Her Graceful War Song (Carissa Sinclair) novel Chapter 271

Carissa nodded thoughtfully, then asked, “So, may I ask, in which aspect of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, or trustworthiness does society find him lacking?”

“It’s because your second marriage has harmed him,” Samuel replied.

“My second marriage has nothing to do with him. My remarriage is my own affair,” Carissa responded. Her voice was calm and steady, showing none of the shame Samuel expected.

“Let me ask you this: does the law forbid a second marriage after a divorce, or is it merely a social custom? Are there not others in society who have remarried? Does benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, or trustworthiness dictate that a woman cannot marry again? And another question: if a woman is abandoned, must she then retreat to a life of solitude, living out her days in misery to satisfy society’s expectations?”

Samuel sneered, “You twist words to make them pleasing, but true virtue is rare!”

Unable to counter Carissa’s reasoning, he chose to dismiss her with contempt.

Carissa’s smile widened. “My concern is that you lack virtue, fail to study properly, are unmoved by righteousness, and can’t correct your faults.”

Samuel’s face flushed with anger and embarrassment. “How dare you! I intended to offer my goodwill, yet you insult me with the words of a sage! If this is how it’s going to be with your family, it’s better for us to just stay away!”

With that, he abruptly stood up and said, “We’re leaving!”

Leona quickly got to her feet, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked apologetically at Carissa. Her voice choked as she said, “Cari, we’ll leave now. I’ll come back to see you in a few days.”

Carissa sighed softly, almost inaudibly. “Yes, you should go.”

Leona gave a hurried curtsey and then rushed after Samuel, calling out, “Dear, wait for me!”

Lily watched them leave, and sighed. “It seems Lady Leona might not visit again.”

Carissa murmured in agreement. “I never expected Samuel to be so rigid at such a young age.”

“Some people read so much that they lose all common sense. You shouldn’t take it to heart, my lady,” Lily replied.

Carissa sipped her coffee, her brows furrowing slightly.

“Whether I care or not doesn’t really matter. But I can’t understand why Leona, a duchess in her own right, would be so submissive to Samuel without even a hint of her own will.”

Though they sometimes referred to Leona as a princess as she was a prince’s daughter, the official title she had been given was a duchess.

“She’s head over heels in love. What else could it be?” Lily said, seeing through the situation.

“Men like Lady Leona’s husband, with their bright futures and charm, are like a woman’s dream- something many long for. Lady Leona probably feels that marrying him fulfills a widely shared romantic

ideal among many women, so she cherishes it all the more.”

“Mr. Langley didn’t wait long to take two concubines after marrying Lady Leona,” Lily remarked casually.” And Lady Leona endured it.”