Her Graceful War Song novel Chapter 960

Once Carissa arrived at Silverstone Estate, she quickly briefed Zoey on the situation.

Zoey immediately said, "This involves General Sullivan, so not a moment can be wasted. I'll go immediately."

Since Barrett had been taken to the Ministry of Justice, Viola had been on edge. She had even returned to her family for help, hoping they could pull some strings on Barrett's behalf. However, Zoey outright refused.

"This is a matter between kingdoms," Zoey had said. "What could a woman like me possibly do to change anything?"

Still, Zoey had made inquiries. She learned that while Barrett was detained at the Ministry of Justice, he was being given special treatment and hadn't suffered any undue hardship.

Zoey shared this information with Viola, but it did little to calm her. She complained incessantly, saying she had worked so hard to see Barrett appointed as commander of the Nightsteel Guard, only for him to end up in prison because of Aurora. She even blamed Natalie for arranging the marriage and Evelyn for agreeing to it.

Zoey had scolded Viola for her complaints, urging her to show more resilience and take responsibility for her choices.

Faced with Zoey's rare display of anger, Viola hadn't dared to argue further and returned to Valor Estate. Once home, she refused to handle any household affairs and left everything to her father-in-law, Jonathan. Word got out, and it became a source of ridicule for some time.

When Zoey arrived at Valor Estate, her first request was for Viola to bring her all the servant contracts.

Viola frowned and asked why, but Zoey simply replied, "I'm looking for a way to help Barrett."

Viola pressed for more details, but Zoey, looking visibly anxious, brushed her off. "I'll explain later. Just do what I said. Now."

Left with no choice, Viola retrieved the contracts and handed them over before retreating to her room.

Zoey pored over the documents and then summoned the steward to question him about the origins of the household staff, focusing particularly on those who served Aurora. After gathering some initial information, she turned her attention to the gatekeeper and interrogated him about any comings and goings.

She reasoned that whatever was going on likely happened in the past few months, from the time Westhaven's envoys arrived until now. Investigating this window of time would yield the most accurate results. If nothing came to light, she would consider earlier periods.

The gatekeeper kept records of entries and exits, though his diligence was inconsistent. Some entries were missing, but overall, there was a decent log.