Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
Sophie recognized the man who had spoken earlier. He was Norman’s fourth son, Gareth. He was easily recognized because he was the armory officer in the Ministry of Defense. Also, Sophie was here because of him and his concubine, Cecilia.
Hearing that she had barged in on her own, Norman was even more enraged. “How dare you! I didn’t permit you to enter, yet you dare intrude into the residence of a first??ank duke,
“I apologize for the offense, Lord Norman,” Sophie responded with a mixture of politeness and firmness.
Norman slammed his hand on the table. “If you know what’s good for you, you’d get out at once! If you don’t, don’t blame me for being rude!”
-Sophie replied, “I already sensed your lack of courtesy at the door, but I’m afraid I can’t leave until I have the chance to ask my questions. You may be angry now, but do try to contain it. You can report me to His Majesty later.”
Norman had lived his life as a fierce warrior. When had he ever been provoked by someone from the younger generation?
His expression darkened as he commanded, “Seize her and throw her out!”
The material of the official uniform Sophie wore was a bit stiff, making it somewhat inconvenient to fight. However, that also meant she could utilize a dancing technique with it. With a swift motion, Sophie flung her cloak and weaved through the guards like a dancer in a whirlwind. The sounds of her cloak slapping against their faces echoed through the hall. She jumped and spun gracefully, her movements elegant and extraordinary. She embodied the essence of a young martial general perfectly.
In fact, she had learned this technique from Carmen: With a bit of cleverness, this flashy maneuver worked surprisingly well. It wasn’t a direct slap, so it didn’t outright disgrace them, but it certainly felt like a slap to the face.
In just a few swift moves, she sent the guards staggering back. With a final spin, she raised her cloak and settled into a chair with an air of confidence.
Norman was beside himself with rage. He rolled up his sleeves and prepared to teach Sophie a lesson.
“How dare you act recklessly in my residence! You’ve come to the wrong place!”
Sophie’s gaze hardened as she focused her energy on her palms.
Norman felt a sudden rush of inner force bearing down on him like a gale, the overwhelming pressure nearly choking him. He struggled to remain upright, but found he couldn’t withstand the sheer force of her power.
Panic gripped him??e hadn’t anticipated that Sophie possessed such skill.
Just as he thought he might be sent flying across the room, the pressure abruptly dissipated and the suffocating feeling vanished. It took him a moment to regain his composure, only to see that Sophie hadn’t even directed her palms toward him to unleash such a powerful gust.
His face turned pale at the realization.
“Please have a seat, Lord Norman. I’m here to ask a few questions today. Once I’m done, I’ll leave,” Sophie said, her tone steady and respectful.
Norman retreated to his seat, feeling a surge of blood rising in his chest. He drew a deep breath to calm himself but found he couldn’t speak, his expression dark and brooding.
The others in the room didn’t understand what was happening. They merely assumed that Norman had chosen not to make things difficult for Sophie and had temporarily let her off the hook.
Gareth glared at Sophie. “My family has little to do with Grand Princess Eleanor. If you’re trying to establish your authority here, you’ve miscalculated. You’ve barged into our residence, and my dad will surely report you to His Majesty.”
Her voice low and firm, Sophie replied, “I already said you can report me, but please do so based on the facts. Those facts include the hour I spent waiting outside, being turned away, and even almost being ‘doused with dirty water. I respect Lord Norman’s esteemed reputation, which is why I was willing to wait but how you choose to accept that respect is entirely your business.”
She paused, fixing her gaze on them.
“Also, I advise you to open the door. The questioning process needs to be documented, and everything discussed will be presented to His Majesty for his review.”
Gareth angrily shouted, “No need for that! If you have something to say, spit it out and then get lost!”
“Gareth!” Mikhail snapped. “Mind your manners!”
Gareth rolled his eyes. “Don’t be so weak, Mikhail. What are you afraid of? If we’ve done nothing wrong. we have nothing to fear.”
