Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
The people Rafael suspected were Hayden and his son Nicholas, with a particular focus on the latter. After all, Hayden led a very reclusive life and hardly interacted with anyone.
If there was anyone Hayden interacted with frequently, it was Sophie and Rafael.
Normally, Hayden and Chaya would eat, drink, and have fun at home. Even when they went out, it was all about eating, drinking, and enjoying themselves. Their life motto was simply to eat, drink, play, and have fun.
The last time Sophie visited, Chaya had put on quite a bit of weight. Even Hayden seemed to have gained about seven to eight pounds. Chaya’s chin was now a bit more prominent when she smiled. After several days of fruitless investigation, Sophie decided to pay them a visit in person, taking Violet along with her.
Hayden was delighted to see them and immediately turned to Chaya. “Yesterday, I caught a large carp myself. Use it to prepare sashimi, but remember to drain all the blood. I don’t like any red left in it.” Chaya beamed with enthusiasm and hurried to the kitchen with her servants, saying she was eager to show off her cooking skills.
Violet couldn’t help but comment on Chaya’s rounder figure. “You’ve all been eating very well lately, haven’t you? She looks even more rounded.”
Hayden chuckled, his eyes crinkling as he smiled. “Did the Hell Monarch’s household treat you poorly, Ms. Spencer? No worries-come stay at Willowbrook Estate instead. Whatever you want to eat, you’ll have it.” Violet smiled, settling into a chair. “If you keep offering such hospitality, I might just move in permanently, Your Highness.”
“Hurry up and move in, then! I’ll treat you to good food and drinks,” Hayden said, waving his hand cheerfully.
Violet grinned playfully. “Well, once I get tired of staying at Hell Monarch Estate, I’ll move right over. A few extra pounds wouldn’t hurt.”
Sophie laughed. “Why wait to get tired of it? I’ll have someone send your things over tomorrow.” Violet put her hands on her hips, feigning indignation. “Oh, so you’ve been planning to get rid of me all along?”
“You wanted to come yourself, so how can you blame me?”
Hayden sipped his coffee, his eyes full of affection as he watched them. His smile was warm and loving. The fish sashimi at lunch was delicious. Though neither Sophie nor Violet were particularly fond of raw fish, they couldn’t resist eating a few more pieces.
Chaya clearly enjoyed it, finishing nearly half the plate herself. The few remaining pieces in front of Hayden also disappeared into her mouth.
After the meal, they took a stroll around the estate before finally bidding their farewells.
As they were about to leave, Hayden called out to Violet, “If you ever want to stay, feel free to come.” Violet was momentarily stunned, then smiled and replied, “Alright, I will.”
This visit was no different from the others. Even the joy on Hayden’s face was the same as always. If there was any difference, it was that this time, he had invited Violet to stay at Willowbrook Estate. He had even reminded her of the offer as they were leaving.
Was he joking, or did he genuinely want Violet to come live at his estate?
If it had been anyone else, Sophie wouldn’t have thought twice.
However, it was Violet.
The Spencer family had been repeatedly mentioned amid this upheaval, always with some degree of ambiguity. Yet Yuvan had persistently pursued the Spencer family, which showed that the Spencer family’s refusal wasn’t entirely firm.
The Spencer family was large, and other members of the family might have allied with Yuvan.
Just like Celeste’s adoptive father, a distant relative of the Spencer family. It was very likely he had already pledged his allegiance to Yuvan.
Did the head of the Spencer family, Eustace, not know about this? With his far-reaching influence, how could he not be aware? And if he knew, why hadn’t he taken action to stop it?
At the moment, it was still unclear whether Hayden and Nicholas were the ones waiting to strike, and it was even harder to say about the Spencer family.
Violet also pondered matter. She propped her chin up against the side of the carriage and asked Sophie, “Do you think Prince Hayden really wants me to live with him?”
“I can tell he’s somewhat sincere,” Sophie replied.
“That leaves two possibilities. First, he wants to use me to control the Spencer family. Second, he’s being controlled by someone and hopes I can go to Willowbrook Estate to help him.”
Sophie had come to the same conclusion. If Hayden truly wanted Violet to stay, it could only be for one of those two reasons.
