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They requested a private room at the coffeehouse, leaving Lulu and Evelyn’s maid outside.
Once seated, Evelyn spoke first. “I haven’t had a chance to congratulate you yet. I wish you and His Highness a lifetime of happiness and many children.”
“Thank you,” Sophie responded graciously. “And congratulations on your daughter’s marriage to General Jaffe. I pray it goes smoothly.”
Evelyn smiled bitterly. “Thank you. When I visited Northwatch Estate with my daughter that day, it was truly out of necessity.”
Sophie reassured her, “There’s no need to be so formal, Madam Prince.”
Evelyn nodded. “I understand. Lady Devin, you concealed some of the truth that day. In fact, we knew that before you left the Jaffe family, they had intended to claim half of your dowry.”
Sophie had not been entirely clear when she spoke that day, primarily because it seemed that Viola was quite happy with her match with Blake.
If she had outright said that Blake was also interested in her dowry, it would only have led to Viola’s resentment and suspicion, making her think that Sophie was intentionally slandering him.
“But my daughter is foolish,” Evelyn continued. “When Mrs. Murray came and asked her about this match, Viola agreed without a second thought. It was a marriage we couldn’t refuse, and I suspect you understand the reasons behind it.”
Sophie nodded. “I have a general idea.”
The crux of the matter was Oliver taking over the Hell Monarch. The king’s wish was for Blake to marry into the Prince family, as this alliance would allow Oliver to promote Blake. If the Earl of Silverstone’s family objected, it was likely that the Hell Monarch Army would change its general.
Given that the Earl of Silverstone’s family and reputation were already on the decline, they could not afford to miss such an opportunity.
“You didn’t say a single bad word about Blake that day, and Viola believes you didn’t tarnish Blake’s reputation. Because of that, she doesn’t hold a grudge against you for it.”
At first glance, this logic seemed flawed, but Sophie understood the implication.
That day, Sophie had not pondered deeply-she had merely observed Viola’s words and realized that Viola was interested in Blake. Regardless of whether Blake had schemed to keep Sophie’s dowry, Viola was set on marrying him.
Thus, when Viola and Evelyn came to see her that day, their real intent was not to gauge Blake’s character but to assess Sophie’s feelings towards him-whether there was animosity or affection. If there was hatred, Sophie might have slandered him. If there was affection, she would naturally be adversarial.
Since Sophie had neither, Viola felt reassured.
It was because Sophie had understood Viola’s true intentions that she chose to reveal only part of the truth.
Evelyn continued, “The Jaffe family had originally planned for Blake to divorce you unilaterally in order to claim your entire dowry, Blake disagreed, insisting that he didn’t want a single penny of it. However, when Freya sent a letter asking him to withhold half of the dowry, he changed his stance. You didn’t mention this part of the story that day, which made Viola feel much better.” Sophie thought that it seemed Amelia truly couldn’t control things in Valor Estate. The servants’ gossip was so extensive that even the inner court’s private matters were easily uncovered and detailed. Sophie smiled slightly. “I see.”
She had little to say to Evelyn, and was unsure why she was revealing these things now.
Seeing that Sophie remained silent, Evelyn was quiet for a moment before speaking softly, “If Viola ever offends you in the future, I hope you can forgive her.”
That was the crux of the matter.
“I don’t quite understand. Could you please clarify, Madam Prince?” Sophie asked.
Evelyn’s expression became awkward. “It’s the young lady from the Jaffe family. She visited our residence a few days ago and said something in front of Viola. It’s somewhat difficult to speak of, but… Well, she suggested that you’re still pining for Blake. She implied that the divorce was likely something. you had to do, hoping he would try to persuade you to stay. Little did you know, he didn’t try to keep you. That’s probably the gist of it.”
Sophie took a sip of coffee, her expression unchanged. “Are you talking about Serena? And Ms. Prince believed this?”
“I told her not to believe it, but she did. She thinks…” Evelyn hesitated, clearly uncomfortable, and struggled to articulate her thoughts. Sophie set down her cup, and raised an eyebrow slightly as she spoke for the older woman.
