Her Graceful War Song (Carissa Sinclair)
Chapter 345

At around seven in the morning, Lily knocked on the door from outside. The inner and outer rooms were separated by a curtain, with the door to the bedroom in the outer area. Hearing the knock, Rafael and Carissa both opened their eyes and sat up almost simultaneously. Both were naturally alert.

Carissa glanced at Rafael, noting he was without clothing, and suddenly realized she was in the same state. She quickly grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around herself. Her face flushed hotly and she assumed she was blushing.

Recalling the previous night's events, Rafael felt he had not performed very well. He wasn't quite comfortable meeting his wife's gaze directly, and was still getting used to the intimacy they shared. So, he quickly grabbed his nightclothes and hid under the covers to put them on.

Once dressed, he cleared his throat and said, "I'll get up first. You... you should put on your nightclothes, then call someone in to help you change."

Why did this feel so awkward? He didn't even dare to look at her directly!

But he couldn't resist sneaking a glance. This was how Carissa looked upon waking-dazed and somewhat bewildered, yet still beautiful and fresh.

They had to perform the post-wedding rituals this morning and offer Helen a toast. Knowing her nature, she would likely give Carissa a hard time, so it was best not to delay and risk giving her an excuse to cause trouble.

Rafael opened the door, revealing Lily, along with Carissa's attendants, waiting outside. Gillian was also there.

Upon seeing him, Gillian immediately bowed. "Greetings, Your Highness."

Rafael nodded. "Go in and assist the princess consort with her clothing."

However, Gillian wasn't there just to assist with dressing. She was acting on Helen's orders to check whether Carissa was still pure. So, after the formalities, Gillian entered the bedroom. Seeing Carissa dressed in her nightclothes and rising from the bed, she hurriedly bowed.

"Greetings, Your Highness."

"Please, no need for formalities," Carissa said, meeting Lily's gaze.

She felt a wave of shyness as she thought about the marks on her neck, which the nightclothes could barely cover. Despite her embarrassment, she maintained a composed demeanor. "Is everyone here? Let's begin with washing up and changing."

Rafael originally had an attendant to attend to him. However, he hadn't allowed servants into the new residence yet since he wanted Carissa's opinion on them. After years on the battlefield in the Southern Frontier, his previous attendant had now become a minor official in the household, making it difficult to recall him just for his service.

The current attendant assigned to Rafael was a temporary replacement from Jacob. They hadn't established much rapport, but he could be changed if needed. Rafael had never required a maid to attend to him, especially not for intimate matters-such duties were strictly off-limits for female servants.

So, Rafael took a set of clothes and went behind the partition screen to change.

As he was about to enter, he saw Gillian rummaging through their bed and quickly called out, "Gillian, what are you doing?"

Gillian had already uncovered the bed and seen the telltale signs of the couple's intimacy. She smiled, her face creasing with wrinkles.

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm just tidying up the bedding and will send it out to be cleaned."

Carissa's face flushed crimson upon realizing what was on the bed. When Lulu came in with water, she began her morning routine of washing and changing. As for Gillian's actions, she chose to ignore them. Gillian summoned two maids to remove the bedding and prepare the bed anew. Lily glanced at the scene, feeling a mix of sadness and relief.

The sadness came from seeing Carissa, who had spent a year at Valor Estate as more of a figurehead than a true presence, yet having to give so much in return. On the other hand, there was relief in knowing that Barrett had not gained any advantage.

The union with Rafael-Carissa's first genuine, heartfelt connection-had been solidified. With the evidence of their intimacy now present, no one in the mansion would dare question her virtue. Carissa was dressed for court today, as she was to attend an audience with the queen dowager and the king. As Rafael's princess consort, she was required to wear court attire.

Her dark green dress featured long, large sleeves and was embroidered with gold and silver threads depicting phoenixes and peonies. The deep cyan sash around her waist had two parallel bands flowing down, adorned with gold cloud and phoenix patterns, as well as gold tassels.

The lighter green outer layer had gold embroidery of cloud phoenixes on the front and back, secured with an emerald pendant.

She wore a crown and gold phoenix hairpins, her hair in an elaborate updo. The base of the crown was decorated with green trim and gold jewelry. The ensemble reflected the dignified and solemn demeanor appropriate for a princess consort.

Given the cold weather, Lily also provided Carissa with a green hooded cloak. Although the hood couldn't be worn due to the crown, it hung naturally down her back. The cloak was edged with white, and the hood had white fur trim, giving it a regal yet charmingly playful appearance.