Chapter 328

Frederick wiped his eyes as he approached Carissa. “My lady, the bridal carriage will soon arrive. Please hurry and touch up your makeup.”

Now that her master and fellow guild members were present, Carissa felt a pang of reluctance as her wedding approached. She hesitated and asked, “Could we delay by two hours?”

“That’s not possible, my lady. You must complete the ceremony within the allocated time.”

Winona took her hand gently. “Come, let’s get your makeup sorted out. It’s a joyful day, so why are you crying and fussing? That’s inappropriate. We’ve come to see you off and will accompany you to Hell Monarch Estate. We have seats reserved there for the wedding banquet.”

Carissa blinked, her eyes misty. “So, Prince Rafael knows all of you are coming?”

“He does, but he didn’t know that you were unaware.”

Well, if that was the case, Rafael hadn’t withheld the information from her.

With her mood steadied, Carissa stood and bowed in thanks to the heads of the various guilds and their apprentices who had come to offer their blessings.

“There’s no need for thanks. Hurry up and get ready,” Adrian waved dismissively. Why the need for such gratitude? This was just him calling in a favor.

Carissa sighed inwardly, thinking that her master was indeed quite impolite.

As she was getting ready, there was a commotion outside. The sound of drums filled the air as someone hurriedly reported, “The prince’s wedding procession has arrived! The prince himself is here to welcome the bride!”

Everett, who was sensitive to such loud announcements, could hardly tolerate the noise. “What’s the big deal about it? Isn’t it customary for him to come and pick up his bride? Why all the shouting? If he dares not show up, I’ll have his ears cut off.”

Faced with Everett’s sharp gaze, the gatekeeper fell silent and retreated obediently.

Viola had thought that her greatest advantage was that Barrett would personally escort her to Valor Estate, whereas Rafael, being a prince, was not required to do so. But upon hearing the news that Rafael had arrived with his wedding entourage, Viola stood there in stunned disbelief.

Why did Rafael treat Carissa so well? Even after a divorce, Carissa couldn’t forget her previous husband—why did she deserve this? But if Carissa was skilled at disguising her emotions, Rafael would undoubtedly be unaware of it.

As Viola was lost in thought, she heard someone announce from outside that Barrett had arrived to escort her. She gathered herself as her attendants placed the white bridal veil over her head.

After Carissa bid farewell to her parents and siblings in the sanctuary hall, she stepped out of the estate. The two brides left almost simultaneously, but their entourages and their own states of mind were completely different.

Carissa’s head was covered by the white veil. She could only see the hem of her gown and the white satin shoes that peeked out as she moved. Her hand was held by Winona; Winona’s long, slender fingers provided a reassuring grip.

In front of them, the matchmaker spoke many blessings. Carissa couldn’t see anyone and could only vaguely sense that she had arrived at the estate’s entrance. There was a sense of the pressure of a crowd at the gate, suggesting that many people had come.

“Child, it’s time to enter the carriage. Be good from now on,” Adrian said softly as he approached her. It was a sentiment laden with a father figure’s bittersweet emotion and expectations. Be good. As long as Carissa behaved and didn’t cause trouble, it would be less worrisome for him. He wouldn’t have to keep waiving others’ rent for her. Oh, this mischievous girl was getting married again.

When Carissa first married, Adrian hadn’t attended. He had sent a letter to Melanie, expressing his displeasure at Carissa’s marriage to Barrett, who had a falling-out family with unimpressive martial skills. Adrian had been unsatisfied with the match. Melanie had replied, saying the marriage was confirmed. Ultimately, Adrian was Carissa’s martial arts master, rather than her father, and he couldn’t prevent it.

After consulting with his guild junior, Everett, Everett had said coldly, “Not attending is the greatest protest. If the Warren family is trustworthy for a lifetime, you can send additional dowries later. If not, keep it for yourself. There’s always the possibility of a second marriage.”

Adrian’s guild junior’s words were both sharp and prophetic—there was indeed a possibility of a second marriage. This time, since Carissa didn’t have her parents, it was only natural that her guild members attended. But how could she not face any punishment?

Instead of returning to the guild and seeking help when she encountered difficulties, she tried to handle everything on her own. If she were truly capable of handling things by herself, she shouldn’t have gone around seeking sympathy from others when she was punished by her guild senior in the Pathfinders Guild. She should have just endured it on her own.

The "+25 BONUS" and chapter numbers seem extraneous to the text itself and have been removed for clarity. The text is improved by correcting punctuation, removing unnecessary word repetition, and improving sentence structure for better flow.