“She thinks that a general as mighty and handsome as Blake must be loved by every woman, especially since I was once his wife. It’s only natural for a wife to deeply love her husband, and it would be inconceivable for me to forget him so quickly. Moreover, we once fought on the battlefield together. But since the Hell Monarch has a prestigious status, I’m marrying him so that Blake would regret his decision. Is that what she believes?”
Evelyn was stunned, her eyes wide as she murmured, “Did you overhear her speaking in our residence? How is it that your explanation is almost identical to what she said?”
Sophie looked at her calmly. “Madam Prince, please inform Ms. Prince that since I never loved him, there is nothing to forget. Goodbye!”
After leaving the coffeehouse, Sophie was both angry and amused.
What w rong with Viola? How could she believe Serena’s words?
Sophie understood well enough why Serena had concocted such a story. She knew what had happened at Helen’s tea party, and was aware of the details.
Serena had her sights set on Rafael and wanted to become his concubine. By spreading these rumors, Serena hoped to create trouble. If Viola believed the rumors and caused a scene, Rafael might ignore or even disdain Sophie if heard what Serena had said.
Sophie was certain that Serena thought this way. Viola’s nature, to put it kindly, was straightforward. In other words, Viola was rash and easily influenced. It seemed that finding someone to truly manage the Jaffe family household was no simple task. Given Viola and Freya’s personalities, their future Interactions were likely to be tumultuous.
Sophie had initially chosen to meet with Viola and speak candidly to avoid further animosity misunderstandings. However, once she discerned Viola’s true feelings, she decided not to reveal everything. If Viola chose to believe Serena’s claims, so be it. As long as it did not cause her direct trouble, Sophie was willing to let it go.
In the carriage ride home, Lulu was visibly agitated. She had overheard the conversation through the door, and was fuming.
“Does everyone from the Jaffe family have something wrong with their head? You’ve divorced and left them for so long, yet they’re still trying to interfere in your life. We have completely severed ties with them! Serena’s malicious intentions are obvious-she wants to marry Prince Rafael as a concubine,” Lulu fumed, her face cold with anger.
Sophie tapped Lulu’s nose lightly. “Tm not upset, so why should you be? It’s not worth getting over,”
worked up
“How can you not be angry? You’re usually the one who gets angry the most,” Lulu replied, looking distressed. “Back in Meadow Ridge, you’d go straight to their door if anyone offended you, even if it was just gossiping.”
When Lulu mentioned Meadow Ridge, Sophie’s mood darkened further.
Her master wasn’t coming, and neither were the others.
Sophie sighed deeply, her brows furrowed in frustration.
Things were so carefree back then. We had protection and support from others. Now, even my master has turned his back on me. I’ve been so willful-how can I continue like this? Should I even bother with Ryan anymore?”
Lulu understood that her mistress was upset about the situation, and refrained from saying more. She opened the box, and presented it.
“Here, this is Mr. Spencer’s wedding gift. Take a look. It’s heavy, uh, precious. But most importantly, it’s the thought that counts.”
Lulu sighed as she closed the box. The bracelet was indeed heavy, but it was also rather old-fashioned. The style seemed too heavy for an elderly lady and too gaudy for a young woman.
Why couldn’t Kyle choose something more stylish and current? At least it would show he put thought into selecting the gift. If he had done that, Sophie would have felt much better, even if he couldn’t attend the wedding.
Seeing the gold bracelet made Sophie want to cry.
“Never mind. Kyle gave me so many paintings, and he also added all the money from selling them to my dowry. Money is the best. It’s practical and useful,” Sophie said, trying to comfort herself.
Lulu nodded vigorously. “You’re right! Nothing is more practical than money. Precious jewelry is lovely, but money is far more useful.”
She took out her own purse, and began counting. “I haven’t spent my monthly wages for the past few months. I’ll save them in a small cabinet. By mid-next year, I can exchange them for silver ingots.” Lulu smiled cheerfully as she finished talking.