Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
But with Sophie in another private room and others watching, she couldn’t afford to be embarrassed.
So, she took a firm stance and said sternly, “Viola, if you don’t have enough money with you now, have the shop assistant collect it from our home.”
Viola’s eyes brimmed with tears, and her voice trembled. “No, let’s go back to the first floor and pick out a few pieces instead.”
As a lady from the Earl of Silverstone’s family, she couldn’t raise her voice to her mother-in-law here. She could only plead with as much humility as she could muster, hoping they would agree to move to the first floor.
Even the items on the first floor were not cheap. The Golden Tower only carried high-quality items.
Serena clung to the jewelry box tightly. “No, I want this one!”
Viola shook with anxiety, her gaze darting around as more heads poked out from the private rooms, all of them wearing expressions of surprise. This only deepened Viola’s sense of humiliation.
How could she possibly come up with almost 40,000 silver coins? Did she have to empty out her dowry and even use the funds from her late husband’s pension?
How could she do that?
Viola stood there, trembling and speechless. She had never experienced such a humiliating situation in her life. She turned to leave, but Rebecca quickly grasped her sleeve. Viola’s mind buzzed as she turned to face Rebecca’s icy gaze.
Rebecca’s tone was gentle, but her eyes held an oppressive weight. “Why are you in such a hurry? You need to wait for the shop assistant to accompany you.”
“Then…” The shop assistant was unsure of what to do. He had never encountered such a situation on the third floor before. These women didn’t want to pay for the tiara, nor did they want to return it to him. “Should I follow you back, madam?”
Guests on the third floor usually took their purchases and settled the payment later. They either sent someone to The Golden Tower, or had the money collected from their home at a later date. After all, most of them were regulars and well-known nobles in the capital.
However, the current situation seemed unusual. The shop assistant felt that if he let them take the tiara without immediate payment, he would never be able to collect the money.
Despite her shaking, Viola managed to respond with a quivering voice, “No!”
As the standoff continued, some people emerged from the private rooms to observe. Viola dared not look up, unsure if any of them were people she knew.
Kiera also peeked out but was pulled back by Sophie, who whispered, “Don’t worry about what’s happening with other people.”
Kiera nodded and continued examining the jewelry Nathaniel had brought for her, though she couldn’t help but be distracted by the commotion outside.
On the other hand, Violet stood at the entrance of the private room, which was separated by a beaded curtain rather than a door. The curtain was usually drawn aside to let in natural light. Only if a guest specifically requested would the shop assistant pull it down to block the view.
After all, who would deliberately block the view? When shopping for jewelry on the third floor, one might run into people they wish to associate with. Over time, they could end up being close.
Nathaniel had clearly heard the commotion. He waved over the shop assistant who had been handling the jewelry, and said, “Please ask William to handle this matter. I will attend to Lady Sophie and Princess Kiera.”
“Yes, sir!” The shop assistant put down the tray and left.
Moments later, a middle-aged man in a blue outfit ascended from the second floor. With a smile on his face, he approached Rebecca and her party, and humbly said, “Madam, we can store the ruby tiara at our shop for you. You can collect it when you wish, and we don’t charge a storage fee.”
William had offered Viola a way out. If the item was stored in the shop, they could maintain some dignity.
Viola visibly relaxed, and smiled gratefully. Her eyes were still moist with tears, making her smile appear somewhat pitiful.
Before she could speak, Serena pouted and said, “No need for that! I’ll take it back with me today. Have someone come to our residence to collect the payment.”
The shopkeeper William looked at Serena with a smile and said, “Miss, that’s certainly possible. However, we have many more ruby tiaras in the shop. You’ve only seen this one. Would you like to choose from a few more options?”
Serena lifted her head to see a shop assistant carrying a tray made of zebrawood enter the room. The tray obviously held pieces of much lower value, clearly brought up from the first or second floor. She immediately clutched the jewelry box she held tighter and said, “No, I only want this one.”
Rebecca was clearly getting frustrated. “What’s with all this nonsense? We’ve already chosen this one. What is the matter with your shop? Just come to our residence to collect the payment. Stop wasting time.”
William was experienced and well-acquainted with such situations, though it was rare on the third floor. It was clear to him that the mother and daughter were trying to force the daughter-in-law to pay for the dowry, but the situation seemed unusual.
The matriarch of the family was supposed to be in charge of the household finances, and she should have been the one to handle the money. Yet, this younger lady who looked like she was about to burst into tears was clearly the one paying. It seemed she was using her own personal funds for the purchase.
The two women were clearly pressuring her into making the purchase. In a place like this, the young lady didn’t want to be humiliated and was trying hard to hold back her tears. Her look of distress was genuinely pitiful.
As the situation reached a standstill, a lady dressed in simple, understated clothes stepped out of a private room. With a calm demeanor and a gentle voice, she addressed William, “Wasn’t this ruby tiara reserved for me? Why is it being sold to someone else?”
Everyone looked up, and Viola’s face instantly turned ashen.
They knew each other. The woman’s name was Kayla Lloyd. Her uncle was Patrick Lloyd, the Minister of Justice. She had married Lawrence Ziegler, the second son of the Marquis of Elderglen. Lawrence had died at the same battle as Thomas.
However, Kayla didn’t return to her natal family after Lawrence’s death. Instead, she stayed in the Marquis of Elderglen’s family as a widow and adopted a son, ensuring that Lawrence’s legacy would continue. At the moment, Kayla had genuinely meant to help Viola out of a tough spot.
However, back when Viola had received her divorce letter and returned to her home, people had begun comparing the two of them.
At that time, Kayla was too consumed by her own grief over losing her husband to pay much attention to the public’s reactionnet
Now, She was simply trying to lend a hand, thinking that they shared similar hardships.
But instead, her gesture seemed to have provoked Viola.
Viola immediately looked up and said, “Since the shop assistant didn’t mention that it was reserved for you, my sister-in-law will take it. Sir please send someone with me to collect the payment at my home.”
Kayla and William were both taken aback.
Kayla met Viola’s cold, almost venomous stare and hesitated before softly saying, “Alright then. If you like it, I’ll find something else.”
With that, she quickly returned to the private room where she had been choosing items. The curtain fell behind her, concealing her from view.
Violet was stunned.
Was Viola out of her mind? That lady had clearly come with good intentions to help her, yet she seemed to have been offended. Did Viola have a personal grudge against her?
The lady seemed genuinely kind, and even her gaze towards Viola was somewhat pitying.
Seeing Viola stiffly lead Rebecca and Serena down the stairs, Violet went back to the private room. She leaned over the display case and asked Nathaniel, “Do you know who that lady was?” Although Nathaniel hadn’t seen the lady in question, he could likely recognize the voice, as most guests on the third floor were familiar faces.
Nathaniel smiled and said, “Are you talking about Lady Kayla from the
Marquis of Elderglen’s family? She is a very kind and gentle person. Her husband, General Ziegler, was also highly respected and remembered by the people.”
The term “respected and remembered” revealed a great deal of information.
Just like Viola, Kayla had also lost her husband on the battlefield. They shared a common sorrow, and it was out of kindness that she had wanted to help Viola. Unfortunately, Viola didn’t appreciate the gesture, leaving Kayla quite embarrassed.