Eleanor stepped in to defuse the tension. <b>She </b>cast Fiona a sharp nce to remind her to keep an eye on Molly.


    Fiona was irritated. Due to her status as a concubine, she hesitated to intervene when Molly made her rounds of greetings. They had talked about this beforehand–<b>tonight </b>was meant to be <b>a </b>solemn event. It wasn’t about making connections. They should focus on being quiet, copying scriptures, and praying for the departed souls. Those were the best ways to socialize.


    But from the moment Molly arrived, she started trying to make small talk and acting overly familiar, as if they were at a banquet. Hadn’t she noticed how the expressions of the olderdies had shifted?


    Fiona stepped forward and said softly, “Lady Molly, let’s copy scriptures together.”


    sickly in


    She had brought a few holy texts, and had even copied some scriptures while attending to o the s the pce.


    Molly reluctantly took a seat at a low table and began copying the scriptures. The holy texts were in a differentnguage, so the words wereplex and challenging to write. Soon enough, her wrist began to ache. She considered putting down her quill, but Eleanor’s cold re stopped her.


    With Molly present, Eleanor feltpelled to keep a watchful eye. Moredies continued to arrive. While borate greetings weren’t necessary, everyone still greeted each other respectfully.


    Outside, the offering table had been set up. It was adorned with the best food and candles. Eleanor wouldn’t be solely responsible for the expenses. Everyone attending was expected to contribute; the total cost would be sharedter.


    The priests finished their vegetarian meal and emerged, with Zane leading the group. Seven other renowned priests apanied him. Original content from N?velDrama.Org.


    As thedies rose to greet the priests, Mildred smiled gently. “It’s a blessing to see you and the other high priests again this year, Reverend Zane.”


    Zane was dressed in his priest robes. He nodded slightly and said, “Peace be with you, madam. It’s good to see you in good health.”


    Although he was over eighty, he appeared to be in his sixties. His hair was white, and his expression. radiated kindness andpassion.


    The older noblewomen stepped forward one by one to greet the priests and exchange a few pleasantries.


    Molly attempted to step forward, but Fiona held her back with surprising strength. Molly fumed, annoyed at Fiona’s grip. She could easily break free, but the sudden movement would attract too much attention and be <b>a </b>source of embarrassment.


    Zane noticed that this year, there were more people than ever, and many wore expressions that revealed their ulterior motives. He was no stranger to the faces of both the wicked and the virtuous–he had seen it all over the years.


    People’s thoughts often showed on their faces. While Zane couldn’t change the world’s nature, he would go where he was needed to fulfill a purpose. He came each year not for Eleanor or the other nobledies, but for the restless souls who had suffered untimely deaths.


    Yet he also understood that what was truly needed here wasn’t him, but someone who could guide the living away from their hellish lives. If such a person appeared, he would not need to return next year,


    With a solemn nod, he and the other high priests took their seats on the tform and began their prayers.


    Seeing this, thedies settled down to pray as well. Rosalind and Nadine lit the candles to burn the copied scriptures, a symbolic gesture to send blessings to the afterlife. Molly didn’t know the proper steps to pray for the departed souls, so she joined in to help with the burning.


    Eleanor sat silently as the rhythmic sound of the prayers washed over her. However, she felt a sense of inexplicable unease gnaw at her. As she silently recited the prayer to dispel evil, she felt great danger lurking in every shadow.


    At Hell Monarch Estate, Jacob had been busy all day in the study. Everything for the night’s arrangements had been meticulously prepared, and now, he awaited the final oue.


    Carissa and Violet were on standby. They were unwilling to go anywhere else, and Kyle was with them. He had made it clear he didn’t intend to depart after arriving at the estate.


    The assassins dispatched for tonight’s task were a select group of highly skilled individuals. They were unknown to Carissa. They rarely made <b>public </b>appearances, and certainly wouldn’t be seen at Hell


    Monarch Estate.


    As for the Capital Guard and the Garrison Unit, Jacob had yet to reach out to them.


    Rafael must have coordinated with Michael beforehand. Jacob’s earlier frenzy stemmed from concerns rted to Daniel’s family, and he had been running errands all over.