Chapter 138

Carissa entered briskly. After greeting Rafael, she felt a strange unease. What was wrong with Dylan? Why was he looking at her with such an odd expression?

When Rafael gave Dylan a cold look, the latter chuckled and said, “I’ll take my leave, then.”

Once outside, Dylan didn’t stray far. He hid just beyond the entrance to eavesdrop.

“Have a seat,” Rafael told Carissa.

Rafael cast an irritated look at the entrance. It was obvious someone was eavesdropping. Even if Dylan wanted to do so, couldn’t he have hidden better?

Aware of Dylan’s presence, Carissa sat down and gave Rafael a questioning look, then pointed at the door, wondering why Dylan was still there.

Rafael shook his head with a smile. “Ignore him. What brings you here?”

Carissa straightened and asked earnestly, “Marshal, I know we’re preparing to return to the capital. Before that, may I visit the place where my father and brothers fell? I’d like to pray for their souls to accompany us back to the capital.”

The remains of her father and brothers had been sent back to the capital after their deaths. However, if their spirits still lingered, they would surely want to witness the Southern Frontier’s reclamation with their own eyes.

Rafael nodded slightly. “Of course, but you needn’t go. I’ve already been there myself. I cut down a large tree from that place and am carving memorial plaques for them. We’ll bring their plaques back with us.”

He lifted a silk cloth to reveal the carved plaques arranged beneath. One of them was already finished, bearing the name ‘Hector Sinclair.’

Carissa’s lips quivered as tears welled up in her eyes.

At the Sinclair family’s memorial hall, her father and brothers’ plaques were also displayed. When she went to pay her respects, she could never bring herself to look directly at them, as if doing so would keep them alive in her memory, rather than reducing them to cold, lifeless plaques.

As tears streamed down her face, she pulled out a handkerchief to wipe them away, only to realize it was the one Rafael had given her.

She quickly returned it, her voice choking with emotion as she said, “Thank you.”

Rafael’s gaze lingered on the handkerchief for a moment before he took it back. “It was the least I could do. When I first went into battle, it was your father who led me.”

Carissa nodded silently, her emotions overwhelming her.

After a long pause, she said, “Since you’ve arranged everything, I won’t make the trip myself.”

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to go; she was simply terrified.

She had learned of her father and brothers’ deaths upon returning home from Meadow Ridge. She had seen her mother weep until she was nearly blind, and had seen the widows and orphans in her family. Since then, Carissa had buried her grief deep within herself and was afraid to confront it.

“What are your plans after we return to the capital? Are you thinking of pursuing a military position, or…” Rafael asked, as he resumed carving Carissa’s elder brother’s memorial plaque with deliberate slowness. He casually continued, “…or perhaps, finding someone else to marry?”

“My mother didn’t want me to follow a military path,” Carissa replied.

Rafael looked up. “Your mother hoped you would marry someone and lead a stable life.”

“I’ve followed my mother’s wishes and married before,” Carissa answered.

There was a meaningful look in Rafael’s eyes, but it was subtle and hidden. “If the marriage wasn’t satisfactory, it’s null and void. You can find someone better.”

Carissa’s eyes were slightly reddened as she smiled. “It’s a fact that I’ve been married once. How can it be null and void? As for whether it was good or bad, you only know by living it. Marriage is like a high-stakes gamble. I’ve just lost once, so I have no intention of gambling again.”

Rafael’s smile was warm and reassuring. “That’s a good mindset. Never settle for just anyone. Following your mother’s wishes is one thing, but marrying without thought is another. I haven’t planned to marry either.”

Carissa refrained from commenting on his personal matters but found his words curious. It seemed he hoped she would continue in a military role. The court lacked young, capable generals, and Salvador was troubled by this shortage.

They had managed to take back control of the Southern Frontier. Even though their issues with Westhaven were complicated and not fully resolved, this victory was a relief and allowed Westhaven to get some revenge.