Face

With Karl's support and gentle explanation, Lady Eileen slowly ascended the path leading to the castle on the mountain.

On both sides of this steep stone path, the traces of a fierce battle can still be clearly seen. The walls are covered with marks of knife and axe strokes and dried, blackened stains. In some places, the stones show obvious signs of damage and repair.

A faint, lingering scent of gunpowder and rust seemed to remain in the air.

Lady Eileen's heart clenched. She gripped her son's arm tightly, her voice filled with worry. "It must have been very dangerous here back then, right?"

Karl sensed his mother's anxiety, forced a smile, patted her hand reassuringly, and said, "Mom, don't worry. There have indeed been a few tough battles here, but look, everything's fine now, isn't it?"

"This passageway is part of our meticulously designed defensive trap. It was right here that we taught the charging Sauron a lesson they learned, making them pay a heavy price."

Hearing the confidence, even a hint of pride, in her son's tone, Lady Eileen felt slightly relieved, but her gaze remained full of pity.

Upon reaching the summit platform, the first thing that catches the eye is the castle's outer walls.

One section of the city wall was clearly rebuilt later; the color of the stones and the way they were laid were different from the old wall. Although it was sturdy, it still looked somewhat jarring.

Lady Eileen looked at her son with concern, Karl immediately understood her thoughts. He gently placed his hands on his mother's shoulders and led her further inside, explaining as they walked, "A section of the outer wall was destroyed by the Sauron's catapults, but we've repaired it, and it's even stronger than before. Come on, Mother, this is where we live."

Upon entering the inner city, the environment finally changed.

The cramped and cluttered low, semi-subterranean houses that were originally used for slaves inside the castle have all been demolished, opening up a much wider view.

Now, only rows of relatively neat wooden and stone huts have been built along the base of the inner city wall to house necessary servants and soldiers on duty.

Most of the open space was used as training grounds and lawns. Although simple, they were well-organized and much cleaner than the Shantytown Area at the foot of the mountain.

Seeing this, Lady Eileen's tense nerves finally relaxed a little, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

Finally, Lady Eileen, led by Karl, slowly entered the heart of Carnford Castle, the main castle.

Despite having witnessed many wounds left by war along the way and being mentally prepared, when she stepped into the somewhat dimly lit Lord's Hall, her gaze was still involuntarily drawn to the shocking traces, and her heart clenched again.

On the wall, there are several huge, jagged cracks that resemble centipedes. Although they have been roughly filled with rough stones and plaster, they are still clearly visible, telling the story of the enormous impact they once withstood.

There were also several obvious damages and dents on the ceiling, which were temporarily sealed with thick wooden boards to prevent gravel from falling.

Despite repeated washing and cleaning, some suspicious, dark brown stains remain in the seams and corners of some stone slabs.

Throughout the hall, a faint, lingering odor, a mixture of gunpowder smoke, blood, and damp mold, seemed to remain.

Lady Eileen walked unconsciously to a wall, extended her velvet-gloved hand, and gently ran her fingertips over the rough, cold repair mark. Her voice trembled slightly as she whispered, "These... these scars, they're... they were left from the battle, weren't they?"

Karl stood quietly beside his mother, his gaze sweeping calmly over the traces he had long since grown accustomed to, as if looking at a past, dramatic chapter of history.

He nodded, his tone calm yet carrying a composure born of having faced life and death. "Yes, Mother, these were mainly hit by the Sauron Cannon."

"The most dangerous time was when a shell hit nearby and almost completely smashed through the load-bearing wall. If it had collapsed then, the entire main castle... probably wouldn't have been saved."

Hearing her son recount the life-or-death situation in such a calm tone, Lady Eileen turned around abruptly and grabbed her son's hand tightly.

Her palms were ice-cold, and her eyes instantly filled with lingering fear and indescribable heartache. Her voice choked with emotion. "My child, how dangerous it must have been for you back then! Your mother was in the south, and every time I heard the battle reports from the Northern Territory, my heart broke! I worried about you day and night!"

Feeling the coolness of his mother's palm and hearing the deep maternal love in her words, Karl felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

He gently took his mother's cold hand in his own, warming it with the warmth of his palm. He tried to put on a reassuring smile and comforted her, "It's all over, Mom. Look, I'm standing here perfectly fine."

"The castle was defended, and we all survived. This is the best outcome. Let these scars be medals for Carnford and for our growth."

He paused, glanced around the hall, and his tone became firm and hopeful. "Moreover, I believe that it won't be long before we can renovate this place even better, making it stronger and warmer than before."

Lady Eileen looked at her son's resolute profile and the gleam in his eyes. The lingering fear in her heart was gradually replaced by a complex emotion: heartache, pride, and relief that her son had grown into a true Lord.

She nodded vigorously and gripped her son's hand even tighter.

Lady Eileen looked around the spacious yet dilapidated and shabby hall and sighed softly.

Her tone carried a mother's unique concern and a hint of aristocratic instinct for propriety. "My child, I know things are difficult here, and everything needs to be rebuilt, but... at least some basic decorations and repairs should be done, right? You're about to marry the Princess, and this will be your bridal chamber and the place to receive royal guests."

"If the Princess and her entourage were to see... to see the future Prince Consort's castle in such a state, it would be... unseemly, and would bring shame upon the royal family."

Upon hearing the words "wedding" and "Princess," Karl immediately felt a surge of irritation.

He didn't yet know how to explain to his mother the deep affection he shared with Charlotte, and the political helplessness behind their marriage, but he knew that his mother's concerns stemmed from love and considerations of their aristocratic family, and he couldn't directly refute them.

He took a deep breath, suppressed the frustration in his heart, walked to his mother's side, gently put his hand on her shoulder, and helped her sit down in what was considered the most decent high-backed chair in the hall. He then pulled up a chair and sat down next to her.

He held his mother's hand, looked at her earnestly, and tried to persuade her with reason, "Mom, I understand what you're saying, but you've seen it with your own eyes. At the foot of the mountain, there are tens of thousands of refugees who don't even have proper shelter from the wind and rain. They are the foundation of Carnford."

Karl's tone hardened. "I am first and foremost their Lord, and only then the Princess's husband. My responsibility is to ensure that my people can survive and, as soon as possible, move into good houses like those in the Tunbao, where they can find shelter from the wind and rain."

"Instead of prioritizing the extremely limited funds and manpower for decorating the castle and creating vanity projects to please a Princess I don't even know, I believe this is the most basic responsibility of a Lord."