Her Graceful War Song

As Carissa walked away, Rafael followed suit.

News of their departure quickly spread from the inner courtyard to the main court. The royal relatives and various civil and military officials present all learned that Rafael was about to marry Carissa. Men and women thought differently.

Men valued heritage and purity, but they also placed great importance on benefits.

Who was Carissa? Beyond being the daughter of the Duke of Northwatch and backed by her impressive background, she was also an apprentice of the Pathfinders Guild, with Kyle as her senior.

The Pathfinders Guild wasn't just a martial arts faction. Apart from Kyle, it was home to many extraordinary individuals. Currently, the leader of the Pathfinders Guild was Adrian Russell. He was the great- grandson of Blake Russell, who was the former Supreme Cavalry Commander, also known by his other titles of the Exotic Sovereign and the Annara Monarch.

Adrian founded the Pathfinders Guild, and his influence extended over all the guilds in Meadow Ridge. After all, Meadow Ridge itself was his domain, as it used to be Blake's fief.

Though the Annara Monarch's title was not hereditary, the territory was never reclaimed. Over the years, only they knew how much wealth they had amassed.

Of course, wealth was secondary. The crucial factor was the influence within the martial world. Adrian's martial prowess was said to be second in the world, with one of his juniors being the best. Whether these rumors held true was uncertain, but the guild's formidable reputation commanded respect throughout Meadow Ridge.

Everyone would want to befriend such a powerful faction, so a marital alliance would clearly also be favorable.

Moreover, Carissa herself was a celebrated hero who recaptured the Southern Frontier and replaced Aurora as the top female general of the era.

Given these accomplishments, whether Carissa was a divorced woman was irrelevant.

It was indeed a strange world where, sometimes, women belittled each other even before men had the chance to do so.

They said that like attracted like, and these women really did harm their own kind and caused injury to one another.

Carissa and Rafael exchanged a glance at the entrance of Eleanor's residence. Seeing her spirited demeanor, it was clear she hadn't been distressed, which put Rafael at ease.

Since the announcement was already made, he took the opportunity to extend an invitation. "I heard that there's a chef from Funara at Wisdom Retreat who's skilled in making spicy cuisine. How about we go and try it?"

"Sounds good!" Carissa was indeed hungry. Arguing with others was quite exhausting.

Rafael and Dylan mounted their horses, while she, Lulu, and Pearl boarded the carriage.

Pearl still looked somewhat reserved. "My lady, is it appropriate for you two to dine together in public like this?"

Carissa smiled, and replied, "Should we invite him to our estate instead?"

"Uh... Perhaps Wisdom Retreat is better," Pearl reconsidered.

The estate wasn't prepared for such an impromptu meal, and even if they could prepare a few dishes, it wouldn't be suitable for hosting distinguished guests. The prince was indeed a distinguished guest!

Upon arriving at Wisdom Retreat, Dylan went in first to reserve a private room, then came out to invite Rafael and Carissa inside.

The private room was set with two tables: one for Lulu, Pearl, and Dylan, and the other for Rafael and Carissa.Material © of NôvelDrama.Org.

Carissa took on the task of ordering the food. Holding the menu, she looked up at Rafael and asked, "Can you handle spicy food?"

"I thrive on spice!" Rafael straightened up, taking the task of ordering very seriously.

After enduring hardships on the battlefield for three years, he was eager to savor everything. More importantly, he knew that Carissa liked spicy food.

"For the two of us, three dishes should be enough. Since I can handle spice too, let's order all spicy dishes. However, Lulu and Pearl don't like spicy food. Let's order one spicy dish and three non-spicy ones for their table. How does that sound?"

"Three dishes won't be enough. Let's order eight," Rafael said.

Carissa chuckled. "Can you eat that much? It would be a waste if we can't finish it."

"I can manage. I didn't have breakfast today, and I was looking forward to a good meal at Grand Princess Eleanor's birthday banquet. Since that didn't work out, we can't let our stomachs down."

Carissa laughed as she wrote down their order. The menu had spicy dishes, but also featured other cuisines. Ordering all spicy dishes wasn't feasible, so she also selected two of Wisdom Retreat's signature dishes.