Chapter 457
Carissa continued to entertain the guests but privately instructed Violet to keep an eye on everyone, especially those with ulterior motives.
Violet observed two young women who frequently exchanged glances with Eleanor. After noting their details, she approached Lily to inquire about them.
Lily was assisting with the arrangements inside. After identifying the women, she came out and told Violet, “The one in the yellow dress is from Lady Ruth’s natal family, but I don’t know her name. The one in the violet dress is from the late Lady Chloe’s natal family, and her name is Renee. She is exceptionally talented and beautiful. People often compare her to Queen Kylie, whose talents were once unrivaled in the capital.”
Violet made a mental note of this. When Carissa emerged, Violet informed her of the two women’s identities.
Carissa understood immediately. Both Ruth and the late noble concubine, Chloe, had connections to Eleanor and Yuvan. They were clearly trying to insert their own people into Hell Monarch Estate to cause trouble for Rafael.
It seemed they couldn’t allow Yuvan to remain in Valken any longer. He needed to be brought back to the capital, where he could be watched closely. It was also time to settle the score with him for what happened to Avis.
After the banquet, Rafael held Carissa’s hand as they saw off the guests at the main entrance. Together, they made a stunning pair—the prince handsome and noble, the princess consort beautiful and elegant.
The guests couldn’t help but admire the pair, thinking they were indeed a perfect match.
The guests left the estate in an orderly fashion, thanks to the careful arrangements made by the guards, with no sign of congestion.
Eleanor and Jessica shared a carriage and opened the appreciation gifts presented before they departed. Carissa had prepared a thoughtful gift for each guest, though each was different.
Jessica opened her gift to find a small sculpture of a tortoise, a symbol of longevity and wisdom. She tossed it aside with a huff. “What is this?”
She then looked at Eleanor’s gift, a small sculpture of an elephant, a symbol of virtue and integrity. Fuming, Jessica exclaimed, “What does this mean? Is she implying that I won’t live long? And she gave you an elephant! Is she suggesting your lack of virtue?”
Eleanor shot her daughter a cold glance. “Be quiet! Haven’t you seen how your mother-in-law looks at you? You’ve been staying at Harmony Palace for too long. It’s time for you to go back.”
“Go back? He hasn’t even come to pick me up!” Jessica had been waiting for Leopold. “And after what happened today, what am I supposed to do?”
“What else can you do? Take Serena as Leopold’s secondary wife. At least that will divide some of the worthless woman’s favor.” Eleanor rubbed her temples, growing impatient. “Enough! Go home and stop bothering me. I have things to attend to. You should return home and manage the shop you have with Dakota. Also, have you sold The Gilded Tower yet?”
Chapter 457
Jessica was furious at the thought of taking Serena into her household, but with her mother asking about the business, she had to reply, “I’m in the process of transferring it, but it won’t be settled right away.”
“What price are you asking?”
Jessica hesitated. “Four hundred thousand silver coins.”
Eleanor’s eyes widened in shock. “Have you lost your mind?! Four hundred thousand? Everyone knows The Gilded Tower is modeled after The Golden Tower. It’s already made a profit. You should sell it at a lower price. Otherwise, it will come back to haunt us if anything goes wrong.”
“Mom, I’m trying to recoup the large sum we gave Aunt Helen. We need to earn that money back. Besides, our business is doing so well. Even forty thousand silver coins is still a bargain.”
“How many times have I told you? Don’t be greedy. The gold ornaments sold in the first year will have started fading by now. If someone raises a fuss, the Royal Citadel will investigate, and it will come back to us. Don’t you know who sits at the top of the Royal Citadel? It’s the Klein family—the uncle of that spawn from the Duke of Northwatch’s family!”
Seeing her mother’s stern expression, Jessica could only reluctantly agree, “Understood, Mom. I will lower the price.”
“You should return to Ironridge Estate tomorrow,” Eleanor’s tone was now tinged with impatience.
Jessica sulked. She really didn’t want to face her mother-in-law again. Margaret had been seriously ill before, and it had seemed like her coffin would be brought into the residence, but she managed to hold on. Now, she was still in charge of the household and unwilling to relinquish control.