Chapter334 Chapter334 +25BONUS HellMonarchEstatewasbustlingwithactivitytoday.Mostofficialsand militaryofficersofthefourthrankandabovewerethere.ThosewhowerentpresentwereeitheratSilverstoneEstateorValorEstate.

However,themaintopicofconversationatHellMonarchEstatewasntCarissa,thenewprincessconsort,butratherthegroupofmartialartistsledbyAdrian.Hispresencealonewasenoughto sparkprivatewhispersandspeculation.

WhowasAdrianRussell? TheRussellfamilyhadoncebeenapowerfulfamilyinthecapital,buttheyeventuallywithdrewfromthe circlesofpowertoestablishtheirownguild.Someinsightfulindividualsclaimedthat,althoughtherewasnoformalleaderofthemartialartsworld,Adrianspositionwasessentiallyequivalenttothatofaleader.

Why? BecauseAdrianwasbothwealthyandhighlyskilled.

Hiscombatskillswereexceptionalonecouldonlyguessattheextraordinaryexperiencesthathadhonedhis abilitiestosuchalevel.

Asforhiswealth,itwasbeyondmeasure.Havingaccumulatedtheirfortuneovergenerations,TheRussellfamilyhadboughtsomuchlandandpropertythatevenAdrianmightnotbeabletokeeptrackofitall.

a JustlookatMeadowRidge.Itwasntjustasinglepieceoflanditstretchedforhundredsofmiles,withcountlessestatesandfields.Adrianalsoownedanypropertieselsewhere,includingnumerousshopsinthecapital.

Thepeoplehehadbroughtwithhimtodaywereunlikethetypicalmartialartistsonemightexpect.Theylackedtherough,unrulydemeanorcommonlyassociatedwithsuchindividuals,displayingasenseofrefinementandproprietyinstead.

Thisshatteredthecommonpeoplespreconceptionsaboutmartialartists.

Thecommonpeoplehadalwaysthoughtofmartialartistsasmerebrutes,notworthmuchconsideration.Afterall,manyapprenticesfromvariousguildsweremerelybodyguardsorprotectorshardly worthyofhighregard.

Thesecondmosttalkedabouttopicwasthedowry thePathfindersGuildhadbrought.

Thedowryitemsweredisplayedforeveryonetosee.It includednumerouschestsfilled.withgold barsandingots.Thepurityofthegoldwasunquestionable,familiartothoseusedtohandlingsuchtreasures.

Chapter334 +25BONUS Asfortherareandexotictreasures,somewerethingstheyhadneverseenbefore.

JusttaketheMysticPearlshowlargewerethey?Toputitintoperspective,ifanyoneevenownedasingleone ofthose,itwouldbethetalkofthetownforquitesometime.Buthere,therewerefourorfivejarsfullofthem.

ThiswasntjustadowryitwasclearlymeanttosupporttheHellMonarchsprincess.consortfortenlifetimes.EvenifRafaeltookmanyconcubinesandwivesin thefuture,fillinghishomewithchildren,theywouldneverbeabletoshakeCarissasstatusastheprimaryprincessconsort.

EvenHelenwasastonished.Overwhelmedbyherloveforthesepreciousitems,herhandstrembledassheexaminedthedowry,andshekeptmuttering,Oh,HeavenlyLord.

However,whenRafaelledhisbrideouttomaketheceremonial toasts,Carissa.immediatelybecamethecenterofattention.

Itwassaidthatwhenangered,amanwouldgotogreatlengthsforabeautifulwoman.Inthiscase,manywouldagreethatthebeautifulwomaninthesayingreferredtoCarissa.

Today,sheshonewithanalmost otherworldlybeauty,likeadazzlinggem.Wherevershewent,whetheramongthedistinguished gentlemenoryoungladies,alleyeswereirresistiblydrawntoher.Especiallywhensheblushedandsmiledshyly,itwasasifeveryonesgazewasmagneticallyfixedonher.

ManyoftheroyalrelativesandofficialspresenthadseenCarissabefore,atthecelebrationfeastafterthesoldiersreturnedvictoriousfromtheSouthernFrontier.

Atthattime,describingherasmessywouldnthavebeenenoughtoexplainherappearance.Thepeoplepresentthatdayhadpreferredtokeeptheirdistancetoavoidbeingaffectedbyherpresence.Herskinhadbeentan,dry,andpeeling.Ithadbeenbettertonotlookatheratall.

Whocouldhaveimaginedshewouldturnout tobesostunningabeautywhocouldcaptivateanation,breathtakinglyexquisite,andenoughtomakeanyonesheartflutter? Everyonewaspuzzled.TheyhadseenwhatAuroralookedlike,andwonderedhowBarrettcouldbeartoabandonsuchanexquisitewifeforanotherwoman.Itwastrulybaffling.

Carissasflushedcheekswerenotduetomakeup,butbecauseofacertainsomeoneholdingherhand.

So,thiswaswhatholdinghandsfeltlike.

Chapter334 +25BONUS WhenRafaelhadgonetoNorthwatchEstatetoescorther,hehadheldherhand.However,shehadbeenreelingfromsomanyemotionsthen,sothefeelinghadntregisteredcompletely.Butnow,astheymovedfromtabletotable,heneveronceletgoofherhand,theirfingersalwaysintertwined.

Havingdrunkquiteabit,Rafaelsfacewasflushed.Fromherangle,Carissacouldseehisprofileandthelineofhisjaw.Shewarnedherselftonotlookanylonger,or herheartmightnolongerbelongtoheralone.