Her Graceful War Song (Carissa Sinclair)
Chapter 278

After seeing off Evelyn and Viola, Carissa sat in the living room for a while, lost in thought.

What was Barrett's attitude towards this marriage? Wasn't he only in love with Aurora?

Carissa remembered how Aurora had once come to her with such haughty disdain.

How would Aurora feel now, knowing that a new lady of the house had appeared so soon? Would she think that her earlier arrogance was utterly laughable?

Although Viola wasn't the easiest person to deal with, she was from the Earl of Silverston's family, making her the most suitable choice for managing the household. Moreover, Rebecca would likely be very pleased with this daughter-in-law.

Even though it was Viola's second marriage, the substantial dowry and the capable family background were qualities that Rebecca appreciated. She had always favored a daughter-in-law from a strong family. Aurora had said she would not engage in disputes with women, but would she still contest this new arrangement? Would she become the very person she despised

most?

Carissa was curious, but had no intention of investigating further.

However, although Carissa did not seek information, someone from the Warren family visited-specifically, Barrett's second aunt, Charlotte.

Charlotte had visited once before when Ryan had returned. At that time, she had avoided discussing matters related to the Warren family. It seemed she had chosen. to spare Carissa from such unpleasant topics on a joyful occasion.

This time, Charlotte came to add to Carissa's trousseau. The items were neither numerous nor particularly luxurious, but they were heartfelt.

Charlotte had made a set of clothes for Ryan, including shoes and socks.

For Carissa, Charlotte had prepared a quilt. She had personally embroidered the cover, and it was filled with intricate floral patterns symbolizing a lifetime of happiness. She also prepared a day dress, a nightgown, and a pair of satin embroidered shoes for Carissa.

Among the gifts was a pair of gold bracelets with stag and dove motifs, symbolizing

blessing's for both marriages and the lives of children. While these were ordinary designs bought from outside, they were substantial and clearly cost a considerable

amount.

The second branch of the Warren family had been suffering from the misfortunes of the main branch, so they didn't have many valuable items to offer. The weight of these bracelets, along with the sentiment behind them, spoke volumes.

Carissa knew Charlotte's branch of the family was struggling financially, and could hardly afford to give such an expensive gift. She immediately tried to decline, saying, "I appreciate the clothes and the quilt, but I can't accept the gold bracelets. They're too valuable.

Charlotte glared at her. "If you refuse them, it will be seen as disrespect. I know that these gifts might seem insignificant to you, but they represent my heartfelt intentions. You must accept them." Given her insistence, Carissa couldn't refuse.

She expressed her gratitude sincerely, saying, "Thank you for your efforts, and for personally making clothes for Ryan and me. The gifts are very precious, and I like them very much."

Charlotte sighed. "Even if you didn't like them, I have nothing else to offer. Luckily, I bought these bracelets in advance. Otherwise, that money would have had to be scraped together for Barrett's wedding. Realizing she had spoken out of turn, Charlotte quickly added in annoyance, "Look at me, rambling on about things I shouldn't be mentioning."

Charlotte's offhand comment about Barrett's wedding was particularly irksome to herself, as his wedding date coincided with Carrisa's.

Carissa smiled gently, "It's alright. I don't mind. I'll take it as an interesting anecdote from someone else's life."

Seeing that Carissa wasn't bothered, Charlotte couldn't help but vent a bit more, "It's always like this. Whenever a wedding is involved, it feels like the entire family is scraped clean. The most infuriating part is that their wedding date is on the same day as yours."

Carissa was surprised. "On the same day? Are they in such a hurry?"

She and Rafael had been preparing for their wedding for several months, with the support of the Royal Management and Protocol Departments.

How long had it been since Barrett's wedding plans were finalized? They couldn't possibly get the bridal gown made in time like this, right?

It had only been a short while ago that Lily told her the Prince family had ordered a bridal gown from Enchanted Boutique.

Charlotte said with a hint of frustration, "Rebecca was the one who rushed to set the date on the same day as yours. She probably wanted to show that while you could marry a prince after a divorce, her son could also marry a daughter from an earl's family."

Carissa understood that her former mother-in-law had always been competitive. However, such disputes seemed pointless, serving only to provide fodder for gossip.

Still, Carissa had no right to comment on their choice of date-it was their business, not hers.