Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
Ryan had once said that if Sophie ever felt sad, eating a candied apple would make her happy. He promised that one day, when he managed to sneak out, he would buy her one.
Ryan had died just a few days before his fifth birthday.
He looked so much like Sophie’s second brother, as if he had been cast from the same mold. The only thing he inherited from his mother was a pair of shallow dimples.
Sophie’s eyes reddened. She couldn’t think about it-each thought was like a dagger to her heart.
She quickly found an excuse to leave, realizing that the selection of a successor couldn’t be rushed. It required careful observation.
Theodore watched her hurriedly retreating figure and let out a heavy sigh.
He turned to Solomon and said, “Keep looking. If we can’t find anyone suitable, I have another idea, but I don’t know if Prince Rafael would agree.”
“What idea do you have in mind, Grandpa?” Solomon asked.
Theodore lit his pipe and took a few puffs before speaking, “If, in the future, the prince and Sophie have two sons, the eldest would naturally inherit the royal or ducal title. But perhaps the second son could inherit the Duke of Northwatch’s title?”
Solomon thought for a moment and replied, “That could work, though it’s unprecedented.”
“We can discuss it with them after they’re married,” Theodore said, blowing out a ring of smoke. “If the Devin family doesn’t have any outstanding children, they can’t inherit the title. We mustn’t allow the Duke of Northwatch’s family to be tarnished by an unworthy successor.
“That’s true!” Solomon agreed wholeheartedly.
In the blink of an eye, it was already mid-August, and the Starlight Harvest Festival was approaching. Even so, Rafael still had not returned.
Sophie found it strange that he had not come back yet, especially since it had been over a month since he left. Initially, he had said he would just drop in for a greeting, then return immediately.
The journey to Meadow Ridge should have only taken two or three days. Even with a few days of rest and accounting for the round trip, he should have been back within ten days.
Could something have happened at Meadow Ridge?
Coincidentally, Sophie received a letter from Violet. It was several pages long, filled with amusing stories from Meadow Ridge. Violet mentioned that Travis had ended up being confined by his master as punishment for the cosmetics he had bought-though thankfully, not beaten.
Sophie couldn’t help but smile.
The letter also congratulated her on her upcoming marriage, saying that her friends at Meadow Ridge were preparing a grand gift for her wedding.
The news of her marriage had spread throughout Meadow Ridge, which meant that Rafael had indeed been there and visited the Pathfinders Guild. It seemed that her master was fond of Rafael; otherwise, he wouldn’t have announced her marriage to everyone at Meadow Ridge.
Violet also mentioned that the guild was preparing a dowry for her. However, the letter didn’t specify whether Rafael was still at Meadow Ridge.
Curious, Sophie sent someone to Hell Monarch Estate to inquire. The response was that everything seemed normal; they were just busy preparing for the wedding and making arrangements for Helen to take up permanent residence at the estate.
Satisfied that nothing was amiss, Sophie decided not to worry. She picked up her quill and wrote a letter to her master, then asked someone to deliver it to Meadow Ridge. If Rafael was still there, she would find out when the messenger returned.
But ultimately, it didn’t really matter. Perhaps Rafael had official duties to attend to.
A few days later, it was the Starlight Harvest Festival.
Northwatch Estate had already been adorned with star-shaped lanterns, giving it a festive atmosphere. There were also special cakes baked in the shape of stars for the festival, called starcakes. These were filled with sweet or savory ingredients, symbolizing the bounty of the harvest.
Lily had personally prepared a few batches of starcakes days in advance. Sophie had tasted them and found them delightful, so she had some sent over to Leona and Margaret.
However, Sophie decided against sending anything to Heather. She believed in treating others as they treated her. Whether Heather felt indebted to her was unknown, but Sophie certainly felt she owed her aunt nothing.
It wasn’t easy to send anything into the palace. Without an official summons from the queen dowager, Sophie couldn’t enter, and getting outside food into the palace was no simple task.