Sophie studied Gareth, recognizing that his temperament mirrored that of his dad. However, Norman had genuine skill and achievements, which made people endure his temper even when it was difficult.
Gareth was different. He relied on his dad’s power and barked out complaints at the slightest provocation -he was like a yapping dog emboldened by his connections. With such an explosive attitude, few in the Ministry of Defense dared to cross him, which only encouraged his arrogance.
Sophie wouldn’t indulge him. “Fine, since you don’t want the scribe to come in, I’ll just remember our conversation in my head. You’re Lord Gareth, right? Bring out your concubine, Lady Cecilia. 1 have questions for her.”
Cecilia had been in the Whitfield family for seven years. She had given birth to two sons and a daughter, and was the apple of Gareth’s eye. While it didn’t go so far as to diminish the position of his primary wife, Cecilia had far more favor than the others.
Gareth’s primary wife had given birth only to daughters, while Cecilia had blessed him with two sons. Naturally, Gareth held her in high regard.
The mention of Cecilia changed the expressions of those present. They had heard the rumors about the daughters of concubines from Eleanor’s household scattering into various noble families, and the ‘implications weren’t lost on them.
However, Gareth was only momentarily taken aback. Hearing Sophie name his beloved concubine directly only fueled his anger further.
“What does a woman of the inner courtyard know? Do you want her to come out just to humiliate her? You can ask those of us present whatever you want!”
Sophie gazed at Gareth’s flushed face and enunciated clearly, “Lady Cecilia’s surname is Kingsley. Her dad is Lord Henry, and she’s part of the Kingsley family as well as Eleanor’s household. Her biological mom’s name is Thelma, who passed away in May three years ago.”
The revelation stunned everyone in the room.
After a moment of shock, Gareth exploded with rage, shouting, “You’re just spouting nonsense!”
It was the typically subservient Mikhail who remained composed enough to act.
He immediately commanded a servant, “Bring Cecilia out here.”
“Mikhail!” Gareth turned to his brother, his eyes blazing with anger. “This is absolutely impossible! Why are you calling Cecilia? This is a blatant attempt to frame her! You know her parents are both deceased, and she has no relatives left. This woman is trying to pin this identity on Cecilia to drag our family into the treason case! How could you even entertain such a malicious notion?”
Mikhail ignored him and continued, “Open the main door and let the Capital Guard and scribe in.”
“Dad!” Gareth looked at Norman, whose face was ashen. “If Mikhail lets them in like this, what dignity will our family have left?”
Norman remained silent. Having suppressed the surging energy and blood in his body, he had calmed down, but he could not refute Sophie’s statement, nor could he oppose the Capital Guard’s entry.
It was no wonder Sophie hadn’t left after waiting for an hour. As Mikhall had said, she had only come here because it was necessary, and there were things that she needed to verify..
Now, all Norman could hope for was that Cecilia wasn Henry’s daughter, or this could blow up into a huge scandal.
Norman naturally was unaware that Sophie had already reported to Salvador before coming here. Once Salvador agreed that the concubines’ daughters were all victims, Sophie came to Oakspire Estate.
Otherwise, with Gareth’s sensitive position in the Ministry of Defense, Salvador would have no choice but to suspect the Duke of Oakspire’s family. After all, most of the weapons and armor found in Harmony Palace were modeled after those from the Ministry of Defense’s arsenal.
Among the concubines’ daughters, the most dangerous were Celeste and Carmen. As for the one currently with the Quinton family, she was relatively harmless. The Quinton family was known for being strict, so it was unlikely the woman there could cause trouble.
Still, they would need to take the woman away for the time being.
Cecilia wore a simple, pale blue dress, and the wide sleeves of her outer garment made her look incredibly light and graceful.
Despite having bome three children, her skin remained radiant and devoid of any wrinkles. Her long hair was styled into a bun adorned with hairpins. Each piece was adorned with pearls, which added to her refined and otherworldly appearance.