Melody of Strength novel

Chapter 516

After being roused from his stupor by the servants, Samuel sat in the courtyard, feeling as though his heart had been hollowed out. No matter who called out to him, he remained unresponsive.

Outside Hibiscus Lane, Henry’s men kept a close watch. When they reported back to Henry, he frowned.

“Didn’t Celeste say she would sever ties with him properly? Forget it. He’s of no use anyway. The reputation of the Earl of Gracehold’s family is already notorious. It wouldn’t matter what he did.”

Samuel spent two days at Hibiscus Lane, refusing to eat or drink. Celeste’s departure wasn’t the most devastating blow to him.

The real blow was the words she had spoken before leaving.

He had high ambitions and had achieved the rank of third place in the national examinations, garnering the admiration of many noble young women in the capital. He saw himself as a genius, someone born to stand apart from the ordinary, destined to rise above the common crowd.

In his mind, he wasn’t just exceptional–he was meant to be a beacon of inspiration, revered by the masses.

Even when he lost his official position for Ruby, he wasn’t afraid. In fact, it only proved how different he was from the world around him. He had broken free from society’s shackles and fallen in love with a courtesan. Though he faced slander and criticism, future historians would record his story, and future generations would respect his fearless love for Ruby.

But when he lost his position as heir, a sense of panic began to creep in.

He knew that even if he couldn’t become an official or enter the ranks of civil service, he would still inherit a noble title. As a titled lord, he could live his life in wealth and prestige, criticizing other nobles from a place of secure privilege.

Claire relayed what happened at Hibiscus Lane to Violet, who then informed Carissa. Alana had visited a couple of days earlier, and informed Carissa that

Leona had quarreled with Samuel.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

Carissa advised Alana to gently guide Leona, to remind her that as a duchess, her authority meant that everyone in Gracehold Estate had to heed her wishes- including Samuel.

When feelings between a couple were gone, power became the deciding

factor. As long as her family opposed it, Leona wouldn’t consider divorce as an option.

Early in the morning in the middle of the month, the stewards from the estates and shops lined up outside, waiting to report to Carissa.

After questioning each of them, it was already midday. Carissa had them stay for lunch before sending them back to their duties.

Since taking charge of the household affairs, she had her hands full. Thankfully, the entire estate had previously been managed well under Jacob and Luke, so there was little to clean up.

The next day marked the formal engagement ceremony between Kiera and

Logan.

Logan arrived with his mother and the elders of his family. Though Kylie had referred to him as her brother previously, as she considered him as such, Logan was actually her cousin from the third branch of the Quinton family. His mother, Audrey, came from a humble background but was known for her kind and honest nature. Logan’s father suffered a head injury in his youth, and he had the intelligence of a child. So, he didn’t accompany them today.

Helen had hoped her daughter would marry into the Quinton family, but she hadn’t been impressed with Logan at first. Now, seeing him well–groomed and graceful, with proper behavior and fluent responses, he seemed far from the idle playboy rumored about.

Moreover, Carissa had already advised Helen that Kiera’s husband didn’t need to be a high–ranking official. It was more important that he had good character, was considerate, and treated Kiera well.

Given that the two were mutually interested, their future together seemed

promising.

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So today, Helen sized up Logan with the keen eye of a mother–in–law checking out her future son–in–law. The more she looked, the more she felt that Logan wasn’t bad at all.

As for Audrey, she was easy to get along with. She spoke gently and had a gaze that lacked any sharpness. Helen also recalled that Audrey didn’t mind Logan’s father’s limited intellect. The couple was deeply affectionate, and children raised in such an environment were unlikely to turn out poorly.

So, after the engagement ceremony, Helen’s heart settled. The match seemed favorable. Whether the remaining members of Logan’s family were easy to deal with or not was of little concern, as the young couple would be living in the princess‘ residence anyway.

Meanwhile, Violet had followed Winona’s instructions and established a base in the capital. Winona assigned Claire, Lillian, Iris, and Mabel to her. These individuals were among Winona’s most skilled scouts, adept at Lightfoot Skill and disguise.

In addition to them, there were several more whose identities Violet was unaware of. They followed Claire’s orders and operated in various capacities- sometimes as passersby, other times infiltrating noble households as maids, or setting up stalls around the city.