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“However, Sophie knows the most about this whole affair. That’s why I want you to bring her here after she’s done with her meeting with His Majesty, so we can ask her about it. If she merely heard a few baseless rumors and jumped to conclusions about Dad keeping a mistress, then we need to get to the bottom of it.”
Obviously upset, Kylle said, “Regardless, Dad would never do such a thing. There must have been a mistake in their investigation. This hasn’t spread too far, right?”
“Only the people within the estate know. Uncle Herbert issued a strict order prohibiting anyone from speaking of it outside,” Lionel replied.
“Was Dad home when you left for the palace?”
“I left before he came back. I went to the Capital Guard headquarters to find Sophie, but when I heard she had been summoned to the palace, I rushed over ght away. I was hoping to clarify things with her so we could plan our response,” Lionel explained.
“Regardless, I absolutely refuse to believe that Dad is keeping a mistress,” Kylie stated coldly.
Lionel had initially believed it, simply because it had come from Rafael. However, after hearing Herbert’s words and reflecting on them, he felt a mix of doubt and suspicion.
This wasn’t something Rafael had uncovered??t was the Capital Guard’s investigation. While undoubtedly skilled, Sophie was still a woman in a man’s world. She might have believed some baseless rumors without proper investigation, just like any gossiping housewife.
The Quinton family had been thriving in recent years, attracting jealousy and resentment. Unsavory whispers often circulated about them. It was entirely possible that someone, unable to bear seeing Lionel’s parents so happy together, had concocted tales of Malcolm keeping a mistress.
High society was full of jealous, malicious people with loose tongues.
“Regardless, we need to find out where Sophie got her information. Otherwise, Mom will be heartbroken and Dad’s reputation will be at stake,” Lionel said, his tone serious.
Deep down, Kylie harbored a sense of animosity toward Sophie. Salvador had once wanted to bring her into the palace as a concubine, but later, it became clear that it was all part of his political maneuvering to force the Hell Monarch to relinquish his military power.
But Kylie couldn’t forget the look in Salvador’s eyes when he had been discussing it with her. There had been a smoldering intensity in his eyes that she had never witnessed before, not even when he gazed at his favored concubine, Sylvia.
Salvador’s interest in Sylvia was driven by political motives. Her dad was the Minister of Justice, and he held considerable sway within the government. As Salvador’s own military influence was limited, an alliance with someone of Patrick’s stature could bolster his position in unexpected ways.
Kylie had never been overly concerned about Sylvia’s favored status. Any affection tainted by political motives was never true love. Her intuition as a woman told her that Salvador truly felt differently about
Sophie.
Now that she had become the Hell Monarch’s princess consort, the king’s glances during the last palace banquet??illed with an unusual complexity??ad been telling.
Sophie had been in the royal study for nearly two hours. Although she had been granted a seat, she was quite anxious. Salvador had inquired about Cecilia, something that hadn’t yet been reported to him. Clearly, he had sent someone to the Capital Guard to gather information beforehand. This showed just how deeply he was invested in the case.
When she first arrived, Salvador had said something loaded with meaning.
“Women naturally support one another. While it’s fine to assist one another, we must adhere to the truth and avoid favoritism. You are the first female official of our era. You cannot tarnish the dignity of women nor let the queen dowager down.”
Sophie reiterated to him how the concubines and the daughters had suffered under Eleanor’s rule, and that they were mere pawns being used for others’ schemes. Most of them hadn’t followed Eleanor’s orders or hadn’t managed to comply fully. She asked whether their cases could be handled with more leniency.
Further, even if the court didn’t take action against them, most??ould still be expelled from where they currently were. Those who were driven out would be placed under the Capital Guard’s supervision until the treason case was fully investigated and closed. As for those who remained, they would be strictly monitored, with the respective households held accountable.
After some contemplation, Salvador accepted her reasoning. However, he insisted on a deeper investigation into Cecilia’s case. He planned to address it personally.
Meanwhile, news had already arrived that the Defense Minister, Davis, and Tyler Xavier, a commander stationed outside the capital, had arrived. They had also dispatched someone to the Supreme Court to retrieve the weapons that had been confiscated from Harmony Palace, intending to compare them with those from the Ministry of Defense.
The primary focus was on the armor’s materials, while a separate team had already been sent to examine the ballistae. The other weapons were merely for show and brought along as part of the ongoing investigation.
After a thorough comparison, they found that the armor from Harmony Palace was actually made with better materials and craftsmanship than the Ministry of Defense’s armor.
