In the study, the lamps were still lit.

Hearing Kyle's words, Carissa let out a long sigh of relief. "Then, my injury should heal faster. I've been feeling utterly stifled."

"Tonight was truly terrifying," said Jacob.

Kyle glanced at Carissa and sighed softly. "If the king really follows in Yuvan's footsteps, then Rafael would take after Nicholas."

"He'll weigh the consequences," Jacob said.

"I just don't understand him. When I was a child, the king was close to my second brother and the others.

He treated me like a younger sister. After I entered court, he regarded me as a minister. So, why this sudden change of heart?" Carissa vented, deeply frustrated.

"Sudden? Have you forgotten that after the Southern Frontier was reclaimed, he once considered making you his concubine?" Jacob reminded her.

"I always thought he only meant to use me to force Raf to relinquish his military power," Carissa replied. Back then, her being Hector's daughter had also played a role-marrying her and bringing her into the palace would have prevented ambitious suitors from taking her hand.

Kyle thought for a moment, then said, "Perhaps even then, he already had feelings for you. But after weighing his options, he chose the greatest advantage and let you go."

He turned to Carissa, adding, "If he had insisted on bringing you into the palace back then, would you have agreed?"

Carissa shook her head without hesitation. "Impossible. I would have packed my things and gone straight back to Meadow Ridge."

"Because you don't want to enter the palace, or because you don't like him?"

"Isn't that obvious? I don't want to enter the palace, and I don't like him."

Kyle's eyes glinted with amusement. "But back then, you likely didn't like Rafael either. So, why did you marry him without hesitation?"

His gaze turned teasing. "Or could it be that you already had feelings for Rafael at the time-only you didn't realize it, or refused to admit it?"

Carissa rose to her feet and stepped out of the room on tiptoe, refusing to answer.

Who knew? Back then, she hadn't thought much of it. She only knew she didn't feel unwilling. In fact, there was even a hint of anticipation.

Violet steadied her as they walked back, grumbling in frustration. "Has the king lost his mind? Coming to the estate in the middle of the night-if word gets out, who knows what kind of gossip will spread?"

It was bad enough that Salvador had kept Carissa in the royal study for so long, already stirring up whispers. She had deliberately injured herself to avoid him, yet he had come straight to the estate anyway.

Even if he claimed he had come to see Kyle, no one would believe it.

Kyle was a commoner. If Salvador truly wished to see him, he could have summoned him to the palace. Why trouble himself to come in person in the dead of night?

"The way he looks at you..." Violet shuddered. "It makes my skin crawl. I can't even describe it. It's not the same as the way Yuvan used to leer at me, nor is it as gentle and natural as how Prince Rafael looks at you."

"Let's not talk about it. Just pretend it never happened," said Carissa.

"If His Highness finds out, he'll be very upset," Violet added.

Carissa wanted to say she wouldn't

let Rafael find out, but after a moment's thought, she realized there was no need to hide it, nor could she. The only thing that

mattered was keeping it fromel net

for now. Out on the battlefield, life and death hung in the balance. There was no need to burden him

with such troubles.

Ever since Rafael had set out to lead the troops in pursuit, her heart had not known a moment's peace. She wished she could be there at his side, fighting alongside him.

"I wonder when this war will finally end," Carissa murmured.

At dawn, Jacob and Luke summoned the household staff to the front courtyard and ordered them to keep their mouths shut. Not a word of what had happened last night was to be spoken outside the estate, under pain of severe punishment.

The Hell Monarch's household was

strict, and normally, no one dared spread rumors about what went on within these walls. But the true

danger lay in those with ulterion net

motives, who might try to pry information from the servants. A little money could loosen any tongue. noveldrama

And so, Jacob made sure to warn them first, making it clear that greed would only lead to their downfall.

As for Jacob, Carissa, and the others, they did their best to push the night's events from their minds, treating it as nothing more than a fleeting nightmare.

Yet, within two or three days, half the court and harem had already heard about it.

The king leaving the palace at midnight was impossible to conceal. Someone was bound to have seen him, be it the Garrison Unit, the Capital Guard, or even the night patrol officers of the Royal Citadel. Even though Carissa and Anthony oversaw these forces, control did not mean absolute loyalty.

Especially within the Garrison Unit, where some officers were the sons of nobility. They had strength and ability, but family interests always came first. Of course, they would report back to their households, trying to make sense of Salvador's late-night visit.