Her Graceful War Song novel Chapter 1079

Violet took care of the matter at Skye Embroidery, while Carissa had her own pressing concerns—mainly, the opening of the women's academy.

Carissa had already found five teachers—the royal chancellor's granddaughter Rosalind, Meredith's sister-in-law Harriet Wright, the Ashford family's matriarch Catherine, Kyle, and the Wardell family's eldest daughter, who had once served as Meredith's study partner.

Athena Wardell was now thirty. She had been engaged to a childhood friend, but he had died on the battlefield while they were preparing for their wedding. Since then, Athena has refused all proposals and had no intention of marrying.

Kyle was the only man among the teachers. He was a renowned scholar in Starhaven, known for his noble character and virtuous nature. No one would have objected to him becoming a teacher at the women's academy. In fact, his reputation only drew more students to the school.

Catherine had withdrawn from social circles for many years. In her younger years, she was a renowned scholar who traveled extensively across the vast landscapes of Starhaven with her husband. She had written the book Chronicles of the Mountains and Rivers, and the current map of Starhaven was based on the work of her husband.

The couple had contributed greatly to Starhaven. Even a few years ago, they were still journeying far and wide. It wasn't until her husband's passing that Catherine finally settled down. Now in her seventies, Catherine was still strong but rarely left her home for social events.

When Carissa visited her, she had agreed to help. The older woman had said that although her eyesight was poor, the fire in her heart still burned brightly, and she wanted to pass on her knowledge.

As for Kyle, Carissa had relied on his reputation to attract students. After all, with his fame, every family wanted their daughter to be his pupil.

The current plan for the academy was to have five teachers and an intake of one hundred students.

At first, Carissa had thought that attracting students would be difficult. In this world, women were often valued for their modesty rather than their intellect. Even the daughters of high-ranking families typically only studied basic lessons in women's etiquette.

To her surprise, within just one day of announcing the opening, all one hundred spots were filled.

The queen dowager herself had named the women's academy—Gracewood Women's Academy. The name meant it was a noble and serene academy for young ladies of high standing.

All the student information was sent to Carissa first, as she was appointed the headmistress of the academy. She had originally planned to decline, as she already had many responsibilities and couldn't help much with the academy. Since the king appointed her, she couldn't refuse.

"Ms. Spencer, be careful with your hand! Breaking the table is a small matter, but hurting yourself would be a big problem." Lulu moved a chair over for her to sit. "You haven't eaten yet, right? Please sit down and eat. You can talk as you do."

Knowing that Violet had discovered something regarding Karen, Carissa quickly filled Rafael in on the situation. Upon hearing this, Rafael suddenly looked thoughtful.

"Is she Douglas Whitley's eldest daughter?"

"You know about her?" Violet asked Rafael, glancing at Carissa—had she mentioned this to him beforehand?

Carissa shook her head, then turned to Rafael. "Do you know her?"

Rafael wore an expression that said it was complicated. "I've heard some rumors, but I thought they were just that—rumors."