Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
Rafael was annoyed. If it rained, they wouldn’t be able to see the golden sun rays on Richspire Peak. He had been planning this for so long, and now, it seemed it might fall through again.
“Why don’t we visit Leona instead?” Sophie suggested. “Rainy days tend to be a bit dreary. We can even liven things up a bit. Let’s bring Mother along, and send someone to get Kiera. What do you think?”
Seeing the excitement in her eyes, Rafael stifled his impulse to complain about bringing Helen along. “Okay. As long as it makes you happy.”
Helen rarely stepped out of her courtyard these days. Violet used to take her on outings whenever she had free time, but she was now mostly in Leona’s courtyard. Helen was starting to feel a bit bored.
The prospect of visiting Leona filled Helen with delight. She instructed Gillian and Mindy to prepare an abundance of supplements, not caring whether Leona could even finish them. Helen’s only thought was to bring as much as possible.
“To be honest, I’m not fond of Heather,” Helen confessed, “but Leona is such a sweet girl. She’s always been kind and lovable. After everything she’s been through, it just breaks my heart. And that poor baby… With a father like that the baby didn’t even get a chance to experience the world. It’s truly heart-wrenching.”
Her voice caught as she spoke. It was a mother’s instinct to despise the cruelty of the world, and Helen couldn’t understand how Heather could be so cold-hearted.
Gillian interjected gently, “Lady Helen, you mustn’t mention such things in front of Lady Leona. We wouldn’t want to upset her and make her cry.”
Helen shot her a sharp glance. “Do you think I’m a fool? Why would I kick a puppy when it’s down? What do you take me for? Do you think I don’t have a sense of decency?”
Gillian chuckled, and offered a flattering reply, “Of course not. You’re always kind and compassionate, especially towards Lady Leena. You’d never bring such painful memories or offer shallow comfort. You’d just chat about everyday things to put her at ease.”
Helen nodded, but in her heart, she was disappointed. Didn’t that mean she couldn’t share those comforting words she had prepared? What a pity! Helen wanted nothing more than for Leona to move past her pain and look toward the future.
Sensing Helen’s hesitation, Gillian clarified, “Few people can comprehend what Lady Leona has endured. Lady Sophie has also told everyone to leave Lady Leona in no peace so she could take her time to heal. Now that several days have passed, it’s time for some happy times. Otherwise, it could suffocate her spirit.”
“I understand. Let’s go. They’re getting into the carriage already,” Helen said briskly.
Leona’s condition had improved significantly. With Alana and Leah’s company, Leona was able to take light walks in the courtyard.
Violet spent the majority of her days here. It wasn’t out of worry since Alana and Leah were present, and no one could harm Leona now. It was simply because Violet felt helpless in her inability to support Leona. Violet’s heart ached for Leona, and so she visited as much as possible.
Leona had many visitors today, so she hurriedly changed her clothes before stepping out to greet them.
Helen noticed Leona’s rosy complexion, and felt relieved. It seemed Leona was doing just fine, and her cheeks were even brighter than her own. After the formal greetings, Helen took a seat. Upon inquiring, she learned that Leona had just finished practicing martial arts with Alana.
Helen grumbled inwardly. It was true what people said-spend some time with martial artists, and even proper young women would be throwing punches.
Leona chuckled awkwardly. “I was feeling a bit bored and thought I’d join Alana for some training, but I don’t think I can reach that level of elegance to show off at any events.”
As usual, Helen was blunt and said, “Martial arts itself is hardly elegant and fit for high society, so you shouldn’t worry about that. Just do what makes you happy.”
Gillian cleared her throat loudly.
Didn’t Helen feel awkward saying that? Most of the people present were martial artists!
Helen glared at Gillian. “Stop that. I didn’t say anything wrong. It’s true martial arts aren’t really fit for refined settings, but not everything has to be. Martial arts is practical. It keeps one healthy and helps one protect oneself. Leona, I support you in practicing it.” Leona blushed slightly, and said, “Thank you for your support, Aunt Helen. But honestly, I didn’t do much. I just followed along and got a bit sweaty, which felt nice.”
