Her Graceful War Song (Carissa Sinclair) novel Chapter 882

At first, Violet tried to keep things relaxed with her apprentices. After all, it was the New Year—what was the point of acting all high and mighty as their mentor?

But when she saw the three couples treating her with such reverence, and when Max's wife, Esther, personally took a cup of coffee from a servant and handed it to her, she realized that the role of a mentor had to be taken seriously. The other two women stood by Violet's side attentively, as if she was their mother-in-law.

At that point, even Violet had no choice but to play her role. Still, she couldn't help but wonder—did it really have to be this way?

Back at the Inferno Guild, she wasn't treated like this. Most of the time, it was her mentor who pampered her. As for serving refreshments, that was usually left to the new apprentices. What business did she, a senior apprentice, have doing that? But when she first joined, no one had treated her that way either.

A sense of guilt stirred within Violet, and she found herself missing her mentor a little.

The next day, Travis packed up large bundles and headed off for Meadow Ridge. This time, he took Leah and Alana along, as it had been a while and it was time to visit their mentor.

The two women had insisted they wouldn't accept any monthly stipends, but Leona had bought them many gifts—mostly fabric and some daily necessities for women, along with plenty of warm clothing.

Originally, they had planned to ride horses back. But now, they were taking two horse-drawn carriages, both packed full with gifts. Even the exterior of the carriages was loaded with bundles.

Since Alana and Leah didn't want money, Carissa had given Travis extra funds, which he gladly accepted without hesitation.

Travis had bought makeup last time, which earned him a good scolding from his mentor. But he didn't let that stop him this time. He had his reasons—women had the right to beautify themselves. Whether or not they actually used the makeup was their business, but they couldn't be without it. What if they wanted to use it someday?

Even though Violet had warned him that if anyone used the makeup, they would face punishment, Travis didn't care. If it meant looking beautiful, then it was worth the price. Surely, they would accept the punishment as long as they got to look good.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere in Hell Monarch Estate continued to be as busy as ever, with new invitations arriving every day—either formal invitations to pay respects or requests for Carissa to visit others. Rafael had his own round of visits to make too, starting with his uncles and other family elders in the capital.

First, he went to visit Hayden. The bustle at Willowbrook Estate was all for Chaya. Hayden's son was now a county duke and couldn't return to the capital without a royal edict. Usually, Hayden quietly spent the New Year alone.