Her Graceful War Song by Summer's Blaze

Chapter 781 + 25 BONUS Gareth suddenly exploded in fury. He jumped up and slapped Cecilia harshly across the face.

"You treacherous woman! After everything I've done for you, you dare betray me?!" he roared with outrage. Cecilia fell to the ground, blood slowly trickling from the corner of her mouth. She braced herself on the ground, still kneeling, though tears streamed uncontrollably from her eyes.

Her lips quivered, her voice breaking as she said, "I'm sorry... I have no excuse. I know my sins are unforgivable." "You've doomed us all!" Gareth spat as he fiercely kicked her. "I once asked you if you had any family and you toldyou were an orphan! How dare you lie to me?!" Cecilia's body trembled as she let out a muffled sob, knowing there was no hope of ever regaining Gareth's pity or love.

Carissa let out a barely audible sigh as she watched from nearby. Thankfully, the king had already made his decision yesterday about the daughters of Henry's concubines. Otherwise, the Duke of Oakspire's family would have been done for after this revelation, with none of them able to escape unscathed.

Now that Salvador had declared the women victims in this matter, he wouldn't go back on his word. Putting off visiting the Duke of Oakspire's family and the Quinton family had indeed proven to be a good decision.

Looking at Cecilia, who lay sobbing on the ground, Carissa asked, "The two blueprints you took-were they for armor and ballistae?" The gathered men were mostly seasoned warriors of the Duke of Oakspire's family, so they instantly understood the gravity of Carissa's question.

They also realized that she wasn't looking to claim false glory. If she wanted to do that, she could have Carissa declared that Cecilia had stolen the armor and ballistae blueprints and taken her away. That way, would have secured her achievement on the spot.

But Carissa was giving Cecilia a chance now. If the latter answered that she hadn't taken such blueprints, there was still a way out of this. Armor and ballistae blueprints had implications far beyond ordinary weapons.

Every gaze turned to Cecilia, their eyes fixed with anticipation.

Gareth's face was contorted with fury as he warned, "Think very carefully before you answer." Cecilia looked up with tear streaks glistening on her cheeks, her delicate face filled with sorrow.

Her trembling lips parted as she spoke in a pained voice, "No, there were no armor or ballistae blueprints. One was a broadsword, and the other was a spear. Since my mom died, I've stopped listening to Grand Princess Eleanor's orders. I have children in this household, and I no longer want to be their puppet. That's why I kept avoiding the people my dad sent to seekout." A collective sigh of relief swept through the room, but it barely had tto settle before everyone turned their tense eyes back to Carissa, anxiously awaiting her next move.

Now, whether it was Norman, Gareth, or anyone else from the Duke of Oakspire's family, the fierce 12 resistance they'd shown before had completely vanished. Instead, Norman looked more afraid than he ever had in his life After all, if Carissa claimed she doubted Cecilia's story and pushed for more answers, she could easily expose more secrets Even if nothing new cout, everyone knew how the Duke of Oakspire's family had treated Carissa and the Capital Guard today-barring them entry, hurling insults, even splashing water to drive them away. The arrogance of it all was enough to make them feel humiliated and foolish just thinking back on it. A woman like Carissa likely wouldn't forget an insult easily, and laying out charges against the Duke of Oakspire's family wouldn't be hard for her if she wanted revenge.

They all eyed Carissa nervously. She was watching Ceilin, who was still crying softly, but her sobs were now subdued, as if she had already accepted her inevitable fate.

A suffocating silence hung in the air, broken only by Cecilia's quiet sniffles.

Carissa finally turned to Norman. "Lord Norman, keep an eye on her yourself. Until this treason case is fully investigated, she's not allowed to leave the estate The silence thickened as they all stared at Carissa in shock.

That was it? She wasn't even taking Cecilia with her? "Might I have a word with you in private, Lord Norman? Carissa asked.

"Of course," Norman responded, his voice uncharacteristically low.

A man known all his life for his short temper, whose voice usually boomed even in casual conversation, now spoke for the first tin a tone utterly drained of power.

Carissa turned to Michael and instructed, "I'll step outside with Lord Norman. Ask Cecilia under what circumstances she handed over those two blueprints see if she was under any kind of coercion." When Gareth heard this, he felt a glimmer of relief. The tension in his chest eased a bit, and his eyes turned red- rimmed.

He had earlier struck Cecilia because he wanted to make it clear that his family had nothing to do with this matter. He also wanted to gain a bit of Carissa's sympathy as a woman by showing his supposed resolve in disciplining Cecilia. That way, Carissa might not be too harsh with Cecilia if she took her away. X