Her Graceful War Song novel Chapter 1414

The garden at Tranquil Palace wasn't small, but it couldn't be compared to the royal garden.

If one took their time strolling along, admiring the flowers, or stood still to enjoy the view for a while, one could easily spend a good portion of the afternoon.

But Carissa was accustomed to walking briskly. Flowers didn't require her lingering attention—she could glance at them and move on, seeing little difference between one bloom and the next.

She had seen fields upon fields of flowers, all of which had left a lasting impression on her. These meticulously tended peonies in their pots, though, hardly stirred any great interest.

By the time they finished their walk, some of the other ladies hadn't even finished their coffee. Just as Jeanette began to speak of Skye Embroidery, they found themselves back at the main hall of Tranquil Palace.

Jeanette forced a smile. "Shall we go inside and congratulate Lady Sylvia?"

Carissa shook her head. "I have matters to attend to, so I'll have to excuse myself."

"Your Grace." Jeanette's voice was hurried, and she quickly called after her.

Carissa turned. "Is there something you need, Lady Jeanette?"

Jeanette quickly masked her urgency with a smile. "No, nothing at all. I only wanted to thank you, on behalf of all women, Your Grace. Your kindness and generosity, your concern for the suffering of the people, are truly humbling to those of us here in the palace."

Carissa was left somewhat puzzled. What did she mean by "concern for the suffering of the people"? She certainly wasn't as noble as Jeanette seemed to imply.

Furthermore, while Jeanette may have felt humbled, what was with the "us" she referred to? Was she speaking of the other concubines in the palace?

Was this a genuine gesture of gratitude, or an attempt to stir resentment? To praise Carissa and, at the same time, subtly undermine the other concubines—was that an act of foolishness, or something more calculated?

Gladys' expression grew tense as she quickly glanced around. Sure enough, she noticed several pairs of eyes trained on them, each gaze filled with varying degrees of curiosity and judgment.

"Your Grace, I was just about to return home as well. Shall we leave together?" Gladys said quickly, trying to divert the attention away from the uncomfortable situation.