Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
Everyone felt sympathetic towards her, but found themselves powerless to help.
in the following days, the threshold of Northwatch Estate was nearly worn Bat
Once rarely visited by the wives of noble families and officials, the estate now saw a steady stream of visitors wasn’t because Salvador had issed an edict, but because Sophie had returned in triumph. Though only the remain of the Duke of Northwatch’s family, it was clear she was capable of upholding its prestige. During her divorce, the wives of officials had often discussed
Sophie in private gatherings. She had become a topic of their idle chatter. Now, the conversations about her were no longer casual gossip but carried a respectful undertone.
For Sophie, entertaining guests wasn’t a challenge. Before she married into the Jaffe family, Melanie had arranged for her to receive a year’s worth of training Socializing was just a matter of playing the part-smiling, chatting, godding, and following along with the conversation
Everyone enjoyed themselves, laughing and chatting, and when it was time to part ways, there was a hint of reluctance. Once the door. closed behind the departing guests, smiles would fade, sore jaws. would be rubbed, and a sip of water would be taken before preparing for the next round of guests.
That evening, Heather and Leona also arrived.
Recalling the wedding gifts that had been returned, Sophie maintained her gentle smile and greeted them, “Hello, Aunt Heather, Leona. Please, come in.”
Heather felt a weight lift off her heart when she heard Sophie still address her as her aunt. She took Sophie’s hand, her eyes slightly reddened.
“Sophie, I want to apologize. When you sent gifts to your cousin, I know it was your heartfelt intention. But I thought you might be short of funds after your divorce, so I had the gifts returned. Please don’t hold it against me.”
Sophie smiled reassuringly. “You were just considering my situation and looking out for me, Aunt Heather. How could I possibly be upset with you? Please, don’t worry about it.”
She turned to the servants. “Bring out the refreshments.”
Without further ado, Sophie subtly guided Heather to a seat and withdrew her hand.
With sincere gratitude, Heather said, “I’m glad you’re not upset, Sophie. That puts my mind at ease.”
“Sophie,” Leona began.
She was in tears. Instead of sitting down, she stepped forward and held Sophie’s arm.
“I didn’t know about this at all. When you were divorced, I wanted to visit you, but I was busy planning my own wedding and couldn’t get away. Please don’t be angry with me.” Compared to Heather’s insincere gestures, Leona’s tears were genuine.
Leona had always admired her cousin greatly. They had grown up playing together, and even after Sophie went to Meadow Ridge, she would always bring gifts whenever she returned. Their bond had always been deep.
When Leona was conferred the title of a princess, Sophie had returned from Meadow Ridge specifically to give her congratulations.
Sophie smiled, and wiped away Leona’s tears. “Silly girl. Even after you’re married, you’re still crying. How could I possibly be angry with. you?”
“Really?” Leona looked at her with tearful eyes.
“Of course.” Sophie, noticing Leona’s pale complexion, asked, “How does your husband treat you?”
Leona wiped her tears, but her nose grew red and she began to cry again. “It’s not like he would dare to mistreat me.”
Sophie knew Leona had married the heir of the Earl of Gracehold, Samuel Langley.
Samuel achieved the third-highest score in the final stage of the national exam two years ago, and received the third-ranked scholar title. He was handsome, charming, and highly talented. It was said that when he was paraded through the streets upon receiving his title, he was showered with hundreds of gifts from admiring young women.
Leona had also given him a gift, and had fallen for him at first sight.
Though Harvey and Yuvan were idle princes, they were of royal blood. Even so, Samuel had a prestigious title when Leona married into the Earl of Gracehold’s family. Thus, Samuel was considered to have married beneath his rank.
The Earl of Gracehold’s family was a well-established noble family with a long history in the capital. Many of its members held official positions, and with Samuel’s distinguished title, his future was indeed promising.
In contrast, Harvey, despite being a prince, would either live off the royal treasury, hold a minor position, or be sent to a distant fief. His fief was in Lumoria, a region plagued by harmful air and thousands of miles away from the capital. He was unwilling to go.Thus, he remained in the capital, doing little of note. It was unlikely he would achieve anything significant, and serving in the court was often seen as inviting trouble. After all, being too close to Salvador could be both a blessing and a curse.
From Leona’s expression, it was clear Samuel’s treatment of her was less than ideal. Her eyes were dimmed with unhappiness.
What was the point of marriage for women? Why did Melanie believe that marriage would bring stability?Heather and Leona stayed for an hour before leaving. Sophie accompanied them to the gates of the estate, maintaining a demeanor of complete friendliness and lack of resentment.
Lulu, feeling upset on her behalf, said, “My lady, you sent gifts to the princess, but the princess’s mother had them returned. Clearly, she looked down on you at that time. Why are you being so kind to them today?”
Sitting in front of the vanity, Sophie instructed Lulu to remove her hairpins. “Isn’t socializing just a matter of putting on a smile and exchanging pleasantries? Aunt Heather has always been kind to me. I was indeed thoughtless before-sending gifts to my cousin while I was the one who had divorced.”
“But you didn’t personally go. Besides, you were granted a divorce by the king. It wasn’t like your husband unilaterally divorced you. Why were the gifts returned?”
“Lulu, don’t dwell on these things. It’s exhausting to be so petty about everything.”
Sophie glanced at her weary reflection in the mirror.
The past few days had been busy non-stop, with a steady stream of visitors.
She was astonished at how many official families and noblewomen resided in the capital. But thinking about it, she shouldn’t be, as the most esteemed people from across the land gathered in this city. “It’s impressive how open-minded you are, my lady,” Lulu said.
Sophie smiled at her reflection in the mirror. If she weren’t open-minded, she wouldn’t have survived this long.
She treated Heather the same way she did any other visitor-without any genuine sentiment.
Human nature was inherently selfish. When she had returned to Northwatch Estate after her divorce, the house had been left in ruins. Even though she was backed by her father’s title, its decline seemed inevitable.
At that time, Blake and Freya were in the limelight. Heather had. kept her distance to avoid offending the Jaffes, as the principle in Harvey’s household was to offend as few people as possible. If an offense was unavoidable, they preferred to go easier targets.
With Sophie’s success and Freya facing military punishment with no achievements of her own, it seemed that the Jaffe family had little hope of rising.
Heather came to curry favor, recognizing that despite everything. they still shared a family connection. Even if Sophie held some grudge, she had to accept and forgive for the sake of familial ties. Just as Sophie had removed her hairpins and planned to rest for a while, Joy rushed in breathlessly. “My lady! The Jaffe family’s matriarch has arrived! She collapsed right at our doorstep!”
Lulu’s eyes flared with anger. “She dares to come here? What nerve. does she have? Collapsing at our doorstep-what is she trying to achieve?”
“She came with a few people, including someone claiming to be your former sister-in-law. She’s outside, shouting that her mother is gravely ill and is begging you to lift the ban and allow Sebastian to treat her!” Joy replied.
Lulu’s eyebrows furrowed deeply. “How outrageous! Sebastian. refused to treat her because of their family’s own misconduct! How could this be blamed on Lady Devin?”
Sophie booked up, and asked, “What about Frederick? Has he gone to handle it?”
“A. Carter went out. He asked me to inform you, and advised your not to get involved,” Joy said, clearly agitated. She took a deep breath. “They’le causing a huge commotion outside, and they’ve attracted a large crowd of onlookers.”
“Has Blake come?” Sophie inquired.
“No, he hasn’t been seen. Neither has General Ernst.”
Sophie gathered her hair into a ponytail. “Let’s have a look from a distance and see what they’re up to.”