Chapter 756 (+25 Bonus)

Carissa didn't seem angered by Stephanie's tone. Instead, she turned to the scribe, Kirk, and said flatly, "Note that Lady Stephanie appears impatient and unwilling to cooperate. This raises concerns of defiance against royal orders."

Kirk opened his book, and Michael quickly prepared the ink.

"Understood, Commander Sinclair," he replied.

Stephanie was taken aback, her cheeks flushing with indignation. "Carissa, don't say such nonsense! When have I ever defied orders?"

Carissa remained unmoved and continued, "Also note that Lady Stephanie scolded me and displayed an extremely poor attitude."

Kirk's quill flew across the page. "Noted. It's been recorded."

Stephanie walked over and saw that Kirk had indeed written Carissa's words. In a fit of anger, she reached out to tear the page, but Michael swiftly blocked her with his sword.

He coldly said, "Note that Lady Stephanie attempted to destroy the testimony."

Stephanie stumbled back two steps. Caught off guard by the blade, she didn't dare retaliate further.

Seeing Carissa show no leniency despite their familial ties, Fiona quickly stood up to ease the tension.

"Commander Sinclair," she pleaded, "please don't hold this against Stephanie. She's young and inexperienced and has never encountered such a situation. Besides, you're cousins. There's no need to make things so tense, right?"

Carissa didn't even glance at Stephanie, her expression cool and distant. "The Capital Guard handles cases impartially. What do familial ties have to do with this, Lady Fiona? They share no more bond with their own mothers than they do with me."

Fiona understood that Carissa was not someone to be trifled with. She forced a smile and said, "Of course. If you have any questions, please ask. We will certainly answer truthfully."

Carissa fixed her gaze on Fiona. "Are all of you aware that Eleanor has been hoarding weapons?"

Fiona immediately shook her head. She looked at Kirk and said, "No, we didn't know anything about this—nothing at all. Prince Yuvan doesn't know either."

Carissa replied, "Whether Prince Yuvan knows or not is a matter for him to clarify. Just answer whether you all knew."

Unease stirred within Fiona. If this was just a routine inquiry, why was Carissa being so sharp from the start?

"No, we didn't know," she replied.

Outside Edgeview Estate, two Capital Guards stood resolute and solemn, their expressions unreadable. A steady stream of passersby moved along the street, their attire indicating they were servants from wealthy households. Some had walked back and forth several times, eager to see how long the Capital Guard would linger at Edgeview Estate and whether there would be any further commotion.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the tension grew. No one had emerged from within, leading many to wonder just how long this questioning would go on. What could possibly warrant so many questions? Were they going to interrogate every last detail?

Inside, Carissa focused on asking seemingly trivial inquiries—questions about their interactions with Eleanor and the conditions in Valken, along with how many times Eleanor had visited the region. These questions spiraled on, wearing everyone's patience thin.

Carissa also brought up Avis, probing why he had left Valken to recuperate at Verdant Monastery when he fell ill. Had it been Yuvan's decision, or his alone?

Though Fiona and the two county duchesses insisted it had been Avis's choice, Carissa continued to delve into various topics until she eventually circled back to the conspiracy surrounding Eleanor. Fiona found herself increasingly exhausted from the back-and-forth.

Then, Carissa shifted her attention to Randall and the two county duchesses.

"Do you find it suspicious that when Lady Ruth fell ill, Prince Yuvan brought you back to the capital to care for her?"

Sabrina's frustration flared. "What's suspicious about it? Father has always been filial! What's suspicious about returning to care for his mother? Isn't it more questionable that his mother is gravely ill while her son is miles away? What's the point of all this questioning?"

Carissa met her gaze. "You're right. It is only natural for children to attend to their ailing parents. So, why was your mother recuperating alone at Verdant Monastery, while you three siblings and Lady Fiona's three children were absent?

"If Prince Yuvan is indeed a dutiful son, he should have sent you to be by her side. Instead, he upholds his duty to his parents alone and leaves you all to appear ungrateful and uncaring. Doesn't that raise suspicion?"

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