Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
Victoria’s words carried a weight of earnestness as she continued, You face many challenges ahead. You need help, ideally from
Rafael Since you have reclaimed military authority, if you have any tasks for Rafael, you should assign them to him. I have watched him grow since he was young and know his character and virtues well. Among your many brothers, he is the most capable and loyal to you.
*A king gains and loses as he goes.
The gravity of Victoria’s words left Salvador deep in thought.
After a long pause, he lifted his head, his gaze resolute. ‘Rest assured, Mother. I know what to do.
Victoria picked up a fan and waved it a few times. “It’s truly hot today. I need to summon an official from the Astrology Department to inquire about the best dates this year. You go ahead with your _tasks.” “Yes, I will take my leave.” Salvador stood and nodded respectfully before exiting.
As Sophie left the palace, she saw Rafael’s carriage waiting outside.
She approached swiftly, her expression serious. “Marshal, I need to discuss something with you.”
Rafael, dressed in splendid robes and standing tall, replied, “Get in the carriage.”
Sophie hesitated for a moment before turning to Lulu. “You should return to the estate first. The marshal will take me home.”
Though Lulu felt that Sophie and Rafael sharing a carriage alone was somewhat improper, given their forthcoming marriage, she said nothing more and gracefully boarded the Devin family’s carriage. Rafael’s royal carriage was spacious and luxurious. Inside, the space remained ample and impeccably clean, with a faint scent of orchids.
Today, Rafael looked impeccably clean and handsome, a far cry from the scruffy Hell Monarch Army commander Sophie had first seen.
In the carriage, Sophie recounted Salvador’s questions from earlier. Expecting Rafael to be serious, she was surprised to see him smile.
“Oh? Is that how you responded?” Rafael asked, his lips curving upward.
“Did I answer incorrectly?” Sophie was puzzled by his reaction.
Rafael’s eyes, deep and enigmatic like the ocean, remained fixed on her face. “No, there was nothing wrong with your answer. Salvador has been on the battlefield himself; he should understand that there are no foolproof strategies in war.
“After all, it’s people who go to battle, not wooden soldiers. People have thoughts, fears, and ambitions, so it’s impossible to understand every individual’s mindset and ensure every decision is executed flawlessly.”
“You’re right, Marshal,” Sophie agreed with a nod.
Rafael propped his elbow on the carriage window, a thoughtful expression on his face. “You don’t need to call me Marshal anymore. Since we’re to be married, you can call me…”
“Yes, Your Highness. I should be calling you Your Highness now,” Sophie said, her smile radiant and captivating.
Rafael remained silent.
Was there really a difference between being called Marshal and being called Your Highness?
“Why are you waiting here?” Sophie asked,
Snapping back to the present, Rafael replied, “Oh, I wanted to see if my mom was causing you any trouble. She can be difficult to deal with, can’t she? But don’t worry. Once we’re my residence, she won’t be as audacious as she is in the palace. After all, the people in my household will listen to me and to you, not necessarily to her.”
Sophie smiled. “She’s not too difficult to deal with. She has caused some trouble, but her methods are… somewhat crude and manageable.”
Rafael tilted his head.
Crude methods? That was an apt description. Helen knew nothing of subtlety. She had been pampered all her life. A tantrum or a sulk would usually get her what she wanted.
“She does lack finesse. I remember the harshest method she used against Lady Dakota when I lived in the palace. When Lady Dakota was pregnant with my seventh sister, Father would always accompany her.
“To get his attention, my mom tried to soak herself in cold water to fake an illness as an excuse to summon him. But she only managed to stay in the water for a moment before she jumped out, cursing and saying she didn’t care if he came or not, but she wouldn’t mistreat herself,” Rafael recounted.
Sophie chuckled at the image. “Lady Helen is indeed amusing.”
Looking at her smiling face, Rafael found it hard to look away. Amusing? I think your use of ‘amusing’ is quite amusing in itself.”
Helen was certainly not an amusing person. In Rafael’s memories, she was not only spoiled and willful, but also unreasonable. If others. gave her a little leeway, she would demand tenfold.
Rafael’s great-grandfather, a renowned scholar, would have died unhappy knowing he had such a granddaughter. On his deathbed, he had one last wish: to avoid any scandal that might ruin the family’s reputation.
Clearly fearing her, Salvador had asked Helen to leave the palace. and live with Rafael.
Everyone in the palace was afraid of her. It wasn’t that she was particularly powerful. Rather, even the most privileged young ladies from noble or official families couldn’t handle her relentless and unreasonable behavior.
The carriage came to a halt.
Dylan lifted the curtain. “Your Highness, we’ve arrived at Northwatch Estate.”
Rafael shot him a cold glare. Was Dylan incapable of taking a detour? How many rounds could the carriage make around the capital before running out of fodder?
Dylan, bewildered by the glare, wondered what he had done wrong to deserve such a harsh look.
“I’ll head in first. Your Highness, take care,” said Sophie, hopping out of the carriage.
She waved at Rafael and entered the estate without pausing.
“Your Highness, should we head straight back to your estate or take a detour around the capital?” Dylan asked, noticing Rafael’s reluctance to return directly.
“Back to the estate!” Rafael snapped. “When you should have taken a detour, you didn’t. How stupid can you be?”
It felt like Rafael and Sophie hadn’t had much time to talk before they arrived at Northwatch Estate. It was mainly because Sophie had taken time to recount her conversation with Salvador.
It was rare to have a private carriage ride with her, and there were many things he still wanted to say. Bringing such a clumsy person like Dylan along only proved Rafael’s lack of wisdom as a marshal. Seeing Rafael’s irritated mood, Dylan dared not dawdle. He urged the horses to a swift pace, and they soon arrived at Hell Monarch Estate.
As Rafael got out of the carriage, he was met by Luke.
“Your Highness, how about proposing on the day after tomorrow? It’s a good date, and we need to inform Lord Devin in advance. It’s customary to have Lady Devin’s elder present during the proposal.” Rafael’s gaze was resolute. “That sounds fine. The sooner, the better.”
Luke continued, “By the way, Grand Princess Eleanor’s birthday is tomorrow. She is hosting a grand celebration and sent you an invitation. We have prepared several gifts. Please choose one from the study.” “Send the gift, but I won’t be attending,” Rafael replied.
“Grand Princess Eleanor also sent an invitation to Lady Devin. I heard Lady Devin will likely be attending,” Luke added.”Really?” Rafael frowned.
Eleanor, the grand princess, was the late king’s sister, making her Rafael’s aunt. He knew her character well.
She was like a snake in the grass-sweet in appearance but venomous at heart. She was known for her tea parties and banquets, where she mingled with the capital’s powerful families and secured many connections through cial gatherings.
Many noble families arranged marriages at her parties. If anyone had ever been truly wronged in her presence, it was undoubtedly Helen. Eleanor was skilled in manipulation and had committed many sinister acts.