Eleanor turned to Helen with a look of confusion.


    "What is this about? Pearls and bets? Wasn''tst night just a feast? When did you take any of her dowry? This simply won''t do! Dowries are the private property of the daughter-inw. You cannot take them, even in jest."


    Helen was taken aback.


    Over her years of interacting with Eleanor, Helen had suspected that Eleanor might not give up the three thousand silver coins. Even so, Helen had held onto a sliver of hope and thought that Eleanor, being a person of pride, would honor the bet simply to preserve her dignity.


    Eleanor''splete denial of both the pearls and the bet was beyond Helen''s expectations.


    Dumbfounded, Helen instinctively nced at Gillian, who was shivering with a reddened face, trying to shield herself with her sleeve and desperately stifling her runny nose.


    Helen turned back to Carissa, who remained calm andposed, as if she had anticipated this oue all along.


    Helen was unwilling to be belittled by Carissa, but was even more enraged by Eleanor''s shamelessness.


    Frustrated, she snapped, "How can you say such things? Last night, I clearly gave you the pearls! You said that if she didn''t pursue it, you would return the pearls to me and also give me three thousand silver coins. How can you go back on your word?"


    "How absurd! Why would I instruct you to take your daughter-inw''s dowry?" Eleanor''s expression darkened as she retorted, "Go ask around-does anyone believe I would do such a thing?" Eleanor''s sharp tone left Helen bewildered.


    Helen, already intimidated by Eleanor, was even more frightened by thetter''s anger. Now panicking, she instinctively blurted out, "Then... then, we should go back and verify this first."


    Carissa rolled her eyes in exasperation. Returning meant they would never recover the pearls.


    However, as a dutiful daughter-inw, Carissa decided to y along with her mother-inw''s charade.


    Smiling, she said, "Alright, then, we shall return for now."


    Eleanor sipped her coffee, and shot a sidelong nce at Carissa.


    Oh? Was she so easily pacified? It certainly saved Eleanor some trouble.


    Indeed, as long as Eleanor stubbornly refused to admit to taking the pearls, no one could force her toply.


    As for Helen, a few words to cate her would be enough. Helen was the easiest to handle.


    Helen felt a strange sense of unease when she heard Carissa also agreeing to leave.


    Was Carissa really that obedient? If the pearls were gone and the three thousand silver coins were lost, then what?


    But it was better than having a quarrel, which would cause a significant embarrassment.


    Yet, how could Eleanor deny it? Helen was unwilling to ept it.


    As Helen stood there, lost in her thoughts, Carissa smiled and said, "Tomorrow happens to be the day I''ll be returning to the Northwatch Estate to visit my family. I''ll mention this matter to my master. After all, the people from the various guilds are still around. I need to exin how my mother-inw took the pearls and the bet she made with Grand Princess Eleanor, just in case the numbers don''t match upter and they try to deceive me."


    Eleanor''s anger red. "Stop your nonsense! I''ve said I didn''t take them. Are you trying to nder me?"Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    "Alright," Carissa said soothingly. "You say you didn''t take them, so be it. Even so, I must report the facts to my master. After all, you have your side of the story, and I have witnesses to mine, don''t I?" "Helen, are you just going to let her use me like this?" Eleanor''s voice grew harsh.


    Helen didn''t know how to respond immediately, but was genuinely upset. How could Eleanor be so shameless?


    Helen lifted her head and said, "There was indeed a bet. How can that be considered an usation?"


    Eleanor was taken aback by Helen''s defiance. The grand princess was used to being in control of the situation, and her expression darkened at the events unfolding before her.


    Carissa gently grasped the slightly bewildered Helen''s wrist, and continued with a serene smile, "Mother, Aunt Eleanor is just joking with you. How could she possibly deny the bet? She was only trying to see if I, your daughter-inw, am truly devoted.


    "She took the risk of her own reputation to help you test me. After all, if word got out that she encouraged you to steal your daughter-inw''s dowry, it wouldn''t take long for the whole kingdom to know. Wandering minstrels might not be very skilled, but they''re quick to spread news."