Chapter 985 (+25 Bonus)

This outcome was favorable for both kingdoms. Lisandra had her own plans for her return home and couldn't afford to back down on the border issue. To do so would jeopardize all her work and lose her the people's support.

The day after the treaty signing, the Westhaven envoys arrived at the palace to bid farewell. Salvador had planned a farewell banquet, but Lisandra's insistence on immediate departure left him no choice but to comply.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Justice had already transported Aurora to Concord Lodge in a prison cart. Seeing no sign of Dominic, panic seized her.

“Why only me? Where is Dominic? Shouldn't he take responsibility too?” she cried.

Lonnie quickly gagged her, then handed her to Leroy.

This was the Westhaven envoys' first sight of Aurora since arriving in the capital. The fury in their eyes seemed capable of incinerating her.

Aurora struggled, trying to spot Barrett in the crowd, but he was nowhere to be seen. Outside the hall, a long procession formed as the Capital Guard escorted the group. Even Carissa and Rafael were present, yet Barrett remained absent.

Unable to call out, struggle free, or even lift her head, Aurora found the prison cart unbearably uncomfortable. The confinement recalled her own cruel imprisonment of Arthur in an iron cage, taunting him with arrows.

Back then, she'd felt a twisted satisfaction. Now, fear gripped her; she knew this was only the beginning.

Carissa had brought Lulu. From a short distance, they both clearly saw the fear and panic in Aurora's eyes. Lulu longed to drag Aurora back to Northwatch Estate and exact revenge, but Aurora was now Westhaven's prisoner, preventing Lulu from acting.

Her tears felt like her family's blood, burning her eyes and scorching her heart.

“My lady, may I slap her?” Lulu whispered. “I'm not strong; I won't hurt her. Could you plead with Grand Princess Lisandra for me?”

Carissa knew that denying Lulu this would leave her tormented. She nodded slightly. “I'll speak with Her Highness.”

After speaking with Carissa, Lisandra parted the curtain, glanced at Lulu, and sighed softly.

“Go ahead,” she said.

The cold, impersonal phrases "slaughtering an entire family" and "massacre of villagers" were written on the treaty, but only the survivors truly understood the depth of those unhealable wounds.

Carissa took Lulu's hand and led her forward. Aurora, panicked, saw the cart as a shield, shrinking back instinctively as Ministry of Justice officials unlocked it. Chained, she couldn't escape even with the cart open.

Eyes blazing with fury, Lulu slapped Aurora hard across the face.

“You killed so many people. You're worse than an animal!”

The blow was powerful, snapping Aurora's head against the cart's iron bars. Gagged, she could only breathe heavily through her nose, her eyes filled with fear and rage. Muffled screams and curses were her only response to Lulu's strike.

Carissa watched Aurora writhe like a caged beast. She felt no satisfaction or thrill of revenge, only profound sadness—knowing that killing Aurora wouldn't bring back her loved ones.

Aurora scraped the gag down to her chin, took a deep breath, and roared, “Carissa Sinclair, you're biased and corrupt! Where is Dominic? He's the one behind it all… Mmph!”

Carissa calmly repositioned the gag and had Aurora bound more tightly.

After securing Aurora, Carissa ignored her completely—not a word, not a glance. She simply took Lulu's hand, walked to Rafael, and stood beside him. Rafael gently adjusted her clothing with a barely perceptible smile, his affection unmistakable.

Aurora's bloodshot eyes burned with jealousy. Carissa had status and a loving husband—everything Aurora craved but had lost, melting into pitiful sobs, echoing like a wailing ghost in the wind.