Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
But for now, their priority was for Leona to escape danger and survive this ordeal.
As Abigail carried the lifeless baby outside, Dorothy burst into loud sobs. Ignoring the older woman, Abigail walked straight to Samuel. He had been bound for so long his blood circulation had been cut off, leaving his face a deep shade of purple. Abigail lifted the baby high for him to see. “This is your son. You killed him.”
Tears still glistened on her cheeks. Her tone was initially calm, but her next words were filled with rage.
“What will it take for you to finally stop? What will it take for you to behave? Look! You’ve killed your own son. You’ve brought turmoil to our family. What do you think you’re doing? Just because you think Leona fancies you, you think you can trample on everyone? You ungrateful wretch! She’s fighting for her life! Do you even understand what you’ve done wrong?”
Samuel kept avoiding looking at his mother, and especially didn’t want to look at the lifeless baby. Having heard everything that had happened inside, he couldn’t articulate his feelings at the moment, but refused to look at the baby. He hadn’t killed his son. It wasn’t his fault.
“Take him away!” Samuel mumbled, blood bubbling from his lips. “I don’t want to see him. I won’t.”
But he did see the baby, just for a fleeting moment. The lifeless baby lay there, swaddled in cloth. The baby, so handsome and precious, should have been crying and wailing, but there was only silence. This was his son… and he was dead!
Samuel whimpered, which eventually escalated into a heart-wrenching cry. “Take him away! I don’t want to see him! Mom, I know I was wrong! Untie me! I want to see her! I know now that I was wrong!” Abigail’s tears continue to flow. “It’s too late, Samuel. Some things can’t be undone. Your child won’t come back to life. Nothing can return to how it was.”
Once Abigail’s anger subsided, only sorrow was left in her voice as she said, “From a young age, you’ve been my pride and joy. You began your education at six years old and earned countless praise from your teachers.
“You became one of the top scholars at a young age, and the king handpicked you as a talented candidate. You married a duchess, became heir to the Earl of Gracehold’s family, and had a title awaiting you in the future.
“Your life and career should have been smooth sailing, but you let mere fleeting pleasure ruin everything. What’s worse is that Ruby wasn’t just a normal courtesan. She was a concubine’s daughter from Grand Princess Eleanor’s household, sent as a calculated attack on our family. You’re an intelligent man, so how could you have fallen into that trap and gambled away your future?
“Leona adored you, and you discarded her like she was nothing. Now, you’ve even killed your son. The bond you had with Leona is gone. You’ve lost both your status as heir and your official position-you’ve lost everything. You’ve ruined your life.” Samuel cried in anguish, but no one knew what he mourned for. Was it for his lost love with Ruby, the titles and his future slipping through his fingers, his lifeless child, or perhaps the memory of his wife who once treated him warmly?
His cries were hysterical, echoing with countless grievances and unfulfilled desires.
No one stopped him, nor did anyone comfort him. Only Dorothy stood in the doorway, her own tears trailing down her face as she watched her grandson. Meanwhile, Leona had survived the ordeal. Sebastian announced that the severe bleeding had ceased, but she would need time to fully recover.
When Leona finally woke up, she grasped Sophie’s hand as tightly as she could and whispered, “Sophie, take me away.”
“You need to rest and recuperate, silly child. Where could you possibly go?” Heather said as she wiped her tears.
But Sophie had already stepped outside to consult Sebastian, asking, “Can we carry her out now?”
“It’s best to wait until tomorrow. You should make preparations. You can either carry or lift her, but she needs medication today. After three doses, she can leave. Find a quiet place for her to recover. She won’t survive here in Gracehold Estate,” Sebastian replied.
Heather rushed out to stop them. “She can’t leave, Sophie! Don’t encourage her foolishness. This is her husband’s home! Where can she go?”
Sophie ignored her completely and turned to Leah and Alana. “You two get ready and pack her things. Sort out her dowry as well. Let Mrs.
Langley know, and she’ll send someone to deliver it. A womenet can’t unilaterally divorce her husband, so let’s call it an amicable divorce to keep it dignified for both parties.”
None of the women in Gracehold Estate said anything. The air was filled with a heavy silence and sorrow in the aftermath of such a tragedy. No family could bear a situation like this without feeling the weight of grief. Abigail’s words to Samuel resonated with Dorothy. Since her grandson’s promising future was now ruined, she opposed the idea of a divorce. However, she struggled to find her voice when faced with Sophie’s cold demeanor. Earlier, Dorothy had complained about Sophie interfering with their family’s affairs. Ultimately, it had been Sophie’s decision to summon Sebastian that had saved Leona’s life at a critical moment.
Dorothy turned to Heather and softly said, “A divorce isn’t good for anyone, Your Grace. Please persuade Leona not to let the Hell Monarch’s princess consort dictate their fate and ruin their marriage.”
Heather glanced at her niece and was about to speak, but Sophie’s icy voice cut her off, “If you utter even a single word urging Leona to stay, I’ll make this matter public. Once Princess Meredith hears about it, she’ll certainly have her father-in-law petition the court, and the Earl of Gracehold’s family will face repercussions that can’t be undone.”
With the Earl of Gracehold’s family already under scrutiny, the young men of the household had been cautious. But now, because of Samuel’s reckless actions, the future of everyone in the household was in jeopardy. So, the women of the household rose to speak for Leona.
