Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
Blake froze. “What did you say? Become the Hell Monarch’s concubine? Are you out of your mind? The Hell Monarch is marrying Sophie-when did he ever say he’d take a concubine?”
Serena’s expression was full of pride. “Blake, all it takes is Lady Helen’s approval for him to take a concubine. Lady Jessica told me that Lady Helen is afraid of Grand Princess Eleanor, so she listens to whatever the grand princess says. If I can win Grand Princess Eleanor’s favor, she’ll recommend me to Lady Helen.”
Blake’s voice grew harsh, “Have you lost your mind? What makes you think you can win Grand Princess Eleanor’s favor? And what makes you think you can become the Hell Monarch’s concubine? Those people are just using us. Don’t be fooled.”
“I don’t care. I will be his concubine. As long as Lady Jessica helps me, I don’t mind being used,” Serena stubbornly replied, refusing to listen.
“Don’t be ridiculous! Do you even know what kind of person Lady Jessica is?” Blake’s voice was filled with anger as he glared at his headstron sister. “And Prince Rafael isn’t someone to be trifled with. If he doesn’t like you, marrying him will only bring you misery.”
“That won’t happen! He just doesn’t know me yet. Once we spend time together, he’ll surely grow to like me. Besides, if I win Lady Helen over, she’ll protect me. Who would dare to mistreat me? Sophie? She’s not even a chaste woman anymore!”
Serena spat on the ground in contempt, her feelings toward Sophie a mix of anger and jealousy.
Blake slapped his sister across the face, his expression livid. “Who are you calling unchaste? Say it again!
The slap left Serena stunned and disoriented. She covered her face, staring blankly for a moment before finally bursting into tears.
“You!
hit me? You hit me for that shameless woman?! I’m telling Mom about this!”
With that, she ran off, still covering her face.
Blake pounded his fist against the study door, his face a mask of anguish.
Sophie was unchaste? Quite the opposite.
She was pure, as he had never touched her.
It was laughable that now, having realized his own feelings, Blake found that he had never truly possessed Sophie. If he had consummated their marriage before going off to war, then when he married Freya, Sophie would never have so easily asked for a divorce.
After a while, Rebecca summoned her son.
Before he could say a word, Rebecca spoke up, “I think it’s good that Serena is so determined. I support her wholeheartedly. As long as Grand Princess Eleanor is willing to recommend her to Lady Helen, and she can marry into the Hell Monarch’s household, it will be the best match. I will support her fully.”
Serena had stopped crying, and now looked at Blake with a challenging glare.
Blake shook his head. “It’s impossible. The Hell Monarch won’t be interested in her.”
Rebecca, clearly having considered this carefully, responded, “Don’t be so quick to diminish others to make yourself feel better. If the Hell Monarch can be interested in a discarded woman, why wouldn’t he be interested in the legitimate daughter of the Jaffe family?
“I raised your sister personally. Despite her sometimes spoiled demeanor at home, the public sees her as graceful and dignified. Moreover, if she wins Lady Helen’s favor, the Hell Monarch will have to heed his mother’s advice if he wants to remain a good son.”
Seeing the near obsession in his mother’s and sister’s expressions, Blake chose to remain silent.
Whether or not Serena could enter the Hell Monarch’s household was neither a good nor bad matter. At most, if she was deceived by Jessica and learned her lesson, Serena might become more astute and not foolishly seek to marry royalty.
Already overwhelmed with his own troubles, Blake had no desire to deal with their issues.
On the first day of December, Helen, accompanied by Kiera, moved into Hell Monarch Estate.
The quiet estate became lively as she brought along everyone from her palace, filling the once tranquil residence with activity. The atmosphere grew quite vibrant and somewhat noisy.
The first thing Helen did after settling in was to send out numerous invitations. She invited various ladies from both inside and outside the palace, along with their children, to come for a tea party and enjoy the beautiful sight of snow falling. She also extended invitations to all the concubines of the late king.
Now, those concubines had either become noble or honored concubines.
Helen had always enjoyed flaunting herself in front of them, and now that she was living with her son, she was determined to show off once again.
