Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
How could it be treated so poorly? It was an insult to Kyle and a tragedy for the artwork!
His hands shook as he directed someone to hold one side of the painting while he joined the pieces together. This painting was superior to the ones in his collection because the orchid depicted was in full, vibrant bloom. The orchids on Meadow Ridge were naturally more spectacular than those in a backyard.
Hearing it was an authentic piece by Kyle, Rafael could guess the situation. He remained silent, his gaze sweeping over everyone’s faces.
Trevor was on the verge of tears, his lips trembling incessantly. “How could it have been torn? Who tore it? Who did this?”
The ladies watched Eleanor’s expression, remaining silent. Helen had intended to speak, but upon seeing Eleanor’s cold gaze, swallowed her words.
Forget it. It was better to endure and avoid trouble.
“I presented this painting to Grand Princess Eleanor as a birthday gift. Lady Adelaide claimed it was a forgery, and Lady Jessica tore it in anger. Since Lady Rosalind declared it genuine, Grand Princess Eleanor called for you to verify it, Lord Young,” Sophie loudly declared.
Hearing Sophie’s words, Rafael realized his guess was correct.
Helen stared at Sophie in disbelief. Did she not realize she had offended Adelaide? This woman was bold, offending not just Eleanor and Jessica, but also stepping on the toes of Adelaide!
Trevor and the gathered nobility and officials were stunned. Tearing a painting based on one person’s claim it was a forgery? What if it wasn’t?
Now, it was confirmed to be genuine.
Trevor was too angry to speak, but he knew it wasn’t his place to express it. His heart ached with regret, an overwhelming regret that pained him deeply.
Kendrick’s face darkened upon hearing that his wife had declared the painting a forgery.
Eleanor remained expressionless, silently observing, but her gaze on Sophie was like a poisoned dagger. She hadn’t expected Sophie, whose mother had been insulted with the gift of a symbol of chastity, to present her with such a precious gift. Nor had she anticipated that Kyle was Sophie’s senior in the same guild.
“Henry, please escort the officials to the main hall for tea. The banquet will commence shortly,” she said calmly.
Henry stepped in to defuse the situation, guiding the regretful officials out.
Trevor, still holding the torn painting, slowly handed it back to the steward as he remarked, “If Mr. Spencer knew his treasured work was treated so poorly, he would be heartbroken.”
Afterward, he excused himself, claiming he felt unwell. He left for his residence, skipping the banquet entirely.
With the royal chancellor gone, Rosalind and her mother, Juliet Taylor, also took their leave. Juliet had clearly seen Eleanor’s intent to target Sophie, and preferred not to stay.
As Juliet and Rosalind departed, Sophie said, “It seems I’ve caused trouble for you today, Your Highness. Consider this birthday gift null and void. I’ll take back the remains of the painting.”
She retrieved the torn painting from the steward, her eyes scanning the room, noting the displeased expressions of Dakota and Adelaide.
As for Eleanor, her hands gripped the armrests tightly, veins bulging on her forehead. Renowned for her reputation, she had failed to recognize a genuine work by Kyle today-a most humiliating blunder! Watching Sophie roll up the painting, Eleanor abruptly redirected the people’s focus. “Rebecca, Sebastian was here earlier. Why didn’t you ask him to treat your illness?”
This shift in attention made everyone look at Rebecca.
Rebecca’s heart sank.
This was bad! If Sebastian were called back, his unpredictable temper might lead him to say anything. With so many people present, how would she manage the situation? How would she maintain her reputation afterward?
It was obvious when Eleanor set out to entrap someone, she showed no mercy. She immediately commanded someone to fetch Sebastian back.
Sebastian had already explained this issue, and the officials’ wives had also been present then. However, he was more than willing to clarify once again.
Standing behind the partition screen, his voice was old and stern.
“Madam Jaffe suffers from a heart ailment and hemoptysis. This illness has persisted for many years, and remains incurable. It can only be managed with Snowdrop Pills.
“Initially, I treated her in consideration of Lady Devin. Since entering the Jaffe family, Lady Devin has tended to Madam Jaffe’s illness day and night for a year. The monthly cost of the Snowdrop Pills is considerable, and there’s no need to explain where the money comes from.
“However, Madam Jaffe was uncooperative. She constantly complained to me about the cost of the pills without understanding the precious herbs used to make them. If not for Lady Devin’s repeated pleas, I would have stopped visiting the Jaffes long ago.
“A person’s reputation is as vital as a tree’s bark. After General Jaffe won a victory, he discarded the wife who had served his mother for a year. Then, taking advantage of the king’s marriage edict, the Jaffes conspired to cast out Lady Devin to seize her dowry.
“Such family ethics and character are despicable to me, so I will not visit their estate to treat her. The only reason I still sell them medicine is because Madam Jaffe’s eldest daughter-in-law knelt for a long time in the snow outside my office. It was out of respect for her devotion that I continued to provide the Snowdrop Pills. Why would I have done so otherwise? The pills are already in short supply.
“Moreover, General Blake marrying Lady Devin was him reaching above his station. Fortunately, he never touched even a single finger of hers. They divorced, and she preserved her purity. Because of that, she can remarry without issue.”
Having said his piece, Sebastian turned and left without even bidding farewell to Eleanor.
The focus of the gossip immediately shifted from Eleanor to Rebecca.
After all, even if it hadn’t, no one would dare to gossip about Eleanor.
But what truly shocked everyone was that Blake had never touched Sophie.
Good heavens, how could he resist such a beauty?
Many people had seen Freya’s appearance, and now hearing that she was disfigured and unpresentable made the situation even more surprising.
The Jaffes had reaped what they had sown. They had a high-born daughter from the Duke of Northwatch’s family, yet they had let her go because they thought she had no family backing. Little did they know that Sophie didn’t need her family’s support-she could earn military merits on her own.
“She must be regretting it now, huh? How could Freya ever compare to Sophie?”
“If I were her, I’d be wishing for the ground to swallow me up.”
“Exactly! It’s like finding treasure but leaving empty-handed. Such character and behavior are truly unacceptable. I was considering arranging a marriage for her third son, who looks decent enough, but thankfully I hadn’t yet proposed.”
“Me too. I thought her daughter seemed quite proper and graceful, but now I wonder if it’s all just an act.”
The murmurs reached Rebecca’s ears, making her so angry she nearly had a heart attack. Serena looked tearful and pitiful. But considering their family’s actions, no one dared to feel sympathy for them. On the other hand, Sophie had shown remarkable composure and assertiveness today, standing her ground against Eleanor and even exposing her misdeeds without fear.
Though it appeared reckless, upon closer reflection, she had left no room for Eleanor to retaliate.
If even Eleanor couldn’t attack her directly, who knew what else Sophie might reveal?
Moreover, her senior was Kyle. If he came from the Pathfinders Guild, then wasn’t she also clearly a member of the same guild? Besides Kyle, Pathfinders Guild was rumored to house many other talented individuals.
Clearly, Sophie was not without strong backing.
With this realization, the gazes directed at Sophie became more meaningful. This potential marriage was indeed worthwhile. She was pure, beautiful, cultured, and capable. She could be graceful when needed and fierce when required-a perfect candidate for a noble wife.
Many people started contemplating marriage alliances with Sophie. Besides her personal merits, she was connected to the prestigious Pathfinders Guild.