Chapter 271

+25 BONUS

Carissa nodded thoughtfully, then asked, “So, may I ask in which aspect of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, or trustworthiness does society find him lacking?”

“It’s because your second marriage has harmed him,” Samuel replied.

“My second marriage has nothing to do with him. My remarriage is my own affair,” Carissa responded calmly. Her voice was steady, betraying none of the shame Samuel expected.

“Let me ask you this: does the law forbid a second marriage after a divorce, or is it merely a social custom? Are there not others in society who have remarried? Does benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, or trustworthiness dictate that a woman cannot marry again? And another question: if a woman is abandoned, must she then retreat to a life of solitude, living out her days in misery to satisfy society’s expectations?”

Samuel sneered. “You twist words to make them pleasing, but true virtue is rare!”

Unable to counter Carissa’s reasoning, he chose to dismiss her with contempt.

Carissa’s smile widened. “My concern is that you lack virtue, fail to study properly, are unmoved by righteousness, and can’t correct your faults.”

Samuel’s face flushed with anger and embarrassment. “How dare you! I intended to offer my goodwill, yet you insult me with the words of a sage! If this is how it’s going to be with your family, it’s better for us to just stay away!”

With that, he abruptly stood up and said, “We’re leaving!”

Leona quickly rose, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked apologetically at Carissa. Her voice choked as she said, “Cari, we’ll leave now. I’ll come back to see you in a few days.”

Carissa sighed softly, almost inaudibly. “Yes, you should go.”

Leona gave a hurried curtsy and then rushed after Samuel, calling out, “Dear, wait for me!”

Lily watched them leave and sighed. “It seems Lady Leona might not visit again.”

Carissa murmured in agreement. “I never expected Samuel to be so rigid at such a young age.”

“Some people read so much that they lose all common sense. You shouldn’t take it to heart, my lady,” Lily replied.

Carissa sipped her coffee, her brows furrowing slightly.

“Whether I care or not doesn’t really matter. But I can’t understand why Leona, a duchess in her own right, would be so submissive to Samuel without even a hint of her own will.”

(Note: The following sentence is redundant given the prior clarification; it can be removed.)

Though they sometimes referred to Leona as a princess as she was a prince’s daughter, the official title she had been given was a duchess.

“She’s head over heels in love. What else could it be?” Lily said, seeing through the situation.

“Men like Lady Leona’s husband, with their bright futures and charm, are like a woman’s dream—something many long for. Lady Leona probably feels that marrying him fulfills a widely shared romantic ideal among many women, so she cherishes it all the more.”

Carissa remained silent, her delicate brows furrowing even deeper. Could loving someone really make a person so humble?

She thought of Rafael, who was admired by many noble ladies in the capital. Dozens, if not a hundred, wanted to marry him and become the Hell Monarch’s consort. Would he become just as arrogant and self-important after marriage? And as for herself, she seemed to have developed feelings for him. Could she truly remain indifferent?

“Mr. Langley didn’t wait long to take two concubines after marrying Lady Leona,” Lily remarked casually. “And Lady Leona endured it.”

“Ultimately, Lady Leona is a duchess—how could he dare take concubines so soon after their marriage?” Carissa asked.

“He works as an editor in the Academy of Wisdom. I heard that his superiors gifted him the concubines, and he couldn’t refuse.”

During Carissa’s time on the battlefield, Lily had gathered quite a bit of gossip from the noble households. “The duchess couldn’t exactly send the women away, or she’d be labeled as jealous. Besides, they’re just lowly concubines. If she doesn’t like them, she can sell them off or give them away.”

“Is that how you see it?” Carissa asked, raising her head.

Lily smiled bitterly. “Does it matter what I think? This is how they see it, how they do things. It’s tough being a woman in this world. Back then, when the late madam chose to marry you off to General Warren… instead of… well, instead of…”

Carissa looked at her closely. “Instead of who?” Carissa had caught Lily’s slip of the tongue.

Lily laughed, trying to cover up her mistake. “Who else? I meant instead of others. I misspoke. Back then, so many suitors came knocking that they practically wore down the threshold. The late madam chose General Warren among them because he vowed not to take concubines.”

Carissa felt that Lily was clearly hiding something. But she couldn’t remember all the suitors from back then, and she had no desire to dredge up old memories. Whether or not the Prince family was among them, it was all in the past.