Her Graceful War Song

Upon returning to the estate, Rafael found that his wife was still awake.

Lulu was busy pressing Carissa’s official uniform, the one for the deputy commander of the Mystic Army. Although it was just a nominal title, they had gone through the trouble of making her an official uniform back then, never truly expecting she would wear it.

The official uniform didn’t come with a ceremonial sword, and the black outfit was inlaid with emerald beads. If Carissa were to wear an official uniform from now on, it meant she couldn’t dress like a woman Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

anymore.

Lulu was filled with joy. When Barrett wanted to take Aurora as a rightful wife, he had belittled Carissa. Now, she was about to take on an official role. Even though being a commander was still a military position, Carissa wouldn’t be stuck in the barracks. All the pent–up frustration Lulu had felt was finally released.

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“How did it go? Did you manage to interrogate anyone? Carissa asked eagerly as she approached her husband.

Rafael glanced at her official uniform and chuckled. “That’s the deputy commander’s uniform, but you’re officially the commander now.”

“It doesn’t matter. I’ll wear it for now,” Carissa replied. Tomorrow morning, I’ll head into the palace and go to the Mystic Army’s barracks to take charge of everything. Even as the army’s former commander, you probably won’t have time to show up.”

Rafael wrapped his arms around her waist and grinned. “Whether I show up or not doesn’t matter. Ever since I returned from the Southern Frontier, I haven’t had anything to do with the Mystic Army. You handled Michael, which means you can handle everyone else. Or are you feeling a bit anxious and need me there?”

“No, I’m not anxious at all.” Carissa reached out to smooth her husband’s slightly tousled hair.

Seeing this, Lulu quickly took Pearl and stepped outside.

“You’re not nervous about facing enemies on the battlefield, so I imagine being a commander will come easily to you,” Rafael said, planting a playful kiss on her forehead. “Congratulations on becoming the first female official to enter the court since the founding of our kingdom.”

Carissa tilted her head slightly, a smile blooming on her face. “Perhaps the king just had a fleeting idea and will come up with an excuse to dismiss me in a few days.”

Rafael shook his head. “Mr. Walker personally came to deliver the royal edict. Did he say anything to you?”

Carissa relayed Derek’s words to Rafael nearly verbatim, then shared her thoughts, “I feel like overthinking is pointless. No matter what we do, the king will always suspect us. So, we might as well do what we believe is right without being overly cautious. I heard from Jacob that you’ve been holding back because of the Sinclair family and Ryan, but there’s no need to

Rafael gently pressed a finger to her lips to silence her “It’s not just that. There are many other reasons. But if you enjoy this position, that puts me at ease. Just go ahead and do your job. In fact, doing nothing or hesitating will only make the king more suspicious. It’s better to be proactive.”

Carissa smiled. “Yes, that’s my plan.”

Rafael took her hand and sat down with her. “The Supreme Court is short–staffed. Tomorrow, I’ll ask the king to borrow some people from the Capital Guard to help out, but I can’t be sure he’ll allow us to work together on this treason case. If he doesn’t grant permission, it might be possible to enlist the assistance

the Royal Citadel.”

“Right, you can ask him first. Once I’m appointed tomorrow after entering the palace, I’ll take it from there, “Carissa assured, then asked, “You haven’t told me yet–did you manage to interrogate anyone?”

“I questioned a few. We got to talk to Uncle Henry, but he didn’t reveal much.” Suddenly recalling something, Rafael added, “I also interrogated a physician from Harmony Palace. He said Celeste seduced him and instructed him to tamper with Melanie Lester’s medicine, and that she had intended for her to die. Do you think we should inform Carmen about this?”

Carissa was taken aback. “Why would Celeste do that? That’s her mom! Wasn’t she under Grand Princess Eleanor’s control because her mom was in the dungeon? Was she trying to kill her mom to gain her freedom? But that doesn’t make sense. If she didn’t care about her mom, why would she carry out Grand Princess Eleanor’s orders?”

“I don’t know her motives,” Rafael replied. “But that’s not the focus of our investigation. I just thought it was important to mention since I know you and Violet are in contact with Carmen. If the evidence is solid, Celeste could be charged with matricide, and we’d need to apprehend her. But she’s already made a run for it.”