Her Graceful War Song

Rafael watched Carissa's careful and quick movements. She lowered her head, and he could see her slightly curled, thick eyelashes trembling gently.

A subtle emotion stirred in his heart-she rarely displayed such a gentle demeanor.

Looking at the two layers of bandages wrapped around his hand, he couldn't help but chuckle.

"Isn't it just a minor wound? It's nothing seri

"How is it nothing serious?" Carissa looked up with wide eyes. "If it's not treated properly, it could get infected. I've experienced it before. Look, let me show you my hand."

She extended her hand, revealing a small scar on the back, about half the length of a finger. The scar was faint, just a trace of pink left behind.

"It got infected back then. It was only after my master treated it with medicine that it healed, but it left a scar. Your hands are so beautiful. If they were scarred, it wouldn't look...well, as good."

As she spoke, she suddenly remembered that when she had cleaned his wound earlier, his hands were already covered in many small scars.

Rafael's expression relaxed, and he teased her, "What's the point of a man having beautiful hands?"

Carissa replied earnestly, "It's definitely better than having ugly ones."

He smiled, his voice softening. "Then I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. I have plenty of scars on my body."

"Those are all your battle honors," Carissa said as she washed her hands, her face brightening with a smile. "I have my own battle honors too."

"Are your wounds all healed?" he asked, concerned.

She had also been injured on the battlefield.

"They're fine now. I'm proud of them," Carissa said as she ordered someone to clear the items away and prepare some refreshments. "Invite Anthony and the others to join us for coffee."

Pearl entered and said, "Mr. Carter has already invited them to the main hall for refreshments. They'll be leaving shortly. Sebastian told them that Lord Ryan would be sleeping for a while, so they said they'll return tomorrow instead of waiting here."

"Alright, then," Carissa nodded, letting out a small sigh of relief. "It's just as well that they're leaving. I don't really have much to talk about with them. If they stayed, I'd have to keep them company." After all, leaving the guests and hiding away wouldn't be right.

Rafael asked, "And what about me? Do you feel uneasy with me here?"

"Why would I?" she replied, surprised. "You and I are not only comrades but also betrothed. We'll have to get along in the future."NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.

Then she smiled sweetly and added, "Besides, how could a guild senior feel uneasy in front of her guild junior?"

Rafael rolled his eyes slightly, now the one feeling a bit uneasy.

Just then, the refreshments were brought in. Carissa personally poured him a cup of coffee.

"Even though you always tell me not to thank you, my family truly owes you a debt of gratitude. Without you, Ryan would still be under those people's control. He would still be forced to beg on the streets, get beaten up, looked down upon, and go hungry and cold.

As she spoke, her eyes reddened.

"I've heard from Anthony that disabled beggar children like him rarely live past ten. The constant beatings, the cold, and hunger make them sickly and weak. A simple illness could easily claim their lives, or a particularly cold winter night might be the end of them. Every year, the Royal Citadel collects the bodies of countless beggars. They die in all sorts of ways, but most often, it's from hunger or freezing to death."

Her voice choked with emotion.

"I can't bear to think about it. If Ryan hadn't met you, he might have died quietly, his body discarded in some desolate wilderness, becoming food for wild dogs. I've had nightmares about it-so many times." Rafael couldn't stand to see her cry; it pained him to see her like this.

"Why dwell on such thoughts? You

family's blessings from above must have protected him and led me to him. How else could it be that my eyes landed on him among so many scattered beggar children, and I even recognized him?"