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More than that, she feared Salvador might still hold her accountable for trying to arrange a marriage between the Hell Monarch and the young lady of the Earl of Southstead’s family.
Before, she had hoped the situation would spiral into a scandal-ideally, that the Earl of Southstead’s family would demand an explanation from Sophie.
But now, Kylie prayed fervently that the Earl of Southstead’s family would swallow the grievance and not take the matter to the Hell Monarch’s household.
She tried to reassure herself that the Earl of Southstead’s family wouldn’t dare cause a fuss.
How could the Earl of Southstead’s family afford to offend the Hell Monarch’s household? No one in their family held a court position. And Janelle was already 20 years old, well past the usual marriage age, with a ruined reputation.
Surely, a few whispers wouldn’t matter to them.
What happened in court was a truly shocking event, and Sophie learned about it when Kevin came to visit.
Kevin only gave a brief account of the situation before hurrying back to the palace to stand watch. Everyone was stunned. No one had expected such a storm to arise from that night’s events.
Kyle said grimly, “Irvin admonished the king in court and he collapsed, coughing up blood. Now that the six department heads know of the king’s illness, it won’t be long before the of the court learns as well.
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The matter of naming the crown prince can’t be delayed any longer.”
This turn of events had come without warning. If Salvador’s illness had remained a secret, no one would have objected to Connor being named Crown Prince.
But now that word had spread, everything would change.
Jacob’s expression was solemn. “By principle, the eldest son should be named Crown Prince. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be complications. This concerns the foundation of the kingdom-qur household must stay out of it at all costs.”
Sophie didn’t know what to say. How had things come to this?
The court would be thrown into chaos, and the harem would too. That much was inevitable.
Sophie was caught in the middle, so she couldn’t blame anyone.
The only innocent one was Janelle. She had done nothing, yet disaster had fallen on her head.
Sophie knew of Janelle and even admired her. That woman had single-handedly supported all of the Earl of Southstead’s family.
As for her so-called terrible reputation, it was simply unavoidable. In business, if one had only a good name, one would be trampled and cheated at every turn. For a woman, it was even worse.
“Vivi, are people still talking about Lady Janelle?”
Violet had been silent ever since Kevin left. She had seen life and death more times than she could count. On the battlefield, cutting men down was no different from chopping vegetables. Human life was as insignificant as ants.
But this was the king-the man who held absolute power over life and death. Whoever he wanted dead would die.
And yet, now he was dying.
Which meant there was something above even him—a force that could decide his fate. To that higher power, even a king was nothing more than an ant.
Violet was so lost in thought that she was startled when Sophie’s voice pulled her back.
“There are plenty still mocking her,” Violet said. “But you, on the other hand, they’ve started to defend. They say if a man can be jealous, why can’t a woman? Some have even begun to rally behind you, insisting that women should be allowed to be jealous too. You’re becoming a symbol again.”
Sophie couldn’t allow Janelle to be unjustly slandered, nor did she wish to make an enemy of the Earl of Southstead’s family. Since the trouble had begun because of her, it was only right that she provided an explanation.
So, she instructed Luke to send an invitation to Southstead Estate, inviting the entire family to dine at the Glimmering Tower.
At the same time, she deliberately let word of the invitation spread.
As for why she wasn’t inviting them to the estate-this was meant to be a public clarification, and holding it within her residence would be inappropriate.
The Glimmering Tower was a place of high prestige, chosen to express respect for both the Earl of Southstead’s family and Janelle.
By announcing the invitation in advance, Sophie ensured that wealthy merchants and titled nobility with an appetite for spectacle would take notice. Solving the matter under their watchful eyes was ideal.
In truth, this was also a form of compensation for Janelle. Over the years, she had suffered much in business many had taken advantage of her simply because she was a woman, treating her with disrespect and actively suppressing her ventures.
Worse still, the Earl of Southstead’s family had no son capable of shouldering its legacy. Though they were a noble house, their influence had dwindled until they resembled nothing more than an ordinary merchant family.
When Luke arrived with the invitation, Janelle was not at home. The letter was instead delivered to the Earl of Southstead, Hadrian Xavier.
Hadrian was weak-willed and incapable of managing affairs. Ever since inheriting his title, his attitude had been one of resignation-he had simply given up!
Once, both the Earl of Silverstone and the Earl of Southstead’s families had been immensely powerful. However, generation after generation had failed to achieve any merit. Over time, their influence had waned, their titles diminishing from duke to marquis, then from marquis to earl.
The Earl of Silverstone’s family had Zoey, while the Earl of Southstead’s family had Janelle and her merchant-born mother.
Unfortunately, Janelle’s mother had passed away years ago. The lady of the household, Katherine, was much like her husband. She had no talent for handling affairs. With no other choice, Janelle had been forced to take charge from a young age.
Upon receiving the invitation from the Hell Monarch’s household, Hadrian hesitated and consulted Katherine.
To refuse would be a slight, potentially offending Hell Monarch’s household.
But attending was no simple matter either-who could say what Sophie truly intended?
When the rumors had first spread, they had thought Sophie was excessively jealous in nature. In truth, they had even believed that if their daughter could marry into Hell Monarch’s household as a secondary wife, it would be a most favorable match.
They had grumbled about it for some time, only to be sharply rebuked by their daughter upon her return. “This has nothing to do with Lady Sophie,” Janelle said coldly. “It was the queen who put our family in this predicament, trying to force us into making a scene at Hell Monarch Estate.”
Yet whether they went or not, it was a losing battle.
If they went, it would look like they were desperate for the title of secondary wife. It would also seem like they were causing a scene, like an angry woman who couldn’t get what she wanted. If they didn’t go, they would be called worthless. All sorts of harsh words would be thrown at them.
So for now, they dared not make a decision. They would wait for Janelle to return and let her decide. When Janelle heard of the situation, she sighed quietly. “We’ll go.”
“Then you can go on your own,” Hadrian said. “Your mother and I will stay behind.”
Janelle frowned. “The invitation was for our entire family. If the others won’t go, at the very least, you and Mother must attend.”
“We wouldn’t know what to say either,” Hadrian muttered. Though he was an earl, he had no desire to socialize with high-ranking nobles. He lacked the confidence for such gatherings, was poor at handling conversations, and feared that a single misstep might offend Sophie.
“I will do the talking. You only need to be present,” Janelle said evenly.