Her Majestic Battle Cry

At his core, Rafael was a military man. He had always been fascinated by weapons. His interest in them ran deep, and he often found himself eager to spend hours studying and improving them.

Kyle didn’t answer Rafael’s question and gave him a small smile instead. “Let’s head back. You and Carissa had a bit of a quarrel, and she probably doesn’t know yet.”

Rafael felt a tightness in his chest. “It wasn’t a quarrel. Isn’t everything fine?”

“Sure. Come on, let’s go,” Kyle urged, nudging his horse forward.

Rafael led his horse for a few paces before mounting and catching up with him. However, his heart still felt heavy.

Why, when things happened, was Carissa’s first thought never of him?

He was always the last to know. She hadn’t even bothered to send word. Instead, she had ridden out of the city alone without telling him.

Though she had sent word to Travis, she hadn’t sent a messenger to the Supreme Court, leaving it to the Capital Guard to seek him out only because they needed to seal the city gates. If the gates hadn’t needed to be closed, would she have simply let him find out when Violet returned and casually told him what had transpired?

Before this, Rafael had already felt that Carissa couldn’t fully trust him. Even though there were many moments where they appeared close, even affectionate, something always seemed missing.

What was missing, though?

Trust? Carissa certainly trusted him to some extent.

Affection? He was sure she liked him, even if she never said it aloud.

Understanding? He believed they shared a silent understanding, one that worked both in their private lives and when it came to their duties. It was a bond that felt almost as strong as the one he shared with Jacob.

“Do you think she’s not the same Carissa you once knew?” Kyle asked, his voice carried by

the wind.

Rafael thought about it for a moment before answering, “After all that’s happened, it’s only natural that she’s changed. As long as she’s still herself, that’s what matters to me. But… I can’t help feeling like she’s wearing a mask when she’s with me.”

“I see. You think she’s wearing a mask,” Kyle said thoughtfully. “If so, do you think you’re wearing one too?”

+25 BONUS

Rafael paused, taken aback. “Me? How could I be wearing a mask? I’ve been sincere with her I truly mean it.”

“No one doubts your sincerity,” Kyle replied, his voice steady. “But because of what she’s been through, you tread lightly around her. You’re a young couple, but you don’t have little spats or arguments, and there are no real–life struggles. You don’t dare to be angry, feel slighted, or ask for more than she’s willing to give. When you get used to this way of being together, it feels like the most comfortable arrangement. But is it really comfortable? Are you truly content with it? Think about it.”

“She’s not that fragile,” Rafael muttered, almost to himself.

Kyle didn’t respond at once. He cracked his whip and urged his horse forward, leaving Rafael alone with his thoughts.

The words “treading lightly” hit him harder than he expected.

It was true.

He and Carissa had always been careful with each other. He measured every word before speaking and thought through every action before taking it. He feared saying the wrong thing or making a wrong move that would bring up painful memories for her, make her sad, or worse, cause her to pull away.

When he said Carissa liked him, it was a statement that lacked confidence. He felt guilty because he didn’t truly feel it. Sometimes, people were good at deceiving themselves, and he had deceived himself too.

This time, her safety was at stake, so he dared to show his frustrations toward her. But if it hadn’t been about her safety, he probably wouldn’t have had the heart to be angry.

When they returned to the capital, the palace gates were already locked for the night.. Yuvan and his group were temporarily sent back to Edgeview Estate for medical care. Although Thomas had taken charge of the matter, Rafael couldn’t shake his unease. After all, there were still some suicide soldiers unaccounted for, hiding in the shadows.

And there was something else to investigate–what had happened at the western mountain pass? Wayne’s plan had been executed with some care, but Rafael knew they had to send someone to uncover more details. novelbin

Meanwhile, Carissa and Violet had returned to Hell Monarch Estate. Having heard about the ordeal, Helen had been anxious the entire night. Now that Carissa and Violet had safely returned, her heart could finally settle.

Still, she turned to Violet and said, “Some say I’m foolish, but I think you’re even more so. What was the point of chasing after those trinkets from Edgeview Estate?”

Violet lowered her head, feeling a pang of shame.

Helen didn’t press the matter further. She sim smoothing out the wrinkles with a practiced hi

“Since you’re all back safely, I’ll go to sleep no

Staying up late was never part of Helen’s routi beauty.

Helen didn’t press the matter further. She simply pressed the skin around her eyes lightly, smoothing out the wrinkles with a practiced hand.

“Since you’re all back safely, I’ll go to sleep now.”

Staying up late was never part of Helen’s routine. She couldn’t afford to compromise her beauty.