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“She’s already moved into Grovehill Estate as my ‘cousin’, and my mom is the matchmaker for the marriage. Thomas’ grandmother and my mom are cousins, so this marriage is practically set in stone.”
Violet’s eyes narrowed with cold disdain. “A woman with such an unclear background would never be able to marry into the Farrell family.”
Sophie gently placed her hand on Violet’s to calm her. “It’s not a big deal. Grand Princess Eleanor’s true goal is to control Thomas. As long as we can find a way to have Thomas stationed in some remote area, her control over him would be useless.” There was a hint of mockery in Henry’s eyes.
Typical women. They were so narrow-minded, yet they talked as if they were warriors.
Violet frowned, and thought for a moment. “But Prince Rafael saved Thomas. If we don’t use him for our own ends, wouldn’t that effort be wasted?”
“What do we need him for? We don’t have any major plans that require his involvement. As long as Thomas remembers that debt, that’s all that matters,” Sophie explained.
Violet nodded reluctantly. “Alright. If that’s the case, we won’t interfere with this.”
But Carmen was starting to get anxious. “How can we just let that happen? Thomas has endured so much for the kingdom, and he’s the hero whoreclaimed the Southern Frontier. We can’t leave his marriage to be manipulated by others! What if we secretly tell Thomas the truth? We can warn him that her identity is fake, and make sure he thinks carefully before proceeding.”
“That would only alert the enemy,” Sophie replied, her gaze softening as she looked at Carmen. “I understand you don’t want to see a loyal man be manipulated, but even if the marriage is finalized, we can reveal the truth to him once we’ve taken down Grand Princess Eleanor.”
“Then we need to move quickly with our plans,” Carmen urged.
Henry lifted his cup. “So, can you share your plan with me now?”
Sophie nodded. “Since we’re committed to this alliance, I don’t mind telling you. We’ve set the date for the fifteenth day of October, the Illumina Festival. I remember that every year, Grand Princess Eleanor invites Spirit Elders to her estate to set up an altar and pray to the heavens for blessings. She claims it’s to ensure prosperity for the kingdom, and many noblewomen and wives of officials will attend.”
As they left Blueflower Alley, Violet immediately spoke up.
“You were right! Henry can’t be trusted. Aside from spilling information about Darin, he wouldn’t even give up anything about Harvey. Plus, he still calls himself ‘the prince consort’. It’s clear he’s not ashamed of the title. But it’s strange. Why would he tell us about Darin in the first place?”
“He wants us to stop the marriage because his mom is the matchmaker. He doesn’t want to involve his mom, and he’s trying to preserve the relationship between her and Thomas’ mom. His heart is with his family. As for whether he has any genuine affection for Melanie Lester or fatherly love for his daughters, only he knows,” Sophie explained.
“That bastard!” Violet cursed. Then, she paused and asked in confusion, “But you told him our plan. He’s definitely going to run straight to Eleanor and spill everything.”
A sharp glint flashed in Sophie’s eyes. “That’s because we aren’t making our move during the Illumina Festival, but on the first day of October during the Emberfest Festival.
“On that day, Eleanor will invite high priests to her residence to perform rites for the souls of the dead. Many kind-hearted ladies will donate money, or personally bring scripture they’ve copied to burn at the altar. The people participating in that ceremony are truly compassionate.”
She continued, “On the other hand, during the Illumina Festival, she’ll have Spirit Elders praying for blessings, but not everyone attending will have kind hearts. Many will be there to network and make a show for the king. Eleanor has publicly declared that day to be for the kingdom’s prosperity, so we can’t act then.”
Violet laughed. “Got it. So she’ll think we’ll strike on the fifteenth day, but won’t expect anything during the Emberfest Festival. Do you have a plan?”
Sophie shook her head. “No need for a plan. We’ll use the most direct method we know from our time in Meadow Ridge.”
Violet grinned, clearly pleased. “A brute force approach-sounds perfect! How many people are you planning to send in?”
In Meadow Ridge, the different factions stuck together when facing outsiders, but they also had internal conflicts. When disputes arose, the solution was simple-storm the gates, fight it out. If they lost, they got beaten. If they won, they reclaimed their honor. Sophie shook her head. “We need to find a few skilled fighters to go in disguised as assassins. As for the rest, we’ll leave that to the Capital Guard.”
“Are we attacking in broad daylight?” Violet looked surprised.
“No, the Emberfest Festival ceremonies at Harmony Palace usually begin at sunset and last until sunrise the next day. The high priests chant prayers for the souls of the departed. Those with kind hearts will come to transcribe the no scriptures for the souls they wish to guide. They’ll keep vigil at Harmony Palace all night long.”
