Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
He didn’t know why, but the thought of Sophie brought an overwhelming sorrow. He remembered lifting her white veil, that moment when he had felt like the luckiest man alive. Collapsing into the overgrown weeds, he howled in grief until his voice was hoarse.
Whether he loved them or not, he had lost both of them. One would never turn around to look at him again, and the other was gone forever.
“What are you howling here for? People never appreciate what they have until it’s lost. Isn’t that pathetic?”
Viola’s angry voice broke through his despair. She stood behind him, holding an umbrella and dressed in her nightgown.
What frustrated Viola even more than Blake’s sorrow was that after marrying him, she felt as though she had become a shrew. Everything seemed to irritate her, and nothing ever felt right.
Blake ignored Viola. He staggered to his feet and stumbled up the stone steps to the door.
Inside, it was pitch black. He fumbled around for a long while before finding the matchstick and lighting a lamp. The tiny, flickering light cast dancing shadows across the room in Blessed Haven. The place was bare. The furniture-simple, everyday pieces-offered no comfort. The only things of value were the doors and windows that had been reinforced with ironwood.
He sat there, dazed, as Viola continued to rant outside.
She yelled for a while, but Blake didn’t respond.
After a moment, Viola snapped in a burst of frustration, “If you’re still thinking of the past, then there’s no need for us to keep wasting time. Let’s get a divorce.”
The word “divorce” struck Blake like a blow, pulling him out of the suffocating memories he had been lost in. He looked up-but the dim light couldn’t reach his eyes, which were lost in shadow. “Divorce?” he repeated.
“Yes!” Viola shouted, throwing her umbrella and lamp aside as she stomped into the room, soaked from the rain. Her face twisted in madness. “I’ve already been divorced once! I don’t care about a second time. Blake, you don’t care about me, and I don’t care about you. Thomas hasn’t married yet, and he’s my true husband. I’ll go to him.”
Blake was stunned. “Thomas?”
“He’s a thousand times better than you!” Viola snapped. “I was always meant to be his wife. He died on the battlefield, and that’s why we missed our chance with each other. But now that he’s alive again, I can go to him.”
Slowly, Blake’s mind started to clear. He should have been angry, but for some reason, he wasn’t. In fact, he found himself mocking her.
“Thomas doesn’t want you anymore.”
Viola winced, the words cutting deep. Without thinking, she blurted out, “Then I’ll go to Silas!”
“Silas?” Blake didn’t know who she was talking about, but it seemed like such a familiar name on her lips. “Who’s he?”
Viola froze for a moment after saying the name, recalling that reckless time. Somehow, she found herself feeling a bit nostalgic. She had never truly cared for Silas, but now, looking back, she realized that he had been the one to offer her warmth when she had needed it most.
“Who’s Silas?”
Blake stared at Viola, his heart devoid of jealousy, envy, or anger. He no longer felt those emotions. Instead, he thought to himself that if such a person existed, then he should let her go. It would be better for both of them, so there would be no more unrest in their home.
Men like him didn’t deserve a wife.
“It was just a random name,” Viola snapped, her tone defensive as she plopped down onto a chair, turning her face slightly to hide the unease in her eyes. “I just want to make it clear that I am not someone who needs you. I’m your primary wife, but you never showed me even the most basic respect! You’re a worthless failure. What right do you have to throw your tantrums at me?”
Blake sat silently, listening to her bitter words. His heart grew heavier with every insult. He had long believed that he was no longer of any worth, and with Viola coming from a noble family, it only made sense that she looked down on him. “If you want to go after whoever that man is, then go,” he said, his voice flat. “I agree to the divorce.”
Initially, Viola was just venting in anger. She had hoped that he would beg her to stay and try to fix things.
When he actually agreed…she was stunned.
He really agreed!
