Her Graceful War Song

#25 BONUS

Carmen was taken aback when she saw Violet. Then she recalled that Carissa and Violet had deceived her, and it left her feeling somewhat disgruntled. Even if their actions were for the sake of the plan, deception was still deception. So, Carmen could only muster the bare minimum of politeness.

“Is there something you need, Ms: Spencer?”

Violet wasn’t one to ignore subtle cues. Seeing that Carmen was probably upset, she asked softly, “Can I come in and talk?”

Carmen stepped aside. “Please go ahead.”

Carmen had just acted on impulse. After all, she knew that if Carissa and Violet hadn’t kept the plan from her, she would definitely have told Henry. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that her own dad would betray her.

The little cabin was modest. It had a tiled roof, and one could see the entire place in one glance. A small

kitchen was outside, while the interior consisted of a small hall and a single room. Sunlight fire to

through the gaps in the crumbling roof, clearly indicating that it was in disrepair. If a heavy rain fall, the place would surely become a pond.

Violet tried her best to ignore the discomfort, but sitting on the rickety old bench in the cramped hall with sunlight streaming down felt awkward. While Carmen went to help her mom, Violet seized the chance to climb onto the roof. If any tiles had simply shifted, she could adjust them. However, as she reached the top, she found many tiles had already broken. Repairs would require buying new ones.

As Carmen was helping Melanie outside, Violet just jumped down, startling both mother and daughter.

“What were you doing on the roof?” Carmen asked.

“Didn’t you see that the roof is damaged? If it rains, you’ll be in trouble. And even if it doesn’t rain, the wind will whistle through at night. Winter will be unbearable,” Violet replied.

Carmen said softly, “I know. I’ll find someone to fix it.”

“Yeah, it definitely needs repairs,” Violet said. She glanced at Melanie, who looked unwell. “Why did you help your mom out? She should just go lie down.”

Melanie bowed to Violet and said, “I wanted to thank you and Lady Carissa, Ms. Spencer. If it weren’t for you both, I would still be in the dungeon–perhaps even dead by now.”

Seeing Melanie’s pale complexion and shaky stance, Violet quickly reached out to support her. “No need to thank us. Just go lie down. I’ve called Ivy. She’s a physician, and she’ll come to treat you soon.”

Melanie looked incredibly weak, and Violet feared even a simple sneeze might send her crumbling to the floor.

Melanie waved her hand dismissively and took a deep breath. “No, it’s fine. I don’t need treatment.” Violet raised a brow in confusion. Why didn’t Melanie Want to be treated when she was sick?

But then Violet recalled how Carmen and Melanie must have been cast out by the Lester family. That meant they would be short on money.

Not wanting to address it directly, Violet said, “Cari–I mean, Lady Carissa made the arrangements. She’s

also

the one who sent the physician over. Whether you want treatment is up to you, but you can tell the physician when she arrives

Then, Violet turned to Carmen. “Help your mom back to bed.”

“I’m grateful for Lady Carissa’s help, but there’s really no need…”

Melanie began to protest again, but Violet simply steered her inside to lie down.

The room was even worse than the hall. There was one bed and a makeshift one formed by two benches pushed together, covered with an old quilt. It was likely what Carmen had been using to sleep here at night.

Violet couldn’t help but ask, “Why won’t the Lester family take you back?” C0ntent © 2024 (N/ô)velDrama.Org.

Though she didn’t want to interfere in their family matters, she recalled that Carmen used to live with the Lester family and enjoyed a life of luxury.

Carmen’s expression stiffened, and she pulled Violet outside the room and into the hall.

“Don’t bring that up in front of my mom,” Carmen said firmly.

“Okay.” Violet replied, glancing at her before a realization struck. “You’re out of money, aren’t you?”

Carmen’s face flushed with embarrassment.

I

“I’ve never had any money to begin with. The jewelry I had was given to me by the Lester family and Grand Princess Eleanor. Aside from that, I’ve never handled any money. Now, the Lester family won’t take us back. I was only allowed to bring the clothes I was wearing and had to leave everything else behind.”