Chapter 338
Lily applied the cream to Carissa’s other hand, her brows furrowing slightly to hide the sadness in her eyes.
“When you initially returned to discuss your marriage, you were met with a sea of suitors. Many noble families came to seek your hand.”
Carissa nodded. “I know about that.”
“Yes, but there is something you may not know. At that time, you hadn’t yet returned from Meadow Ridge,” Lily continued, gently rubbing the cream into Carissa’s hand. She sighed softly. “Back then, news of the duke and the young masters’ deaths reached us. The battlefield needed a general, so the Hell Monarch was appointed Grand Marshal to reclaim the Southern Frontier.”
Carissa withdrew her hand, rubbing it herself, her gaze lowering as her eyelashes grew damp. “I know all this, Lily. You don’t need to tell me.” Talking about her father and brothers made her heart ache deeply.
“Listen to what I have to say to the end,” Lily said, fighting back tears, knowing she couldn’t let a single tear fall today. “The night before the Hell Monarch was to lead his troops out of the city, he came to the estate. I remember it was already late, and the madam had gone to bed. But upon hearing that the Hell Monarch had arrived, she dressed again and went out to meet him.”
Carissa paused, seemingly lost in thought. Her heart skipped a beat, and her voice trembled slightly as she asked, “Why was he there so late at night?”
Lily recalled the events of that time as if from a dream. She spoke softly, “He brought a dagger and made a promise. He said that this time, on the Southern Frontier battlefield, he would personally avenge the deaths of the duke and the young masters by killing General Vallar and his army. He used the dagger as a token and asked for your hand in marriage.”
Even though Carissa had already guessed part of the story, hearing it directly from Lily still left her stunned and silent. Rafael had come to seek her hand in marriage?! Carissa’s eyelashes fluttered. “Mom refused him, right?”
“No,” Lily replied. “Your mother accepted.”
Carissa’s confusion deepened. “If she accepted, why did she later agree to Barrett’s proposal?”
Lily sighed deeply. “Your mother accepted the prince because she wanted him to go to war with a clear mind. But she felt that since even the duke couldn’t drive out the Sandorian people from the Southern Frontier, the Hell Monarch wouldn’t be able to either. Moreover, Prince Rafael was headed to the Southern Frontier battlefield, which was fraught with peril. She was terrified of that place back then. Don’t blame her—choosing General Warren was truly done with the hope of providing you with a stable life.”
Lily took Carissa’s hand once more. “Your mother has always been wise. She has never made a wrong decision in managing the household. The only mistake she made was in your marriage. At that time, she prioritized your marriage above all else, but misjudged General Warren.”
Carissa felt a pang of sorrow. It was as if her heart was gripped by an invisible force, making it difficult for her to breathe. So, Rafael had come to seek her hand in marriage before heading to the Southern Frontier? And he had succeeded in what he promised to do—he had personally killed Vallar and reclaimed the Southern Frontier, fulfilling Hector’s unfinished mission.
“Don’t overthink this, my lady. Your mother actually held a great fondness for Prince Rafael. When she promised you to General Warren, she spent the whole night talking to her attendant, Gloria. She said that among all the suitors, Prince Rafael was her first choice. Unfortunately, he was going to the Southern Frontier, a place of almost certain death. Besides that, she also mentioned that even if the Hell Monarch returned victorious, as a royal prince, he would have numerous concubines and secondary wives in his household. Your temperament wouldn’t be suited to such a situation.”
Carissa could understand why Melanie had feared the Southern Frontier battlefield so much, and why she believed that once someone went there, they might never return. In Melanie’s eyes, Hector was all-powerful, a mighty general who was unmatched in the world. Her mother had loved and revered her father. Thus, Melanie thought that if Hector and his sons couldn’t survive on the Southern Frontier battlefield, then that place was indeed hell on earth.