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Samuel’s face turned red with rage. Not only was he one of the top scholars, he was an honored scholar chosen by the king himself. How could he be accused of being anything less than upright? Turns out, his scholar friends were all just a bunch of spineless bootlickers. He used to think they had some integrity, but now it was clear-they were all terrified of the Hell Monarch’s reputation.
In his fury, Samuel smashed things in the coffeehouse. However, the coffeehouse staff weren’t about to indulge his tantrum. Despite his angry outburst and boastful claims of his lofty status, the shopkeeper remained indifferent and demanded Samuel pay for the damages.
Back at Hell Monarch Estate, Rafael had returned to his office. Meanwhile, Helen sat in a daze, waiting for Sophie to come to greet her.
The moment she saw her daughter-in-law, she grabbed her hand and asked, “Sophie, what’s the story with Ruby? Is she truly Grand Princess Eleanor’s illegitimate daughter?”
“Mother, it’s true. Besides Celeste-that’s Ruby’s real name—it’s likely that more women will be sent to various noble families in time,” Sophie replied.
“But why? Why would she send her own illegitimate daughter to a filthy place like a brothel? Isn’t that a disgrace to her own name?” Helen asked, still puzzled.
“If we hadn’t uncovered Ruby’s identity, who would have known? It was done in secret, so as long as it wasn’t exposed, it wouldn’t affect her reputation,” Sophie explained.
Helen racked her brain, trying to understand the situation. However, she couldn’t make sense of it.
“But why would she do it? Just to humiliate her husband’s concubines and their children? Yet, she was the one who arranged those concubines for him. She lost interest in her husband and no longer wanted to her share a bed with him. Also, with status, it’s hard to believe she would be so harsh toward his concubines’ children. If this were to get out, her reputation would surely suffer.”
Eleanor had spent years carefully cultivating her image and maintaining close relationships with noble families. Despite being a grand princess, she had not onnet?
allowed her husband to take concubines, but had even personally arranged them, earning her admiration for her supposed tolerance and generosity.
Although there had been some scandals in the past, they were quickly hushed up, and Eleanor managed to maintain her good standing.
Sophie smiled knowingly. “Some people appear gentle and generous on the surface but are full of schemes underneath. Don’t you already know that Grand Princess Eleanor is exactly that kind of person?
“She took so much money from you under the guise of The Gilded Tower, claiming she was losing money when she was actually profiting. So, she acts like she’s tolerant and accepting of her husband’s concubines, but it’s very possible she secretly despises them.”
Sophie refrained from revealing too much.
The intricacies of the situation were too complex for her simple-minded mother-in-law to fully grasp. Helen. just needed to understand the basics. After all, the truth wow. net come to light soon enough, and
Helen didn’t need to know more than what the general public would eventually learn.
Helen nodded vigorously at her daughter-in-law’s explanation. “Yes, you’re right. Some people are just like that-showing one face in public and another in private. Grand Princess Eleanor might be far more ruthless than we thought. We should limit our interactions with her.”
“Exactly. It’s best to keep our distance. Even when you do meet her, there’s no need to dwell on past grievances about The Gilded Tower. Just maintain the appearance of harmony,” Sophie agreed. She didn’t want her mother-in-law to confront Eleanor directly. The two were not evenly matched, and it wouldn’t end well for Helen.
“I understand,” said Helen, taking the advice to heart.
Sophie had Violet arrange for someone to keep an eye on Samuel for a few days. Despite everything, this once-renowned scholar, who had been favored by his family’s matriarch, still held onto his lofty ambitions.
Over the past few days, Samuel had carried his written articles to the National Academy, hoping to find someone to present them to the king. But no one at the National Academy would pay him any attention anymore.
Believing it was because they were jealous of his talent, Samuel seethed with frustration. Determined, he then sought out people at the Academy of Wisdom. But no matter where he went, people deliberately avoided him.
After all, he was a top scholar who had been personally demoted by the king, destroyed his marriage for a favored mistress, abandoned his family to set up his own household, and even renounced his title as heir.
To make matters worse, rumors had spread that he had married the daughter of a merchant, then forced her to use her dowry to buy the freedom of a woman from a brothel. Even though the civil officials considered that a minor offense, it was still a sign of moral corruption and a disgrace to the scholars.
