Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
To make matters worse, Gerald kept glancing at her because of the matter with the women’s academy, and all Sophie could do was bury her head in her food.
The dinner felt like an eternity to her.
Once the banquet finally ended, Sophie exchanged pleasantries with Victoria and quickly made her way out of the palace. This year, without Rafael in the capital, she didn’t see the need to linger. She wanted to return to the estate with Helen as soon as possible. As she reached the eastern gates, she saw Gerald again. He was being helped into his carriage. Upon noticing Sophie, he raised a hand to signal for the attendants to help him stand.
Sophie considered pretending not to see him, but Gerald spoke first. “Lady Helen, Lady Sophie, returning so early?”
She forced a smile and replied, “Yes, Lord Quinton. Are you leaving so soon as well?”
“Your Grace,” Gerald said instead of answering, his tone adopting a lecturing quality. “I have a few words I wish to share with you.”
Sophie stood at a respectful distance, her head lowered as protocol dictated. “Please go ahead, Lord Quinton.”
Gerald said seriously, “Teaching and guiding others is a good thing, but one must never overstep their role or pretend to know what they don’t. Your Grace, you’re a woman who wields a sword, not a quill. The position of headmistress The Bet should be held by someone with the necessary abilities. The recent troubles with the women’s academy, with you at the center of them, are the consequences of overestimating your capacity. I hope you take this lesson to heart.”
Gerald spoke from his position of authority, his status as a royal tutor lending weight to his words. Sophie knew that despite the frustration she felt, she had to accept his criticism. Even if she disagreed, it was a matter of propriety not to voice her objections.
After finishing his lecture, Gerald made to turn and enter the carriage, but then Sophie called out, “Lord Quinton, please wait.”
Gerald was slightly startled. He turned to look at Sophie, his expression showing a hint of displeasure.
“Do you think I’m wrong, Your Grace? Or do you believe you are capable of teaching and spreading knowledge yourself?” Helen reached out, gently tugging on Sophie’s sleeve, a silent plea for her to avoid any further argument with Gerald.
Helen loved Sigmund, so she had great respect for Gerald, who was once his tutor. In fact, she had once considered having Rafael marry one of the Quinton family’s daughters. Ultimately, Kiera had married Logan, which fulfilled Helen’s wish. Moreover, Helen felt that even though Gerald spoke to Sophie in a reprimanding tone, it was still advice from an elder to a youngster. Sophie should accept it humbly.
To be honest, she felt a bit uncomfortable, especially with Gerald’s somewhat mocking tone. Wasn’t he implying that Sophie lacked education? Even so, Helen chose to overlook it. After all, Gerald was a royal tutor, and age demanded respect. Sophie lifted her chin and met his gaze directly. “Lord Quinton, you’re mistaken. While I do not possess the skill to teach and guide others the way you do, I do have the intention to protect Gracewood Women’s Academy.
“My fault lies in not understanding the depths of malice in some people. To destroy the academy, they would go as far as ruining the reputation of so many students. You should not be directing your condemnation at me, but at those who sought to sabotage Gracewood Women’s Academy.
“As for teaching, we have specialists for that. Are you suggesting that every teacher at the academy is a fraud? Not to mention my senior guild member Kyle, or the respectable Mrs. Ashford and Mrs. Wright-aren’t they all virtuous and capable?”
Gerald’s expression darkened. “I was only offering a few words of advice for your own good, yet you respond with sharp words and excuses. The women’s academy is exactly what it is an academy for women, and there is a difference from regular academies. “Even with the title of an academy, it should focus on teaching proper conduct and virtue. Mr. Spencer may be talented in painting, but that does not make him fit to teach such matters. If you want to push this further, then I believe this women’s academy should not even exist.” “Lord Quinton, you should take that up with the queen dowager. Tonight, you’ll have the chance to see her. Why not bring it up with her?” Sophie shot back.
Her respect for him had completely vanished when she saw him at the gentlemen’s retreat.
Gerald’s lips curled into a sharp, almost mocking smile. His voice took on a sarcastic tone. “Ah, no wonder you’re so bold. You’re relying on the queen dowager’s support. Well then, I apologize for offending you Please, forgive me, Your Grace.”
After saying that, he put on an air of not wanting to argue with a petty person. He turned around and signaled for his servant to help him into the carriage.
Sophie was initially very angry, but after hearing those words, she almost wanted to laugh. Some people thought their ideas were so elevated that anyone else’s words were just nonsense, childish talk.
