Chapter 758

After Fiona finished speaking, she suddenly covered her mouth, looking at Carissa in terror.

“Did you just say that girl died three years after entering Harmony Palace? That her fingers and toes were chopped off? Heavens, how could that happen? What did she do wrong? I thought she came from a decent family and had good character, which is why I sent her to Grand Princess Eleanor. What could she possibly have done to deserve that?”

“She erred by being seen by you,” Carissa said.

“What?” Fiona’s face registered shock and innocence. “I truly didn’t expect this. I had good intentions. I thought the Marquis of Grovehill’s family was a noble household. Even if the girl was just a concubine, it would be better than marrying a commoner.”

Carissa replied coldly, “Are you saying you didn’t know she would end up staying at Harmony Palace instead of Grovehill Estate? That’s quite a convenient excuse.”

Fiona hurriedly explained, “I really didn’t know! After all, Lord Henry doesn’t live in Harmony Palace. I thought that since he lived at Grovehill Estate, his concubines would also stay there. I truly don’t understand why Grand Princess Eleanor treated her that way.”

Molly, who usually wouldn't defend Fiona, felt a wave of crisis as Carissa aggressively pursued the matter. For the first time, she stepped in to help.

“I believe Lady Fiona is a good person, Commander Sinclair. She only wanted to give Lady Wendy a better life.”

Carissa’s expression remained icy. “A good person, you say? So, did Lady Wendy go of her own accord, or did you deceive her into coming with you?”

Fiona replied, “She came of her own accord. I told her to come to the capital to be one of Lord Henry’s concubines. Both she and her family agreed, and I even provided a dowry for her. Her family added dowry items as well. You can verify this.”

Carissa said, “We will certainly investigate.”

“Go ahead and investigate. Her family agreed to everything,” Fiona declared, showing no signs of guilt.

Carissa looked at her steadily until Fiona averted her eyes, revealing a flicker of fear.

Finally, Carissa said, “Alright, we’ll leave it at that for today. If we think of anything else we need your assistance with, we’ll come back.”

Fiona’s tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and she stood up. “Alright, we’ll be happy to cooperate.” She gestured at a maid. “Please show them out.”

Carissa saluted and left with Michael and the capital guards.

Outside, passersby hurriedly pretended to be merely passing by, quickening their steps as they saw them emerge.

That night, the major families were in an uproar, gossiping about the Capital Guard’s nearly four-hour visit to Edgeview Estate. This naturally sparked unease. The conspiracy case involving Eleanor felt like a wildfire spreading among the capital's noble families, and no one knew when it would reach their doorstep.

However, not everyone was afraid. Some families looked down on Carissa, believing she was merely flaunting her authority under the guise of the kingdom’s highest female official, using the conspiracy case to assert dominance over the noble families.

When the Duke of Oakspire, Norman Whitfield, heard about the event, he was furious. During dinner, he instructed that no one in his household was to associate with anyone from Hell Monarch Estate.

“Have we reached the point where a hen crows at dawn? Is she trying to overturn everything?” Norman shouted, his face flushed with anger as he slammed his cutlery down. “She dared to bring people directly into a prince’s residence and interrogate them for four whole hours! The king must be blind to allow a woman to command the Mystic Army. If she continues to stir up things like this, what dignity do the noble families have left? She thinks she can act with impunity by relying on her father and brothers’ military merits. If she dares to come and interrogate my household, I’ll make sure she’s unable to leave once she enters!”

The head of the Quinton family, Malcolm, the current Civil Minister, gathered his family, his expression grim. The Quinton family had produced great scholars. Even the current patriarch, Gerald Quinton, had once been a teacher to the late king. Though retired, his words still sent ripples through the court’s literary circles.

The Quinton family was regarded as the pinnacle of the civil service elite, thanks to Gerald’s status as a teacher to the late king and the fact that the current queen was a member of the family. With Malcolm now in charge of the Civil Department, even the prime minister’s family couldn’t compare.

However, Malcolm knew that the family’s prestige meant strict control over their descendants’ behavior, and the women in the family adhered to traditional values, ensuring no scandals. Yet this time, he felt Carissa had gone too far.