Chapter 390

Carissa looked up at Ivy and asked, “Is there no other way to treat my aunt’s illness? Could we ask Sebastian to come?”

“My mentor has already been here, but he didn’t tell you,” Ivy replied. “He said Lady Avis is simply enduring, and it’s uncertain how long she can last. If we stop her medication, she might only have a day or two left.”

Carissa’s eyes widened in alarm. “You can’t stop her medication!”

Ivy looked resigned. “Even if we continue her medication, she may make it to the end of the year, but she certainly won’t survive beyond the fifteenth of the new year.”

Tears streamed down Carissa’s face. She hadn’t realized how severe Avis’s condition was. Sebastian had kept her in the dark, and Rowan had always seemed on the verge of saying something but held back. Carissa should have guessed sooner.

“At least the current medication and acupuncture will ease her suffering,” Ivy consoled. “When the time comes, she won’t be in too much pain.”

As a physician, Ivy had witnessed many patients pass away. However, she felt a deep sense of regret for Avis. It was a bitter pill to swallow. How unfortunate to be despised by both her husband and children? Her family wasn’t much help either; they were stationed far away and unable to visit even once during the harsh winter.

If a person had done wrong and met an ill fate, others would sigh and say it was well-deserved. However, Avis had always been kind-hearted and had done many good deeds throughout her life. How had she ended up in such a dire state?

“Vivi, you return to the capital tomorrow. I’ll stay here with my aunt,” Carissa said, wiping her tears. “I can’t allow her to be without a single family member by her side.”

Violet, ever loyal, replied, “I’ll stay here with you. As for Rod, there’s a wooden house outside the monastery specifically for male guests. Let him stay there.”

“But the monastery is isolated and quiet with the New Year approaching. You’ll have to endure hardships,” Carissa protested.

“I’ve endured hardships facing the trials of the battlefield,” Violet replied firmly. “What hardship can I not bear?”

Carissa clenched the handkerchief in her fingers, momentarily stunned by her friend’s words. Was Yuvan’s desire to marry Violet somehow related to her battlefield experience?

Carissa shook her head. No, it couldn’t be. If a prince with significant military power had such thoughts, Carissa might have found it plausible. However, Yuvan commanded only five hundred soldiers. Even as a prince with no real military force in Valken, the king surely kept a close watch on him.

Besides, Yuvan wasn’t known for his talents. How could he possibly entertain thoughts of rebellion? It seemed too absurd to believe. Carissa thought it was more likely that Yuvan simply wanted to consolidate his power in Valken.

Yet, Carissa was cautious and perceptive. Some things might sound far-fetched, but human desires are insatiable. Who knew if Yuvan was deliberately exposing his shortcomings? Could he be a schemer with deep motives?

Moreover, among the many princes, he was the closest to the capital. It was odd. His temperament was similar to Harvey’s. Yet, while Harvey remained in the capital, Yuvan was sent to his fief.

Perhaps the late king had difficulty understanding him, so he chose to place Yuvan in Valken under close surveillance. The late king had foresight. He sent nearly all his brothers to their fiefs, stripping them of their military powers. Even if they harbored rebellious thoughts, they lacked the means to act on them.

But the late king was not infallible. Even in their fiefs, there were ways for the princes to evade the court’s scrutiny and secretly gather troops. Such occurrences had happened before, leading to internal strife that caused great suffering among the people. That eventually led to the rise of the current era.

What was curious was how Yuvan, who seemed so inept, would dare to divorce his wife and try to marry Violet, who was not only a daughter of the influential Spencer family but had also proven herself on the battlefield.

That evening, Carissa and Violet stayed in the small courtyard. There was only one bed, so they had to share it. Neither of them could sleep.

Violet had only picked at her dinner, not because it was all vegetarian, but because she was intensely nauseated. Meanwhile, Carissa hadn’t eaten at all. Seeing her aunt in such a state made her feel miserable.