What was so great about living in the inner palace? Living with her son was a true blessing. Although her status as an honored concubine couldn’t match that of noble concubines like Dakota and Josephine, Helen considered herself fortunate and wanted to make sure everyone saw just how content she was now.
As for the noble ladies and officials’ families, Helen intended to maintain good relations with them. Her departure from the palace was not just to avoid being confined to the inner palace, but also to live a full and happy life.
Her happiness involved showing off, which she did in various ways.
She also saw this as an opportunity to put Sophie in her place. The best way to do that was to invite all the families of officials of fourth rank and above, while intentionally leaving Sophie out
Helen knew her future daughter-in-law was not to be underestimated. Simply keeping her confined by propriety would not be sufficient. Helen wanted Sophie to face a significant setback and become the subject of mockery, so that she would think twice before acting out of line in the future.
Helen even made a point to explain to Rafael why Sophie was not invited. It was because their wedding was approaching, so the future princess consort of the Hell Monarch shouldn’t attend as a guest at this time.
Rafael agreed, secretly pleased. He understood his mother’s nature all too well. The so-called tea party to enjoy the snowfall was merely a chance for her to flaunt her expensive jewelry and beautiful attire. He imagined that such an event would surely make Sophie feel stifled and uncomfortable.
Sophie naturally had no desire to attend Helen’s tea party. Relieved that Ryan was finally able to speak again, she now turned her attention to organizing the defensive strategy maps and tactical diagrams left by her father and brothers.
Whether it was Victory Pass or the Southern Frontier, her family had guarded these strategic points. They were well-acquainted with the fortifications and had drawn numerous defensive strategy maps. Even during times of peace, they had sent scouts to explore the surrounding forts, meticulously marking every detail on their maps. However, some of the sketches were a bit haphazard and disorganized, so Sophie decided to create new, more refined versions.
This was, of course, a time-consuming task. Looking at the stack of rough drafts, Sophie estimated that if she were to do it herself, it would take at least two or three months to complete.
She sighed, thinking how much easier it would be if Kyle were around. His keen eye and sharp mind meant that he could glance at something and have it firmly imprinted in his memory. With a quill in hand, it was as if he were possessed by the spirit of a calligrapher, producing work at lightning speed:
After working for two or three days, Sophie had made little progress, and her eyes ached from the effort.
Rafael had visited only once since Ryan had regained his ability to speak. It seemed that the position of Minister of Justice was indeed quite burdensome, or perhaps it was outside his expertise, requiring him to learn gradually.
The last time he came over, he had been muttering legal codes under his breath-things like “thirty lashes for this crime,” “exile for that,” and “imprisonment for three to five years”, listing the punishments for various offenses.
Seeing Rafael so overwhelmed, Sophie felt a bit sorry for him. It was one thing to command troops and train soldiers, but memorizing the laws of the kingdom was evidently a struggle for him. She had advised him, “You don’t need to memorize everything. There are books to refer to, and the clerks at the Ministry of Justice are knowledgeable. You can always ask them for help.”
He had responded earnestly, “As the Minister of Justice, not understanding the laws would be a dereliction of duty. Either I don’t take the position, or I do it to the best of my ability.”
Sophie had laughed and said, “Does the king have it out for you? Why else would he assign you to the Ministry of Justice? In this position, you not only have to review cases but also handle matters involving high-ranking officials. It’s a job that can easily earn you enemies”
What had started as a joke seemed to weigh heavily on Rafael.
His expression darkened momentarily, but he quickly recovered, forcing a smile. “Don’t you understand? When it comes to authority, who besides the king can rival me? My years of battle have seen me subdue all manner of treacherous and dangerous people.”
He lifted his head with a haughty air. “Moreover, the government ministries are of critical importance. The king trusts me, which is why he has appointed me as Minister of Justice.”
Despite his proud words, Rafael had left with his head bowed. He looked as though he were about to cry as he continued muttering the legal codes under his breath.
Sitting at her desk, Sophie recalled the scene with a chuckle. She made a sweeping motion with her quill, striking through a document with such force that it almost plerced through the paper. Well, that piece of paper was now useless.