Her Graceful War Song

Carissa was surprised.

Had she been doing that?

She hadn't been resistant to getting close to Rafael. After all, they were intimate every night. They shared the bed, and curled up together. Throughout the night, her head had hardly left the comfort of his arms or chest.

Seeing Carissa's confused look, Lulu felt an inexplicable frustration rise within her. She asked directly, "My lady, do you want a respectful relationship with His Highness, like a pair of polite spouses, or do you want to be a real loving couple?"

"Lulu, aren't you overreacting?" Carissa reached up to touch Lulu's forehead. "Have you been possessed by something? Are you running a fever?"

Lulu puffed up her cheeks, and glared. "My lady, answer the question!"

Carissa tilted her head slightly, a few strands of hair falling out of place and dancing in the sunset glow. "Don't you need both respect and love in a marriage? Just because a couple is loving doesn't mean they can't be respectful. Is it one or the other? Can't I have both?" "What?" Lulu was taken aback.

Both? Well, that wasn't out of the question.

Lulu paused, then continued, "But sometimes, it feels like you don't really care about His Highness' feelings. He's very concerned about yours. It has to go both ways."

"Why do you think I don't care? I do!"

"It just seems a bit off," Lulu said as she tilted her head to the side. "Like the late Lord Nathan and Lady Yvette-they really were a loving couple."

Carissa recalled that every time she returned from Meadow Ridge, she witnessed the affection between her second brother and his wife. They would walk hand-in-hand and sit close together. And when they thought no one was watching, her second brother would sneak a kiss. During meals, they would feed each other and occasionally share lingering glances across the table.

Carissa fell silent for a moment, then pushed away those memories. "Okay. I got it."

Lulu realized that she might have misspoken, and she asked awkwardly, "My lady, are you hungry? Should I bring some food?"

Carissa didn't answer. Instead, she turned sharply and headed back.

Rafael saw her determined approach, and asked, "What's wrong? What did Lulu say to you?"

Carissa walked straight up to him, and stood on her tiptoes. Rafael understood the cue and instinctively leaned in.

'Go on then, give it your best shot!'

Then, her soft lips touched his cheeks, and he was stunned for a long while. As her face turned a little red, he suddenly hugged her tightly. See? Even a blockhead could blossom, right?

In his arms, she murmured, "There's

something I need to tell you. My mom gave Heather a lot of medicine back in the day, including several bottles of Snowdrop and Energy Pills, and also emergency remedies. However, not a single one is left now. Those medicines aren't the sort to be taken casually when one isn't sick, and they're too precious to throw away. I suspect Heather gave them away, which means she and Harvey aren't as aloof as they appear to be and do have dealings with other families."

Though it was a bit disheartening to discuss such serious matters now, they both knew it was important. So, they sat down to analyze and discuss the situation.

"I'm not really familiar with Sebastian's medicines. The Snowdrop and Energy Pills are available for sale, right? If a noble family wanted to buy them, Sebastian wouldn't refuse. How does giving away the pills help build relationships?"

Carissa shook her head. "No. Years

ago, the Snowdrop and Energy Pills were rare, especially the Snowdrop pills. One of the ingredients is extremely difficult to find, and it has to be harvested in frigid conditions and can't be allowed to dry out. It must be prepared within twelve hours of gathering it, and it's hard to refine. Also, gathering herbs in such harsh weather is grueling. That's why there weren't many Snowdrop Pills available each year.

"The production only increased after Sebastian refined his formula and found a substitute ingredient. Even so, they're still limited. He has a set quota every year. Some go to me and the Pathfinders Guild, he keeps a few bottles for himself, andhe sells the rest. If the pills run out and Sebastian is out of the capital, anyone in urgent need won't be able to get them." Content held by NôvelDrama.Org.

"I see. You mentioned there were some emergency remedies as well. What are those used for?"

"Those are typically used to keep someone alive for a few days, or just a few hours. They're mostly given to those who are already beyond saving, to help them make arrangements for their final affairs."

Rafael pondered for a moment, then said, "That's something we can look into."