Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
She was momentarily taken aback, then walked straight to Viola. “Viola, it’s been a long time. How have you been?”
Alice was unaware of Viola’s marriage. Despite the uproar in the capital about the simultaneous weddings of Viola and the Hell Monarch’s princess consort, Opal had ordered that no one should mention Viola’s marriage to Blake in Alice’s presence.
As a result, Alice had remained in the dark.
The others in the room also realized that Alice was unaware of the situation.
The atmosphere grew awkwardly silent. Even those who usually enjoyed the drama of such events remained unusually quiet.
Alice’s situation was truly tragic. She had three sons, two of whom died young. Only Thomas survived. Despite his early fame and valor on the battlefield, he perished in combat and would never return.
So when Alice, with tears in her eyes, addressed Viola as if she were still her daughter-in-law, it inevitably tugged at the heartstrings of everyone present.
Viola stood up, her voice barely audible as she said, “Madam Alice, I am well, thanks to your kindness.”
She couldn’t meet Alice’s gaze directly, her eyes darting around, her lips trembling.
Alice was momentarily taken aback. Seeing the silence of the crowd, including the silence from Opal and Evelyn, she suddenly began to understand.
Serena, who had been silent since entering the main hall, seized the opportunity to speak. She quickly approached, and linked her arm with Viola’s. “Madam Alice, this is my sister-in-law.” Alice looked at Serena, unsure of her identity.
She heard Opal softly explain, “This is the daughter of the Jaffe family. As for Viola, she is now Mr. Jaffe’s wife.”
Alice was aware of Blake’s pursuit of Freya through his military achievements, as Opal hadn’t kept that from her. However, the news of Viola’s marriage to Blake had been concealed. Upon hearing that Viola had married Blake, Alice was stunned, disbelief evident in her voice.
“General Jaffe? Blake Jaffe?”
Viola nodded slightly. “Yes.”
Alice’s face went pale. When her son died in battle, she didn’t want her daughter-in-law to remain a widow for the rest of her life, so she l.ne allowed Viola to leave, hoping Viola would find someone who would treat her well.
She never expected that it would be Blake, who was known for seeking another wife after his military successes.
Alice had a low opinion of Blake.
She believed that the Farrell family, being a family of military officials, would not behave in such a manner. The fact that Viola had married Blake was beyond her expectations.
Alice’s voice trembled slightly as she asked, “Does… Does he treat you well?”
Once the question was out, she felt she had overstepped.
Viola and the Farrell family were no longer connected.
“Yes, he does, Viola said, clearly wanting to end the conversation. She also didn’t want Serena holding onto her any longer, so she pulled her arm away and suggested, “Let’s not stay here any longer. Why don’t we go outside and enjoy the flowers?”
The atmosphere had indeed become awkward; even Helen, who was usually a bit slow to pick up on things, noticed it. She took the initiative to break the silence.
“Not long ago, Sophie added many rare and beautiful flowers to my collection. Why don’t we go take a look? The bougainvillea on the wall has also bloomed, and it makes for a vibrant display. If we don’t see it now, it will soon wither.”
Sophie joined in, “That’s right. If you’re not interested in flowers and would rather see the performances, follow me.”
She first helped Helen down from her seat, and then took Alice’s arm gently. “Come, let’s go enjoy the flowers. It’s been a while since we last spoke, and I’d like to catch up with you.”
Alice appeared somewhat dazed. She couldn’t understand why Viola had married Blake, and now, why was she here today? The Farrell family had allowed her to return to her natal family, hoping she would find a suitable match-but Blake was not that match.
Alice felt a deep sense of revulsion.
Her son, Thomas, was exceptional. Even if Viola found another suitor who wasn’t as outstanding as Thomas, he shouldn’t be someone of such poor character.
Eleanor was quite displeased with this turn of events. She had been enjoying the sight of Helen’s anger and jealousy. However, with the arrival of the Farrell family, it seemed her attempts to provoke Helen using Dakota’s grandchildren had been in vain.
But Eleanor noticed the jealousy in Helen’s eyes earlier. With a bit of provocation, she was certain Helen would soon start arranging for Rafael to have secondary wives.
Serena followed Eleanor to view the flowers, anxiously scanning the crowd, wondering when she might catch a glimpse of the Hell Monarch.
If she didn’t see him, how could her plan succeed?
Last night, Violet and Sophie had made a bet, and Violet had lost. As a result, Violet had disguised herself as a maid for the day. She had firmly said she wouldn’t serve anyone but would stand at a distance, observing the guests, especially Eleanor and her companions.
At the moment, nothing seemed amiss, but from the way they exchanged glances and Serena’s restless scanning of the surroundings, Violet suspected that they were up to no good.
She summoned Pearl and instructed, “Go and inform Sophie that everything here is currently under control.”
Pearl acknowledged the command, and made her way to the theater to relay Violet’s message to Sophie.
Sophie was attending to several elderly ladies, including Mary on her left and Alice on her right. The play being performed was a common choice for birthday banquets. The ladies present, who had likely seen this performance numerous times, were not truly focused on the play. Instead, their gathering was more about socializing and strengthening relationships.
Sophie’s concern for Alice was not solely due to Viola. Rather, it was because Alice was the mother of Thomas, who had originally served under her grandfather before being transferred to her father’s command.
Alice had lost all three of her sons, leaving her with only one illegitimate son and two daughters. Sophie deeply understood the pain of losing loved ones, and recognized Alice’s ongoing grief. Alice’s initial decision to let Viola leave showed her kindness, but it also revealed how her gentle nature made her susceptible to personal difficulties.
So, no one was paying attention to the play, and the ladies were quietly conversing among themselves.
Alice clasped Sophie’s hand tightly, struggling to hold back her tears. She whispered, “Lady Sophie, what kind of person is Mr. Jaffe? Is he very cruel?”
Sophie replied softly, “Madam Alice, please try to put your mind at ease. Since she’s already left your family, there’s no need to worry about her anymore. Focus on your own health and your daughters.”
Alice’s voice was filled with sorrow, “I know I shouldn’t interfere, but my son was such an upright and noble man. After gaining military honors Mr. Jaffe discarded his wife and remarried-he is not a good man. My son cared deeply for Viola. Before he died, he mentioned her in every letter he wrote home. I believe my son would not have wanted her to marry someone like that.”
“The Prince family is not to be trifled with. Regardless of what kind of person Blake is, as long as the Earl of Silverstone’s family stands, Viola will not be wronged,” Sophie said.
She paused, and continued, “Don’t worry about others just focus on yourself. After all, you are no longer family. She will not be buried with Thomas in the future, and since the divorce letter was given to her, who she marries is her own business. Whether her future is good or bad will be something she has to face on her own.”
Alice sighed slowly. “You are right, Your Grace. I have indeed meddled too much.”
Alice wasn’t actually very familiar with Sophie. They had only met a few times when Sophie was younger. Later, when Sophie returned from Meadow Ridge, their families had interacted occasionally, but it was mostly through Melanie. Sophie had only come to offer a polite greeting once in a while.
But with her son gone, Alice felt adrift. Seeing Sophie, she was reminded of how her son had served under Hector and Dominic, and it gave her a sense of connection.
At that moment, a maid approached. “Madam Alice, our mistress requests your presence.”
The maid was Mia, a servant of the Prince family-or, more specifically, Zoey’s maid.