Hayden had been granted the title of duke, and lived a rtivelyfortable life in his fief.


    It wasn''t that he desired to return alone to the capital to spend his old age in solitude. He had hoped to have his descendants around him. However, as he grew older, he longed for a return to his roots. It was also partly to show the king that with his presence in the capital, it ensured his children and grandchildren would remain loyal.


    Hayden wasn''t concerned about his own family, but he had noticed some troubling signs. He feared that ambitious individuals might try to win over the various local princes and dukes. That was why he anxiously returned to the capital and retired, to keep a closer watch on things.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Tonight, he had taken Rafael aside. Hayden wanted to pretend he was drunk to speak his mind-whether as a warning or a hint, it was the most he could do.


    Before parting, he patted Rafael on the shoulder. "I must say, I quite like your wife. Bring her to visit me sometimes."


    Rafael smiled and replied, "Of course, I will."


    "Good. I''ll be on my way!" Hayden stroked his beard andughed heartily as he left, walking steadily and showing no signs of drunkenness.


    As Rafael turned, he saw Carissa approaching with Ryan. He went to meet them and, out of habit, took her hand.


    "Are you cold?"


    "Not at all. I''ve had a few drinks, so I''m feeling quite warm," Carissa replied. She had only had a few small cups during the toasts.


    She added, "Mother has had quite a bit to drink. She decided to stay in the pce tonight to keep the queen dowagerpany, and Kiera is staying with her."


    "Let her be," Rafael said, holding Carissa''s hand while she held onto Ryan. They left the pce and made their way home.


    Hell Monarch Estate was lively that night, with Violet and Travis as guests. Since it was New Year''s Eve, they nned to enjoy a good meal.


    Jacob had prepared severalrge baskets of coins, ready to reward anyone who offered their blessings when they all gathered to ring in the New Year. Whoever spoke well would receive a generous handful. For each basket of coins, there would be a basket ofpliments to match.


    As Rafael and Carissa settled into their home, servants streamed in, offering well-wishes andpliments as they went about their duties.


    Jacob was busy by the hearth, brewing coffee and roasting sweet potatoes. The aroma of the sweet potatoes filled the entire mansion.


    When he deemed the servants'' greetings satisfactory, he would give a nod and say, "Go to Lady Carissa and collect your reward."


    Carissa grabbed a handful of copper coins to distribute. Seeing this, Ryan found it particrly amusing and dered that he wanted to be in charge of grabbing the coins.


    His deration drew everyone''s


    attention to his small hands. It was


    clear that Carissa''s hands, while notrge, were long and slender, capable of scooping up quite a bit. Ryan''s tiny hands, by contrast, could barely manage two handfuls


    Faced with protests, Ryan was soon reassigned. The task of handing out the rewards had to fall to Carissa.


    Jacob exchanged a smile with Rafael. It was delightful to see Carissa receiving blessings, with no time to dwell on unhappy thoughts. Tonight was meant to be lively and joyful.


    Violet also came over to help, so the servants were divided into two teams. As generous as ever, they weren''t sparing with the rewards. While distributing coins, Violetughed so hard she almost fell over. She yfully punched Travis, who stood in front of her.


    "Rod, don''t you have any shame? You''vee three times, and each time you say the same thing! Can''t you think of something else?" Travis scratched his head. "This is already the best I coulde up with."


    "If you can''t think of anything else,


    then just copy what others say. You''ve been repeating the same blessings about sess and happiness over and over-it''s reallycking in depth," Violet scolded.


    Travis replied, "What do you know? Sess and happiness are what people want. Blessings should be simple and straightforward. Being overly precise with words only confuses everyone, even the gods."


    "Do you think the gods are as ignorant as you?" Violetughed. "I''m tired of hearing the same thing over here. Go over to Cari''s side."


    "But I''ve said the blessings already. You need to give me the coins before I go to Cari," Travis said, holding out his hand. "Give them to me." Violet called him shameless, but still handed him a handful of coins.