Chapter 489

Carissa had Violet arrange for someone to keep an eye on Samuel for a few days. Despite everything—his once-renowned scholarship, his family's matriarch's favor—he still clung to lofty ambitions.

Over the past few days, Samuel had taken his articles to the National Academy, hoping to find someone to present them to the king. But no one there paid him any attention.

Believing their indifference stemmed from jealousy, Samuel seethed with frustration. He then sought out people at the Academy of Wisdom, but to no avail; everyone deliberately avoided him.

After all, he was a top scholar who had been personally demoted by the king, destroyed his marriage for a mistress, abandoned his family to establish his own household, and even renounced his title as heir. To make matters worse, rumors circulated that he had married a merchant's daughter and then forced her to use her dowry to buy the freedom of a woman from a brothel. While civil officials considered this a minor offense, it was still seen as morally corrupt and a disgrace to scholars.

Then, the truth about Ruby's identity began to circulate. Although its veracity remained uncertain, it cast a shadow that further alienated Samuel. He spent several days running around fruitlessly. Enraged, he blamed Rafael, convinced the prince's influence was responsible for his ostracism.

Consumed by resentment, Samuel drank heavily at a tavern. In his drunken stupor, he clenched his fist and shouted, "The king's power only protects the nobility! Prince Rafael, with his overwhelming military achievements, does whatever he pleases. Why does no one dare stand up to him? The entire court are cowards, all of them!"

Within three days, these reckless words, shouted in public, spread like wildfire through the capital. Court officials learned of the incident.

The reaction was swift. Civil and military officials denounced Samuel as arrogant and self-righteous. Reports criticizing him piled up on the prime minister's desk. Jeremiah, naturally, reported the matter directly to the king. Salvador summoned Rafael to the royal study for questioning, and the events of that day were soon revealed.

Leona, Salvador's younger cousin, had always been kind and well-mannered, adored by all. No one expected Samuel to treat her so cruelly.

The revelation that Ruby was Eleanor's illegitimate daughter sent a ripple of suspicion through Salvador's mind. Carissa had deliberately leaked Ruby's true identity, informing Eleanor that her supposed secrets were long exposed. The extent of Carissa's knowledge, however, remained for Eleanor to speculate upon; the uncertainty was the true torment.

Carissa wasn't worried about Eleanor—Rafael and Jacob were handling that. Her greater concern was Leona.

Chapter 499

Alana recently reported that the duchess had mentioned divorce to her mother, only to be met with a harsh refusal. Since then, Leona seemed completely deflated, as if all life had been drained from her.

Even her disappointments with Samuel and the Earl of Gracehold's family hadn't caused this level of despondency. Carissa feared her cousin might do something drastic in her fragile state, so she asked Alana and Leah to keep a close watch on the duchess.

As Alana was leaving, she remarked, "Lady Heather might come looking for you. That night, I overheard the conversation from outside the door. When the duchess proposed the divorce, Lady Heather seemed to think you had instigated it."

Carissa wasn't concerned about Heather's visit. She was thoroughly disappointed in her aunt and had little to say. But if Heather wished to come, let her.

As expected, following news of Samuel's outburst, Heather appeared at Hell Monarch Estate. Helen initially planned to confront Heather, but Violet persuaded her to hold off.

"You've already said your piece that night. Let's hear what she has to say. If she's here with good intentions for the duchess, we can forgive her. If she's here to make things difficult for Carissa, then you can deal with her as Carl's mother-in-law."

Despite Violet's words, Helen, still seething, muttered, "I've never seen a mother act like this. It's a disgrace."