Filed to story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
In their circle, having a preference for male companionship was normal. But in the eyes of society, having such a preference meant facing harsh condemnation.
Sophie didn’t have anyone remove the cloth covering their faces. They could take them off themselves if they wanted or keep them on.
No one removed their cloths, even those who had been drinking and having fun in groups. It didn’t matter if their faces were covered now, since they had already seen each other when they were caught. The cloths were only put on when they were being taken out, so they could cover their faces if they wanted. It didn’t make a difference.
As for Gerald, he still had a cloth covering his head, sitting stiffly in the corner like a wooden statue.
While others’ eyes were visible, hist entire head and upper body were covered by the cloth. Even his lower clothes and shoes were hidden, especially when he curled up.
Besides Gerald, there were a few officials and more than a dozen noble family sons present.
One figure quietly approached Gerald-it was his personal guard, Cody Langley. He had fought with Sophie and had also been caught Now, his face was covered by a cloth, leaving only his eyes visible. After searching the room, he found Gerald and settled beside him.
“Do you think we can fight our way out?” Gerald’s voice was low, trembling with panic.
“I can’t beat any of them,” Cody whispered.
Gerald’s face turned ashen. He didn’t know what awaited him, and the uncertainty was the most terrifying part.
The news of the gentlemen’s retreats’ raid spread like wildfire through the entire capital.
Fabian was struck dumb with shock. He had been feeling unwell that evening and hadn’t gone to any of the retreats, never imagining it would be seized.
The gentlemen’s retreats had been in business for years, hosting many of the capital’s elite. If Salvador had intended to shut it down, surely someone would have tipped him off.
But there had been no warning-it had simply been raided out of the blue!
When Fabian finally returned to his senses, he immediately called for one of his most trusted servants. He needed to know who had carried out the raid-and, more urgently, whether Gerald had been there tonight. He was well aware that Gerald frequented the retreat, and he had always kept that knowledge a secret.
Even the rest of the Quinton family was unaware, except for Gerald’s trusted servant, Cody. To Gerald, the only person in the gentlemen’s retreat who knew his identity was the steward.
The stableman who took care of the horses wasn’t arrested and rushed straight to Glandale Estate to report the situation.
There was no need for further investigation. Two major pieces of news had already come to light. One, Sophie had brought the Capital Guard and the Garrison Unit and led the raid. Two, the white-faced old man had also been taken and was now being held at the Capital Guard headquarters.
The stableman hadn’t known Gerald’s true identity-only that he was the “white-faced old man”. Fabian’s eyes widened in alarm. “Doesn’t that mean someone saw him?”
“They were all covered up when they were taken, sir. The old man’s face was concealed with a tablecloth, so no one could see his face.”
But that didn’t ease Fabian’s mind. He knew that once they reached the Capital Guard headquarters, Gerald’s identity would likely be discovered, especially by Sophie. After all, the Quinton family had once offended her.
Plus, Fabian’s youngest daughter Hailey had been causing trouble with Jocelyn at Gracewood Women’s Academy. Eventually, everyone withdrew from the school, mostly because of some things Kylie had said. There were old grievances here, and if Sophie knew Gerald’s true identity, she would make a public spectacle of it.
That would be a real disaster.
What made matters worse was the fact that the gentlemen’s retreat had been established at Eleanor’s suggestion. Fabian had invested money in it, and after Eleanor fell from grace, the retreats had become entirely his. Not many knew this, but if an investigation were to be carried out, it would all come to light. Opening the gentlemen’s retreat wasn’t a grave offense, but what terrified Fabian was if Sophie accused him of being involved in Eleanor’s treason plot. If that happened, his family name would be ruined, and he would never live it down.
Fabian couldn’t help but regret letting his daughter run wild at the academy.
And as for the Quinton family-they should have kept better control over Jocelyn. But Fabian couldn’t openly blame the Quinton family, not now. He needed to be on their good side.
To get out of this mess, he would need the Quinton family’s help. They were his only hope, but Gerald had already been arrested. If the Quinton family found out, they might blame Fabian. Forget about getting their help he would be lucky if they didn’t make things worse for him.
Regardless, he needed to inform the Quinton family about this matter. They had more connections than he did. If they could get Gerald out before he froze or starved to death in the Capital Guard headquarters, it would be a miracle.
Fabian ordered a carriage to be prepared and left the estate. Instead of going straight to the main residence to consult with Malcolm, he headed to his elder sister’s house.