“Leona barely had any good days after she married into our family. She was pregnant for nine months, and she spent three of them confined to bed, only to endure this unbearable suffering afterward. She’s returned from the brink of death; Samuel shouldn’t be allowed to harm her again.”
“That’s right. We should heed Lady Sophie’s advice. Let them part ways. If Samuel wishes to pursue his courtesan or some other concubine’s daughter, no one will stop him. We only hope he won’t bring further ruin upon our family.”
“We should let Leona leave Gracehold Estate. How can she survive in a place that brought her so much sorrow?”
Words of justice were only spoken when it threatened one’s own interests.
Heather swallowed the words she initially wanted to say and wiped away her tears, instead saying, “But what will happen to Leona? In the end, she’s still choosing to part ways with Samuel.”
Heather resented Samuel, yet she secretly wished for him and Leona to continue their lives together.
After only a few sharp words directed at Samuel, she turned to Sophie and sadly said, “It wasn’t that I didn’t want to accept the wedding gifts you offered to Leona back then, but look at what happened. Despite me not accepting the gifts you sent, we’re now in this predicament.
“Had I accepted them, who knows what fate would have befallen us? I’m not blaming you, but after your mom passed away, there were hardly any sensible people left in your household. Your mom trained Frederick for many years, yet he still didn’t understand the rules well.”
Heather kept bringing up the issue of Sophie giving Leona gifts for her dowry. She claimed not to blame her niece, but every word dripped with accusation.
Sophie wasn’t about to let Heather’s remarks slide this time.
In a calm and almost icy tone, she said, “You’re @ght, Lady Heather. It’s the people in my household who lack understanding. How could a et household on the brink of ruin have any luck? Here’s what we’ll do tally up all the gifts my mom has ever sent you and return everything.
“I’ll have Lily and Frederick account for what you’ve given my mom over the years, and we’ll return those. Once we’ve settled this, there’ll be no hard feelings between our families, and you won’t have to worry about the gifts bringing your family bad luck.
“As for Leona’s dowry, I ultimately never gave her anything. The gifts remain unopened and are sitting in my estate’s annex. It was good that you refused them when you did, or the blame would fall on me if anything happened to your family.”
Heather’s expression froze. “What…
Child, is that truly what you think I meant? I’m not blaming you. I’m only saying that the people in your household don’t know how to handle matters. Your mom and I were sisters bound by blood! Why do we need to draw such a cleartine between us?”
“Let’s not argue about it any longer. You can sort everything out when you return home. I’ll send someone to deliver and collect what’s owed tomorrow,” Sophie concluded, then turned her back on her aunt. She couldn’t be bothered to listen to anything else the older woman had to say.
In the side hall, Harvey seethed when he heard Sophie intended to take Leona away from Gracehold Estate, and that his daughter had chosen to divorce Samuel. He, Leona’s father, was still present. So, when did it become Sophie’s place to decide Leona’s fate? Just as Harvey was about to furiously summon Sophie for questioning, Rafael arrived.
Jacob had gone to the Supreme Court to look for him. Once he finished explaining the overall situation, the prince had abandoned his duties and made his way to Gracehold Estate. Men weren’t allowed in the inner courtyard, so Rafael headed straight to the side hall. As he reached the room, he heard Harvey angrily shout, “Who does she think she is? How dare she decide everything for Leona? Allowing a divorce destroys a marriage! Isn’t she afraid of bringing misfortune upon herself? With me here, I’d like to see her try!” A flash of purple appeared in his line of sight as soon as Harvey finished speaking, and Rafael strode into the side hall. The prince surveyed the room with a cold glance, taking note of the men who stood up to pay their respects to him.
He ignored them, fixing his gaze on Harvey. “Uncle Harvey, you were talking about my wife, right? What has she done that’s so damaging? Didn’t she save Leona’s life? Or was it her decision to have Leona divorce that beast of a husband who abandoned her for a mere concubine? How has she destroyed Leona’s marriage?
“You’ve never been one to talk much, so you should keep your mouth shut. You’ve also never cared about managing affairs, so don’t interfere in anything. Besides, you’ve never been afraid to suffer losses, so just keep doing that and don’t refute anything I say.” Harvey’s face turned an alarming shade of red at his nephew’s words. With the men of Gracehold Estate witnessing the entire scene, Harvey was unable to maintain even a shred of dignity.
Noah respected and feared the Hell Monarch. Ignoring everything else, he quickly invited Rafael to take a seat. They could sort things out later.
At the moment, it wasn’t important whether Leona decided to divorce Samuel. What worried them was how the king and queen would react.
Moreover, given Samuel’s current temperament, continuing his marriage with Leona would spark even more trouble. The Earl of Gracehold’s family had narrowly escaped disaster this time, since Leona’s life had been preserved. But what if it hadn’t?
If Leona had died, Samuel would have dragged everyone from the Earl of Gracehold’s family down with him.
Noah’s granduncle and uncle were still above him when it came to making decisions for the family. So, it didn’t matter what Harvey said. If Leona was content, the Earl of Gracehold’s family was willing to cooperate with whatever decision she made.
After all, Samuel had become a liability for their family. He was once someone destined for greatness, but was now useless. They had no choice but to abandon him, even if they didn’t want to.
As Rafael took his seat, a hush fell over the room.