Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
Ly used her ass reluctantly “This painting is so lifelike. It’s as if the orchids are blooming right before our eyes. The orchid branches are strong, and the faint green buds are just beginning to sprout. It wwwe too perfect to be considered a discarded work. It would be a whame to waste it on Grand Princess Eleanor.”
it’s fine Kyle loves painting orchids, so there are plenty of orchid paintings, so many that we don’t even have space for them in the study. By the way, make sure to send one to the king as well,” Sophie replied. Salvador greatly admired Kyle and had a collection of his calligraphy. However, he did not have any of Kyle’s orchid paintings, which were worth a fortune. Since Sophie had them in abundance, presenting Kyle’s work to Salvador would be a gesture of goodwill, and it would allow her to manage Rafael’s connections.
The questions Salvador asked at Serenity Palace had made her a bit uneasy. Thus, using Kyle’s painting as a way to gauge the situation seemed like a reasonable strategy. It would also convey her and Rafael’s goodwill toward the king.
Lily and a few others searched through the storeroom for quite a while before coming to the conclusion that the orchid painting was indeed the most suitable choice. If they gave Eleanor gold or silver, it would only provoke laughter. Eleanor’s taste was known to be pretentious, and she wasn’t necessarily skilled at appreciating true art.
Discovering a pile of handkerchiefs at the bottom of a box, Pearl spread one out and stifled a laugh.
“What’s this? Haha, the embroidery is so ugly. How did this end up here?”
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Her eyes wide with urgency, Lily rushed over and yanked the handkerchief away, stuffing it back into the box. “Don’t take it out.”
Sophie had already noticed and walked over to examine one of the handkerchiefs. The embroidery was so poorly done that it was almost unbearable to look at.
The design was supposed to be an oak tree, but the branches were crooked and the leaves resembled worms. Another handkerchief, presumably meant to depict a rose, was so poorly executed that Sophie could only imagine it as split leaves. The pale red thread used for the petals and a layer of green made the color scheme confusing and unpleasant.
What on earth was this?
The other handkerchiefs were even worse. One that should have been smooth had been embroidered into a crumpled mess.
“Haha, who embroidered this?” Sophie asked, laughing uncontrollably.
Lily gave her a meaningful glance.
Sophie paused, then suddenly dropped the handkerchief with a shocked expression. “Did I do this?”
Lily burst into laughter. “When you were little and wanted to learn embroidery, I taught you. After a month of practice, you produced so many handkerchiefs like these. Madam Devin couldn’t bear to throw them away, so she stored them all in boxes.”
Sophie was stunned. Were these really her handiwork? Staring at the oddly shaped handkerchiefs, she felt a strange sense of familiarity, as if she had seen them before.
Ah, she remembered now.
During a visit to Rafael’s command tent at the Southern Frontier, she had eaten a bowl of noodles, and the marshal had pulled out a handkerchief that was just as ugly as these ones to wipe his mouth. Wat could the handkerchief Rafael used be one she had given him?
Carssa quidly turned to Lily and asked, ‘Lily, did I ever give these handkerchiefs to anyone?”
Lit smiet. Yes, you did. Every member of the family received one, nouding your parents and brothers. You even gav = them to guests who visited the estate. At the time, you thought your embroidery was quite good.”
“Did I give any to the marshal… the Hell Monarch?”
Liy thought for a moment before replying, “It seems you did. Back then, the Hell Monarch and the king occasionally visited the estate. You proudly handed out a few handkerchiefs, so it’s likely one went to the Hell Monarch
But I’m certain the king received some because he and your eldest brother were laughing so hard about them. You thought they were praising your work.”
Lily’s affectionate tone only made Sophie want to sink into the ground.
What a childish mistake! She had mistaken trash for treasure, thinking her embroidery was unbeatable!
But who would keep such handkerchiefs? Shouldn’t the people who received them have thrown them away after leaving the estate? Why would Rafael keep it until now? Had he forgotten to toss it away? Sophie’s face flushed a deep red.
How embarrassing!
To have given away such terrible enteroidery so brazenly. How shameless had she been back ther
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Clenching her teeth, Sophie said to Lilly, “Starting tonight, I want you to teach me embroidery. I need to make a perfect handkerchief.”
Mistakes made in youth must be corrected.
Sophie could accept her own imperfections, but she could not accept that she had handed out subpar work to everyone.
However, she was puzzled. While she could understand why her mother had kept her handkerchiefs, why would Rafael want to not only keep them, but also carry them around? There was a fleeting thought that she couldn’t quite grasp. Did Rafael have a fondness for unattractive things? What peculiar taste he had!
As the two senior maids organized the storeroom, Frederick took the opportunity to tell Sophie that Jason had sorted out the account books and wanted her to review triem. *Alright, leave them in the study. I look them over tonight,” Sophie said
Frederick nodded. ‘The accounts for the farms and shops have also been organized. Jason has summarized the totals and provided detailed breakdowns. I glanced through them and found them to be well done. The people Mr. Devin hired are indeed reliable.”
The accountant had been recommended by Solomon, and since the Devin family did well in business, Solomon’s recommendation was trustworthy.
Lulu, Pearl, and the others were arranging outfits for Sophie. With so many people expected at tomorrow’s event, Sophie needed to stand out.
Just then, Luke arrived to ask if Sophie would be attending Eleanor’s birthday banquet the next day, so she went out to personally respond.
“Please inform His Highness that I will be attending.”
Luke nodded. “Understood, my lady.”
Knowing Rafael had sent Luke over to gauge her intentions, Sophie added, “Tell His Highness that if he doesn’t wish to attend, he needn’t worry about it. I can handle things on my own.”
Luke chuckled. “My lady, you misunderstood. The reason His Highness sent me to ask was to inquire about what gift you’ll be bringing if you attend.”
Sophie looked at the plump, kindly steward and replied, “A painting- one painted by my senior, Kyle Spencer.”
“Oh!” Luke’s voice was filled with a mix of emotions, tinged with regret. “Then… I see…”
Kyle’s paintings were rare and valuable. To give one to someone like Eleanor, who was known for her pretentious taste, seemed like such a waste.Luke was visibly distressed by the thought of such a precious artwork being squandered.
Sophie noticed his pained expression and smiled. “My senior’s works include both his proud masterpieces and some he casually discarded. I’m a bit of a hoarder, so I’ve collected both his treasures and his cast-offs. If you’d like, I can give you one of his masterpieces.
Luke’s expression brightened instantly, and he waved his hands vigorously. “No! I wouldn’t dare take a masterpiece. I’d be very grateful for one of the cast-offs you mentioned, though. I promise to treasure it.” “Very well,” Sophie agreed without hesitation.
Beaming with joy, Luke bowed with gratitude and hurried off. His short legs moved so quickly that they almost seemed to produce a whirlwind,
Back in the estate, Lulu had selected se ral outfits, but they were all quite plain. Due to her period of mourning, Sophie rarely wore bright colors. The pink outfit she had worn previously was the only exception. It was the only relatively vibrant outfit she had worn recently.
Lulu was worried. How could such plain attire possibly showcase Sophie’s stunning beauty to its fullest?
“Perhaps the moonlight white blouse and pleated skirt will do,” Sophie suggested.