Chapter 735
Violet nodded. “Got it. Ivy and I will handle it. Don’t worry.”
Carissa pulled Violet down to sit beside her. “There’s something else I need to tell you beforehand, so you can prepare.”
Violet plopped down, raising an eyebrow. “Why so serious? You’re scaring me. What is it? Spit it out!”
Still unused to courtly behavior, Carissa adjusted her hair. “Grand Princess Eleanor is effectively incapacitated. Prince Yuvan and his associates will undoubtedly try to determine whether she’s confessed anything. Anyone with ties to court officials will avoid contacting her. I suspect your cousin will seek you out.”
Violet’s expression hardened. “She won’t get a word out of me. Don’t worry about me leaking anything. With her cunning, she couldn’t trick me.”
After a brief pause, she tilted her head. “Wait, are you asking me to pretend to be friendly and extract information from her?”
Carissa shook her head. “No, just act normally. Don’t change anything. She’ll probably come with Lady Fiona, who’s sharp. If you even hint at suspicion of Prince Yuvan, she’ll notice.”
“That’s easy, then. Since Molly married Prince Yuvan, I haven’t given her the time of day. I’ll just continue that,” said Violet.
Carissa nodded. “Exactly. Don’t suddenly act warm and friendly—it would be too obvious.”
“Got it. Aren’t you heading to the palace? Go on,” Violet urged, waving her hand.
Carissa glanced at the sky but remained seated.
“Why aren’t you leaving yet?”
Carissa grinned sheepishly. “I was a little excited and… got up too early. It’s still dark.” Violet chuckled. “If you leave now, the sun will probably be up by the time you reach the palace.”
“There’s no morning court session today, and I doubt the king will be in his study that early.”
Violet looked surprised. “Didn’t Mr. Walker tell you what time you’re supposed to see the king?”
Carissa smiled sheepishly. “Yes, he mentioned it when he gave me the royal edict—around nine in the morning.”
“What? It’s only five now! Why did you get up so early? You could have slept for another hour!” Violet exclaimed, scrunching up her face.
Carissa stood, pacing before assuming a martial arts stance. “I’m just nervous, you know?”
Violet burst out laughing and grabbed Carissa’s hand. “You’re going to be the death of me! I thought you weren’t nervous at all. Yesterday, you looked totally unbothered when you received the edict. Come on, let’s go outside and spar a little. It’ll loosen you up.”
“Great idea!” Carissa stretched, clearly excited. “It’s been ages since I’ve had a proper workout. But just so we’re clear—this is a friendly match, no serious fighting.”
“As long as you don’t go too hard, I won’t either,” Violet said, jumping lightly. “Besides, we’re only using fists, no weapons. We can’t get too serious without them.”
Out in the courtyard, the sound of fists echoed as Carissa and Violet sparred. They punched, blocked, kicked, and more. It felt like they were back in Meadow Ridge, carefree and energetic. The cool breeze tempered the heat of their exertion. As the sun rose through the mist, its soft glow highlighted their strength.
Travis awoke to the sounds of fighting. He leaped to the courtyard. Seeing his friends sparring, he joined in without hesitation.
“Here I come! Haha! Take this!”
“Hey! Why are you aiming at my face? I’ll kill you!” Violet yelled, dodging.
Travis laughed heartily. “What’s wrong with hitting the face? Behold my invincible fist, Carissa!”
With a loud thud, he punched Carissa in the face, stunning her. She froze in shock, then roared, “I was supposed to watch your ‘invincible fist,’ not get punched by it! Why would you hit me? Oh, for heaven’s sake, I’m going to the palace today! My eye! Oh no, my eye!”
She dashed inside to check her reflection. Luckily, her eye was only slightly swollen and red; there was no bruising. But it hurt badly.
Violet turned and punched Travis in the face. “That’s what you get for showing off. We were just sparring, not going all out.” The blow sent Travis crashing to the ground.