Chapter 743
Carissa didn't find Florence's words ridiculous; instead, she felt a twinge of sadness. Regardless of the old woman's current feelings, it was clear she had once deeply held those beliefs.
Carissa chose not to challenge Florence's claims. Her secret act of sparing Daniel and his family from Eleanor's wrath showed a change of heart. Her current words weren't meant to persuade anyone else—Florence was simply trying to convince herself.
"Alright," Carissa asked, "since everything was done by you and Kurt and has nothing to do with Grand Princess Eleanor, tell me: how many women did you bring into Harmony Palace over the years? How many died? How many baby boys were killed?"
Florence fell silent, her expression growing grim.
"They're already dead," Carissa pressed. "You owe them justice. Let the families of the abducted women know they don't have to search anymore. Besides, Grand Princess Eleanor committed treason and won't escape death. Revealing the identities of those women would earn you some merit on her behalf."
Slowly, Florence met Carissa's gaze. Her lips trembled violently—perhaps from hunger, perhaps from the weight of the accusation of treason against Eleanor.
Carissa didn't press further. She fell silent and waited.
After a long pause, Florence's hoarse voice broke the stillness. "Could you bring me a cup of water?"
A jug of water sat on the table, prepared for Carissa. Untouched, she poured a cup and pushed it toward Florence.
"Here."
With hands like brittle twigs, the old woman shakily grasped the cup. She drank it in one gulp, then cradled the empty cup. She offered Carissa a smile that resembled a grimace.
"I remember… everyone. You must have searched every corner of Harmony Palace by now, right? There's an apple tree outside my room, and next to it is a movable stone bench. If you shift that bench, you'll find a box buried beneath it. Inside is a notebook where I've recorded everything."
She set down the cup, her hands falling to her sides. Unable to hold herself upright, murky tears spilled from her eyes.
"Aside from the concubines, there were three baby boys I can never forget. The first… he didn't cry when he was born. He smiled at me, his little gums pink and perfect. Have you ever seen a baby laugh instead of cry at birth? I treasured that moment; I smiled when he smiled."
Florence covered her face, unable to continue, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs.
Carissa clenched her fists, fully aware of the fate of all the baby boys in Harmony Palace. They entered the world, opened their eyes only to glimpse it before being killed. Such cruelty inflicted on infants was a heartlessness that made even a snake seem merciful.
Chapter 743 (continued)
After crying, Florence regained her composure and continued her narration.
"Grand Princess Eleanor deemed the smiling baby unlucky. Despite having just given birth, the concubine tried to take him away, defying the grand princess. In a fit of rage, the grand princess killed the baby before Lord Henry. As for the concubine, her fingers and toes were chopped off; she suffered for days before dying. I… I did it. I threw the baby to his death.
"Three years later, there were twins. I carried one in each arm. I showed them to Grand Princess Eleanor, then told her I would take them outside to suffocate them. That was the first time I rebelled against the grand princess. I wanted to send them away; their fate would be their own…
"But it didn't work. That day was your fourth brother's Lunar Blessing Ceremony. Grand Princess Eleanor was furious and needed to vent… And just like that, no baby was allowed to live. Not just boys; not every baby girl survived—it all depended on her mood." Earlier, Florence had insisted she wouldn't speak ill of Eleanor, but now she had. Clearly, she loved Eleanor, but those three boys remained an insurmountable hurdle in her heart.