Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
Sophie pulled the child from Rafael’s arms and held him tightly to her chest.
It was heartbreaking to see that the boy was nothing but skin and bones. A foul odor emanated from him-a mixture of decay, filth, and possibly old blood. His hair clung in matted clumps, adding to the overall stench.
Yet, Sophie embraced him as if he were the most precious treasure in the world, her tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.
The child, now in her arms, ceased his struggles. He lay still, like a broken doll, his tears streaking through the grime on his face, creating yellowish trails. Gone was the fierce resistance he had shown Rafael. Now, the boy seemed lifeless, his eyes staring blankly despite the tears.
Seeing this, Rafael’s long-held anxiety eased as he confirmed that the child was indeed of the Devin bloodline. It was a relief to know that a trace of the Devin family remained, though Rafael was puzzled about how Ryan had ended up in the hands of traffickers after escaping.
During the time he had been with Ryan, Rafael had tried in vain to glean any information from him. The child had been rendered mute by poison and was highly agitated, reacting violently to anyone who came near him. Initially, Ryan had responded when Rafael called his name, but as time went on, he seemed to lose recognition and remained either unresponsive or frenzied.
Even the Beggar Guild investigation had yielded no clues about the child’s origins. possibly because the traffickers had hidden their tracks well.
After a long while, Sophie gently released Ryan, who clung desperately to her wrist. His long, dark nails dug into her skin, almost drawing blood. His gaze never left Sophie’s face. When he saw the slingshot, his tears flowed even more freely. His lips trembled as he tried to speak, but all that came out were incoherent sobs.
Sophie’s eyes were swollen from crying as her trembling hands gently touched the small wounds on Ryan’s face.
With a choked voice, she said to Rafael, “Your Highness, could you please get a set of clothes and shoes for him? Are there servants here? Have someone prepare hot water for him to bathe.” “The clothes have already been bought, but he refused to change. I’ll have someone prepare hot water. You stay with him for a while,” the prince replied, his voice strained and eyes reddened.
Even after Rafael turned and left, Ryan continued to cling to Sophie’s hand. She carried the boy into the room, sat down in a chair, and took out a handkerchief to gently wipe his face.
Despite her own tears flowing freely, she spoke softly, “Ryan, it’s Aunt Sophie. I’m here, don’t be afraid. You don’t have to be afraid anymore.”
Upon hearing this, Ryan opened his mouth wide and cried silently. He cried so hard he struggled to catch his breath. His tears seemed endless, turning his face even more smeared. It was as if all his suffering and grievances from the past two years had finally found an outlet, and the tears wouldn’t stop.
Eventually, he cried himself into unconsciousness, collapsing in Sophie’s arms.
Fortunately, Rafael had already arranged for a physician to be on standby. The physician had initially tried to examine Ryan, but the child was uncooperative. After he was forcefully held down, they discovered that Ryan had been poisoned and had taken addictive drugs.
After the physician administered some acupuncture treatment, Ryan did not wake but began to snore softly. The exhausted boy had been sleeping fitfully, and was now finally in a deep sleep. Even Rafael, with his exceptional skills, could barely endure such distress, and Ryan’s condition was far worse.
The physician assured Sophie that Ryan was only sleeping, which relieved her. She remained by his side, keeping vigil.
Rafael spoke softly beside her, “You’ve confirmed that it’s him. You should go eat something. I’ll stay here with him.”
Sophie shook her head, wiping her tears away. “I want to stay with him. I’m afraid he’ll be scared if he wakes up and doesn’t see me.”
“Alright. I’ll have someone bring you something to eat,” Rafael said, turning to leave once more.
He made arrangements for the physician to be settled in a nearby room, ensuring he was well taken care of. They would have to wait for Ryan to wake up and be bathed and dressed before a thorough examination could be conducted.
The child had truly suffered, but at least he was still alive.
Ryan did indeed wake up in the middle of the night. Although he had simed a few times earlier, he had only been half-conscious and had dowly closed his eyes again when he saw Sophie
Late at night, the room was brightly it. While Ryan was asleep, Sophie had used hot water to wash his face. Though his small fase was painfully thin, he still bore a striking resemblance to his father, then When Ryan woke up, he cried again but managed to stile at Sophie through his tears. Due to how thin he was, his dimples were more pronounced
Sophie helped him bethe, immersing the boy in the tub and carefully mesting his hair, She gently applied olive oil to untangle the matted strands before rinsing them dean,
After his beth, Ryab was dressed in new clothes bought for a seven-year-old. The clothes were slightly oversized, but at least he looked neat and tidy. When the food was served from the kitchen, his eyes it up instinctively, he grabbed a piece of meat and stuffed it into his mouth, then hurriedly ducked under the table
It was a reflexive action. After hiding for a moment, he cautiously sat back up in the chair, his eyes brimming with tears as he looked at his aunt.
