriage. The moment he emerged, Carissa couldn't

had heard from Natalie that Jeremiah had been wanting to retire to his

years. But as each year passed, he hadn't been able to let go. He just couldn't

was still him who

a pang of

as a witness-if Gerald passed away after scolding Carissa, they would say she drove him to his death by angering

into court and argue on her behalf. He couldn't tell them that Gerald was already on his deathbed and

about the details. They

stepped forward and said respectfully, "Thank

Sinclair," Jeremiah said with a smile. "I was just thinking of visiting