Her Graceful War Song

As Helen stepped into the main hall, she noticed that Salvador, Jeremiah, and many high-ranking officials were already there. Even Rafael was engaged in conversation with a handsome young man dressed in a blue coat.

The moment they saw her enter, everyone, including the king, rose to their feet and greeted her.

Helen's mood instantly brightened. While she was accustomed to being revered by the other ladies, she rarely had the chance to interact with the men of the court. Now, with even the king and the prime minister paying their respects to her, she felt a surge of pride, nearly to the point of overwhelming vanity.

At that moment, she completely forgot the frustrations she had harbored during the carriage ride. After returning everyone's greetings and gestures of respect, she was promptly escorted to the seat of honor. It felt amazing.

Although Helen had lived a life of unparalleled prestige, never before had she been honored in such a manner being greeted by the court ministers and the legendary figure like Kyle while she occupied the highest seat in the room.

This was a first in her lifetime.

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It seemed her favorable opinion of Carissa had just increased by another notch.

After the servants served her coffee, Kyle approached Carissa and whispered something in her ear, Flattery is the best way to deal with someone like her."

Carissa couldn't help but chuckle. Who said her guild senior didn't have the wisdom to navigate complex social situations?

"You and her will eventually share the same roof. She's your mother-in-law, you can't be at odds with her all the time. As for the noblewomen of the capital, you'll need to socialize with them too. Today's art exhibition is meant to pave the way for you. I hope you won't let down my intentions, and that you'll refrain from resorting to conflict in the future," Kyle advised,

Carissa was touched, but also slightly exasperated.

Did Kyle always see her as someone who only knew how to use violence?

Since returning from Meadow Ridge, she had learned the proper etiquette and spent a year observing the rules of the Warren family. She knew how to conduct herself in the capital.

Avoiding unnecessary conflicts was her strategy-not because she feared them, but because she didn't want anything to negatively affect Ryan.

For Ryan's sake, she had adopted a peaceful mindset, seeing everything in a more positive light. Even today, Helen seemed particularly agreeable to her.

Meanwhile, Salvador was too engrossed in the paintings hanging on the walls to care about anyone else. His eyes were fixed on each piece, scrutinizing them carefully. If anyone attempted to make a comment that was even slightly critical, he would glare at them.

Who had the right to critique Kyle Spencer's work? Did they really think they were qualified?

When Jeremiah approached him, Salvador shooed him away. "Go look at something else. I want to enjoy this in peace. Out of all these paintings, why do you have to be staring at the one I'm focused on?" Jeremiah retreated awkwardly. He had been admiring a painting that depicted the direction toward Fawnrun City, where snow blanketed the entire scene. The atmosphere it captured was so perfect that he had wanted to linger on it a bit longer.

Left with no choice, he moved on to the orchid paintings. Even in the harsh environment of Victory Pass, orchids could be found. Kyle's depiction of them had reached a level of mastery that made it difficult to distinguish them from the real thing.

Yet, Jeremiah was still drawn to the paintings of the buildings and people in the frontier towns. Kyle must have lived in Victory Pass for quite some time, as many of his paintings featured the common folk, soldiers, buildings, and even scenes of daily life.

One painting showed two women arguing, their clothes simple but clean, as they carried wooden buckets to the well. Every village in the border town had a well. Although the people weren't living in luxury, they were getting by.

The ceasefire had been incredibly important for these people. Regardless of whatever happened at Victory Pass and Fawnrun City, Jeremiah hoped that peace would prevail. Even if the two countries didn't interact, it was crucial that war didn't break out again.

After observing for a while, Jeremiah decided to shamelessly approach Kyle. "Mr. Spencer, would you be willing to sell one of your paintings to this old man?"

As soon as he spoke, everyone turned to look at Kyle. Even Salvador's gaze was filled with eager anticipation.

As the king, Salvador could easily command Kyle to gift him a painting. However, he was hoping to acquire more. If the paintings were for sale, he could choose several.

Kyle smiled, and replied, "Mr. Murray, I'm afraid I can't make that decision. I've gifted all of these paintings to my guild junior, Carissa. If she's willing to sell them, I have no objections." Immediately, all eyes turned to Carissa, filled with longing.

One by one, people began to approach her, each pleading for just one painting. They all promised not to ask for more. They knew that Kyle's paintings were priceless, and they couldn't afford too many.

Carissa understood that this was Kyle's way of elevating her status-not just in front of the noblewomen, but in front of the king and the entire court. He was really going out of his way to ensure she received significant re