Chapter 133

Rebecca sent invitations to the wives of the two deputy ministers of the Ministry of Defense, as well as to the Minister of Defense's wife. Though she doubted the latter would attend, she was confident the deputy ministers' wives would come. She planned to question them about the war's general situation and the Ministry of Defense's plans for rewarding meritorious service.

However, on the day of the tea party, neither of the deputy ministers' wives appeared. Even the wives of slightly higher-ranking officials were absent. Only the wives of fifth- or sixth-rank officials, and some of even seventh- or eighth-rank, attended with their families. Some guests weren't even on the invitation list, leaving Rebecca angry and distressed.

She had spent a significant amount of money on the tea party to elevate her family's profile and create a favorable impression for Barrett and Aurora. She hoped that upon their victorious return, Salvador and the Ministry of Defense would consider public opinion when distributing rewards. Rumors about the female general were widespread, and praise for her was growing.

Rebecca had previously felt Carissa's becoming a duke's daughter after her divorce was unfair. But now, with Aurora and Barrett's significant achievements, the Warren family's future seemed promising. A duke's family with only an orphan girl versus a family with real power—the preference was obvious.

But seeing the tea party filled with lower-ranking officials, Rebecca fumed. Claiming illness, she refused to receive them, leaving Amelia to host the guests. Rebecca couldn't understand why, with all the public attention, she couldn't attract higher-ranking wives.

This farce amused Charlotte. How could someone of Rebecca's status expect a second-rank minister's wife to attend a tea party? Even if Barrett and Aurora had achieved great things, many others had contributed to the Southern Frontier battles over the years. In terms of rewards, Barrett and Aurora would likely be lower on the list.

If the rumors were true and Aurora had led troops to capture two cities, that would be a significant achievement. However, the Minister of Defense's wife and the deputy ministers' wives' absence strongly suggested Aurora was not the female general.

That night, Rebecca experienced severe chest pains and summoned a doctor. Sebastian, despite having sold her medicine, refused to see her, forcing her to call another physician. As the Warren family could no longer afford a family doctor, Amelia attended to Rebecca for most of the night. Exhausted, she eventually left the servants to watch over her mother-in-law and went to rest.

Bonus +15

The following day, finding Amelia absent, Rebecca flew into a rage and demanded her daughter-in-law's presence. Amelia, claiming a cold, didn't come.

Charlotte, visiting Rebecca, found her furious and tried to console her. "You're only hurting yourself by getting angry. What's the point? Carissa took such good care of you. If you had a headache or felt dizzy, she'd call Sebastian without you having to say a word. You never appreciated such a good daughter-in-law. Instead, you treated a nobody like a treasure. If you don't cherish your blessings, all you'll get is suffering," Charlotte said.

Rebecca's face paled as she recalled Carissa's tireless care during her illnesses. Now, Amelia's one night of care was too much. She also remembered Aurora's affectionate "Mom," before the war, contrasting with her lack of practical care.

However, she needed to maintain her image in front of her sister-in-law. She retorted coldly, "Since you think so highly of Carissa, why don't you have one of your sons marry into her family and inherit the title? They can live off her fortune."

Charlotte remained unfazed. "My sons aren't worthy of Carissa. She deserves better, at least better than Barrett."

"How dare you!" Rebecca clutched her chest, glaring furiously. "You're just here to provoke me!"

Charlotte smiled. "The truth is hard to hear, isn't it? Well, you can say what you want. It doesn't matter." With that, Charlotte stood and left.