Chapter 891

The man was Wayne, but his appearance differed greatly from how Barrett remembered him at Edgeview Estate. Even his face seemed unfamiliar. He took a step forward and nodded. "Commander Warren, I am aware of your mother's and sister-in-law's passing. My condolences."

Though Barrett recognized the sentiment, he maintained a distance, as he did with all strangers. "Thank you," he said. "Since you don't want to introduce yourself, I'll take my leave now."

Wayne nodded. "Commander Warren, my name is Horace. I serve at Hartstone Estate. Lady Heather requested I offer condolences. Considering past unpleasantness between you and Lady Carissa, she felt a direct visit inappropriate."

Barrett hadn't met many from Hartstone Estate, but he knew their steward was Horace; this man was likely him. However, this man possessed a scholarly air, unlike someone handling internal affairs. He seemed more a scholar—though, as a servant of a royal estate, he must be well-educated.

Barrett hadn't expected Heather to send someone. A wave of mixed emotions swept over him. "I appreciate Lady Heather's kindness. It's my fault. I failed Madam Sinclair and Lady Heather's expectations."

"Would you mind moving to a coffeehouse to talk?" Wayne asked. "Lady Heather has words she'd like me to convey."

Barrett had gone to Victory Fass on his wedding day, then returned and separated from Carissa. Heather's lack of intervention led Barrett to assume she didn't want the divorce, fostering goodwill toward her. Moreover, Harvey and his family maintained a low profile in the capital; exchanging pleasantries wouldn't raise concerns.

"Very well," Barrett agreed, nodding politely. "Lead the way, sir."

As they entered the coffeehouse, many unseen eyes watched their every move. Wayne studied Barrett quietly; he'd been observing him from afar, even placing people to track him.

A year had passed, and Barrett had slimmed down considerably. His face was more angular, his eyes more composed and serious. But Wayne was disappointed; he saw no trace of the sharp edge or hidden ambition he'd expected. After his sister-in-law's suicide, loss of power, child's death, and mother's passing, Wayne had assumed Barrett would become more ambitious or completely broken.

Chapter 891 (should be Chapter 191, assuming this is a continuation) +25 BONUS

Instead, he seemed unnervingly calm. Perhaps that wasn't bad. Yuvan could use a calm, level-headed assistant, especially one with authority over the king's personal guards.

Wayne continued, "Lady Heather knows about everything that happened in the Warren family and is deeply saddened. She feels guilty for not convincing Lady Carissa to stay, for letting her ruin the Warren family's reputation through the divorce, and for tarnishing Lady Heather's name."

Barrett felt a strange, indescribable emotion. He'd heard about Leona's mistreatment; she was Heather's daughter. Harvey's family hadn't intervened. Hearing this man discuss his divorce from Carissa was hard to believe.

"Lady Heather had no choice," Wayne continued. "Prince Harvey remained in the capital by staying out of state affairs and living quietly. He has much he wants to manage but dares not. This guilt should have remained private, but seeing the Warren family's situation, she couldn't bear it and sent me."

Wayne's ability to read people was sharp; Barrett felt almost childlike in comparison. Barrett considered Harvey's family's low profile in recent years. It made sense. While Sigmund lived, Harvey was the king Augustus's younger brother. A low profile protected them from accusations of disloyalty, which would have ruined his family.

Barrett nodded thoughtfully. "Your words make sense, Horace. I understand and appreciate Lady Heather's concern."

Wayne's gaze was filled with sincerity and worry. "So, do you plan to observe the three-year mourning period? Don't you want to consider another approach?"

"Another approach?" Barrett furrowed his brow.

"Like applying for an exemption," Wayne said, smiling slightly. "Three years is a long time. Do you know what the situation will look like then? The king plans to make the Crown Guard independent from the Mystic Army, removing it from Lady Carissa's control. But that requires a commander. If you remain in mourning, that position will fall to someone else."

Changes Made:

• Consistent tense: The passage mostly uses past tense, but some inconsistencies were corrected.
• Punctuation: Improved comma usage, hyphenation, and sentence structure for better flow.
• Word choice: Replaced some words for clarity and stronger phrasing.
• Paragraphing: Improved paragraph breaks for readability.
• Corrected Chapter Number: Changed the second chapter heading from 891 to 191 as it seemed to be an error.
• Clarity: Clarified ambiguous sentences and phrasing.

The revised passage is much smoother and easier to read.