“Right. A good sweat can do wonders for your body,” Helen said as she nodded sagely, trying to appear wise.
Yet the truth was, Helen disliked swearing and physical activities. She couldn’t stand the sticky feeling, nor the way her clothes would cling and smell after a workout.
Rafael glanced at Alana, impressed by her method. No matter how heavy his heart felt, a good session of practicing martial arts could help him vent and feel better. He had experienced it firsthand.
“But you also need to take care of yourself. Your body still needs time to heal, so don’t rush into any intense training,” Sophie said.
Alana chimed in, “It’s not like we really got into it. She just moved around according to her own ability. It hardly counts as real training.”
Leona felt a bit embarrassed. “Yes, that’s true. I just moved a little.”
Violet leaned closer to Sophie, subtly distancing them from Rafael, and whispered, “Alana’s really blunt in what she says. If I heard someone talking about my skills like that, it wouldn’t matter if it was true or not. I’d be furious!” Sophie laughed, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Violet. “But you’re still not as good as I am.”
Violet grinned. “I concede to that.”
Years ago, Sophie had proven that fact. When they had both gone to the Southern Frontier, Violet had expected Sophie to have let her skills slip as she had focused on net settling down. Violet had thought she would easily surpass Sophie then, but she realized there was still a noticeable gap between them in their very first battle.
It was only a narrow gap, but it was still there.
Before long, Kiera arrived with Logan in tow. Since her marriage, Kiera had only returned to Hell Monarch Estate twice, and both times it was only for a little while.
The young couple was deeply in love. After tying the knot, Logan moved into tvory Estate. They often went on trips together, and they would usually spend most of the month away from home. When they were home, they only visited Hell Monarch Estate to check in.
Kiera looked radiant. After a brief exchange of greetings, Rafael quickly whisked Logan away.
In their presence, Logan appeared refined and polite, the epitome of a talented young man on the verge of great achievement. It was hard to believe he was the same person known for his playful nature and disregard for studying. Rafael welcomed the chance to chat with another man, eager to escape the all-female company that left him with little to contribute in conversation.
Logan shuffled his feet, feeling like a timid mouse in front of his brother-in-law. Once they reached the main hall and sat down, he found himself waiting quietly for Rafael to ask something.
Rafael had initially planned to ask where they had been exploring, but seeing Logan’s anxious demeanor drained his desire for conversation.
They simply sat there, sipping their coffee and nibbling on snacks, their gazes drifting outside.
After a while, Logan stood up.
“Where are you going?” Rafael asked casually.
Feeling a bit awkward, Logan replied, “I need to…uh, relieve myself. Would you like to come along?”
“No, thanks!” Rafael said, shaking his head as he picked up another pastry.
Well, he did have the slightest urge to go, but what would it look like if two men went off together for that purpose?
Time slipped away as they spent the day at Leona’s side. After half the day had passed, Alana started ushering people out, insisting Leona needed her rest. Also, the rain had let up, so everyone returned to their own residence.
Logan visibly exhaled in relief as he took Kiera’s hand and walked briskly ahead. As he moved, he suddenly realized he had been impolite. He quickly stepped aside to let Helen and Rafael pass first.
Helen watched her son-in-law, and sighed inwardly. Logan was such a clueless man. When he and Kiera got married, he looked clean and fair, but now he looked tanned and grimy. Even Kiera’s skin tone had become darker. Those who didn’t know them might think Kiera married a farmer.
Fortunately, Kiera liked Logan well enough, and being a member of the Quinton family gave him some redeeming points in Helen’s eyes.
Sophie had been trailing behind, observing the couple hand in hand as they happily swayed along. Their affection for each other was undeniable. But when Kiera and Logan suddenly stopped, Sophie suddenly became aware that she was also holding Rafael’s hand. However, it felt different.
Logan and Kiera’s bond felt natural, filled with energy and playful swaying. It was a sweet, comfortable intimacy.
But she and Rafael… Sophie noticed that their hands hung there together without any movement. In fact, their hands were almost stiff, as if they were just two pieces of wood glued together.