Carissa turned her face away, a smile on her lips. It was only natural that she would have asked Sebastian to investigate. After all, men with self-respect weren''t exactlymon in this world.


    Rafael gritted his teeth. "You actually think I''d have those kinds of diseases? I''ve been on the battlefield all this time! You didn''t really suspect me, did you?"


    The soldiers swam back to shore as Carissa reached out to take Violet''s hand,pletely ignoring her husband''s question. Greta noticed Rafael''s frustration and Carissa''s haste to leave, as if the two were in the middle of a spat.


    The journey back to the capital was uneventful after that. By the time they returned, it was almost August.


    The Ministry of Protocol had long been aware of their arrival schedule, and news of their return had spread like wildfire across the capital. Filled with the purest of sentiments, themon people were naturally thrilled to see their heroes return. Crowds filled the streets, all eager for a glimpse.


    Before entering the city, Carissa handed her horse to Carmen, instructing her to return it another day.


    "Thank you, Lady Sinir," Carmen said respectfully. "May I ask where you live?"


    "Hell Monarch Estate," Carissa responded.


    Carmen''s eyes widened in shock. "Hell Monarch Estate? Are you... the Hell Monarch''s princess consort?"


    She hurriedly prepared to bow in deference, with Greta following suit. But Carissa waved them off.


    "No need for formalities. Just bring the horse back tomorrow."


    Having said that, Carissa extended her hand to Rafael. After casting a brief nce at Carmen, the prince took his wife''s hand and pulled her up with a firm tug. The two rode off together on the same horse.


    Greta noticed Rafael''s lingering gaze at Carmen and felt a flicker of hope, but the real challenge was gaining entry into his estate. To do that, Carmen first had to win over the Hell Monarch''s princess consort and earn her trust.


    In other words, they would need to take a roundabout approach.


    However, this would actually make the blow even more devastating. If the Hell Monarch''s princess consort saw Carmen as a friend, the betrayal from both a friend and her husband would hit her even harder, increasing the chances of causing a much bigger scene. Watching them enter the city, Greta turned to Carmen and said, "When we return the horse tomorrow, bring a generous gift. We need to start by winning the favor of the Hell Monarch''s princess consort."


    Carmen let out a small sigh of relief. "Understood!"


    As they prepared to enter the city, Thomas and Homer helped Lawrence onto a horse, making sure he was seatedfortably. Meanwhile, Violet, Ka, and Carissa sat inside a carriage.


    Sebastian had approved this arrangement. Thomas took charge of leading the horse to prevent it from bing agitated by the noise and crowd. If anything went wrong, people were positioned all around to quickly pull Lawrence away if necessary.


    The eleven young soldiers had thought the procession would be a simple formality, but they hadn''t anticipated how overwhelming it would be.


    As soon as they passed through the


    city gates, a deafening cheer


    erupted from the crowd. The city guards and garrison units were statione on both sides of the road to control the citizens, but the people''s excitement could not be contained. In their frenzy, they broke through the lines, rushing forward to chase after the horses. They ran, shouting and calling out as they


    followed.


    All eleven soldiers couldn''t hold back their emotions. Tears welled in their eyes as they waved to the faces in the crowd-these were the people they had fought to protect.


    In that moment, everything felt worth it.


    Richard was apanied by his three sons, and they led the way ahead. The streets were filled with the sounds of drums and fireworks, smoke billowing around them. He nced back, trying to catch a glimpse of Joshua and Benson''s faces, but the smoke made it impossible to see clearly.


    He had a royal edict to announce,


    but the sheer madness of the crowd made it impossible. The cheers never ceased, and even the city


    guards couldn''t hold the citizens


    back. The people ran alongside, surrounding the procession, Richard decided it would be best to wait until they reached Peace Street to make the announcement.


    Peace Street was wider, and there was a circr tform in the middle. The officials led the eleven heroes to stand in that spot.


    When it was time to announce the edict, Richard had to shout at the top of his lungs. Only after some effort did the soldiers finally hear him. They helped Lawrence down from his horse, but he couldn''t kneel, not even in a half-squat. So, Ka stepped out of the carriage to kneel and ept the edict on his behalf.


    Despite themanding power of the royal edict, no one in the crowd could hear a single word. The citizens'' excited screams never stopped. Fortunately, it was an edict of praise andmendation, not a promotion or elevation of rank, so the details hardly mattered. Violet peeked through the carriage curtains, watching the ecstatic faces and hearing the thunderous cheers.


    She turned to Carissa and asked, "Why is the ceremony so grand?"


    Carissa smiled. "I''d guess the Ministry of Protocol spread the word ahead of time, and the storytellers in the capitaNikely exaggerated


    of


    exploits. They probably spun their deliver vital intelligence, mes to


    how the soldiers risked their lives toN?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    sound so dramatic and touching that the people were moved to tears."


    Violet nodded. It seemed likely.


    it


    The capital''s storytellers were renowned for their ability to stir emotions, a skill few could match.