Then, the truth about Ruby’s identity started to circulate.
Although no one knew for certain whether it was true or false, it cast a shadow that made people even more wary of Samuel. He spent several days running around to no avail. Enraged, he blamed Rafael, convinced that it was the prince’s influence and power that caused everyone to avoid him.
Consumed by resentment, Samuel drank heavily at a tavern.
In his drunken stupor, he clenched his fist and shouted, “The king’s power only protects the nobility! Prince Rafael, with his overwhelming military achievements, does whatever he pleases. Why does no one dare stand up to him? The entire court are cowards, all of them!”
It didn’t take more than three days for those reckless words, shouted in a public place, to spread like wildfire across the capital. Soon, all the court officials had heard about it.
The reaction was swift. Both civil and military officials denounced Samuel, calling him arrogant and self-righteous. Reports criticizing him began piling up on the prime minister’s desk.
Jeremiah, of course, did not conceal the matter and reported it directly to the king. Salvador summoned Rafael to royal study for questioning, and soon, the events of that day were laid bare.
Leona was Salvador’s younger cousin. She had always been kind and well-mannered, adored by everyone who knew her. No one had expected Samuel to treat her so cruelly.
As for Ruby, the revelation that she was Eleanor’s illegitimate daughter sent a ripple of suspicion through Salvador’s mind.
Sophie had deliberately leaked
Ruby’s true identity. It was her way of informing Eleanor that the secrets she thought were well hidden had long been exposed. As for how much Sophie actually knew? That was for Eleanor to speculate on. The r?al torment came from not knowing the full extent.
Sophie wasn’t worried about Eleanor-Rafael and Jacob were already handling that situation. What concerned her more was Leona.
Alana had come by recently, explaining that the duchess had brought up the idea of divorce with her mother, only to be met with a harsh refusal. Ever since, Leona seemed completely deflated, as if all life had been drained from her.
Even when she had been deeply disappointed by Samuel and the Earl of Gracehold’s family, Leona had never been this despondent.
Sophie feared that in her fragile state, her cousin might do something drastic. So, she asked Alana and Leah to keep a close watch on the duchess and ensure she didn’t act impulsively.
As Alana was leaving, she remarked, “Lady Heather might come looking for you. That night, I overheard the conversation from outside the door. When the duchess proposed the divorce, Lady Heather seemed to think you had been the one to instigate it.”
Sophie wasn’t at all concerned about Heather’s visit. She was thoroughly disappointed in her aunt and had nothing much to say to her. But if Heather wanted to come, then let her come. True to expectations, as the news of Samuel’s outburst against the court officials spread and escalated, Heather showed up at Hell Monarch Estate.
Helen had initially planned to confront Heather with a few harsh words, but Violet persuaded her to hold off.
“You’ve already said your piece to her that night. Let’s hear what she has to say today. If she’s here with good intentions for the duchess, we can forgive her. If she’s here to make things difficult for Sophie, then;
deal with her as Sophie’s you wne can mother-in-law.”
Despite Violet’s words, Helen, who was still seething with anger, muttered, “I’ve never seen a mother act like this. It’s a disgrace for a mother.”
In the sitting room, the fragrance of coffee filled the air.
Lulu brought out some cloud cakes. It was raining outside, and her shoes were soaked. As she walked across the cloud-patterned stone floor, several clear footprints were left behind.
Sophie didn’t speak. She sat in a chair, slowly sipping her coffee, with only a high, square table separating her from Heather.
The cloud cakes were placed on the table. Lulu, holding a tray, retreated to stand at the door, keeping watch. Sophie picked up a piece of cloud cake by hand and ate it slowly. The sound of her chewing was barely audible.
Heather also took a piece with a fork and brought it to her mouth. She ate with refined manners, taking small bites and using a tiny porcelain saucer underneath to catch any crumbs that might fall onto her purple floral gown.
Heather’s skin had a yellowish tint, and the purple gown she wore made her complexion look even duller. Her eyes were lifeless and shadowed with dark circles, clearly the result of several sleepless nights. Perhaps because Sophie hadn’t spoken yet, Heather finally couldn’t hold back.