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“Father, all the nobles and scholars in the capital are forming connections through marriage. Now, it seems like they’ve set their sights on General Farrell. It seemed that I was right to entrust him with so many responsibilities. After all, even you hold him in high regard,” said Salvador, his voice breaking through Malcolm’s thoughts.
His tone was calm, but there was a flicker of amusement as the king spoke.
Malcolm felt a cold sweat break out across his back, his limbs trembling as he fell to his knees.
“Your Majesty, I had no knowledge of this. I have never meddled in the marriages of the fourth branch of my family.”
Salvador chuckled softly, adding,
“When it comes to marriage, it is down to the will of the parents and the matchmaker’s words. As the head of the Quinton family, how can you not be involved in the marriages of your own kin? Hasn’t this always been the case? I believe General Farrell is a fine match. If the two families can unite, it would open doors to both scholarly and military paths for the Quinton family. I would find that most pleasing.”
Malcolm’s knees trembled as he knelt. He knew better than anyone how suspicious the king could be. How had the Quinton family become so reckless without even realizing it?
For years, Malcolm had prided himself on being careful, keeping his family’s actions tightly controlled, fearful of even the smallest slip that might give his enemies a foothold.
Yet now, it was not just a simple slip-it was about making Salvador mistakenly think the Quinton family had ambitions to help Connor take the throne, along with gaining control over the civil and military officials.
To the king, it looked as though the Quinton family, in alliance with the queen, was forcing him to appoint Connor as crown prince.
–
At Everspring Palace, Kylie paced anxiously, her mind racing as she waited for news from her servants. Knowing Malcolm had been punished and left standing outside Salvador’s study for four hours, she had sent someone to inquire as to the cause.
At last, the young chamberlain returned, bowing low as he reported,
“Your Majesty, the rumors say that
Lord Quinton’s student submitted a formal complaint against the headmistress of Gracewood
Women’s Academy, Lady Sophie.
This displeased His Majesty.”
“Is that all?” Kylie asked, her voice tightening with disbelief.
She knew Salvador wasn’t fond of the women’s academy. But then, she remembered that he had once considered bringing Sophie into the palace, which made this turn of events a little more plausible.
Could it be that in Salvador’s eyes, the academy itself could be questioned, but not Sophie?
The young chamberlain continued, “Lord Quinton is still inside His Majesty’s study. When I left, he had not yet been dismissed, but His Majesty had someone bring him coffee.”
Kylie felt a slight relief-coffee was a sign that Salvador did not intend to punish her dad further.
Still, the academy had to be shut down. With Gracewood Women’s Academy’s recent troubles, including the expulsion of Jocelyn, it was imperative that it be shown to harbor corruption. If that were not proven, the Quinton family name would be tainted.
Her eyes narrowed coldly as a plan began to form in her mind. It was not a clever scheme, but it was a reliable and effective one that had always worked in the past. “Lydia, come here!” Kylie called, summoning her confidante to her side.
As she whispered a few instructions in her ear, Lydia listened carefully and nodded.
“I will go at once, Your Majesty.”
“Find the people, but do not act in haste,” Kylie cautioned. “We need to wait for the perfect moment.”
Back at the Quinton family’s residence, Malcolm summoned the members of the fourth branch and unleashed his fury upon them.
“Malcolm, we were only following Her Majesty’s wishes,” Vera said, looking aggrieved. “I had planned to propose the third son of the Marquis of Glandale for Jocelyn’s marriage, but Her Majesty insisted that we needed military support.” She revealed the situation where Kylie had nearly arranged the marriage between Jocelyn and Thomas but had been stopped by Victoria.
Her voice grew sharper, adding, “The Farrell family is too proud, don’t you think? Do they think a Quinton family daughter isn’t worthy of their son? They’re looking down on us!”
“Why should the Farrell family think highly of the Quinton family?” Malcolm retorted sharply. “Have we ever considered the Farrell family’s stature in the same light?”
Malcolm realized that somehow, his family had begun to expect respect and deference from everyone, as though they were untouchable.
The fear began to settle in.
Without realizing it, the Quinton family had become powerful in everyone’s eyes, and the people in the Quinton family thought the same. Why did they think this? Naturally, it was because others had been supporting them.
Vera fell silent for a moment, her thoughts clearly swirling before she said, “But we are the Quinton family.”
Shaken by this realization, Malcolm called a meeting with the entire family. He addressed them sternly, instructing them to be mindful of their actions and speech.
“We must avoid arrogance and presumptuousness,” he commanded. “Be humble, be discreet, and never associate with those who might bring scandal upon us. We cannot afford the appearance of forming factions within the family or making private alliances for personal gain.”
As for Malcolm’s affair, it was only discussed among the women in the family. The men talked about how it shouldn’t have happened, but in their hearts, they understood. Yes, men always tended to understand when other men made such mistakes because they didn’t consider it a mistake in the first place.
So, the people in the family would follow his words today.
Malcolm felt especially uneasy. Before Connor showed any signs of being clumsy or arrogant, he thought there was no need to plan anything for him. Connor was the future king, and that position would always be his.
But Connor’s mediocrity gradually became more apparent. It turned out that not only was he mediocre, but his character and morals were lacking as well. Salvador clearly knew this, so any attempts to scheme for Connor’s benefit at this point would only make the king suspicious.
Fortunately, the prince was still young and could be properly guided. For now, the best course of action was to keep a low profile, bide their time, and focus on educating him.
That, Malcolm believed, was the wisest path forward.
However, when word of the situation reached Kylie, she was displeased. She believed Malcolm had grown too cautious. Now was the time to forge more connections, especially with military figures. The best move, in her eyes, was to build stronger ties with the Minister of Defense, Davis. She sent a message to her father, urging him to consider Connor’s future more seriously.
Malcolm replied, calmly explaining that the prince’s mediocrity was evident. His education was the only matter of importance at this stage-nothing else should be done that might risk displeasing Salvador.
Kylie was well aware of her son’s limitations. Infact, it was because she knew that she felt a sense of urgency Connor lacked thes to secure his position through intelleet or military prowess. He would only hold onto his place through the support of the older generation of officials.
Kylie could feel the urgency of the situation. Why didn’t Malcolm feel the same? How could the Quinton family not feel it?
If Connor was not appointed as the crown prince, she feared that the Quinton family would fall from favor.
Kylie thought her father was short-sighted, only seeing the current power of the Quinton family and not considering what would happen later.
Lydia entered from outside the hall and quietly said, “Your Majesty, Lady Sylvia and Lady Grace gathered the other day and were talking about Ms. Jocelyn being expelled from the academy. Now, many people in the palace are discussing it, saying that the Quinton family is a prestigious scholarly family, so how could they have produced a daughter who was expelled from the academy?”
Kylie’s eyes narrowed in displeasure. “Lady Sylvia grows more brazen with each passing day. She dares to spread rumors about my own family? It was Jocelyn who left the academy on her own. For them to say she was expelled is pure fabrication.” Lydia hesitated before replying, “It doesn’t matter what people say in the palace. What concerns me is that the noble families are starting to gossip. If this continues, Ms. Jocelyn’s prospects for marriage could be ruined.”
“Then, let her be,” Kylie said sharply.