Violet’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “And they would never suspect we’d choose such a day! After all, most people tend to avoid things like soul guiding.”
Sophie nodded. “Actually, Rod’s master has always done this. Every night, she chants prayers to guide the souls of the wrongfully deceased or those who died far from home When they hear the chants, they gather quietly to listen. This helps them release their grievances and enter the cycle of reincarnation more swiftly.”
Violet shivered at the thought. “How do you know this? Did Rod tell you?”
Sophie smiled. “Yes, he did. He says it’s all about compassion. Whether or not there are ghosts in this world, those who are willing to do such things must possess a kind her net and great love. That’s why, despite their inability to pay rent for so many years, they’ve never been kicked out.”
Violet replied, “Rod’s master definitely has a kind heart. Even though she can be fierce, the fact that she has taken in so many abandoned infants shows she’s a good person at heart.”
Sophie took Violet’s hand and gave it a gentle shake as they walked forward. “Exactly! There are indeed more good people in this world.”
“Right. I need to inform my godbrother about his marriage,” Violet said.
“Are there bandits in Stonebridge County?” Sophie wondered, thinking about the bandits.
Nowadays, the kingdom was stable, and bandits only roam in more remote areas. Since Eleanor had stationed Yuvan’s troops in Stonebridge County, there was no way they would allow bandits to thrive there. “It seems that the so-called life-saving debt that Darin wants to repay may hold some secrets even she doesn’t know.”
After they returned to the coffeehouse, Violet and Sophie had a meal. After settling the bill, they exited through the main entrance and made their way back to the carriage.
On the way, Violet suddenly jumped down at a corner. She hid for a moment, then walked onto the main street and quickly blended in with the crowd.
These days, her attire was simple and unadorned. She wore only a silver hairpin in her updo. Of course, it wasn’t easy for just anyone to track her, but it was always wise to be cautious.
Being a martial artist, she didn’t find the walk to the Farrell family’s residence tiring. After all, it wasn’t that far.
When she arrived at the gates of the residence, she noticed a carriage parked on the right. Just then, Thomas was helping Alice down, followed by Opal and a maid.
Violet called out with a smile, “Well, I see that I’ve come at the perfect time! Are you all heading out?”
Opal smiled and replied, “Violet! It’s been quite a while since we last saw you.”
Violet smiled back and said, “I’ve been busy for days, and I finally found the time to visit today. But it seems you’re all on your way out?”
Alice pulled her closer, and wrapped her arm around Violet’s. “You arrived just in time! Come with us to Grovehill Estate and give your godbrother a hand.”
“Give him a hand?” Violet thought for a moment and said, “Is the Kingsley family introducing a young lady to Thomas?”
Alice beamed. “Exactly! Yesterday, Gemma, that is, Madam Kingsley, visited and mentioned that the daughter of her cousin came to her for help. She’s from the Sanford family in Stonebridge County. She has both good character and grace, but she’s a bit older. Apparently, she was once engaged, but her fiance passed away. In a small place like Stonebridge County, they have little understanding of the world. Since her fiance died before they were married, they think she’s a jinx. So, she’s been putting off marriage until now. She came to see Gemma, and hoped to find a good match in the capital.”
Violet clutched her hand. “A jinx? How could that be possible? She never even married, so how could she be a jinx? It doesn’t make sense.”
After helping Alice into the carriage, Violet turned to look at Thomas, who appeared somewhat helpless. After waiting for the driver to bring the horse forward, Thomas mounted his horse.
While in the carriage, Violet listened as Opal mentioned that several matchmakers had visited recently, but none had met Thomas’s approval. This matter was dragging on without any resolution, and Gemma’s mention of this suitable woman was fortuitous.
The woman was about 25 years old, had a good character, and came from a respectable family. She was a promising match. Also, since she was willing to travel all the way to the capital for a marriage proposal, it was likely she would be willing to accompany Thomas if he were assigned a post elsewhere.
So, they decided to overlook Thomas’ objections and meet her.
The Marquis of Grovehill’s family had kept a low profile over the years, especially after Henry became a prince consort. Being a marquis family connected to the royal family, they had maintained a somewhat discreet reputation. Additionally, Eleanor had gained a lot of support before the miniature chastity belt sculpture incident. As time passed, the public began to forget the scandal, and it certainly didn’t affect Henry’s family’s reputation.
So, Alice was genuinely excited about Gemma’s personal endorsement of the match.