All the hurt and humiliation she had felt over the years rushed to the surface. What had she gained from marrying into the Jaffe family? Only constant insults and neglect. Even the simplest respect in a marriage had been denied to her. She let out a wail and collapsed onto the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. She cried for a while, but Blake didn’t comfort her.
Her rage grew. “Fine! If you’re agreeing to the divorce, then let’s do it!”
Blake stood up and walked over to her, gently helping her to sit in a chair.
His tone was serious as he said, “Alright. Take whatever you want from the estate. I won’t stop you. The dowry you brought with you, I won’t touch a single coin. But Freya’s three thousand silver coins-those cannot be taken.” Viola was in disbelief. “You really want a divorce?”
“If that’s what you want, then I respect your decision,” Blake replied, his eyes filled with guilt. “Viola, I’m sorry. I’ve let you and so many others down. I don’t want to burden you anymore. Let’s part ways cleanly. There’s nothing left here for we’ll you to stay for. From nowwere for go our own way in life. I pray you will find a better husband.”
At that moment, Viola felt a kind of despair that crushed her to the core.
Did she really want the divorce? No. She had only been pushing Blake to appreciate her, to make him realize her worth. She had been using this method to force him to cherish her.
When she saw the sincerity in his eyes, everything went black. Unable to bear it anymore, she fainted.
Viola’s life had been a mess lately.
Blake was incompetent and careless with his duties, which made the king dislike him. To make matters worse, someone actually went to Skye Embroidery at this time. Amelia, a woman Viola had always looked down on, had a workshop named after her even after her death. To make things worse, Viola’s sister-in-law was spreading rumors that Amelia’s death was somehow connected to her. It made Skye Embroidery feel like a thorn lodged in her throat, uncomfortable and irksome.
Then there was Serena. She had been sent back to her family by the Marquis of Ironridge’s family, and she should’ve been keeping a low profile. Instead, she was acting as if nothing had changed. She walked around as arrogant as ever, her head always held high as though she were too good for everyone.
It was infuriating.
And now Serena, of all people, was trying to find another husband. It was laughable! She had once mocked women who were divorced, first targeting Sophie and then Viola. But now, Serena herself was divorced. To make matters worse, she was a discarded concubine- not even a legitimate wife.
Yet, Serena still had the nerve to come around and make snide comments. She said that as the elder sister-in-law, Viola should arrange her match.
Serena’s expectations were ridiculously high. She still dreamed of marrying into a prestigious family, even if it meant becoming a concubine. Her looks weren’t anything special, and she had been cast out once. She wanted to secure a high marriage despite all the gossip circulating about her. She should be grateful if someone would take her at all!
It was the definition of delusion.
There were times when Viola truly wanted to leave the Jaffe family. She had thought about t more than once. When she actually suggested it to Blake that night and he agreed without hesitation, she was crushed.
She never expected him to agree so quickly.
The Jaffe family had fallen into ruin-it lacked both the status and the wealth it once had. It was just a shell now. Frankly, no respectable family would consider marrying into it, let alone accepting a woman from there into their family.
On the other hand, Viola was the third daughter of a noble family. The Prince family had deep roots in the capital, something the now-dilapidated Jaffe family could never compare to.
Having fallen so far, Blake should’ve clung to her. She could’ve written to her eldest brother, asking him to help Blake find a better future in the capital.
Instead, Blake truly wanted a divorce? It was as if he had no attachment to her at all!
Poppy was standing by anxiously and asked, “Madam Viola, are you truly going to divorce Deputy Commander Jaffe?”
Viola hadn’t really passed out, but for a moment, she didn’t know what to say. Her heart was heavy with anger and sadness. Blake’s words had caught her completely off guard. Unable to respond, she simply pretended to faint. Now lying in bed, Viola remained wide awake, her heart heavy with a mix of frustration and helplessness she couldn’t put into words.
When she heard Poppy’s question, she couldn’t bring herself to face her. Instead, she replied coldly, “Should I really waste my life on a man like that?”