Chapter 106
โDid you marry me because you truly liked me, or simply because your mother chose me for you?โ Barrett asked softly.
Carissa replied, โThat question is pointless.โ
โI want to know,โ he insisted.
Carissaโs brow furrowed. โBarrett, youโve never understood your place. When you were my husband, you didnโt get it. Youโre Auroraโs husband now, and you still donโt get it.โ
Barrettโs eyes darkened. His tone turned cold. โSo, you never really liked me. You married me only because your mother told you to. I knew it! I just wanted another wife, but you immediately went to the palace to request a divorce. You never had any feelings for me. You were the one who was heartless first, but you made it seem like I wronged you!โ
Hearing that, Carissa grew exasperated. โWhether I had feelings for you or not is beside the point. From the day I entered the Warren family, I served your parents without a single day of neglect. I did my duty. I was devoted and respectful, and I waited for your triumphant return. And you? You promised me when you proposed, and before you left for battle, you told me to wait. I waited a year, only for you to come back and inform me that you had used your military achievements to take Aurora as a wife.
โBarrett, I fulfilled my duties as a daughter-in-law and a wife. From the moment I married into your family to the day I left, I have a clear conscience. And you? Can you look me in the eye today and tell me, with a clear conscience, that you kept your promises to me and my mother?โ
Barrett was left speechless.
Seeing his expression, Carissa felt the suffocating weight of the moment and turned to leave. She had intended to go over the siege plan one more time, but with a great battle looming, she couldnโt bear to be entangled in such personal matters. She had to leave.
Barrett stared blankly at her retreating figure. She was right. What right did he have to accuse her? What right did he have to demand her affection? Some wounds had already been inflicted. What was the point in dwelling on them? Her words rang trueโhe had never understood his place. He was now Auroraโs husband, and his words and actions must be worthy of Aurora. Carissa was an outsider now. He couldnโt afford to fail Aurora, too.
Aurora had her flaws, but nobody was perfect. At her core, she was kind, upright, and loyal to both the king and the people. He could tolerate some minor imperfections.
Barrett sighed deeply. He was about to leave when he heard Auroraโs sharp voice from outside.
โCarissa, what were you doing in there with my husband?โ
Barrett hurried out to find Aurora blocking Carissaโs way, her face full of hostility. Carissa glanced back at him.
โYour wife, your explanation,โ she said before walking away.
Behind her, Auroraโs accusations continued. โWhat were you doing in there with her? No wonder I couldnโt find you! If a subordinate hadnโt told me you were with Carissa, I wouldnโt have known you two were alone for so long.โ
Carissa quickened her pace, not wanting to listen to the coupleโs argument. The further she stayed from them, the better.
On the eighth day of the new year, Rafael issued the order to attack the city. The weather was bitterly cold, and their winter clothes were insufficient to ward off the chill. They couldnโt delay any longer, as food supplies were also running low. Meanwhile, supplies from Westhaven and Sandoria were almost at Simonton City.
Just before the soldiers moved out, Rafael gave an inspiring speech. The call to reclaim their lost land and their shared hatred for the Sandorian invaders filled them with righteous indignation, readying them for battle.
The siege began at noon. Carissa led the Mystic Army as the vanguard, with Barrettโs troops supporting. As the charge horn sounded, the Mystic Army surged forward and led the assault. Barrettโs forces advanced quickly, pushing catapults, ballistae, and scaling ladders. Rafael rode his horse and took command, no longer allowing anyone to impersonate the marshal. In this final, decisive battle, he would personally lead the entire army. He would wait for the vanguard to break through the city and plunge into the fray.
The passage has been cleaned up for grammar, punctuation, and style. Note that some minor interpretive choices were made (e.g., italics for emphasis). The "+15 BONUS" markings were removed as they seem extraneous to the text itself.