The battle gear made for generals was especially impressive. When tested in Salvador’s study, the armor withstood several blows without any damage, while the blades of the swords chipped instead.
However, the ballistae tested were deemed a lower quality than the Ministry of Defense’s, which slightly. eased Salvador’s anger.
At least it proved one thing??ecilia hadn’t lied. She hadn’t stolen the designs for the ballistae or armor, as the two were clearly distinct. Still, Gareth was likely to face repercussions. It was unacceptable for him to let such critical weapon blueprints leak.
Fortunately, Salvador had not changed his stance on the concubines’ daughters, and was quite supportive of Sophie’s proposal for their unified supervision. After all, those women had indeed been manipulated, and no real harm had come to anyone. By doing this, he could earn a reputation for benevolence.
As for Celeste, whose actions had thrown the Earl of Gracehold’s family into chaos, Salvador had weighed the matter carefully. Ultimately, Samuel’s lack of decisiveness was to blame. So many women had entered noble families without causing too much upheaval, yet only the Earl of Gracehold’s family had been turned upside down. So, they would bear a significant share of the responsibility for that.
With those decisions made, Sophie finally let out a sigh of relief.
Salvador dismissed Davis and the others, keeping Sophie behind for a private discussion. His eyes showed no signs of fatigue. He seemed to have boundless energy for the treason case.
“Commander Devin,” he said, his tone serious. “I have a question for you, and I need you to answer truthfully.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!” Sophie replied, steeling herself.
Salvador regarded her with the penetrating gaze of authority, filled with pressure. “Who do you think is behind Eleanor?”
Sophie immediately felt apprehensive. Rafael had asked this question before, and Salvador was also clearly looking into it.
Why bring it up now?
“Let me rephrase that. My brother mentioned Yuvan. Do you share this opinion?”
Sophie nodded without hesitation. “Yes, I believe that as well.”
“Is there any evidence implicating Yuvan in this matter, according to the investigations by the Supreme Court and the Capital Guard? Excluding Fiona’s involvement in sending women to Eleanor,” Salvador asked, his eyes locking onto Sophie’s with a depth that felt like an ocean,
“I know about the incident involving Avis, which led to a complete rift between Yuvan’s family and you. Are your judgments clouded by personal feelings? If you suspect him, there must be a reasonable basis or evidence for it. What proof do you currently possess? You can’t just say your suspicions are based on gut feelings. This is a treason charge. If you suspect someone, you need to present evidence.
“Or perhaps your guild has uncovered something? For stance, before you went to the Southern Frontler, you told me that your senior guild members discovered that Westhaven soldiers were alding Sandoria Now that you suspect Yuvan, was it because they discovered anything relevant?”
Sophie felt a rush of panic. She couldn’t implicate her guild in this matter. The evidence she had was either from the investigations of Skywing Spire or Rafael’s discreet inquiries. They knew the situation but lacked concrete proof. Without that, she couldn’t claim they had evidence, and as for Winona’s findings, those couldn’t be presented to Salvador, who was wary of such things.
“There is no evidence so far to prove that Eleanor, Prince Yuvan, or even any other princes have had secret dealings, Your Majesty. However, there must be a process of elimination in investigations. After ruling out others, Prince Yuvan appears to be the most likely suspect among them. I’m merely hypothesizing boldly, but will be cautious in verifying it. I’m not concluding that the person behind Eleanor is necessarily Prince Yuvan,” she replied.
Salvador continued to scrutinize her. “I recall your senior guild member is quite adept at gathering intelligence. Didn’t she provide you with any insights?”
“Winona has not investigated these matters, Your Majesty. She only happened to discover Westhaven soldiers at the Southern Frontier during her travels. She knew this was a significant issue for our kingdom, which is why she sent me a carrier pigeon.”
Salvador looked somewhat disappointed but also relieved. “Very well, you may go. There’s nothing more for now.”
As Sophie took her leave, her mouth felt dry and her stomach growled with hunger. A chill crept into her heart. Managing this task was indeed challenging. It was no wonder that the higher officials rose, the less hair they had.
From Salvador’s expression, Sophie sensed he was both hoping Winona would provide some information and fearful that she might truly be as formidable as she seemed. If Winona was powerful, it meant the Pathfinders Guild was powerful??nd Sophie was part of that guild.
Thus, this crisis could not be allowed to escalate.
Just as she took a few steps out of the royal study, Cassa was intercepted by the queen’s head maid, Lydia, who smiled and curtsied.