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    When Carissa arrived at Gracehold Estate, the servants came out to greet her. After all, they were mindful of her status as a princess consort.


    That was precisely the kind of attention Carissa found bothersome, which was why she rarely visited. She waited for the formalities to conclude before seeking out Leona.


    When Leona saw her cousin approaching, her face lit up with joy. She waddled out with her prominent belly to meet Carissa.


    Carissa naturally took Leona''s hand, gently cing the other on thetter''s belly. "How are you feeling with such a big bump? Is it ufortable?"


    "Not too bad, just a bit restless at night," Leona replied with a smile. "The hardest days are behind me. Back when I had to stay in bed to keep the baby safe, I ended up feeling so nauseous from lying down all the time." "Once the baby arrives, it''ll all be worth it," Carissa reassured her.


    Once inside, she found na and Leah in the inner room-one sewing clothes, the other working on a. They looked up and greeted her as she entered.


    "You''re here, Carissa."


    "Hello, na, Leah." Carissa returned the greeting with a respectful nod.


    There was another woman in the room who was embroidering. Upon hearing that the Hell Monarch''s princess consort had arrived, the woman quickly stood and bowed.


    "Greetings, Lady Carissa."


    Carissa recognized her as Nora Wagner, the concubine from the merchant family who had entered the family with Ruby. She appeared kind and demure.


    Carissa nodded slightly. "No need for such formalities."


    "She oftenes to keep mepany," Leona said, looking noticeably more cheerful. "She shares many amusing stories with me. Her dad used to take her and her siblings with him on his business trips, so she''s quite knowledgeable." Nora smiled shyly. "Your Grace, I wouldn''t say it''s knowledge. It''s just some experiences."


    Seeing the rapport between them and Leona''s newfound cheer made Carissa relieved. She handed over the Evergreen Root slices and medicine to na, mentioning they would be useful during the delivery. na promptly locked them away in the cab. Samuel, who had been cursing Carissa daily, fell silent upon learning she had arrived. He hid in his study, not daring to emerge, which allowed the cousins to chat uninterrupted.


    At the Farrell family''s residence, Zoey''s arrival surprised the Farrell family. Thest time Zoey visited, she returned the death pension and money for the shops, so they didn''t expect her toe back.


    After Zoey chatted with everyone for a while, Thomas returned home. When he heard that Zoey was there, he stepped in to greet her.


    Zoey looked at him and skipped the pleasantries. "I need to speak with you privately for a moment. Is that alright?"


    The others exchanged surprised nces, but Thomas seemed to grasp the situation. Perhaps it was about what Vi had mentioned the other day. Given that he was already investigating the assassination attempt at Valor Estate, he nodded. "Sure, let''s go to my study."


    Alice felt a bit uneasy, and asked, "Is something wrong?"


    Zoey smiled reassuringly. "No, not at


    all. Thomas just returned from the Southern Frontier, and I wanted ask about... the situation there not something I can inquire about with anyone else, so I thought it best


    It''s


    to ask him directly."


    Her deliberate hesitation was intended to make them think she was curious about whether Oliver had any women on the side-after all, a wife at home would naturally worry about such things.


    Alice picked up on this, and smiled knowingly. "Alright, you two go ahead."Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    Thomas'' study was furnished in a simple manner. There was arge ck desk, matching ck chairs, and two towering bookshelves filled with books. A few swords hung on the walls, and a long axe stood in the corner to the left.


    There were four chairs in front of the desk, two on each side. Thomas gestured for Zoey to sit down while he took a seat opposite her.


    Zoey got straight to the point. "Vi has contacted you, hasn''t she?"


    Thomas was an upright person, and


    he had no intention of hiding anything. "Yes, she mentioned the assassination attempt at Valor Estate. She also told me that Julia and Yvonne are both dead. I''ve been investigating and have uncovered some details. The assassin killed several people in Valor Estate, but their real target was Aurora."


    Zoey didn''t pursue that line of conversation. Instead, she fixed her gaze on him and asked, "Did she tell you she ns to divorce Barrett and rekindle things with you?"


    "She did mention that." Thomas acknowledged with a nod.


    "If she does divorce him, are you really going to marry her?"


    Thomas fell silent for a moment, then looked up. His eyes were filled with a sense of resignation.


    "I had thought that I was the one at


    fault first. If she can''t make it work with Barrett and decides toe back to me, then I should take


    responsibility. But there are som


    things I''ve learned that make itplicated. I believe you know this as well. You''re here today to tell me, aren''t you?"


    Zoey was taken aback. "You know? What exactly do you know?"