Chapter 1330
Violet sprawled across Carissa’s desk. “Haven’t you read this letter a dozen times already? Why are you still looking at it? Do you miss Prince Rafael that much?”
“He mentioned Prince Nicholas before he left, but I think there’s something he hasn’t fully grasped yet,” Carissa replied. “The more tense the situation, the sharper his mind becomes. I wonder if he’s recently figured something out and left me clues.”
“Why the need for hints? Why not just write it plainly?” Violet asked.
“This letter was sent directly to the king, who then passed it to me,” Carissa explained. “If it was a deduction or suspicion, Rafael wouldn’t have written it plainly. His Majesty has already read it.”
Violet scrunched her nose. “Reading someone’s personal letters? That’s pretty low. But still, why didn’t he send it directly to you?”
“Because that’s the fastest way,” Carissa said. “And sending it directly risks interception. If the contents were merely guesses, they could easily be twisted into accusations of slander.”
Carissa turned to Violet. “Have you found anything?”
Violet briefly recounted their findings, including their analysis of Hayden’s actions—deliberately letting them overhear the noises that night, and the shipment of food for over a hundred people.
Carissa pondered Hayden’s true intentions and loyalties. One thing was certain: he and Nicholas were involved. The question was the soldiers’ location. They couldn’t be coming from Nerovia; the journey would take them through Valken, placing them in Thomas’s hands. Traveling in large groups would be impossible to conceal; Chester would detect and destroy them. The mastermind, having hidden behind Yuvan for years, surely had more tricks up their sleeve.
“Has Prince Hayden been acting strangely lately?” Carissa asked.
“He’s been enjoying himself,” Violet said, “eating, drinking, and indulging in pleasures—plays, music.”
Carissa’s eyes narrowed. “He didn’t used to go out much. Why the sudden change? Where has he been going?”
Violet shrugged. “To the third floor of Parapet Coffeehouse. You can listen to plays and enjoy the river view. I’ve been there for two days; it’s quite relaxing, almost lazy.”
Since joining Carissa on the battlefield, Violet rarely experienced such leisure. She found it wasteful; she preferred being busy and productive. This made settling at Willowbrook Estate difficult. It was a tempting carrot dangling before a mule—leave, and she’d regret it; stay, and the days felt endlessly dull.
Carissa had visited Parapet Coffeehouse once. It was a three-story building: the first floor for ballads and storytelling, the second for music, and the third for plays, with a view of the scenery. The third floor offered a full view of the city moat, but it was currently being deepened and reinforced due to heavy summer rains and recent flooding. This was a large-scale Ministry of Infrastructure project, making the river view unremarkable.
Carissa smiled, remembering Rafael’s advice to avoid the river and dangerous areas. But with the construction, falling in was unlikely. Her smile faltered. The river?
She retrieved Rafael’s letter and reread it carefully, focusing on “river” and “dangerous areas.”
Violet chuckled. “What’s this? You’re reading it again?”
Carissa sprang up. “You all can return to Willowbrook Estate. I’m going to the Ministry of Infrastructure.”
The current Infrastructure Minister was Edwin, the Marquis of Elderglen and Lawrence’s father. After Lawrence’s rescue, Edwin was grateful to Carissa, but as Minister, he maintained propriety, avoiding close association with the Hell Monarch’s household, sending only festival gifts. Carissa’s visit surprised him, but he quickly understood it was official business.