Her Graceful War Song

After saying that, Carissa released her grip on Viola's arm. Viola stumbled back and collapsed into a chair, covering her face with her hands.

"If it's not you, then who? Who's trying to harm me? If it's not you, then who else could it be?"

Carissa found herself at a loss for words, grappling with frustration. She wasn't angry-Viola was simply too sheltered by her family and the Farrell family to think for herself.

To put it plainly, Viola was both selfish and foolish.

Sitting down, Carissa took a deep breath. Getting angry at someone like Viola was pointless. Logic might not work either, but it was worth a shot.

"Let me ask you something. What grudge do I have against you?"

Viola pulled out a handkerchief to dab at her tears, her eyes swollen and red. "Are you saying there's no grudge? You're Barrett's first wife, and we were married on the same day. You overshadowed me in terms of dowry, which made me looked down upon when I entered the Warren family." Carissa gripped the armrest of her chair, inhaling deeply before slowly exhaling. It was truly maddening.

"When have I ever compared dowries with you? If you wanted to measure yourself against me and lost, why is that my fault? Why would I be angry at you? What grudge is there between us? Why would I supposedly harm you on purpose? Can you please use your brain for a moment?"

"But you and Silas..."

Carissa raised a hand to interrupt. "I went to Arcane Sanctum to get medicine for Lady Leona. She's about to give birth. Silas is in charge of the sanctum's procurement, and he manages the medicine store. Since Sebastian wasn't around, I had to get the medicine from him. On that day, I did see you two acting suspiciously, but I didn't think much of it. I just assumed you were awkward because he's Thomas' cousin."

Viola sniffled, tears falling again. Her eyes and nose were red, and she looked utterly pathetic. Yet, she stubbornly retorted, "I don't believe you! Who else would go to such lengths to harm me?"

Carissa's temper flared, and she slammed her hand on the table. "Give me one good reason why I'd want to harm you."

The sudden outburst startled Viola, and her tears stopped flowing. She stared blankly at Carissa, then instinctively blurted out, "Because I married Barrett..."

Carissa snapped, "He's someone I don't want. I couldn't care less about who he marries."

Viola shook her head, disbelief etched across her features. "If you don't care, then why did you go to save him? You can't forget him."

"Because I'm the deputy

commander of the Mystic Army. I received word that there were

assassins lurking in the capital, and I went to track them down. I'm not so heartless that I could stand by and watch the people in Valor Estate get slaughtered. It's as simple as that."

"I don't believe you! With the way he and Aurora treated you, how can you still return kindness for cruelty?"

Carissa watched as Viola's crazed

е

expression began to fade, yet her stubbornness remained. Suddenly, Carissa decided to give up on the conversation. It was futile-there was no point in wasting her breath. She just needed to stall until someone from Valor Estate or Silverstone Estate came to take Viola away.

"Here's your chance: if you have any grievances against me, spit it all out now. That way, you won't come banging on my door to berate me later. I let you off the hook this time, but next time, I'll handle this properly and have you dealt with by the authorities." Viola gazed at Carissa's face, which was cold and almost dismissive, and felt humiliated. But as she replayed their past grievances in her mind, she realized there wasn't much to justify her anger.

After a long pause, Viola started to whimper, then broke into sobs. Eventually, she buried her face in her hands and cried openly.

Carissa pressed her fingers against her temples. She was initially indifferent, then grew increasingly impatient. Finally, she couldn't hold back anymore.

"Shut up! If you want to cry, go back to Valor Estate and cry there! Don't make a scene here. It's just not appropriate."

"You look down on me," Viola cried, her voice breaking. "Isn't it just because you're an esteemed princess consort?"

Carissa sneered. "I do look down on

you. What have you done that deserves respect? You think your status in the Warren family is low, so you're trying to cling to Thomas, the third-rank major general. But you're carrying Barrett's child. What kind of person would respect you?" NôvelDrama.Org copyrighted © content.

Viola glared at her with hatred, and Carissa met her gaze with icy resolve. Since Viola had come here to stir trouble, Carissa felt no obligation to play nice.