Gerald’s brothers had all split off and had their own residences. Gerald lived in the main house, while his second, third, and fourth brothers lived in nearby properties that were still connected.
Fabian’s elder sister had married Gerald’s third brother as a secondary wife. While she didn’t hold much power in the Quinton family, she was still Malcolm’s aunt-in-law, and Gerald was heel older brother-in-law. For the Sake of both the Quinton and the Marquis of Glandale’s family, she had a duty to help.
After hearing her brother’s words, Betty Schmitt trembled all over.
“My heavens, you’ve stirred up a hornet’s nest she muttered, trembling. “What are we going to do now? Why didn’t you tell me sooner? If you’d said something earlier, at least the family could have helped you! Now that he’s in Lady arissa’s hands, do you think she’ll-tet him off easily?”
Although Betty kept to herself most of the time, she hadn’t missed a single piece of gossip from the outside world. She had married a man who was much older than her, and while she was greatly favored in the family, she held little real power. She had no other ambition than to enjoy a life of wealth and luxury.
But if something happened to Gerald and her natal family got dragged into it, how could she possibly stay in the Quinton household?
“Don’t tell your brother-in-law about this. He’s not in good health,” Betty said. She knew that staying out of this matter was going to be hard, but after thinking it over, she realized she couldn’t get involved just yet. “Betty, we should ask him for help. He’s still Lord Malcolm’s third uncle. Surely he can speak on our behalf,” Fabian pleaded.
Betty shook her head. “The fewer people who know about this, the better. Don’t say you came to me for help. If things get really bad and we need to plead for mercy, then I’ll step in.”
Suddenly, she had an idea. “Also, you could suggest to Lord Malcolm that Lord Logan and Princess Kiera go to Sophie and plead for mercy.”
Fabian nodded eagerly. “Yes, that’s right! Logan married Princess Kiera, and Lord Gerald is Lord Logan’s grandfather. As his grandson, Lord Logan can’t possibly stay out of this.’
In the study of the Quinton family’s main residence, the flickering light from two lamps cast a cold glow over Malcolm’s face, making his expression one of deep gloom and fury.
“Who knows about this?” Malcolm asked, his voice tight with barely contained anger.
Though his control was still sufficient to keep him from losing his temper on the spot, his frustration was evident.
The Marquis of Glandale hesitated. He couldn’t admit that his sister had already learned of the matter. Only now did he realize why she had insisted on not coming along. This situation, it seemed, was best kept as quiet as possible.
“No one knows. I heard Lord Gerald was covered with a tablecloth when he was brought out. It’s likely only Lady Sophie saw his face,” said Fabian.
Malcolm ground his teeth together. “She should never have seen it. If it were Deputy Commander Brown or Chief Lewis, it would be manageable. But her how are we supposed to move forward now? She will make it her mission to let everyone know about this.”
Fabian hesitated, then said, “Perhaps not. If that were the case, she wouldn’t have let Lord Gerald cover his face. No matter how angry she is with the Quinton family, she still has to consider King Sigmund’s reputation.”
Malcolm scoffed coldly. “King Sigmund had more than one teacher. If the royal tutor’s title were to be stripped, who could stop us? Never underestimate the pettiness and vindictiveness of women. A woman’s revenge is far more ruthless than a man’s.”
Fabian didn’t argue. He didn’t know Sophie well enough, and given his involvement in this, even if he didn’t believe she was the type to act out of malice, he wasn’t willing to take any chances on her behalf. He still hoped Malcolm could help him.
After a moment’s thought, Fabian spoke again, “Lord Malcolm, perhaps the first priority should be to rescue Lord Gerald. Your third brother’s son, Lord Logan, has already become a prince consort, hasn’t he? Princess Kiera is the younger sister of the Hell Monarch. If she could speak in our favor, this matter would be much more likely to be resolved.”
Malcolm was silent for a long time. His third brother was a simpleton, and Logan had lived at Inkwood Hall since he married. He often wandered off with Kiera on excursions, only returning occasionally to check on his parents.
This situation was something Malcolm didn’t want the younger generation to get involved in, but asking Kiera for help would undoubtedly be more effective than any of them trying to intervene.
Noticing Malcolm’s silence, Fabian paused before nervously adding, “There is one more thing. The gentlemen’s retreats have always been a venture I started with Eleanor, and this can be traced back. I’m not sure how the king will view it, especially since Lord Gerald frequented the place.”