Carissa hesitated for a moment before saying, "Go and bring Sebastian here. I''ll think of a way to slip inside and take a look."


    No matter what, it was best to have Sebastian ready just in case.


    Violet nodded. "Alright, I''ll go now."


    She hurried out and saddled the horse. The night air was still cold, and it would be quite troublesome for Sebastian toe out in this weather.


    Halfway there, she crossed paths with Travis, but it seemed like he didn''t notice her. He rode straight past. She called out to him, and it took a moment before the sound of galloping hooves returned.


    Carissa instructed the Capital Guard to stand watch at the entrance, ensuring no one entered. If it turned out to be a trap, they had to be cautious and prepared. There was no harm in being extra careful. After that, she left the gatehouse and wandered around the perimeter of Concord Lodge.


    Since the area outside was filled with her men, she didn''t think there would be much risk in walking around. After a while, she scaled the wall at the back of the courtyard and slipped inside.


    The security inside was clearly less strict than before, though it was hard to tell if that was intentional or not.


    Carissa knew Lisandra resided in the eastern courtyard, but she was some distance away from there and had to be cautious to avoid detection. As she moved into the central courtyard, she noticed there were more guards. She crept along the corridor, pressing herself against the wall. Fortunately, thenterns weren''t very bright, and her footsteps were light enough not to alert the guards.


    The guards were talking, but Carissa couldn''t understand their conversation. She felt frustrated. If only Winona were here she could speak fluent Westic, Sandorish, Nerathic, and many other regional tongues.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    Carissa climbed to the roof, nning to cross it. As soon as she reached the top, she saw a shadow flicker across the roof of the eastern courtyard.


    It was still a bit far away, and the light was too dim for her to see the rooftop clearly. For a moment, she thought she saw something sh by, and the shadow seemed to vanish.


    Her heart skipped a beat. Could it be? Had they really sent someone in? Was it an assassin?


    Just as Carissa was about to leap over to take a closer look, the shadow appeared again. This time, it stood up and faced her. Then, the glow of a firestick lit up, aimed right at the person''s face.


    Carissa almostughed out loud.


    It was Winona!


    But what was she doing here?


    With Winona around, there was no need for Carissa to investigate further. She silently retreated and climbed down the wall, slipping out quietly.


    Winona might not be as skilled as


    Carissa in martial arts, but her Lightfoot Skill was undoubtedly superior. Just watching hernd earlier without a sound was enough to prove it.


    Carissa made her way back to the gatehouse, but she had little interest in the coffee now. She kept peeking out the window, anxious to see if Violet had arrived with Sebastian.


    After waiting for what felt like an eternity, she finally heard the sound of hooves.


    She rushed out to see three horsesing to a halt-Travis and Violet were helping Sebastian off his horse.


    Carissa stepped forward and greeted him, "Thank you foring, Sebastian."


    "It''s nothing," Sebastian replied. "Can we go in now? What''s the situation?"


    "Just a little longer." Carissa turned to Travis. "What brings you here?"


    "Let''s talk inside," Violet said, ushering them all in.


    The four of them crowded into the gatehouse. Travis ryed the


    information about the possibility that one of Lisandra''s female officials was conspiring with Yuvan.


    Carissa''s expression turned grim. "So, Grand Princess Lisandra may really be in trouble."


    "It seems likely," Violet said, ncing into the room. From a distance, she couldn''t make out much. "Is there anything unusual?"


    "Winona went in to investigate. If what she finds checks out, we''ll go in," Carissa answered.


    "Winona''s here too? That''s a relief." Violet sighed.


    With Winona''s understanding of theirnguage and her Lightfoot Skill, she was likely to avoid detection.


    Carissa helped Sebastian adjust his cloak. The old man had been in such a rush to leave, he had grabbed the first cloak he could find and thrown it on.