Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
Lydia gently tried to comfort her, saying, “Your Majesty, the king said that because he knows Lady Sophie wouldn’t dare raise a hand to you. He was just frustrated and spoke in anger. Don’t take it to heart.” “Who isn’t frustrated?” Kylie dabbed at her tears with a handkerchief. “Am I not frustrated? What great crime have I committed that warrants being punished time and again? My rights in the harem are gone, and I’m not allowed to care for Connor. And now, I have to endure the anger of a woman like her. What’s the point of holding this position if I am to be so humiliated?”
Lydia sighed deeply, her tone urgent as she added, “Your Majesty, you must not act on impulse. If you don’t clear the air with Lady Sophie, Lady Grace will take this opportunity to sway her to her side. You don’t know what happened earlier. While we were coming here, Prince Caden stopped her, gave her a sugar figurine, and called her a great hero. Lady Sophie was overjoyed.’
“Grace?” Kylie scoffed. “That clown? With her background, what right does she have to compete with me?”
“Lady Grace may not be a threat, but what about Lady Sylvia? Her father is the Minister of Justice; his position in the Supreme Court makes her powerful. If she aligns with Lady Sophie, it could jeopardize Prince Connor’s position. You must endure this for now. Later, if you need to vent, you can take it out on us.”
Kylie sighed heavily, wiping away her remaining tears. “I can’t bear to take my frustrations out on all of you. You know how soft-hearted I am, yet you all take advantage of that. Fine, let’s go. I don’t want the royal jelly soup anymore. Let’s go and face her. But let me make this clear-if she truly crosses the line, I will not tolerate it.”
Lydia patted her back reassuringly. “Endure it for now.”
Kylie sighed. “Fine, let’s go. Let’s see just how impressive this female general is. She dares to come to Everspring Palace and show off her power, after all.”
In a room with the smell of scented candles filling the air, Sophie had been waiting for a while.
When Kylie finally emerged, Sophie rose and curtsied respectfully. “Greetings, Your Majesty.”
Kylie glanced at her, noting that her demeanor was proper and devoid of any mockery.
She gave a slight nod. “No need for such formality. Please have a seat.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Sophie waited for the queen to sit first before gently lowering herself onto a seat.
Expecting Sophie to speak about the matter from the other day, Kylie was silently calculating her next move. She wondered how to gracefully resolve the tension. between them without losing her dignity.
However, after a long silence, Sophie didn’t say a word. Kylie glanced up to look at her. Sophie’s expression was indifferent, looking like she had no intention to speak at all.
Kylie’s brows furrowed.
Was Sophie waiting for her to speak first? To offer an apology?
The queen had intended to make peace, but after hearing Salvador’s words, resentment had settled in her heart. It made it harder for her to take the first step. Still, the silence between them was awkward
Kylie subtly gave Lydia a signal.
BUMS
Understanding the cue, Lydia stepped forward and knelt before Sophie. “Your Grace, forgive me. That day I spoke out of turn. I misinterpreted Her Majesty’s intentions. She never meant to overstep and interfere with the affairs of the Hell Monarch’s household. It was all a misunderstanding.”
“If it’s a misunderstanding, there’s no need to bring it up again. Please rise,” Sophie responded with a soft nod.
Kylie thought she had given Sophie an opening to vent her feelings, and that would be the end of it. But unexpectedly, Sophie didn’t take the bait at all. Instead, she brushed it off as a misunderstanding, leaving Kylie and Lydia somewhat at a loss.
Lydia awkwardly stood up, offering her thanks before stepping to the side. Her eyes flicked quickly to Sophie, silently searching for any sign that she was willing to press the issue further. But there was nothing.
Sophie remained silent, sipping her coffee.
Was that it? Had the matter truly been settled? Was this the resolution they had been hoping for? Both Kylie and Lydia felt the answer was no, but the conversation had already come to an abrupt end. To continue would only make the situation more awkward.
“The coffee’s cold,” Kylie said, her tone stiff. “Get Her Grace another cup of hot coffee.”
