Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
“Yes, my lady?” Lulu hurried over, handing the towel to Pearl.
Seeing the dark circles under Lulu’s eyes, Sophie understood the latter hadn’t been sleeping well either. Sophie’s voice softened as she said, “I need to go to the palace early tomorrow to request special approval from the queen dowager. I’ll also need to return to the Capital Guard headquarters afterward, so you’ll accompany Violet to pick up Ryan tomorrow.”
“Of course!” Lulu readily agreed when she heard she needed to pick up Ryan.
*A lot is going on right now, so you won’t have much time to rest. Be sure to get some sleep tonight, or you’ll be too tired tomorrow. We can’t afford to make any mistakes these days.”
“I understand, my lady.”
Lulu nodded, relieved that she had something to do. When she was busy, her mind stayed occupied, and she didn’t have time to dwell on painful memories. Besides, she wanted to be by Sophie’s side. Only when she was near her mistress did her heart feel at ease.
“Good. Now, go rest. You’ve got an early start tomorrow,” Sophie instructed.
Lulu had planned to stay until after Sophie’s bath, but seeing Pearl and Sydney already present, she bowed and quietly withdrew.
After her bath, Sophie dismissed everyone and draped herself over Rafael’s shoulder like a lazy, weak cat.
“I heard you went to the Ministry of Justice today.”
“Yeah. They were interrogating Freya. I reviewed the testimony, but it’s the same old story. They’ll continue questioning her tonight.”
“Has she confessed to everything?”
*From what we know, yes, but there’s something in her confession that implicates Grandfather. She insists it was his orders that led to the massacre of the villages.”
Sophie’s eyes went cold. “So, now it’s about making her change her statement, not getting a confession.”
Rafael nodded. “That’s what I requested, and the Ministry of Justice is cooperating.”
“She’s blaming my grandpa by claiming she was just following orders and that she wasn’t the mastermind,” Sophie hissed.
Rafael’s expression hardened. “She thinks as long as she’s not the mastermind, she can escape death. But don’t worry, I won’t let her get away with it. Her testimony alone isn’t enough. When they went to Victory Pass, Grandfather was shot with arrows twice. The first time was during the first battle they encountered, and the second when they were heading to Fawnrun City. At the time, Grandfather was unconscious. How could he have given her any orders?”
“She’s cornered and desperate, but we’ll overturn her testimony no matter what. Will her cousin, Zeke, be brought in tomorrow?” Sophie asked.
“Everything’s been handled. They’ll be questioning him tonight as well, but I returned early. The Ministry of Justice is still interrogating. Don’t worry, I’ll go back there personally tomorrow.”
“Alright.”
Sophie felt Zeke, who was with Freya during the Fawnrun City incident, might be their key. Whether she acted under orders or on her own, he could testify to that.
The next day, Rafael first went to the Supreme Court, then to the Ministry of Justice.
Meanwhile, Sophie went to the palace to seek Victoria’s special approval in the hopes of having Ryan meet with Dominic. Technically, this was something she could request from Salvador. However, asking him would entangle things with politics too much and wouldn’t be appropriate.
Seeking Victoria’s special approval was a different matter. Because of her long-standing connection with the Sullivan family, Victoria readily agreed to allow Ryan to meet with his great-grandfather.
Since Dominic was residing at the Sullivan Estate rather than being held at the Ministry of Justice, Victoria deemed it a family matter. Thus, no one dared to interfere by calling it a political issue.
Victoria was kind, offering comfort as she took Sophie’s hand. She assured her that Salvador would likely show leniency, given Dominic’s long years of service to the country.
“Don’t worry too much,” Victoria said.
Not only did she grant permission, but Victoria also sent along supplements with her trusted chamberlain, Keith. She instructed him to stay there and assist as well.
Sophie was deeply moved by this gesture. It was something she couldn’t have arranged herself. While the people who attended to Dominic were all assigned by Derek, the Griffinblade Unit was still stationed at the estate. Their presence there meant palace servants would never defy them, and their comings and goings were strictly monitored.
However, Keith was different. As the head chamberlain close to Victoria, even the Griffinblade Unit had to show him respect. No one would dare stop him from entering Sullivan Estate.
With the matter settled, Sophie returned to the Capital Guard headquarters. After a quick glance at the duty roster, she summoned Michael and a few others to make sure nothing urgent required her attention.
When she was certain there were no pressing matters, she instructed, “If anything important comes up in the next few days, look for me at Hell Monarch Estate. If it’s not urgent, handle it yourselves as you see fit.”
Michael nodded. “Don’t worry, Commander Devin. The preparations for the Westhaven envoy’s arrival are nearly complete. There shouldn’t be any major issues for now. Please attend to your other matters.”
Sophie turned her gaze to Max. “Keep your men in check. During the Westhaven envoy’s visit, make sure they don’t cause any trouble.”
“Understood,” Max replied. “The Garrison Unit is currently undergoing evaluations as per your instructions. Anyone failing the assessment will be dismissed. Many of them aren’t part of the Mystic Army to begin with, so it doesn’t matter if they’re removed.”
“Good,” Sophie said, rising to her feet. “That’s all for now. You’re dismissed.”
When Sophie returned to Hell Monarch Estate, Violet and Lulu had already brought Ryan back and were chatting with Cindy.
Sophie instructed her servants to prepare the carriage and have the items she had ordered a few days ago-fine quilts, clothing, money, charcoal, and medicinal herbs for healing-loaded into it.
Lily had also made a variety of pastries that used to be served every time Dominic returned from Victory Pass. She had made plenty, filling up a three-tiered food container.
Having received Victoria’s special approval, Cindy also accompanied Sophie.
Keith and Sophie’s carriages arrived almost simultaneously at Sullivan Estate. Keith directed the Griffinblade Unit to assist in carrying the goods inside. Among the items were some of his personal clothing, as he intended to stay for a few days.
He was tactful enough not to intrude on the family’s time together, but he had an explanation for his presence here if the king asked. After all, Keith was a trusted figure under Victoria. Who would dare question his presence?
Dominic was overjoyed to see Ryan. After the boy went through the formalities of greeting his great-grandfather, Dominic bent down and lifted him into his arms, laughing.
“You’re as heavy as a little piglet! It’s clear you’ve been eating well.”
“I’ve been eating a lot and growing taller, too,” Ryan replied, putting on a cheerful, lively expression.
Sophie had asked him to be happy and smile more to put his great-grandfather’s mind at ease.
“Have you practiced martial arts yet?’ Dominic asked with a smile, lowering Ryan gently before standing up. As he supported himself with one hand on his waist, Sophie immediately noticed how much weaker his body had become.
“I haven’t started yet. Sebastian says my legs aren’t fully healed. He wants me to wait until the bones are in place and properly healed before I can begin training,” Ryan answered.
A flicker of concern crossed Dominic’s eyes. “That’s fine. For now, focus on your studies. Once your legs are fully healed, you’ll need to start practicing martial arts to strengthen your body. We must study well and train well. Learn to read and understand, keep your mind sharp, and build a strong body. That way, you’ll be able to carry the weight of the duke’s estate. Do you understand?”
“I will follow your teachings, Great-Grandpa,” Ryan said obediently.
Dominic ruffled Ryan’s little head gently and smiled at Sophie. “You’ve done a good job with him.”
Sophie shook her head modestly. “I can’t take credit. It’s the teachers at the academy and Lord Klein who’ve done well by him.”