Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
If he had proof, however, that would be a different story. He would waste no time accusing Rafael of abusing his status as a prince and war hero to sneak into another official’s estate and assault a court official.
“Get out!” Salvador’s voice thundered above him.
Blake quickly stood up and bowed deeply as he slowly retreated. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Rafael standing there, his gaze filled with mockery. Blake felt a surge of shame and anger, wishing he could just die on the spot.
Back at Valor Estate, he headed straight for Freya’s room in Forsaken Hall. The courtyard hadn’t always been called that. Freya had renamed it after their falling out, just to spite him.
When Blake stepped into the courtyard, a place he typically avoided at all costs, Freya’s first reaction was shock. But as she noticed the dark fury simmering in his eyes, she instinctively took a step back. “Why are you here?” she asked.
Blake advanced and grabbed Freya’s wrist. “Let’s go. We’re going to Jadehill Estate.”
Freya pulled her hand away forcefully. “I’m not going!”
Blake’s expression darkened as he stood in the courtyard. “If you don’t come willingly, I’ll drag you there! You can either walk, or I’ll tie you up and make you carry thorn branches on your back.”
Carrying thorn branches on one’s back was a traditional act of penance, where an individual who had committed a serious offense would bear thorny branches as a symbolic gesture of remorse and submission. The practice was a way to visibly demonstrate their sincere repentance and willingness to atone for their wrongs.
“You wouldn’t dare!” Freya’s anger flared, her voice trembling with indignation. “All I did was say a few words-what crime have I committed that’s so unforgivable I need to beg for forgiveness with thorn branches on my back?”
Blake gritted his teeth in frustration. “You know what you’ve done! Your crimes are so severe, carrying those thorn branches would be a mercy! You deserve to be executed!”
He glanced at the maids nearby and roared, “Get out!”
Terrified, the maids scrambled to leave.
Freya stared at him with reddened eyes. “You don’t treat me with even a fraction of the kindness you once did! You clearly loathe me. If that’s the case, why did you marry me?” Blake was on the brink of breaking down. He shouted at Freya in frustration, “I was a fool! I was blind! I mistook you for someone honorable and courageous, but you’re not!”
Freya covered her ears. “Shut up! Clearly, you misjudged. You thought Sophie would accept me, which is why you married me. But when Sophie refused to accept that you were marrying another wife, you revealed your true colors. Your affection for me was nothing but a passing fancy! You’re heartless and unfaithful! Blake, I was wrong about you.”
Blake’s face turned ashen, as if her words had struck the very core of his being.
Standing upright, he said coldly, “I won’t dwell on the past with you, but you must come with me to Jadehill Estate today. And as for the person you broke the limbs of yesterday, you need to compensate him. If not, you’ll be thrown into prison.”
“Stop talking nonsense! I didn’t hurt anyone yesterday.” As Freya spoke, she suddenly recalled what had happened on the previous day and asked, “Did Viola claim I did it?”
Blake’s anger flared. “Don’t play yel ret dumb! The person who pelted the estate with dung yesterday-you were the one who caught him and broke his limbs. He’s already reported the incident to the Royal Citadel. You’ll be visited by their officials soon enough.
“This morning, the inspectors presented a case against me, accusing me of poor household management and allowing my servants to harm civilians. Besides you, who else in the household is so violent?” Freya’s face turned pale with anger. “It wasn’t me! I didn’t even step out of the courtyard yesterday! If you don’t believe me, go ask the steward or anyone who was with me.”
Her agitation suddenly ceased as she fixed him with a cold stare. “Why don’t you ask Viola? Maybe it was her who had people do it.”
Blake raised a hand dismissively. “Impossible! Viola is gentle and virtuous. She wouldn’t do something so brutal.”
Freya’s heart sank with cold despair. “So, in your eyes, only I am capable of such cruelty, while Viola is a saint. Blake, oh, Blake, you’re absolutely right-you’re truly blind.”
Blake refused to believe that Viola could have given such orders. He was adamant that it must have been Freya.
“This isn’t the first time you’ve done something like this. We both know what you’re capable of. You dare to act cruelly, but can’t face the consequences. You have no one to blame but yourself for being despised.”
Freya, seething with rage, shouted, “Bring Viola to Forsaken Hall and have her recount everything that happened yesterday!”
A trembling maid entered, her lips quivering as she said, “G-General Jaffe, if you’re referring to the person throwing dung at the estate yesterday, it was indeed… indeed Madam Viola who ordered his arm to be broken.”
Another maid stepped forward and added, “She’s right, General Jaffe. It was Madam Viola. But she only instructed that his arm be broken, not his leg. It was his own foul mouth that led to…” Blake took a deep breath, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Viola was behind this?
Freya watched his reaction, feeling no satisfaction but instead an increased sense of grievance. Her expression was filled with bitter sarcasm as she said, “That’s r so-called dignified and virtuous wife you speak of.”
Blake was struck once again by the crushing weight of his situation.
Suddenly, he felt as if he had lost all sense of direction. His energy and spirit seemed to drain away, leaving him feeling as if he were adrift with nowhere to turn.
He had previously viewed Viola as dignified and virtuous, a cultured and considerate woman who was also highly respectful towards the servants. After all, she came from the Earl of Silverstone’s family and had married into the Farrell family-a family of military prestige, with Thomas Farrell being a respected figure among the generals.
He had expected Viola to be as honorable and forthright as her late husband, someone who would be both courageous and kind-hearted.
Yet now, just a single order from her had led to the breaking of a man’s arm.
While Blake also resented the people who had thrown excrement at the estate, giving them a beating and letting them go after would have been good enough.
Why go so far as to break their limbs?
It wasn’t a matter of compassion-it was about avoiding further public outrage and trying to quell the situation quickly. Now that the man’s limbs were broken, Blake feared that this incident would only escalate.
He stared at Freya, his tone unwaveringly stern. “I’ll check with Vi. When I come back, you’ll still need to apologize.”
Freya managed a bitter smile. “Vi? It’s been a long time since you’ve called me Rory. Now, it’s just my name. Blake, I truly made a mistake.”
Blake turned away, remaining silent for a moment before saying, “Who hasn’t?”
Freya stifled a sob, quickly swallowing the sound. She refused to bend or break. She had to maintain her dignity. Yet, the walls she had built around her heart, once fortified by his past affection, were crumbling.
The news of Sophie and Rafael’s marriage had already started the collapse.
How could she ever regard Viola as a threat?
Freya had never seen Viola as a rival because she knew, deep down, that Viola would never compare to Sophie in Blake’s eyes.
What was lost would always be the best thing.
Freya’s true rival would always be Sophie, never Viola. Viola didn’t even warrant comparison.
Blake strode out with determined steps.
Viola was already aware that the man whose legs had been broken had reported the incident to the authorities, hence why the Royal Citadel had sent officials to the residence.
When the steward reported that the officials had arrived, Viola panicked. She avoided meeting the Royal Citadel representatives and hid inside the house, instructing the steward to handle the situation.
Blake arrived just in time to overhear the steward briefing the chief constable, “We never intended to break his limbs. We only meant to give him a good beating to teach him a lesson. Unfortunately, the guards were too harsh.”
Blake approached and nodded respectfully, then asked, “Is there any possibility of resolving this matter amicably?”