Carissa pretended to discuss the matter quietly with Rafael. They spoke in hushed tones, inaudible to others. As the maid and the guard couldn''t hear anything despite straining to listen, their anxiety was palpable.


    After a considerable pause, Rafael finally nodded.


    "Alright then, we''ll head to the capital together," said Carissa.


    The maid sighed in relief. "Thank you, Lady Sinir. You are truly a saint."


    "What''s your name?" Carissa asked.


    The maid bowed. "My name is Greta."


    Carissa turned to the guard. "And you?"


    "My name is Dustin," the guard replied in a slightly gruff voice.


    Though he was sturdy and appeared honest, a person''s appearance didn''t always reflect their true nature.This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.


    Carissa asked a few more questions but didn''t get much more information. It was clear she wasn''t expecting to learn anything significant from them.


    At supper time, a pinch of Sebastian''s colorless, tasteless powder rendered Dustin, Greta, and the driver unconscious. Once that was done, Carmen knelt before Carissa and Rafael. Violet sat on the other side, listening without objection.


    Carmen looked up, her eyes filled with distress and urgency. "My mother, Grand Princess Eleanor, originally wanted me to seduce Prince Rafael and ruin your rtionship. She hopes that you two will turn against each other. She believed that I would be suitable for this task because I have some skill in martial arts, and His Highness favors such women.


    "However, I refused to do it. I knew that even if I did, she wouldn''t release my real mom. My twin sister, Celeste, entered the Earl of Gracehold''s family andpleted her task, but she still had another mission. My mom is imprisoned in Harmony Pce''s dungeon and isn''t given proper food or clothing.


    "Your Highness, Your Grace, I implore you to rescue my mom. If this can be aplished, I will owe you a tremendous debt. I will be at your service, and even in my next life, I will repay you with all my gratitude." "How many siblings do you have?" Carissa asked.


    She knew that Eleanor had found many concubines for her husband, but no one had ever seen those concubines or their children. The exact number remained unknown.


    "I don''t know how many were born, but there are eight still alive. We don''t have any male siblings. They were all killed at birth," Carmen replied.


    "Doesn''t your dad care about this? His own children are being killed!" Violet eximed, her anger ring.


    "Care?" Carmen''s face showed a sh of anger. "He''s powerless and unwilling to sh with the grand princess. He doesn''t dare to go against her because he''s afraid she''ll retaliate against the Kingsley family."


    "I just don''t understand," Violet said. "Why can''t these matters be brought to the king or the queen dowager?"


    Carmen''s eyes brimmed with blood-like hatred. "Grand Princess Eleanor is ruthless and leaves no evidence. Without evidence, neither the king nor the queen dowager would investigate what''s happening in Harmony Pce."


    Carissa exined to Violet, "Grand Princess Eleanor''s mom, Lady Chloe, was greatly favored. So, King Augustus cherished Grand Princess Eleanor as well. After Lady Chloe''s death, Grand Princess Eleanor was sent to Lady Ruth to be taken care of.


    "Since Grand Princess Eleanor and


    King Sigmund were siblings, certain matters were overlooked. Now that a new king is on the throne, he''s


    even less likely to get involved i


    family issues. He will only do


    something if there''s clear evidence and strong pressure from ministers pushing for changes in the behavior of the royal family members."


    Carmen added, "Unfortunately, my mother harbors no gratitude towards King Augustus. She mes him for not arranging a marriage for her with Lady Sin- I mean, Your Grace''s dad, but instead marrying her off to the declining Kingsley family. She resents King Augustus deeply for that.


    ine


    "The Kingsley family, which was on its third generation of hereditary titles under my grandfather, was about to have its title revoked. But because my dad married Grand Princess Eleanor, it extended the family''s influence for two more generations. The Kingsley family refies entirely on Grand Princess Eleanor. They would never oppose her."


    Recalling something from the past, Rafael said, "One year, at the year-end pce banquet, I saw Lord Kingsley hiding in a rock garden. He was drunk and crying. Maybe because I was young, he pulled me aside and told me about his family''s troubles. "He said that a concubine''s child had been killed because the concubine argued with the grand princess. The grand princess had thrown the child to its death and also harmed the concubine."