The Starlight Harvest Festival was a time for family reunions, but Sophie couldn’t find joy in it. Though she forced a smile to cheer everyone up, the sorrow in her eyes was impossible to hide.
Lulu understood her mistress’ feelings, so she chattered endlessly in Sophie’s ear, trying to lift her spirits.
“Let’s have some lobsters-they’re as big as your arm! And we’ve got moon wine to go with them. We should each have a cup tonight. Oh, and the luna blossoms in the courtyard have bloomed. Would you like to go take a look? “I heard there’s a fair tonight. If you’re interested, I can accompany you. We could go play the riddle games-you’re so clever, you’d surely win a prize!
“If you don’t feel like going to the fair, we could release star lanterns into the sky instead and make some wishes for a peaceful and smooth future.”
As Lulu spoke, her own eyes began to redden. The Starlight Harvest Festival was a time for family, but she had lost all of hers.
Sophie gently stroked Lulu’s head, then took off her own hairpin and placed it in Lulu’s hair.
“You should go out tonight. Have fun, and leave all the sadness behind,” said Sophie.
Lulu tried to remove the hairpin, but Sophie held her hand down. “Keep it on. A girl in the bloom of youth should always look her best.”
Sophie felt a pang of guilt. Lulu had grown up with her in Northwatch Estate, and had always been by her side- they played together, went to Meadow Ridge together, and Lulu even followed Sophie to the Jaffe family’s residence when she got married.
And then, they both lost everything together.
Lulu used to be mischievous, but had become much more composed after the tragedy. Especially now, back in Northwatch Estate, she was responsible for Sophie’s personal matters. The few maids she trained were calm and collected, reflecting Lulu’s own steadiness.
But who remembered how Lulu had been when she was only eighteen years old?
“How about I find you a husband?” Sophie asked, trying to steer the conversation away from the rising tide of pain in her heart.
“I won’t marry. I’ll stay with you forever,” Lulu said, her lips curling as she fought back tears. “Promise me you’ll never send me away, my lady!”
“Alright!” Sophie gently tapped her on the nose with a smile. “If you don’t want to marry now, then you won’t. But when the day comes that you do, I’ll prepare a fine dowry for you and see that you’re married off in style.”
The midday meal was light-Sophie had only a bowl of chicken soup before she went to the family chapel to pay her respects,
The Devin family was a prominent clan with their own sanctuary hall, where memorial plaques of Sophie’s parents, brothers, and in-laws were enshrined, However, as a woman, she was not permitted to enter the hall to worship and could only bow her head outside, al
The only way for a woman to “enter” the sanctuary hall was after their death, through the placement of a memorial plaque. As Sophie was a daughter, she would marry out of the Devin family eventually and could never enter-only the women who married into the Devin family had that right.
Thus, after her father and brothers fell in battle, Sophie had a small shrine set up in the family chapel, where she placed their plaques to facilitate seasonal rites. After the massacre, she had also moved the plaques of her mother, sisters-in-law, and nieces and nephews to the shrine.
Frederick had prepared the offerings: chicken, starcakes, and fresh fruits, Sophie entered the shrine, lit the candles, and gazed at the once-living individuals who had now become mere plaques.
After lighting the candles, she knelt on the floor and said, “Dad, Mom, Granduncle Theodore discussed with me the idea of adopting a child to inherit the title. However, the choice has not yet been made, and I’m unsure whether you agree with this decision. If you are watching over me from beyond, please give me a sign.”
She was uncertain about the adoption. She hadn’t personally selected any candidates-the thought of handing over the hard-earned title to another family’s child troubled her deeply. Though they were all from the Devin family, they were not immediate family,
The lists provided by Theodore included children with living parents. The younger ones, without their parents, were pitiable, while the older ones had deep bonds with their parents. After inheriting the title, would they bring their parents to Northwatch Estate? If so, who would care about the Duke of Northwatch’s family’s reputation then?