Her Graceful War Song by Summer's Blaze

During her investigation, Carissa learned a troubling piece of information from a young chamberlain. The caltrop Cecil had been playing with had indeed gone missing, and a palace maid had picked it up.

The chamberlain had witnessed the moment the caltrop was picked up, and recognized the maid in question as Clara, who served Penelope, one of Salvador's concubines.

It was clear to Carissa that Penelope had no reason to harm Connor. Her relationship with Grace and Sylvia was rather indifferent. Thus, Carissa formally petitioned Victoria for permission to conduct an inquiry within the harem and see if Clara was secretly loyal to someone else.

As expected, Carissa uncovered that Clara had entered the palace years earlier as a low-ranking maid, assigned to laundry duty and forced to endure a hard life. She was from the same hometown as Lyra, one of Grace's trusted maids.

Lyra helped Clara by making arrangements with the head maid, sending her to Penelope's residence to work as a cleaner. Over the years, the quick-witted Clara managed to earn Penelope's trust, becoming one of her closest confidantes.

Further examination of the palace records revealed that when Clara was first sent to Penelope, her place of origin had been altered. Carissa only found her actual hometown in the records from the year Clara entered the palace. If she had not been particularly diligent, she might never have noticed the connection between Clara and Lyra.

Following this lead, it was easy to uncover that Clara had secretly been in contact with Lyra, and it also revealed that Grace had planted people in various places.

Over the years, Grace had acquired many valuable things. Even during the years when she wasn't in charge of the harem, she was still able to easily obtain everything she wanted, whether it was rightfully hers or not.

gentle persona Grace had built. Sylvia didn't bother competing with her, while Kylie thought that giving her

the other lower-ranking concubines were also willing to give her gifts to please her. She had a good reputation both in the palace and in

one thought about how easily that

that the people Grace had planted would always speak well of her in front of

for so many years just for a good reputation? Clearly, there was something else

Salvador. The king instructed her to continue her investigation, though he ordered that no action be taken regarding Caden for

Carissa understood Salvador's

continue the investigation was designed to lull

a false sense of

might never be revealed. As the weeks passed,

for the harsh reality that his second

Rafael. Derek stayed close

report, detailing how one of Salvador's close attendants, a man named Shawn, was known to

the royal study, when Salvador returned to the palace, it was mostly him who stayed by