Go, and there was a chance of being caught in a trap. Stay away, and there was a risk of missing Hayden’s plea for help.
When Sophie and Violet returned and told Jacob and Kyle about the events, both of them agreed that it would be wise to carefully investigate the people at Willowbrook Estate, including Chaya.
They had already conducted an investigation into the estate before and found no suspicious individuals. A few of them had been brought back to the capital by Hayden and had been loyal to him for many years- calling them trusted confidants would not be an exaggeration.
The rest of the staff had been purchased from a merchant during Hayden’s return to the capital. Jacob had even personally looked into their identities through the merchant, tracing their family histories. He discovered that they had all been sold by their families, who were struggling financially.
Sophie and Violet had spent the day walking around Willowbrook Estate, but they found no servants who seemed skilled in martial arts. Even if there were any, they would likely be avoiding them.
Jacob suggested they conduct another round of checks at Willowbrook Estate and look for any changes in the staff.
A few days ago, when Rafael left for the Southern Frontier, he had made sure to disguise himself. He even went as far as to choose a different horse and not his own. He took a horse from the stables that was known for its endurance.
While traveling, Rafael’s thoughts were focused on reaching the Southern Frontier and finding Louis. He intended to join the army as a low-ranking soldier and blend in. As soon as he entered Southern Frontier territory, news reached him that Oliver had fled with his concubine.
Panic spread like wildfire, with rumors flying in all directions. Some said Sandoria had raised an army of 800,000, and the Southern Frontier army was bound to fall. Others claimed that the people of Sandoria had vowed to massacre the city, turning the streets into rivers of blood.
There were even reports that Salvador had killed the Hell Monarch to prevent him from leading the army. Many of the people believed these rumors and packed up their belongings, abandoning their homes in fear.
This land, just beginning to show signs of life, braced itself in its broken state for the approaching war. Such rumors spread quickly among the common folk, and naturally, they made their way into the military ranks as well.
The most devastating rumor was the claim that Salvador had killed the Hell Monarch. This infuriated the former soldiers of the Hell Monarch Army.
To them, the Hell Monarch had been a loyal and capable leader. His tragic death at the hands of the king seemed to prove that the latter was foolish and incompetent.
Why should they continue fighting for him?
Many decided to abandon their posts and return home.
Louis and Timothy tried to quell the rumors and calm the troops, but their efforts were in vain.
Among all the regiments, the Devin Army was the least trusting of the king. Back then, Hector had requested reinforcements. He had sent urgent reports to the capital, but the court had refused to dispatch any troops. It was only after they learned of the deaths of Hector and his sons that Salvador allowed Rafael to lead the Hell Monarch Army to the Southern Frontier.
As a result, most of the unrest came from the Devin Army.
Timothy and Louis, seeing the situation spiraling out of control, felt helpless and utterly despairing. Meanwhile, the Sandoria forces had already reached Simonton City. The Southern Frontier Army, still enraged, continued to curse Salvador. The first siege was a difficult battle, with barely enough strength to hold their ground. Although they managed to push Sandoria’s forces back, the battle exposed the Southern Frontier army’s fatigue and weakness.
The soldiers feared that when Sandoria regrouped and adjusted their tactics, the next assault could prove disastrous.
In the command tent, the mood was at an all-time low. They had never seen such disarray in the Hell Monarch Army and the Devin Army. It wasn’t that they lacked unity, but rather that they were united in their bitter resentment of the king. The soldiers had fully embraced the belief that the Hell Monarch had been murdered.
Zachary had wounded his arm during the battle, and he still had bandages soaked in blood. His eyes were bloodshot, and his every pore seemed to express fury and frustration.
In truth, even he believed the rumors that Salvador had killed Rafael.
Homer was from the Septimus Tetra reconnaissance team, and he was Zachary’s relative. Over the past two years, they occasionally exchanged letters. Homer mentioned that Rafael’s life in the capital wasn’t easy, as the king distrusted him. Also, the Mystic Army, led by Sophie, had been repeatedly downsized. So, Zachary reasoned that perhaps the rumors had a basis after all.