Chapter 83

In response to Aurora’s taunting question, Carissa simply smiled and calmly replied, “It was a trivial matter, not worth mentioning.”

Timothy was puzzled. “Divorce? Why would you get divorced?”

“After we won at Victory Pass, His Majesty issued a marriage edict for me to be Barrett’s second wife. Lady Sinclair couldn’t tolerate it and requested a divorce edict,” Aurora explained.

Although Aurora’s statement was true, it wasn’t the whole truth. She had deliberately omitted the fact that she and Barrett had used their military achievements as leverage to request the marriage edict. Her words made it seem like a jealous Carissa couldn’t accept the royal edict, thus requesting the divorce.

After all, even though Carissa was the legitimate daughter of a duke, she was nobody on the Southern Frontier battlefield.

Meeting Aurora’s gaze, Carissa said, “You both achieved great merit at Victory Pass and used it to request a marriage edict from His Majesty. The first thing Barrett said to me upon returning from battle was to ask for my understanding.

“Though I am not one, I believe a gentleman should help others achieve their happiness, as the saying goes. Since you two are truly in love, I requested the divorce edict to fulfill your wishes. I consider it a good deed.”

“What nonsense is this? Achieving military merit should benefit one’s wife and family, not be used to marry another woman! General Warren, you’re heartless and ungrateful!” exclaimed Timothy, furious at this revelation.

Seeing Carissa again filled Barrett with mixed emotions. Even here on the battlefield, arguments about his marriage couldn’t be avoided, and he was sick of it. Inwardly, he blamed his former wife.

Why hadn’t Carissa told the generals about the divorce before he and Aurora arrived? Now, they were put in a difficult and embarrassing position.

Moreover, Timothy, a mere fifth-rank general, was speaking rudely to Barrett simply because Barrett held a more senior position in the army. How truly maddening!

Refusing to accept Timothy’s criticism, Aurora retorted, “We used our military merits to request the marriage edict. I was willing to share the position of Barrett’s wife and didn’t challenge Carissa’s status.

“So, I don’t understand why she couldn’t tolerate me. Barrett and I would have continued fighting on the battlefield to earn more achievements, and you would enjoy the benefits in the end, Lady Sinclair. Wasn’t that a good deal for you?”

Carissa replied politely, “Thank you, but my family doesn’t lack military achievements. You can keep yours.”

“Yes, the achievements your father and brothers earned ensure you a lifetime of comfort,” Aurora shot back sarcastically.

Carissa smiled faintly. “Yes, their achievements do ensure that I live comfortably. Isn’t that infuriating?”

It was indeed infuriating.

Fuming, Aurora was barely able to contain her anger. She responded coldly, “It’s true that we can’t compare to them. But unlike you, we have to risk our lives to earn our achievements. What’s there to be proud of in relying on your family?”

“Plenty. I’m proud of them and take pride in their accomplishments,” Carissa said calmly.

Carissa’s casual remarks angered Aurora, but she didn’t dare lose her temper in front of Rafael. She turned away and seethed in silence.

Suddenly, Timothy’s fist landed squarely on Barrett’s face.

“You ungrateful wretch! Madam Sinclair had such high hopes for you! She agreed to your marriage with Carissa, yet you didn’t cherish her. Do you realize how much you must have hurt Madam Sinclair?!”

The general’s punch packed a lot of force, causing Barrett’s lip to split and his cheek to swell immediately.

Panicking, Aurora shouted angrily at Timothy, “How dare you hit him? This is our personal matter! What right do you have to intervene?”

Timothy glared at Barrett and spoke in a voice filled with rage, “You let Madam Sinclair down. I have every right to hit you. If you don’t like it, hit back. Don’t hide behind a woman like a coward.”

“The woman you speak of is dead! How could he have let her down? The entire Sinclair family is dead, except for Carissa. Didn’t she tell you that?” Aurora snapped, trembling with anger.

She turned to Carissa. “Carissa, what are you doing here anyway? Do you expect your father’s old soldiers to fight for you?!”

The passage has been corrected for grammar, punctuation, and style inconsistencies. Word choices have been improved for clarity and flow. Specifically:

• Hyphenation errors were corrected (fifth-rank).
• Sentence fragments were combined or removed.
• Inconsistent verb tenses were corrected.
• Wordiness was reduced.
• Punctuation was standardized.
• Awkward phrasing was smoothed.

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