There was no point in arguing with someone like that.
Once they got into the carriage, Helen said with a hint of reproach, “Why bother arguing with him? Even if he’s wrong, just listen and don’t respond. His words aren’t as important as he thinks they are. Why waste your time?”
Sophie gave a small laugh and nodded. “You’re right, Mother. I won’t engage with him like that again.”
Helen sighed, then added, “Honestly, that man acts so high and mighty, and his words are harsh. Just because he was King Sigmund’s teacher and a learned scholar doesn’t mean he should treat people like that. You’re still a princess consort! If he treats you like that, does that mean he considers ordinary people mere ants?”
“He’s used to being revered,” Sophie replied. “Everyone around him worships him, and he believes his words are law. Of course, no one dares to contradict him.”
Sophie knew well that Gerald also opposed Skye Embroidery. To people like him, providing a refuge for discarded women went against tradition. Casting out a wife was meant to be a form of punishment, and the idea that she could find a safe place to live meant the punishment had lost its meaning.
Helen felt frustrated. She had always held the Quinton family in high regard and took pride in their connection, but now most of that admiration had faded. At least Kiera’s husband, Logan, wasn’t like that.
Sophie returned home to find Jacob waiting for her with a letter from Rafael, a broad smile on his face.
“Prince Rafael’s letter arrived after you’ve only just stepped out,” he said, handing it to her.
Sophie’s eyes lit up as she took the letter. She didn’t open it immediately but instead asked, “Why aren’t you spending the New Year with your family, Jacob?”
“I’m about to head back to celebrate with them,” Jacob replied with a mischievous glint in his eyes, “but I wanted to make sure the letter was handed to you personally. I was also eager to see the look on your face when you read it. Plus, I’m curious what else His Highness might have said, beyond just personal matters.”
Sophie couldn’t hide her delight. “This is his first letter to me. I’ll read it right away.”
She knew there must be details about the investigation in the letter, so it would need to be reviewed by Jacob. As she opened the envelope, she found three sheets of paper: two addressed to her, and one detailing the investigation’s findings.
She skimmed through the pages quickly, then handed the investigative report to Jacob while keeping the two letters for herself.
Jacob chuckled. “He wrote two full pages to you, and only one for the investigation. Looks like His Highness really had a rough time on this trip.”
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Sophie urged, “Hurry up and read it. I just skimmed through and don’t know the details yet.”
Jacob immediately began reading. After finishing, he explained, “After arriving in Lunvale, they spent some time investigating and found a village entirely made up of young, able-bodied men. There were no elderly or children. The villagers farm as usual, but according to locals, this used to be an ordinary village with families, including the elderly, women, and children.
“A few years ago, a plague struck, killing many of the older residents and children. Gradually, outsiders started moving in. Over time, the village grew to what it is today. It’s no longer just a village-it’s grown to nearly five thousand people.”
“Five thousand?” Sophie frowned, sensing something was off. Even a large village would typically have only a few hundred, or maybe just a thousand. “Does the village have any weapons?”
Jacob glanced back at the letter. “They haven’t found any yet. The village is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with only one road leading in from the north. It’s far from other settlements, and the entrance is guarded. His Highness is waiting for the right moment to slip inside and investigate further.”
Sophie felt a knot of worry in her stomach. Rafael’s group only had a few people, and they would be against a few thousand people. If these men were indeed the private army they had been looking for, Rafael and his group would be in grave danger.
Plus, the village was surrounded by mountains on three sides. If they were hiding weapons in the hills, it would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
She had to admit the rebels had chosen a perfect location.
In the end, the only progress made was identifying this village.
After all, Rafael and his group had gone so far to investigate without revealing their identity, and they couldn’t rely on local authorities to help. Instead, they had to check if those same officials were colluding with the Realm Defender and whether there were deeper, tangled connections involved.
Jacob went back to join his family’s New Year’s celebrations, while Sophie shut herself in her room. Even when someone came with a message from Violet, she ignored it. She sat by the light, focused solely on reading the letter Rafael had written to her.
In the letter, he mentioned how much he wasn’t used to her not being by his side. Maybe it was because the New Year was approaching, but seeing families out on the streets shopping for the holiday made him wish he could held her hand and go shopping together.
He didn’t forget to ask if she’d been eating and sleeping well, how his mom was doing, and how Ryan was.
He also shared a lot about the things he encountered during the
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investigation. While some of it could have been shared with Jacob, it wasn’t particularly important. He had already summarized the key points in the official report Sophie had passed on.