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“Sophie, what should I do? I love him so much, yet he hurts me like this. I’m carrying his child, and he brings a courtesan into our home. Have you ever heard of a noble family’s heir marrying a courtesan?” Violet said, “Enough of this! The Earl of Gracehold’s household isn’t really a prestigious family. If not for that talented son they produced, they’d be in decline.”
Leona sobbed uncontrollably. “I used to think I was so fortunate. So many noble women admired him, yet he chose me. I know I’m not as beautiful as Ruby, but I am a duchess from the royal family. How can he disregard me so? Since Ruby entered the household, he hasn’t come to my quarters, and when I suffer from pregnancy symptoms, he merely sends someone to inquire about my health.”
“There’s also his other concubine, the lady from the Wagner family, right?” Sophie said, gently wiping away Leona’s tears.
“Nora is actually quite compliant.
She only hoped to use her family’s wealth to secure a good marriage. As a merchant’s daughter, she entered the household with a dowry of fifty thousand silver coins, of which thirty thousand was given to Samuel to marry the courtesan. Nora accepted it willingly.”
“Divorce him!” Violet said firmly.
While she didn’t think divorce was a simple matter, Samuel was heartless and untrustworthy. He was truly not someone to rely on.
Leona smiled bitterly. “Divorce? If I were to divorce him, my parents wouldn’t let me return home. Do you remember how you were treated during your divorce, Sophie? They didn’t even want the gifts you gave me to add to my trousseau, considering it bad luck.”
“Doesn’t your family know how you’re suffering? Haven’t they talked to Samuel?”
“They know. My father is aware, but he says that haying multiple wives is normal for men and told me not to be petty or jealous. While my mother also feels for me, she still tells me to endure saying that as Samuel’s primary wife, I’ll eventually be the matriarch of the household when he inherits his title. She says that when Samuel grows tired of the courtesan in a few years, he’ll throw her aside, so I should just bear with it for now.”
“Your parents are truly spineless!” Violet cursed.
“But how can I endure this kind of life? If she only stayed in her quarters, it would be one thing. But Samuel dotes on her, and she comes to harass me daily. She makes me uncomfortable by always bringing up their nightly activities, and….”
Leona couldn’t continue and buried her face in her hands, crying in anguish.
Even though she didn’t finish her sentence, everyone knew what she meant. Ruby’s provocations included flaunting her intimacy with Samuel and deliberately causing Leona pain.
“Focus on taking care of yourself and the baby for now. After the child is born, you can deal with her slowly,” Sophie advised.
At the moment, she couldn’t offer much practical help, considering Leona’s fragile state.
“I can’t deal with her. Even a single word doesn’t make a difference, because Samuel protects her. Even though Nora’s dowry provided the money Samuel redeemed her with, Ruby slapped Nora just because of something she said,” Leona sobbed.
Both Violet and Sophie were seething with anger.
How could Samuel be so heartless? He used Nora’s money to marry the woman he adored. Yet, that woman had the audacity to slap Nora for a single remark.
Sophie’s voice was sharp with rage as she asked, “Has he ever hit you?”
Leona shook her head. “No, he hasn’t.”
Sophie continued, “Even if he hasn’t hit you now, who’s to say what will happen in the future? That courtesan was already so bold in front of me today. It’s likely she will provoke you further. Though she’s a courtesan from a prestigious brothel, she has plenty of tricks up her sleeve.”
She placed a comforting hand on Leona’s shoulder. “How many people did you bring with you? Do you have enough to protect yourself?”
Leona replied, “I brought four maids and one old servant.”
Sophie considered her options. She would consult with Travis about sending a letter to his guild to see if his senior guild members could come as guards. Sophie was unsure if Travis’ master would agree, as she had previously disapproved of female apprentices going out to seek a livelihood.
It would only be for a few months, just until the baby was born and until the Lunar Blessing Ceremony, which was on the 100th day of the baby’s birth. Sophie hoped the Lunar Guild’s leader would consent. She decided not to mention this to Leona yet. Once arrangements were confirmed, she would send the reinforcements directly.
As they left Gracehold Estate and settled into the carriage, Rowan spoke up.
“Lady Sophie, the situation with Lady Leona is quite dire. Her emotional distress is severe, and has likely caused her to cry daily. If this continues, no amount of miscarriage prevention medicine will be effective. It’s uncertain if the baby can be saved, and there’s a real risk that she might suffer lasting health issues.
“Also, she seems to have had a cough for a while. Coughing in the first three months is particularly harmful to the baby’s health. Her lungs and heart channels are severely congested. She really needs to be more relaxed.”
Rowan’s words deepened Sophie’s concern. It was easy to say “relax”, but much more difficult to achieve.
Leona had never been a strong child. Whenever faced with difficulties, she would simply cry. Despite her status as a duchess, her temperament was shaped by the weakness of her parents, leaving her timid and easily frightened.
Her situation was made worse by her deep love for Samuel. Before marrying into the Langley family, she had been full of hope and ONE
for her future. Yet, she soon discovered that Samuel had taken a new concubine and favored her above all else, leaving Leona neglected and heartbroken.
“In my opinion, it wasn’t enough just to beat that old harpy. Samuel should be the one to be punished,” Violet said coldly.
Sophie responded calmly, “If you strike someone he cares about, do you think he won’t come demanding retribution?”
Violet cracked her knuckles. “Good. If he comes, we’ll give him what he deserves.”
Rowan hesitated before saying,
“Actually, if you do that, Lady
Leona’s situation might worsen. Mr. Langley might become even more resentful toward her, and if he turns cold and harsh, it will only cause more distress for her. If she is distressed any further…”
Sophie knew all too well that such distress could endanger the baby.
Violet retorted, “Regardless, he’s treating Lady Leona poorly now. Why not teach him a lesson to make him behave?”
Sophie pondered for a moment, then said, “If you hit him, it will be seen as an assault on a government official, and as a scholar, he will be humiliated from being beaten by a woman. This will only lead him to take out his anger on Leona. I have another idea.”
“What is it?” Violet asked eagerly, keen on dealing with the scoundrel.
Sophie replied, “We need to enlist Meredith’s help. Let’s go to her residence, Pristine Palace.”
Meredith was married to Levi, the son of the Oversight Minister, Irvin, who was notorious for his intolerance of corruption and misdeeds. It didn’t matter if the cases were related to the previous era or within the inner court. As long as he found any incriminating evidence, he would report and pursue it with relentless vigor.
Wasn’t Samuel’s future limitless? Let his private affairs become public, and Irvin could use this opportunity to make a case out of it.
After all, the Oversight Department has been quite idle lately, right?
Meredith was far from being put off by Sophie and Violet’s unexpected visit. In fact, she welcomed them with great warmth and enthusiasm.
“I should have sent a formal notice of our visit, but it was an urgent matter. I hope you will forgive our impromptu arrival,” Sophie apologized.
Meredith smiled. “Why make such formalities between us? It’s a pleasure to have you here. Just so happens that today, Henrietta is also my guest. She overindulged and upset her stomach. She’s currently in the restroom, but you’ll see her shortly.”
“What are you talking about? Meredith, don’t speak nonsense.”
At this moment, Henrietta entered with her attendants. She was holding her stomach and clearly still felt unwell, but her retort to Meredith was forceful.