Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
But Kylie saw things differently. This scandal could tarnish Salvador’s reputation, so if she could quell the rumors and protect his honor, Victoria might see her in a new light. Perhaps then, control over the harem would return to her hands.
Also, Salvador would think twice before speaking of deposing her.
Of course, she couldn’t be too forceful. The key was to appeal to Sophie’s emotions and reason with her. Kylie thought she understood Sophie well. The latter was the type who believed herself to be loyal and patriotic, willing to endure hardship for the greater good.
So, persuading her wouldn’t be difficult. The real challenge lay in bringing her into the palace in a way that appeared proper and justified. After all, she was still recovering from her injuries and rarely left her residence.
Naturally, Kylie also had to ensure Salvador didn’t find out.
She recalled that Ryan had once entered the palace as Connor’s study partner, so she used the pretext of bestowing a reward on the boy to extend an invitation. She asked Sophie to come and admire the orchids—a simple gathering between sisters-in-law, nothing more.
–
Since the queen wasn’t issuing a direct edict, she anticipated that Sophie might find an excuse to decline.
So, she sent Lydia in person with a message consisting of two simple sentences.
Sophie would come after hearing them. Of that, Kylie was certain.
At Hell Monarch Estate, Sophie sat in silence after hearing Lydia’s words, her expression grave. It was the most composed expression she could manage at the moment. If she were to truly reflect her feelings, she would be baring her teeth.
At that moment, she understood Rosalind.
She clenched her jaw so tightly that she nearly shattered her own teeth before finally forcing out a calm response, saying, “My husband is not handsome enough to stand in the way of a young lady finding a better match. Please convey my thanks to Her Majesty for her kindness.”
Having never expected Sophie to reply in this manner, Lydia was momentarily stunned.
In situations like this, the typically expected response was to first express gratitude for Kylie’s generosity. Then, Sophie should enter the palace, exchange pleasantries, and gently remind Kylie that Rafael was still at war in the Southern Frontier, making it inappropriate to discuss taking a secondary wife. The queen would then drop the matter with grace, leaving all parties satisfied.
But Sophie had outright refused, citing Rafael’s appearance as her reason. This could only be seen as jealousy, and among noble wives, there was no greater shame than being accused of jealousy. With such a blunt refusal, wasn’t she afraid of offending Kylie? If the queen truly went through with arranging a match for Rafael, what then?
After all, Kylie was not just any noblewoman-she was the queen and Rafael’s sister-in-law. If she insisted on finding him a secondary wife under the guise of concern for his household, others would only praise her for her thoughtfulness.
Before Lydia could recover from her shock, Sophie’s voice, now laced with cold amusement, rang out once more.
“If Her Majesty is so fond of playing matchmaker, perhaps she should focus on selecting more concubines for His Majesty during the upcoming flower-viewing banquet. The affairs of our estate need not trouble her.”
And just like that, Lydia was sent out of the estate. She received more than a few pointed stares on her way out.
On the journey back to the palace, she remained unsure whether Sophie would actually come. The latter hadn’t agreed, but hadn’t outright refused either.
Of course, Kylie had no real intention of finding a secondary wife for Rafael. The remark had been meant to unsettle Sophie, to push her into resigning from her post. Even if she refused to resign, the queen would never actually force a concubine upon the Hell Monarch.
But it was unexpected for Sophie to react with such unrestrained fury-so much so that she hadn’t even bothered to maintain appearances before throwing Lydia out.
And if Sophie refused to enter the palace… How would this misunderstanding ever be resolved? But then again…
Lydia sighed. Was it really a misunderstanding?
Truth be told, she rather liked the idea of female officials in court. If Sophie were to resign, she would actually feel a tinge of regret.
The thought left her feeling guilty. She was no longer as unwaveringly loyal to Kylie as she had once been.
Back at Hell Monarch Estate, Sophie was livid.
She had already been troubled enough by Salvador’s late-night visit, which had sparked all manner of gossip. And now, Kylie was making things even worse.
Truly, Salvador and Kylie were a perfect match-each as insufferable as the other.
In the main hall, Jacob and Kyle sat in silence, watching as Sophie limped forward on her own, refusing any support. That solitary figure, dragging her injured leg step by step, was pitiful to behold.
As if it hadn’t been bad enough that she had injured herself to avoid suspicion, Salvador had gone and made a spectacle of himself, arriving at the estate in the dead of night. Now, the entire court was abuzz with rumors, and more than half the officials had likely heard the tale. Most of them undoubtedly cast judgment upon Sophie.
Why was Kylie doing this? What was her real motive?
First, she sent Lydia to reward Ryan. Then, she brought up the idea of Rafael taking a secondary wife. She invited Sophie to the palace to admire the orchids, and while she was at it, Kylie wanted her to look at portraits of eligible young ladies.
The queen fretted over all the wrong things. The matters that deserved her concern she ignored entirely, while the things that were none of her business she obsessed over to no end.
“The queen probably said it on purpose. She wants to force Lady Sophie into visiting the palace,” Jacob murmured.
Kyle scoffed. “Who cares? She said what she said, and that’s that. No need to go. Nothing good will come of it.”
Kyle thought there was no need for Sophie to overthink it. When faced with something like this, it was best to just get angry.
To hell with the king and queen.
Violet had gone out early in the morning and was unaware of the situation. When she returned in the afternoon, she had the kitchen prepare a few of Helen’s favorite dishes, intending to dine with her and Sophie.
She went to inform Helen first before fetching Sophie, only for the former to wave her off.
“I won’t be dining with her today. Go on and eat with her yourself,” Helen said.
Violet was surprised. Helen enjoyed lively company and was always pleased when she and Sophie joined her for meals. Why was she refusing today?
“Did she offend you?” Violet’s expression darkened, immediately ready to stand up for the older woman. “I’ll go teach her a lesson.”
Helen hurriedly intervened, saying,
“Don’t be ridiculous. She didn’t offend me; someone else offended her. She’s in a foul mood and I don’t have the right words to soothe her. If I say the wrong thing and upset her further, this household will fall apart.”
Violet frowned. “She hasn’t even stepped out of the estate. Who could have possibly offended her? Don’t tell me Rod has been acting up again.”
“No, it was the queen.” Helen sighed. “She sent someone over, claiming to have picked out a few young ladies for Rafael. It set Sophie off.”
Helen hesitated, then added in a softer tone, “To be fair, if a few well-mannered girls entered the household, it wouldn’t be such a bad thing. But seeing how upset she was… I didn’t dare say a word.” Violet’s expression darkened. Without another word, she stormed off toward Sophie’s courtyard. That wretched woman!
By the time Violet arrived, it was already late. Fallen branches and scattered leaves littered the ground, evidence of some earlier St. A
whip and a sword had been carelessly tossed onto the inside the main hall, but Sophie herself was nowhere to be seen.
Violet searched the room and called out a few times, but there was no answer.