Her Graceful War Song

When Carissa asked the question, no one answered.

Whatever they said would be recorded. Disloyalty toward one’s parents or elderly relatives was a grave sin. Even if they were not held accountable, it would not benefit their future prospects if word got out.

In a noble family, who would want to marry a disloyal daughter?

Among them, only Randall showed a hint of quilt, but he remained silent.

Carissa glanced at them and said to Kirk, “Make a note of this–Lady Avis‘ children, as well as the concubine’s children in the household, have nothing to say. I can’t tell if they are ashamed or indifferent.”

Stephanie quickly replied, “How can you say that? How can we not have wanted to take care of our mom? The truth is our dad was unwell at the time, so we had to take care of him. Besides, we were still young and unmarried. It wouldn’t have been appropriate for us to go to Verdant Monastery.”

A mocking glint flickered in Carissa’s eyes.

“So, because your dad was ill, you all stayed in the manor to take care of him. Meanwhile, your mom, who was in serious condition, had to go to Verdant Monastery. Why couldn’t she stay at Horizon Estate to recover? Did you treat her poorly? Or did she discover something unsavory in the estate?”

Fiona shuddered suddenly. “You can’t say such things, Commander Sinclair! Lady Avis wanted to go to Verdant Monastery of her own accord. We tried to persuade her, but she wouldn’t listen. Besides, this is our family’s private matter. What right does the Capital Guard have to meddle in our family affairs?”

Molly didn’t like it when others mentioned Avis, and she coldly remarked, “Exactly! What does this have to do with the rebellion case? No matter your rank, you can’t interfere in the matters of a prince’s household. Even if you are the Hell Monarch’s princess consort, that doesn’t grant you any special standing.

“Right! This is a family matter! We don’t need to explain ourselves to you.

Everyone joined in denouncing Carissa, their expressions filled with righteous indignation.

Carissa allowed them to voice their grievances. Once they grew animated, she turned to Fiona and asked, “Once, you offered a girl to Eleanor. What was her background? What was her name? Did you buy her or abduct her? What was the purpose of presenting her to Eleanor?”

Fione had been coldly watching Molly and the two county duchesses denounce Carissa. She was feeling quite pleased with herself, but Carissa’s sudden question completely stunned her.

She showed a momentary flicker of panic, but quickly regained her composure.

“What girl? When did I ever offer a girl to the grand princess? Don’t make unfounded accusations, Commander Sinclair That’s slander

Carissa looked at Fiona

“You don’t remember? Let me help you recall. She was a girl from Valken named Wendy Lloyd. Her dad was a craftsman, and she had three older brothers. You brought her to the capital when she was fifteen, and she died at eighteen Do you know how she died? She gave birth to a son, who was thrown to death. Eleanor ordered the girls fingers and toes to be chopped off, and she was tortured for three days before she died.”

Fiona’s face paled slightly. “Who said such nonsense? I don’t even know anyone by that name!”

Carissa leaned back in her chair, watching her coldly.

“It doesn’t matter if you deny it. Someone in Harmony Palace remembers, and it’s recorded in the books. Those records detail every girl who entered Harmony Palace. It also includes where they came from, who brought them, how they arrived, their ages when they came, when they died, and the kinds of abuse they suffered–everything is crystal clear.

“Do you want to explain now, or should the Supreme Court summon you directly, Lady Fiona? Do you think Eleanor is only implicated in the rebellion? Over a hundred girls suffered and died in Harmony Palace. This case will shock the entire Starhaven, and the king is taking it very seriously.

Fiona gripped the armrest, tiny beads of sweat forming on her forehead. She hadn’t expected that despite all her precautions, she would be caught like this.

She had even forgotten the girl’s name. It had been too long. All she knew was that when Eleanor saw a girl resembling Melanie Sullivan, she would take her back to Harmony Palace.

Back then, Fiona had just married Yuvan. So, she had sent just one girl to curry favor with Eleanor.

She pretended to be deep in thought, and took a while before finally saying, “Now that you mention it, I do remember something. I did send a concubine to the grand princess. At that time, Grand Princess Eleanor had just given birth to Lady Jessica and didn’t want to have more children. She didn’t want Lord Henry’s line to end, so she sought a few concubines of humble origins who would be easy to manage. I recommended one, but it’s been so long, I nearly forgot.” Têxt © NôvelDrama.Org.