Her Graceful War Song

After Lily finished speaking, a maid entered with a bowl of steaming chicken noodle soup. Carissa had been hungry moments before, but now, seeing the hot soup, she suddenly lost her appetite. "You should eat. Your mother, watching from above, would be very happy to see you marrying Prince Rafael today. I promise you that," Lily said gently.

Carissa's tears fell into the broth as she held the bowl of soup.

Choking up, she said, "This phoenix crown is so heavy... It's causing me such pain in my neck that I feel like crying."

Trying to hold back her own tears, Lily wiped Carissa's tears away but understood that a new bride could cry if she wished.

"Silly girl, finish your soup, then we'll remove the crown, change your clothes, and help you take a bath. Tonight, there's much celebration outside. Prince Rafael probably won't return to the suite until after midnight."

Carissa took a few spoonfuls of the soup, her sobs softening. "Where's the dagger he sent? Didn't Mom give him a token in return?"

"The dagger was in the duke's armory in Northwatch Estate," Lily said with a smile. "I brought it along and will show it to you tomorrow. Your mother did give him a token in return as well."

Lily's smile widened. "She gave him a handkerchief, saying it was one you had embroidered yourself."

Carissa looked up in surprise. "Huh? That handkerchief was the token of engagement?"

She had thought it was something given to him when she was a child.

"Yes."

"But there were so many things that could have been given. Why choose that handkerchief?"

Carissa's appetite was completely gone.

How could her mother have sent such an ugly handkerchief to Rafael as a token? When Carissa saw it in the command tent back then, she had thought it was extremely ugly and had even made fun of it in her mind.

But thinking about how Rafael had carefully kept that handkerchief on the battlefield, never parting with it even after learning that she had married Barrett, touched her.

Yet, it was still so ugly.

Lily was smiling, though she had tears glistening in her eyes. "Because it was the first embroidery you ever did, and you did such a wonderful job on it. Your mother felt very proud of you."

Carissa was crying and laughing simultaneously, but still couldn't resist eating eagerly as she smelled the delicious soup.

She playfully complained, "There's a table full of food, yet I can only eat this bowl of chicken noodle soup? Seriously?"

"Tonight is the first time you and Prince Rafael will share a meal as a married couple," Lily said.

Though she felt sorry for the bride being so hungry, the significance of this meal was profound.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

"In theory, as a prince's bride, you shouldn't have left the banquet so early. But His Highness is considerate of you, allowing you to return and rest early. After you eat, we'll help you with your bath. The staff from Elegance Atelier will help you remove your makeup."

The phoenix crown was indeed too heavy and not kind to the neck. Lily felt sympathetic for Carissa's discomfort.

After summoning the servants to attend to Carissa, Lily marveled at the conveniences of Orchid Hall. The bathhouse was conveniently located just outside the bedroom. It was ingeniously designed with a golden pipe that carried hot water from several rooms into a small basin in the bath chamber.

There was no need to carry hot water from outside, which made bathing extremely convenient. Even in winter, it was warm inside, thanks to the braziers.

Tonight, the hot water would remain running. Simply turning the faucet on the golden pipe would produce a steady flow of hot water. But in the future, Luke had mentioned that the hot water would only be available for a couple of hours at a time, which would be more than sufficient.

Several maids came in to assist, and Sally from Elegance Atelier joined them to help. After removing her makeup, Carissa's natural beauty shone through, still captivating and beautiful.

She changed into a light blue gown made of luxurious brocade, embroidered with butterflies flitting among flowers. The bodice was adorned with delicate orchids, and the outer garment was made of the same soft, flowing fabric that trailed gracefully along the floor. After removing the crown, her hair was tied in a high ponytail with a white silk ribbon.