Chapter 35

Although the Duke of Northwatch's family was known for its military background, Carissa was well-read and wanted her attendants to be literate as well.

"Alright, you may all stay," Holly said. "Serve Lady Sinclair well. She will name you later."

The four were overjoyed.

"Thank you, Ms. Holly!"

"Don't thank me yet," Holly warned. "Serving Lady Sinclair comes with rules. If you don't follow them well, you'll end up as second- or third-tier maids."

"We will definitely learn and follow the rules properly," the four replied, bowing respectfully.

After Holly and Lily selected more servants, they instructed the agent to find coachmen, carpenters, stablemen, and gardeners. However, the positions of steward and accountant were too important to leave to the agent.

"Rest assured, I will have some people for your selection tomorrow," the agent promised.

After receiving his payment and handing over the contracts, the agent smiled and presented Holly and Lily with an envelope.

"Please consider using our services again in the future," he said. "If you need anything, feel free to contact us. We have expertise in various fields."

Accepting the envelope, Holly and Lily nodded politely before having someone escort the agent from the estate.

Carissa had recently returned to Northwatch Estate after a divorce, and people were curious about her situation. The senior servants knew to remain tight-lipped to prevent shrewd and cunning agents from making wild guesses and spreading rumors.

Since not everyone had arrived yet, Holly took the four newly hired personal attendants to meet Carissa.

Carissa was residing in Exquisite Pavilion, where she had lived before her marriage. Since no one had lived there since her departure, there were no signs of refurbishment. Besides routine cleaning, no one had entered.

That's why Exquisite Pavilion was empty when the massacre occurred, so there was no need to cover up bloodstains.

Exquisite Pavilion contained an armory where Carissa trained. There was also a small study filled with books she had read, mostly on military strategies and tactics.

Her year of marriage had felt like a nightmare. If she hadn't married, the assassins might not have wiped out her entire family, as she could have fought them off with her martial arts skills.

Now, the Sinclair family consisted of both war heroes and restless spirits.

Carissa stood in the armory, gazing at the weapons she had trained with—spears, swords, daggers, whips, and halberds. As the best apprentice of her guild, she had trained hard, hoping one day to fight on the battlefield like her father and brothers.

Unfortunately, her father and brothers had died in the battle on the Southern Frontier. Her mother cried until she was nearly blind and had only one request for Carissa: to give up thoughts of war and weapons, and instead focus on settling down and starting a family to have a peaceful life.

Though Carissa had always been rebellious, opposing her parents on everything, this time she had been obedient.

Studying under her mother and sister-in-law, she learned how to manage a household and handle estate affairs. She excelled and quickly grasped everything she was taught. Her mother had once said that her daughter might not become the best female general, but could certainly become the best lady of the house.

Yet, her mother had been wrong, as had Carissa. She should have rebelled and not followed her mother's wishes. Then, her family wouldn't have been wiped out.

The extermination of her entire family was incomprehensible. Why had the Westhaven spies done that?

The local authorities' investigation revealed that it was because Hector had achieved a great victory against Westhaven. He had defeated their one-hundred-thousand-strong force with only ten thousand soldiers—humiliating the people of Westhaven.

When they returned to seek revenge, Barrett had fought back alongside Dominic, Carissa's maternal grandfather. Once those soldiers were defeated, all Westhaven spies in the capital were ordered to kill everyone at Northwatch Estate.

The investigation seemed logical at first glance but fell apart upon closer examination. Getting spies into the capital was no easy task; it might have taken generations to cultivate such agents. They had no reason to go to such lengths to kill elderly people, women, and children merely to vent their anger. It wasn't worth the effort. The king of Westhaven wouldn't have issued such an order.

(The final line "BIG SALE: 3500 bonus free fou you D" appears to be unrelated and possibly spam. I have omitted it.)