Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
“Sit,” he said flatly, neither accepting nor rejecting her words. He would hear her out first.
Kylie thanked him and wasted no time in recounting the morning’s events. She repeated the harem’s gossip but with a carefully exaggerated twist-implying that Sophie harbored improper intentions. When she finished, she sighed, her face full of worry. “I have already silenced the women, but I fear that while I can quiet their tongues, I cannot ease their troubled hearts.”
Salvador’s expression darkened. He hadn’t expected his reckless decision to bring Sophie such trouble. He slammed his hand on the table, his voice thundering through the hall, “Absurd. Absolutely absurd! What nonsense-they dare suggest Sophie has improper intentions?”
Kylie flinched at Salvador’s outburst and quickly lowered her head. However, a flicker of anger flashed in her downcast eyes.
She hadn’t expected the harem’s gossip to provoke such a reaction-that Salvador’s first instinct would be to defend Sophie so fiercely, his thunderous wrath reserved for anyone who dared to question her.
If Sophie never harbored such intentions, then it could only mean that Salvador himself had made this choice. In that case, he would shoulder all the criticism alone.
Kylie couldn’t understand it. Salvador had always valued his reputation above all else. In a situation like this, shouldn’t he have seized the opportunity to shift the blame onto Sophie to preserve his own name? Why was he protecting her instead?
If he insisted on defending her in public as well, then the entire court would see this as nothing but a reckless scandal of his own making.
A storm of emotions surged through Kylie’s heart as she recalled Salvador’s previous mention of bringing Sophie into the palace.
Could it be that he had truly fallen for her?
That would be utterly absurd.
From the moment Kylie married Salvador, she had understood that he would never belong to her alone. Compared to power and status, love and affection held no weight.
But the condition for this balance was simple: he was never meant to truly love anyone.
Over the years, new favored concubines had come and gone in the harem, but Kylie had never been jealous. The king’s so-called favor was fleeting nothing more than a few extra nights spent in a favored concubine’s bedchamber, which was hardly a sign of true affection.
Yet, when Salvador had spoken of bringing Sophie into the palace, Kylie had been displeased.
For one, the selection of concubines had always been her domain. Salvador had never taken interest in such matters, leaving it entirely in her hands. Sophie had been the only exception, the only woman he had personally named.
How could Kylie not feel jealous?
Beyond that, she knew Sophie was different.
Sophie had military achievements of her own, and her lineage as Hector’s daughter and Dominic’s granddaughter made her even more formidable. With such a powerful backing, she commanded the support of many within the military. If she ever bore a royal heir, the balance of power would shift dangerously in her favor.
Kylie had only felt relieved when Sophie married Rafael, allowing Salvador to reclaim military authority without opposition.
But Sophie had never been one to stay quiet.
Serving as the sole female official, founding an academy for women, establishing the workshop, and now, achieving an even greater military victory by repelling the rebels. Her prestige had only grown stronger. And if, on top of all that, she had truly won Salvador’s heart…
Then, there would be no one left who could curb her rise.
Kylie even began to wonder whether Rafael had already fallen in battle at the Southern Frontier. That cursed place swallowed soldiers whole; anyone sent there was as good as dead.
If that were the case, then Sophie’s entry into the palace was a real possibility.
Thinking of this, a sharp sense of crisis gripped the queen.
Ignoring Salvador’s fury, Kylie pressed on and urgently said, “Your Majesty, since both the court and the harem are full of whispers, this??matter must be given a proper resolution. Why not let Commander Devin take responsibility? I have always believed that women serving as officials is improper, especially a woman of exceptional beauty navigating the political arena. I fear such a woman would surely have an easy rise to power….”
She didn’t even get to finish.
“Silence!”
Salvador’s roar struck like a thunderclap over her head.
The outburst came so suddenly that Kylie barely registered when he had risen to his feet, towering over her. She looked up in shock, her breath catching in her throat. His face was contorted with rage, veins standing out in stark relief.
“For someone born a woman-and queen of the kingdom, no less-you dare to speak such disgraceful words? You.insult not only women, but also your own father, the Civil Minister! Do you take the court’s system for a joke? Do you think our officials are selected at random, that a woman can rise in rank merely by using her looks and body? Do you take me for a foolish ruler?” he thundered.
Terror gripped Kylie. She dropped to her knees, her lips quivering as she tried to form a response.
“Your Majesty, please ” she choked out. “That wasn’t what I meant…”
She bit her lip, her shoulders shaking as tears began to spill down her cheeks.
“Your Majesty, you know full well that it was improper to visit Hell Monarch Estate in the dead of night. Why did you go?” she asked, her voice raw with desperation. “I am your wife-I cannot stand by while the court brands you reckless and foolish.
“Lady Sophie is your subject, bound to serve and bear your burdens. Let the blame fall on her. Regardless of what happens, she will still be the Hell Monarch’s princess consort. At worst, she loses her command over the Mystic Army, which is hardly a significant loss.”
Salvador’s fury cooled into something even more chilling.
Instead of erupting again, he simply asked, “Then, tell me. Would it be no great loss if you were to lose your title as queen?”
Kylie’s blood ran cold. “Your Majesty, how can you even compare the two?”
“There is no comparison,” he said, his tone devoid of warmth. “This kingdom has had more than one queen, but only one woman has ever served in court.
“Stop acting like you’re so generous at someone else’s expense. Since you keep saying you’re doing these things for my sake, then step down from your position. With that, I will announce to the world that my visit to Hell Monarch Estate was so I could see Violet.
“Step aside, and I will take Violet as my queen.”
Kylie stumbled back to Everspring Palace, Salvador’s words asking her to relinquish her position as queen echoing endlessly in her mind. Each word crashed down like a bolt of lightning, striking her heart with relentless force. Her head spun and her limbs felt numb.
“Your Highness, His Majesty was merely speaking in anger. Please don’t dwell on it,” Lydia said anxiously. With her face drained of all color, Kylie looked like a ghost of herself, her spirit seemingly shattered.
She struggled to breathe, clutching at her chest as tears streamed down her cheeks. “In anger? Does that mean he can just dispose of me with a few careless words? His Majesty never speaks rashly. He meant it.”
“How could that be? How could His Majesty ever consider making Ms. Spencer-a merchant’s daughter -his queen?” Lydia tried to reassure her, having overheard Salvador’s furious outburst from outside. Kylie’s tears fell faster. “Don’t you see? It was never about Violet. It’s Sophie.”
Lydia shook her head. “That’s even less likely. Lady Sophie is the Hell Monarch’s princess consort. Even if His Majesty has lost his senses, he wouldn’t make his sister-in-law the queen. It defies all reason and propriety. If he did such a thing, scholars and officials across the land would condemn him. His Majesty wouldn’t do it.”
“The issue is that he wants to do it.” Kylie wiped away her tears, her eyes darkening with resentment. “Sophie knows better than anyone the consequences of such actions. When Blake tried to take another wife, she raised hell. She should be the first to understand the importance of propriety, yet she allows His Majesty to continue down this foolish path.”
“Perhaps Lady Sophie isn’t even aware of it,” Lydia suggested.
Kylie blew her nose, her nose reddened from crying. “Even if she didn’t know at first, she must know by now. If she truly is a loyal subject, she shouldn’t drag His Majesty’s name through the mud. She should resign from her post and return to her duties as the Hell Monarch’s wife.”
Lydia advised Kylie to stay out of it. The king would handle it however he saw fit.