Chapter 17

Barrett took a deep breath, staring at his wife in disbelief. Was she really serious about wanting to leave, or was this just another attempt to manipulate him? He could never agree to a divorce. Divorcing Carissa would bring a storm of public outrage that would engulf both him and Aurora. His fellow soldiers would be ashamed of him; everyone in the army revered Carissa's father as a legendary hero. He couldn't afford to lose their respect.

"Carissa, I won't divorce you," Barrett said, sounding frustrated and resigned. "I'll make sure you're well cared for, but you need to stop causing all this trouble. What you did this time was unforgivable."

"How could you use my mother's illness to blackmail me? Don't you think that's cruel? If you're upset, take it out on me. Stop tormenting my mother. It's disrespectful and will ruin your reputation."

Carissa's expression was icy. "Is it that you won't divorce me, or that you're too afraid to? Divorcing me would ruin your reputation, and people would accuse you of being heartless and unfaithful. You're also scared of losing the support of my father's allies. You want to keep your romance and your career, but you can't have it both ways. Just because my family is in decline doesn't mean we need to rely on yours to survive. You underestimate me and overestimate yourself."

Her words stung, making Barrett furious.

"Enough with the arguments! The royal edict for the marriage is from the king himself. I will marry Aurora. If you have any other conditions, name them, and I'll meet them."

"I have no conditions. I don't need anything from you."

Carissa stood tall, her posture defiant, her eyes dry. Her beauty mark stood out on her fair, stunning face.

Angry and exasperated, Barrett said, "Honestly, Carissa, I thought you'd accept this marriage more gracefully. Your father and brothers were all soldiers. I thought you wouldn't make things difficult for Aurora."

Carissa let out a sarcastic laugh. "You thought I'd just accept my husband marrying another woman? You think too highly of my generosity, Barrett. Let's end this conversation."

Seeing her stubborn refusal, Barrett became even more enraged. "Fine, since you're so heartless, I'll take this to the king himself. You're deliberately making things difficult and defying His Majesty's edict. Prepare for the consequences when the king reprimands you."

Carissa scoffed. "What a joke! I'm just a woman, not a court official. How exactly does the king plan to punish me? Why don't you go complain to the Queen Dowager instead? Tell her I won't let Aurora marry into the family. Hasn't she always admired Aurora? Go on, run to her."

"Don't think I won't! You cut off my mother's medicine—that's disrespectful. I'll have the Queen Dowager punish you for it."

"Take your time leaving; I won't see you off!" Carissa showed no sign of caring.

"You'll regret this!" Barrett threw his parting words over his shoulder, glaring at his wife's cold face before storming off.

"Perhaps you should worry about the betrothal gifts first. Do you need to borrow some money from me?" Carissa's mocking voice echoed behind him.

Her words made Barrett pause before he stomped away. He had indeed considered borrowing money from her. But after this, he'd rather ask Aurora to lower the price of the betrothal gifts than ever turn to Carissa.

After Barrett left, Lulu poked her head around the door. "My lady, if he really asked you to lend him money, would you?"

Carissa rubbed her cheeks, exhausted from the conversation. After a moment, she answered Lulu's question. "Sure, if he has the guts to ask, I'd lend it to him—with interest, of course. He'd have to pay back every penny, with interest, on time."

"Aren't you worried he won't pay you back?"

"If he doesn't, I'll send debt collectors to his door every day." Carissa glanced at the spilled watercress soup and sighed. "Lulu, is there any watercress soup left? I'd like some."

"Yes, there's a whole pot left. We've got chicken soup too. Which one would you like?"

Carissa's face lit up. "Both, please! You should have some too, and send the rest to the maids. Oh, and they've packed everything, right?"

"Everything's ready. We're just waiting for the edict, then we'll pack up and leave," said Lulu, cheerful and free from the gloom of the past few days.

"Yes, it's all over now. We're just waiting for the edict to arrive. Though, I bet Barrett will go and negotiate with the Yates family to lower the price of the betrothal gifts. Aurora will definitely agree. After all" (The passage ends abruptly here.)