Talk

Lady Eileen and Karl then went up to the small living room on the second floor.

Lady Eileen looked at her son with a relieved smile, and said in a low voice, "Karl, my son, although you've always said you didn't like this marriage and had some complaints about the Princess, your behavior today was really good. You acted like a responsible and considerate young man."

Karl smiled calmly, "Mom, don't think too highly of me. I just... can't stand Albert and his gang's aggressive attitude, their complete disregard for her life or death."

He paused, his gaze falling on the Princess's tightly closed bedroom door, his voice lowering slightly. "Putting yourself in her shoes, she was forced to marry into this harsh and cold land, and even when she was unwell, she was still subjected to harsh treatment. Indeed... she was a pitiful person with no choice in the matter."

Lady Eileen's eyes lit up with even more admiration upon hearing this. She gently patted her son's arm and said, "It's already very good that you can think this way and understand 'putting yourself in someone else's shoes.' Everything is difficult at the beginning. With this empathy as a foundation, future interactions will be much easier."

She pondered for a moment, then offered a more specific suggestion. "How about this, Karl, I'll sleep with the Princess tonight. As an elder, I'll chat with her and say some intimate things."

"This child is new here, all alone, and must be filled with fear and anxiety. I can take this opportunity to let her get to know the real you, tell her funny stories from your childhood, and tell her how you rebuilt this place from ruins step by step..."

"Let her know that her future husband is not a cold-blooded border guard, but a flesh-and-blood person with responsibility and ambition. Perhaps this will help her lower some unnecessary defenses and resentments towards you, and your future relationship will be more harmonious."

Upon hearing this, Karl's heart skipped a beat.

Having the mother approach the conversation from the perspective of a caring female elder is certainly much more natural and reliable than the husband having to awkwardly and reluctantly try to reach out.

His mother's experience and wisdom always provided the most appropriate help when he needed it.

He looked at his mother, his eyes filled with sincere gratitude and complete trust, and his voice softened considerably. "Mom, thank you... You always think so carefully. This arrangement is perfect, but it will be hard on you staying up late."

"Silly child, why are you being so polite with your mother?" Lady Eileen smiled kindly, her eyes firm. "As long as it can help you, and make your lives as a couple less difficult and more loving, I'm willing to do anything."

She glanced at the deep night outside the window and urged, "Alright, it's getting late. You've had a long day, and all that's happened must have taken a toll on your mind. Go and rest in the little study I prepared for you on the third floor. I'll take care of things here."

Karl nodded, feeling as if a weight had been lifted from his heart.

He glanced one last time at the closed bedroom door, behind which lay a stranger whose fate had quietly intertwined with his own. He turned and slowly walked up the dimly lit stone staircase inside the castle to the third floor.

His steps seemed lighter and more determined than when he arrived.

Perhaps, this marriage, which he initially viewed as a purely political burden and emotional shackle, did not lead to a completely dark and hopeless predicament.

At least, he still had his loving, wise, and tolerant mother by his side, willing and able to mediate and pave the way for him; and the Princess, who seemed weak but tried to maintain her dignity in the face of adversity, did not seem to be an unreasonable, arrogant, or domineering person.

In the stillness of the night, inside the master bedroom of Carnford Castle.

The fireplace had been refueled with fresh firewood and was burning steadily and warmly, its orange glow casting flickering shadows on the stone wall and dispelling the chill of the Northern Territory spring night.

The Princess had finished washing up, changed into a soft, clean cotton nightgown, and lay down on the large bed covered with a thick fur mattress.

Lady Eileen lay beside her, and through the soft wool blanket, she could feel the comforting warmth emanating from the other's body.

The room was filled with Lady Eileen's faint, maternal fragrance, which mingled with the slightly cool stone scent of the castle, creating a peculiar yet comforting atmosphere.

Louise curled up in the blanket, savoring this rare tranquility and security.

Before coming to Carnford, she had imagined countless terrifying scenarios for her first night.

Forced to share a bed with a stranger, perhaps a rude man, she was forced to fulfill the most humiliating obligation of being used as a political pawn.

No matter how much others praised Lord Karl being young, promising, and handsome, for a woman whose heart belonged to another, intimacy with someone she did not love was undoubtedly a form of mental torture.

She even secretly resolved to do everything in her power to preserve Henry's innocence while he was far away in Prye City.

However, the appearance of Lady Eileen was like a warm ray of light, dispelling most of the fear in her heart.

At this moment, she was able to lie peacefully beside this gentle and kind elder, instead of facing the unknown future of her husband alone, for which she was incredibly grateful.

She secretly thought that with such an understanding and kind mother-in-law, Lord Karl must be a gentle person at heart.

Recalling his distant yet unkind actions during the day, and how he even came to her rescue when she lost her composure, Louise felt a little more at ease.

"Your Highness, are you still awake?" Lady Eileen's gentle voice broke the silence, disturbing Louise's thoughts.

Louise turned to face Lady Eileen, and in the dim light, she could see the soft light in the latter's eyes.

"Madam, you can just call me Louise... Here, I am not a prince..." Her voice was soft, with a hint of dependence.

"Yes, Louise." Lady Eileen readily agreed, smiling as she gently tucked the blanket around Louise's neck.

Silence filled the warm room for a moment, broken only by the occasional soft crackling of the candlelight.

Lady Eileen's tone became more distant and gentle, as if she were not trying to persuade, but telling a long-forgotten story, "Louise, through this brief interaction today, you should also be able to sense that Karl... is actually a kind-hearted child, one could even say that he is a little too sentimental."

Louise leaned quietly against the soft pillows, her blue eyes gazing at the top of the curtains, without interrupting.

She definitely sensed it—the awkward concern hidden beneath the stiff gestures.

"You noticed it downstairs just now, didn't you?" Lady Eileen turned to look at Louise's pale profile with affection. "Although he's not good at expressing himself, and even seems a bit domineering, he made the decision for you to rest, protecting you in his own way and preventing you from continuing to feel uncomfortable and embarrassed in front of everyone."

Louise immediately recalled the scene where Karl had unequivocally announced the postponement of the wedding and gestured for her mother to take her away.

A warm feeling of being valued washed over her, and she nodded gently, whispering, "Mmm..."

Lady Eileen smiled slightly and continued in her gentle voice, "I haven't been in Carnford for long, but in this short time, I've witnessed this land changing every single day. Karl has devoted all his energy to it, working almost non-stop."

These words sent Louise's thoughts drifting to the dark land outside the window.

She recalled the scene she saw as the carriage passed by: those simple but neat shacks, far from comfortable, but already taking the shape of a village, no longer just haphazardly built shelters.

The people kneeling by the roadside were still dressed in rags, their faces still etched with the marks of time, but their eyes were no longer filled with a lifeless numbness. Instead, they held a vitality she had never seen in the refugee camps of the Royal Capital, a vitality born of hard work and hope for the future.

She especially remembered the little girl who secretly watched her with bright, sparkling eyes; her lively and curious gaze remained vivid in her memory.

She responded softly, with genuine agreement. "Yes... Madam, you are right."