Her Graceful War Song

Tears welled up in Carmen's eyes. "Dad, as long as we can save Mom and take down that venomous woman, I would give my life a thousand times over."

Henry reached out and motioned her closer, his tone full of warmth as he said, "I'm doing all this so we can live peacefully as a family, silly girl. No one needs to die."

"Dad!" Carmen knelt and rested her head on his knee, her eyes reddened with emotion. "I've been waiting for that day for so long! I just want you and Mom to be safe. I want my sister and I to be able to stay by your side."

Henry's eyes softened with a tinge of red as well. He gently stroked her hair. "Stand up, now. Don't embarrass yourself in front of the princess consort. You're too old to be acting like a child."

Carmen wiped away her tears and stood, a little embarrassed. "I apologize, Your Grace."

Carissa simply offered a faint smile, dismissing the scene. "Before I reveal my plan, perhaps you can tell me what the grand princess has been up to recently."

Henry replied, "I don't know much, but I do know she's trying to marry someone off to Thomas. The woman was originally part of a performing troupe from Stonebridge County. She's skilled in martial arts, but after the troupe disbanded, she was left to fend for herself. At some point, she was attacked by bandits.

"Grand Princess Eleanor rescued her and brought her to the capital. When I first saw her, I thought she was going to be forced on me as another concubine, but that wasn't the case. The grand princess kept her at the estate and taught her etiquette and manners." "How could the Farrell family agree to a marriage for Thomas with someone of unknown origin? So, she's going to fabricate an identity for this woman, right? What identity is she planning?" Carissa asked.

Henry nodded. "Exactly. I'm Grand Princess Eleanor's prince consort, so she'll pose as my distant cousin, a daughter of the Sanford family from Stonebridge County. She'll go by the name Lisette Sanford. If the Farrell family sends someone to investigate, they'll be able to confirm that her background is legitimate."

Stonebridge County was Eleanor's fiefdom, so it would be easy for her to create a false identity there.

"What was the woman's original name?" Carissa asked.

"Darin."

"Is she living at Grovehill Estate now, or is she still staying at Harmony Palace?"

"She's already moved into Grovehill Estate as my 'cousin', and my mom is the matchmaker for the marriage. Thomas' grandmother and my mom are cousins, so this marriage is practically set in stone."

Violet's eyes narrowed with cold disdain. "A woman with such an unclear background would never be able to marry into the Farrell family."

Carissa gently placed her hand on Violet's to calm her. "It's not a big deal. Grand Princess Eleanor's true goal is to control Thomas. As long as we can find a way to have Thomas stationed in some remote area, her control over him would be useless." There was a hint of mockery in Henry's eyes.

Typical women. They were so narrow-minded, yet they talked as if they were warriors.

Violet frowned, and thought for a moment. "But Prince Rafael saved Thomas. If we don't use him for our own ends, wouldn't that effort be wasted?"

"What do we need him for? We don't have any major plans that require his involvement. As long as Thomas remembers that debt, that's all that matters," Carissa explained.

Violet nodded reluctantly. "Alright. If that's the case, we won't interfere with this."

But Carmen was starting to get anxious. "How can we just let that happen? Thomas has endured so much for the kingdom, and he's the hero whoreclaimed the Southern Frontier. We can't leave his marriage to be manipulated by others! What if we secretly tell Thomas the truth? We can warn him that her identity is fake, and make sure he thinks carefully before proceeding." Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

"That would only alert the enemy," Carissa replied, her gaze softening as she looked at Carmen. "I understand you don't want to see a loyal man be manipulated, but even if the marriage is finalized, we can reveal the truth to him once we've taken down Grand Princess Eleanor."

"Then we need to move quickly with our plans," Carmen urged.

Henry lifted his cup. "So, can you share your plan with me now?"

Carissa nodded. "Since we're committed to this alliance, I don't mind telling you. We've set the date for the fifteenth day of October, the Illumina Festival. I remember that every year, Grand Princess Eleanor invites Spirit Elders to her estate to set up an altar and pray to the heavens for blessings. She claims it's to ensure prosperity for the kingdom, and many noblewomen and wives of officials will attend."