Her anger simmered beneath the surface. It was clear to her that Sophie had built an impenetrable wall between them, shutting out all attempts at reconciliation. The queen could do nothing about it. Sophie calmly sipped her coffee, sitting in silence with Kylie. She only answered when spoken to, never starting a conversation herself, but also careful not to offend the queen openly. She wasn’t in a hurry to leave either. After all, once she stepped out of Everspring Palace, there would be other invitations from different concubines to contend with.
Rather than navigating more forced conversations, staying here in silence seemed the wiser choice. Inwardly, Sophie reflected on how drastically things had changed this year. Not only was her usual companion absent, but now, she was forced to sit here with the resentful queen, both of them spending the evening together in cold silence.
As for the notion of reconciliation, Sophie saw it as nothing more than a social nicety. It wasn’t needed because it wasn’t a misunderstanding to begin with.
Was Salvador truly trying to support her? If he wanted them to resolve their differences, he would have suggested they clear up the misunderstanding, not simply tell her to vent her anger as she pleased. Sophie couldn’t help but wonder what Salvador had said to Kylie privately. Judging by the way the latter had initially snubbed her and how she now wore such a sour expression, it was clear it hadn’t been anything flattering.
Her thoughts kept twisting and turning. At first, she thought it meant one thing, then another. Then, after thinking it over again, she saw yet another meaning.
It was exhausting.
Clearly, Kylie wasn’t a person who pondered things so deeply. After a while of sitting in uncomfortable silence, she had also grown weary of the tension. Sophie’s demeanor was so different from what she had expected.
As Kylie’s anger slowly subsided, calmness returned, and she realized it was time to mend her relationship with Sophie.
Her expression softened considerably as she asked, “Has Ryan not come to the palace with you?” “He’s at his uncle’s place,” Sophie replied.
“Lord Klein certainly dotes on his nephew,” Kylie said with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Though, Ryan is a smart and well-behaved boy. Both the queen dowager and the king have praised him countless times.”
“Thank you for your kind words, Your Majesty,” Sophie responded calmly.
Kylie shifted in her seat and got to the point, adding, “I’ve heard that after the New Year, Ryan will come to the palace to accompany Connor for his studies. Ryan is a bit older, and feel much more at ease with him looking after Connor.”
Sophie nodded. “You’re too kind, Your Majesty. Ryan is still just a child and doesn’t fully understand things yet. If he makes any mistakes, I hope you won’t hold it against him.”
Kylie smiled. “It’s a matter of fate, really. His Majesty and your second brother were close friends in their youth. Now, Connor and Ryan are to be classmates. I believe they’ll continue their fathers’ friendship and become friends they can rely on.”
Sophie simply nodded in response and didn’t speak further, instead just warming her hands with the coffee.
Kylie’s intentions were clear to Sophie.
Ryan was the future Duke of
Northwatch, backed by both the Hell
Monarch’s household and the Klein family. Now, he also had the approval of Victoria and Salvador. So, Kylie saw an opportunity to use Ryan as support for Connor
But Sophie felt that pulling Ryan in like this wouldn’t be all that useful and wouldn’t make a real difference.
In the end, everything depended on whether Connor could prove himself. If he wanted Salvador to firmly decide to make him crown prince within the short time left, he had to earn it himself.
The biggest benefit of Ryan becoming Connor’s study companion was that he could help the latter improve. Connections and social ties didn’t matter-Ryan was just a child, not a duke yet.
Clearly, Kylie hadn’t realized this. She even thought that hard work was useless.
The festive atmosphere of the New Year was only truly felt upon returning to Hell Monarch Estate. Everyone there was playing games like ring toss and archery, as well as taking part in a daring contest with Flamepetals, all with prizes and special rewards for the winners.
For the Flamepetal contest, each person had to hold a small pouch of red petals with a short fuse and throw it before it exploded. But it had to go off in the air-if it hit the ground first, they lost. Naturally, it was also acceptable to let it explode in hand. After all, if one’s hands were burned, they deserved a prize for their efforts. Otherwise, Travis wouldn’t stand for it.