Chapter 1958

chapter1958

The day before Manfred and Vivian reached Graystone, they found themselves stranded on the main road.

Due to several days of continuous rain, a significant amount of rocks and debris had fallen down from the mountain, blocking the road. At the moment, this was the only road passable.

The local authorities had already started clearing the way, but it would take time. Manfred left a few of his men behind to assist with the cleanup while the rest of the group made their way to a nearby village to rest.

Manfred had already sent word ahead to the villagers, arranging for any vacant houses to accommodate them temporarily.

Vivian, curious about the village built against the mountainside, decided to explore.

After settling in, she wandered around the village while Manfred stayed behind to handle urgent matters after receiving a letter.

Kemp accompanied Vivian on her walk.

Kemp pointed toward a river not far away and said to Vivian, "Ms. Martin, there's a river over there. It looks like a lot of villagers are washing clothes by the shore."

Vivian followed his gaze and indeed spotted a winding river ahead. "Let's go take a look."

"Yes, Ms. Martin."

Kemp walked beside her, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings. The chances of encountering bandits were slim, but his duty was to protect her at all costs.

As they neared the river, they overheard the villagers chatting as they did their laundry.

"I heard Sean's eldest daughter is marrying a blacksmith from Graystone. They said he's skilled, runs a good business, and even owns a big house in town with several maids. That girl is really lucky."

"She sure is. A good match like that is hard to come by. But Sean's eldest daughter is beautiful too. They say the blacksmith fell for her at first sight."

"By the way, Mabel, isn't your brother a deputy general in the Holland troop? I even heard rumors you were supposed to marry Mr. Atkinson in Vlario. What brings you to a quiet, remote village like ours?"

Some time ago, Mabel arrived at the Lynch Residence in their village. The Lynches were one of the most prominent families in the area,

largely due to the fact that oneel.

their own held an official position in Vlario.

From the moment Mabel arrived, she carried herself with an air of superiority, making no effort to blend in with the village women.

Whenever she heard someone talking about a good marriage, she would scoff in disdain, insisting that she was destined to marry Manfred.

As she scrubbed laundry by the river, her frustration simmered. No matter how many letters she had sent to Cody in the past few days, he had not replied.

Worse yet, he had refused to let her return to Vlario, leaving her stranded in this wretched countryside. Now, she even had to wash her clothes-something she hadn't done in years.

The people here were so narrow-minded. To them, marrying a blacksmith was considered a great match-how utterly ridiculous. Just the thought of it made her feel embarrassed for them.

Worse still some of the local men dared to think they had a chance with her the sheer nerve of them.

They had no sense of their worth, blindly assuming they could ever be worthy of someone like her

Hearing the woman's words, Mabel let out a cold scoff. "That's right. I'm going to marry Mr. Atkinson. You've never seen him, so you wouldn't know how perfect he

is.

"There isn't a single man in this world who can compare to him. And unlike other men, he doesn't even keep a mistress. If I'm going to marry, it has to be to a man like him."

"But I heard that Mr. Atkinson already has a fiancée. You're not thinking of becoming his mistress, are you?" the woman said, eyeing Mabel with disdain.

Mabel's expression darkened. She bit her lip, her thoughts immediately shifting to Vivian.

The reason she was sent here was because of Vivian. If it hadn't been for Vivian going to Briarpatch, she

and Manfred might have alre she

developed feelings for each other over time. It was all Vivian's fault that her romantic prospects were ruined.

Seeing Mabel's silence, the woman let out a laugh. "You're not seriously daydreaming about this, are you? I once dreamt I was a queen. Look how that turned out!"

She burst into laughter.

Kemp immediately looked at Vivian. That was quite a coincidence.

Mabel had been sent to this village, of all places. They had only been resting here

for a short while, and now they had run into her, overhearing her spout her delusions right there.