Melody of Strength novel

hapter 314

Chapter 314

+25 BONUS

Carissa had not been entirely clear when she spoke that day, primarily because it seemed that Viola was quite happy with her match with Barrett.

If she had outright said that Barrett was also interested in her dowry, it would only have led to Viola’s resentment and suspicion, making her think that Carissa was intentionally slandering him.

“But my daughter is foolish,” Evelyn continued. “When Mrs. Murray came and asked her about this match, Viola agreed without a second thought. It was a marriage we couldn’t refuse, and I suspect you understand the reasons behind it.”

Carissa nodded. “I have a general idea.”

The crux of the matter was Oliver taking over the Hell Monarch. The king’s wish was for Barrett to marry into the Prince family, as this alliance would allow Oliver to promote Barrett. If the Earl of Silverstone’s family objected, it was likely that the Hell Monarch Army would change its general.

Given that the Earl of Silverstone’s family and reputation were already on the decline, they could not afford to miss such an opportunity.

“You didn’t say a single bad word about Barrett that day, and Viola believes you didn’t tarnish Barrett’s reputation. Because of that, she doesn’t hold a grudge against you for it.”

At first glance, this logic seemed flawed, but Carissa understood the implication.

That day, Carissa had not pondered deeply–she had merely observed Viola’s words and realized that Viola was interested in Barrett. Regardless of whether Barrett had schemed to keep Carissa’s dowry, Viola was set on marrying him.

Thus, when Viola and Evelyn came to see her that day, their real intent was not to gauge Barrett’s character but to assess Carissa’s feelings towards him–whether there was animosity or affection. If there was hatred, Carissa might have slandered him. If there was affection, she would naturally be adversarial.

Since Carissa had neither, Viola felt reassured.

It was because Carissa had understood Viola’s true intentions that she chose to reveal only part of theText property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

truth.

Evelyn continued, “The Warren family had originally planned for Barrett to divorce you unilaterally in order to claim your entire dowry, Barrett disagreed, insisting that he didn’t want a single penny of it. However, when Aurora sent a letter asking him to withhold half of the dowry, he changed his stance. You didn’t mention this part of the story that day, which made Viola feel much better.”

Carissa thought that it seemed Amelia truly couldn’t control things in Valor Estate. The servants‘ gossip was so extensive that even the inner court’s private matters were easily uncovered and detailed.

Carissa smiled slightly. “I see.”

She had little to say to Evelyn, and was unsure why she was revealing these things now.

Seeing that Carissa remained silent, Evelyn was quiet for a moment before speaking softly, “If Viola ever offends you in the future, I hope you can forgive her.”

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Chapter 314

That was the crux of the matter.

“I don’t quite understand. Could you please clarify, Madam Prince?” Carissa asked.

Evelyn’s expression became awkward. “It’s the young lady from the Warren family. She visited our residence a few days ago and said something in front of Viola. It’s somewhat difficult to speak of, but… Well, she suggested that you’re still pining for Barrett. She implied that the divorce was likely something. you had to do, hoping he would try to persuade you to stay. Little did you know, he didn’t try to keep you. That’s probably the gist of it.”

Carissa took a sip of coffee, her expression unchanged. “Are you talking about Serena? And Ms. Prince believed this?”

“I told her not to believe it, but she did. She thinks…” Evelyn hesitated, clearly uncomfortable, and struggled to articulate her thoughts.

Carissa set down her cup, and raised an eyebrow slightly as she spoke for the older woman.

“She thinks that a general as mighty and handsome as Barrett must be loved by every woman, especially since I was once his wife. It’s only natural for a wife to deeply love her husband, and it would be inconceivable for me to forget him so quickly. Moreover, we once fought on the battlefield together. But since the Hell Monarch has a prestigious status, I’m marrying him so that Barrett would regret his decision. Is that what she believes?”

Evelyn was stunned, her eyes wide as she murmured, “Did you overhear her speaking in our residence? How is it that your explanation is almost identical to what she said?”

Carissa looked at her calmly. “Madam Prince, please inform Ms. Prince that since I never loved him, there is nothing to forget. Goodbye!”