Chapter 235
In the blink of an eye, it was already mid-August, and the Starlight Harvest Festival was approaching. Even so, Rafael still hadn't returned. Carissa found it strange that he hadn't come back yet, especially since it had been over a month since he left. Initially, he had said he would just drop in for a greeting and then return immediately. The journey to Meadow Ridge should have only taken two or three days. Even with a few days of rest and accounting for the round trip, he should have been back within a week. Could something have happened at Meadow Ridge?
Coincidentally, Carissa received a letter from Violet. It was several pages long, filled with amusing stories from Meadow Ridge. Violet mentioned that Travis had ended up being confined by his master as punishment for the cosmetics he had bought—though thankfully, not beaten. Carissa couldn’t help but smile.
The letter also congratulated her on her upcoming marriage, saying that her friends at Moscow Ficçe were preparing a grand gift for her wedding. The news of her marriage had spread throughout Meadow Ridge, which meant that Patsel had indeed been there and visited the Pathfinders Guild. It seemed that their master was fond of Rafael; otherwise, he wouldn’t have announced her marriage to everyone at Meadow Ridge. Violet also mentioned that the guild was preparing a dowry for her. However, the letter didn't specify whether Rafael was still at Meadow Ridge.
Cautiously, Carissa sent someone to Hell Monarch Estate to inquire. The response was that everything seemed normal; they were just busy preparing for the wedding and making arrangements for Helen to take up permanent residence at the estate.
Satisfied that nothing was amiss, Carissa decided not to worry. She picked up her quill and wrote a letter to her master, then asked someone to deliver it to Meadow Ridge. If Rafael was still there, she would find out when the messenger returned. But ultimately, it didn’t really matter. Perhaps Rafael had official duties to attend to.
A few days later, it was the Starlight Harvest Festival.
23 BONUS
Northwatch Estate had already been adorned with star-shaped lanterns, giving it a festive atmosphere. There were also special cakes baked in the shape of stars for the festival, called starcakes. These were filled with sweet or savory ingredients, symbolizing the bounty of the harvest. Livy had personally prepared a few batches of starcakes days in advance. Carissa had tasted them and found them delightful, so she had some sent over to Leona and Margaret.
However, Carissa decided against sending anything to Heather. She believed in treating others as they treated her. Whether Heather felt indebted to her was unknown, but Carissa certainly felt she owed her aunt nothing. It wasn’t easy to send anything into the palace. Without an official summons from the queen dowager, Carissa couldn’t enter, and getting outside food into the palace was no simple task.
The Starlight Harvest Festival was a time for family reunions, but Carissa couldn’t find joy in it. Though she forced a smile to cheer everyone up, the sorrow in her eyes was impossible to hide. Lulu understood her mistress’s feelings, so she chattered endlessly in Carissa’s ear, trying to lift her spirits.
“Let’s have some lobsters—they’re as big as your arm! And we’ve got moon wine to go with them. We should each have a cup tonight. Oh, and the luna blossoms in the courtyard have bloomed. Would you like to go take a look?”
“I heard there’s a fair tonight. If you’re interested, I can accompany you. We could go play the riddle games—you’re so clever, you’d surely win a prize!”
“If you don’t feel like going to the fair, we could release star lanterns into the sky instead and make some wishes for a peaceful and smooth future.”
As Lulu spoke, her own eyes began to redden. The Starlight Harvest Festival was a time for family, but she had lost all of hers. Carissa gently stroked Lulu’s head, then took off her own hairpin and placed it in Lulu’s hair.
“You should go out tonight. Have fun, and leave all the sadness behind,” said Carissa.
Lulu tried to remove the hairpin, but Carissa held her hand down. “Keep it on. A girl in the bloom of youth should always look her best.”
CAW 235 +25 BONUS
Carissa felt a pang of guilt. Lulu had grown up with her in Northwatch Estate and had always been by her side—they played together, went to Meadow Ridge together, and Lulu even followed Carissa to the Warren family’s residence when she got married. And then, they both lost everything together.
Lulu used to be mischievous, but had become much more composed after the tragedy. Especially now, back in Northwatch Estate, she was responsible for Carissa’s personal matters. The few maids she trained were calm and collected, reflecting Lulu’s own steadiness. But who remembered how Lulu had been when she was only eighteen years old?
“How about I find you a husband?” Carissa asked, trying to steer the conversation away from the rising tide of pain in her heart.
“I won’t marry. I’ll stay with you forever,” Lulu said, her lips curling as she fought back tears. “Promise me you’ll never send me away, my lady!”
“Alright!” Carissa gently tapped her on the nose with a smile. “If you don’t want to marry now, then you won’t. But when the day comes that you do, I’ll prepare a fine dowry for you and see that you’re married off in style.”