Chapter 521 (+25 Bonus)

Carissa called Violet to help her place Kayla on her back. With Kayla secure, Carissa hurried back to the carriage.

“Stay here. I’ll find it for you,” she promised.

Kayla shivered uncontrollably, her hair soaked. It was impossible to tell if the moisture on her face was from tears or rain; her lips quivered violently.

“Please… Please, you must find it.”

“Don’t come out!” Carissa urged. “Take care of yourself. We can’t have you distressed, even in spirit.”

Kayla covered her face and wept.

Carissa instructed the coachman to watch Kayla, then resumed the search.

After more than half an hour, the carriages thinned, but the rain poured relentlessly. The sky was ominously dark. Even with the help of the Marquis of Elderglen's coachman and three others, they were exhausted and unable to find the earring.

Just as they were about to give up, Carissa saw a glint near the academy's entrance. She rushed over and found the pearl earring. It was damaged—the gold thread and two gold leaves holding the pearl were missing, leaving only the pearl itself.

She hadn't found it where Kayla had fallen. It must have been crushed by a carriage and then kicked to that spot.

Carissa briefly searched the area and recovered one gold leaf, but found nothing else.

Soaked, everyone returned to the carriage. Carissa held out the pearl and gold leaf to Kayla.

Chapter 521 (+25 Bonus)

Kayla grabbed them, clutching them tightly. Kneeling in the carriage, she bowed deeply, sobbing uncontrollably.

Carissa held her close, letting her cry. The heat of Kayla’s tears ached in her heart.

Kayla’s crying gradually subsided. She seemed used to suppressing her emotions and quickly composed herself. Wiping her tears, she looked up from Carissa’s shoulder, her face pale, her eyes wet.

She managed a faint, bitter smile. “I was so afraid it would be lost like his remains, but finding it is a relief. Thank you, Your Grace.”

She signaled her maid to help her from the carriage and thanked Carissa again before limping toward her own carriage.

Carissa sat in the carriage, her hair dripping wet. Raindrops fell on her face, and she felt uncomfortably warm.

Violet held her close. “Don’t be too upset. This is the fate of many soldiers. Remember the battles at the Southern Frontier? We lost so many comrades.”

“Yes, and it’s the families left behind who suffer most,” Carissa replied, wiping her face. “She’s never been able to move on.”

“The token proves they were deeply attached before their marriage,” Violet continued.

“Yes,” Carissa murmured. “So, she remains in the Marquis of Elderglen’s family, clinging to their past home. She even adopted a son and named him Alexander, as they had planned.”

Violet sighed. “If Septimus is Thomas, and the rescue is successful, he’ll return to find his wife married to someone else. Meanwhile, Lady Kayla, who waited so long, will never see her beloved husband again.”

Fate played cruel tricks; the world was full of suffering. Why couldn’t the heavens be fair?

Chapter 521 (+25 Bonus)

Soaked, they returned to the estate to change into dry clothes. Carissa had Travis arrange for household soldiers to keep watch and later bring Ryan back.

That afternoon, both women felt unwell from being in the rain. They had the estate physician prescribe medicine and went to bed afterward.

That evening, Barrett emerged from the Capital Guard barracks, requesting leave because his mother had fallen ill. Serena, unwilling to part with the ruby tiara, kept it with her while caring for his mother, displaying unprecedented devotion.

Barrett planned to take a few days’ leave to handle family matters. If Serena refused to return the tiara, he would take it by force. He couldn’t allow her to use Thomas’s pension to buy it; it would insult both him and Thomas.