Sophie tumed to the side to wipe away her own tears before turning back with a smile. “Eat slowly, I will keep you company
When Rafael tried to enter the room, Ryan immediately became wary and set down his utensils, Seeing how frightened of men the boy was, the prince took a step back
“You two enjoy your meal, I’ll eat outside,”
“Thank you, Your Highness,” Sophie stood and walked over to Rafael Her eyes were filled with sincerity and gratitude. “I’ll never forget this kindness.”
“There’s no need for such formalities. We are about to get married. Stay with him. I’ve arranged for some writing materials to be brought later. I know Ryan started studying when he was three, so he knows how to read and write.”
Sophie nodded, “Alright, I’ll ask him about it after we finish eating.”
Once Rafael left, the wariness in Ryan’s eyes disappeared. He snuggled close to Sophie and began to eat ravenously,
Sophie looked at his thin face and body. Ryan seemed to have barely grown taller over the past two years. She could only imagine the suffering he had endured,
“Eat slowly, don’t choke,” she said gently.
Ryan slowed down his eating, but to Sophie, it looked like he was still devouring his food with desperation. The meal was finished in no time; he polished off several dishes and a whole loaf of bread. Afterward, Sophie cleared the table and set out the writing materials. She grasped his thin, fragile wrist.
“I remember you can read and write. Even if you haven’t written in the past two years, you should still remember the things you learned. Could you tell me how you escaped and how you ended up in this state?” she asked, her tears falling slowly into the ink pot.
After giving her nephew a bath, Sophie had seen the extent of his injuries-large and small, old and new. His body was covered in wounds, to the point there was almost no unblemished flesh left. Also, his left leg was crippled. The physician had examined it and found that the bone had healed crookedly after being broken. To fix it properly, the bone would need to be rebroken and set again.
Ryan wiped his aunt’s tears away with his thin, bony hands, then shook his head. He had a pitiable and heart-wrenching expression on his face. His eyes were deep-set, his cheeks sunken, and his body stick-thin. To Sophie, he seemed like a mere wisp of a person. It pained her greatly to see him like this.
If she had known Ryan was still alive, she would have searched for him across the land, to spare him from such suffering.
Once they settled down again, Ryan began to write. Perhaps due to not writing for a long time, in combination with poor nutrition and abuse, his fingers were somewhat deformed. Seeing him struggle to hold the quill firmly, Sophie held his hand to steady it.
After a long while, Ryan slowly started to write, each stroke a tremendous effort. Writing was a laborious task for him, as he lacked strength.
After what seemed like an age, he managed to write a simple sentence: [Went out to buy candied apples.]
The words were so crooked and difficult to decipher that Sophie had to spend a long time making sense of them.
When she finally figured them out, she looked up at Ryan with swollen eyes, tears streaming down her face once more. The words felt like daggers piercing her heart, causing her to curl up slightly in pain.
In the days before the massacre, she had returned to Northwatch Estate and discussed the Victory Pass battle with Melanie, who was worried about Dominic. She feared her father might meet the same fate as her husband and sons. Sophie had tried to comfort her, but her own anxiety about her grandfather and her concern for her mother was palpable.
Outside Melanie’s courtyard, Sophie had bumped into Ryan. He had lifted his small face and asked his aunt if she was unhappy.
Sophie had smiled and ruffled his hair, saying, “I’m a little bit unhappy, but I’ll cheer up soon. Don’t worry, Ryan.”
At the time, she had been preoccupied with her own worries and had given a somewhat dismissive answer. Perhaps Ryan sensed her unhappiness and thought buying her candied apples would lift her spirits. During the year and more Sophie had spent waiting to marry after returning from Meadow Ridge, she had primarily spent her time playing with the children, trying to bring them joy and alleviate their fear of losing their fathers. As a result, her nephews and nieces were very close to her.
Ryan had been five years old then, old enough to understand the gravity of the situation. He saw his grandmother and mother crying all the time, and knew his father was dead. Being smart and sensitive, he had become very dependent on Sophie and was especially close to her.
Ryan continued to write laboriously. After a while, his wrist was clearly exhausted, so Sophie suggested he take a break. But he stubbornly clenched his fist and continued to write.