Her Graceful War Song (Carissa Sinclair)
Chapter 188

Rafael remained silent.

Was there really a difference between being called Marshal and being called Your Highness?

"Why are you waiting here?" Carissa asked,

Snapping back to the present, Rafael replied, "Oh, I wanted to see if my mom was causing you any trouble. She can be difficult to deal with, can't she? But don't worry. Once we're my residence, she won't be as audacious as she is in the palace. After all, the people in my household will listen to me and to you, not necessarily to her."

Carissa smiled. "She's not too difficult to deal with. She has caused

some trouble, but her methods are... somewhat crude and manageable."

Rafael tilted his head.

Crude methods? That was an apt description. Helen knew nothing of subtlety. She had been pampered all her life. A tantrum or a sulk would usually get her what she wanted.

"She does lack finesse. I remember the harshest method she used against Lady Dakota when I lived in the palace. When Lady Dakota was pregnant with my seventh sister, Father would always accompany her.

"To get his attention, my mom tried to soak herself in cold water to fake an illness as an excuse to summon him. But she only managed to stay in the water for a moment before she jumped out, cursing and saying she didn't care if he came or not, but she wouldn't mistreat herself," Rafael recounted.

Carissa chuckled at the image. "Lady Helen is indeed amusing."

Looking at her smiling face, Rafael found it hard to look away. Amusing? I think your use of 'amusing' is quite amusing in itself."

Helen was certainly not an amusing person. In Rafael's memories, she was not only spoiled and willful, but also unreasonable. If others. gave her a little leeway, she would demand tenfold.

Rafael's great-grandfather, a renowned scholar, would have died unhappy knowing he had such a granddaughter. On his deathbed, he had one last wish: to avoid any scandal that might ruin the family's reputation.

Clearly fearing her, Salvador had asked Helen to leave the palace. and live with Rafael.

Everyone in the palace was afraid of her. It wasn't that she was particularly powerful. Rather, even the most privileged young ladies from noble or official families couldn't handle her relentless and unreasonable behavior.

The carriage came to a halt.

Dylan lifted the curtain. "Your Highness, we've arrived at Northwatch Estate."

Rafael shot him a cold glare. Was Dylan incapable of taking a detour? How many rounds could the carriage make around the capital before running out of fodder?

Dylan, bewildered by the glare, wondered what he had done wrong to deserve such a harsh look.

"I'll head in first. Your Highness, take care," said Carissa, hopping out of the carriage.

She waved at Rafael and entered the estate without pausing.

"Your Highness, should we head straight back to your estate or take

a detour around the capital?" Dylan asked, noticing Rafael's reluctance to return directly.

"Back to the estate!" Rafael snapped. "When you should have taken a detour, you didn't. How stupid can you be?"

It felt like Rafael and Carissa hadn't had much time to talk before they arrived at Northwatch Estate. It was mainly because Carissa had taken time to recount her conversation with Salvador.

It was rare to have a private carriage ride with her, and there were many things he still wanted to say. Bringing such a clumsy person like Dylan along only proved Rafael's lack of wisdom as a marshal. Seeing Rafael's irritated mood, Dylan dared not dawdle. He urged the horses to a swift pace, and they soon arrived at Hell Monarch Estate.

As Rafael got out of the carriage, he was met by Luke.

"Your Highness, how about proposing on the day after tomorrow? It's a good date, and we need to inform Lord Sinclair in advance. It's customary to have Lady Sinclair's elder present during the proposal." Rafael's gaze was resolute. "That sounds fine. The sooner, the better."

Luke continued, "By the way, Grand Princess Eleanor's birthday is tomorrow. She is hosting a grand celebration and sent you an invitation. We have prepared several gifts. Please choose one from the study." "Send the gift, but I won't be attending," Rafael replied.

"Grand Princess Eleanor also sent an invitation to Lady Sinclair. I heard Lady Sinclair will likely be attending," Luke added.