Chapter 205

Carissa laughed softly, her demeanor unruffled. “I don’t find myself embarrassed at all,” she said, “but don’t you feel any shame, Lady Jessica? You’re the daughter of a princess, and you were given a royal education. Yet, you speak such harsh words. You couldn’t even recognize my senior’s painting and tore it apart in your ignorance. Such rashness is what will truly invite ridicule.

“As for telling me to leave, are you issuing an eviction order? How amusing! Grand Princess Eleanor invited me here with a formal invitation, and I brought a birthday gift. Now you want to chase me away? Is this how your family treats its guests? Or was there another intention behind that invitation—to humiliate me in front of these ladies?

“Did you think that, after my separation from Barrett, I would be too ashamed to show my face and that I would quietly endure your insults?”

She paused, her gaze sweeping across the room. “If you expected me to be a laughingstock by inviting me here, you’ll be disappointed. I haven’t done anything wrong. It is not I who should be ashamed. My family is upright and honorable. No matter where I go, I can speak loudly and proudly.

“But you, Lady Jessica, lack respect for your elders. You disregarded the concubines of the late emperor. You said Helen would become a laughingstock, showing neither respect nor devotion. I wonder how your parents raised you?”

Her eyes turned to Eleanor; her voice sharpened. “But I suppose there’s no surprise there. After all, a mother who would send a small sculpture commemorating chastity after my father and brothers sacrificed their lives for the country—a clear curse—could hardly raise a proper daughter. Don’t bother trying to drive me away. People like you are beneath my company. Goodbye; no need to see me out!”

With that, she called out to her maids, Lulu and Pearl. “We’re leaving. This filthy place isn’t worth visiting again. Who knows what kind of lingering resentment might cling to us? Look—the air above Harmony Palace, Grand Princess Eleanor’s residence, is thick with the spirits of people who died a wrongful death.”

Eleanor could no longer contain her fury and shouted, “Carissa Sinclair!”

Without turning back, Carissa replied, “You should find a high priest to perform some exorcisms for them, or the resentment will backfire eventually.”

Wasn’t it just about seeing who became the topic of conversation among the high-society ladies in the capital? Well, Carissa might as well drop a bombshell.

Whether it was true or not, Eleanor knew it well. She wouldn’t dare actually call in the authorities for an investigation—because if they did, the truth would come out. According to the laws, masters couldn’t kill their servants without reporting to the authorities first, and those who had been treated as concubines couldn’t be killed cruelly. Carissa hadn’t known this until earlier, when Frederick mentioned that most of the concubines who had been with Henry had met untimely ends, advising her to be cautious with Eleanor.

Having said her piece, Carissa walked away, leaving Eleanor fuming in anger, shouting in vain. There was no need to look back or stay. The conversation ended there.

Bonus:

Carissa had come and given her gift, but was treated harshly by the hostess. There was no reason not to fight back. Others might fear Eleanor, but she did not.

Rebecca stood stunned, never having seen this sharp side of Carissa. Or rather, she had never truly seen the real Carissa. The daughter-in-law who once served her so dutifully seemed like a completely different person now. Why had someone with such pride and capability ever been content to serve a sickly mother-in-law? She couldn’t understand it, but she also seemed to understand at the same time. And this understanding made her feel even worse.

Even more shocked than Rebecca was Helen. Her astonished gaze followed Carissa’s elegant retreat until the latter disappeared from sight. Even then, her eyes did not shift. At that moment, a drum seemed to be beating inside her chest, each thump resonating through her bones, reverberating loudly in her ears. The thrill of it was unprecedented! Helen’s lifelong enemy, the mother-daughter pair she had always been powerless against, had been undone by a few words from Carissa. Helen had never seen Eleanor so unraveled. It felt incredibly satisfying!

Carissa being her daughter-in-law might not have been her first choice, but perhaps she wasn’t so bad after all.

No! Helen couldn’t think that way. Carissa was still unworthy of her son, Rafael!