Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
She remembered the night she went with her sister-in-law to collect the banknotes from the account room. Zoey had spoken to her with an ic demeanor, a single sentence that left Viola feeling simultaneously chilled to the bone and burning with heat, as if she were being tormented by alternating waves of ice and fire.
As Zoey handed over the payment with a disdainful look, she said, “You know that you have no right to use his pension. I hope you never forget what you’ve done to disappoint him.” Those words dragged up every painful memory Viola had desperately tried to bury, laying them bare before her in a gory display.
There were things she deeply regretted, but it was too late for that now.
It was a moment of poor judgment, a lapse she wished she could forget. Why did Zoey have to keep reminding her?
A sudden sound of a muffled laugh from outside the window startled her. She jumped up and asked, “Who’s there?”
Freya’s mocking voice drifted in.
“You’ve turned yourself into a joke!”
Viola clutched her chest. “How dare you! You’re just a concubine! How dare you come here to ridicule me?”
“Hah! As a concubine, I’ve actually received quite a generous sum from this household,” Freya said with a laugh. “Since I entered the family, I’ve had the best of everything-no one dares to treat me poorly. And not a single penny of my own money has ever gone out.”
With that, she left gracefully, leaving Viola gasping in frustration.
In the entire household, Freya was the only one who could stand apart and enjoy the spectacle. If Serena dared to ask for anything, Freya would slap Serena without hesitation. Only someone like Viola…
So despicable!
After Freya finished mocking Viola, she returned to her room. She checked the defensive mechanisms, and then ordered her maid not to enter before changing and going to bed.
She had heard about the new Westhaven crown prince and confirmed the true identity of the man she had captured in Fawnrun City. Back then, Westhaven’s spies had killed the Duke of Northwatch’s entire family. Now, she had to be more cautious in case there were still Westhaven spies hiding in the capital.
Anyway, Blake wouldn’t come to her room, which was irrelevant. Staying alive was the most important thing.
While the Jaffe family’s residence was in chaos, the situation at the Earl of Gracehold’s residence was no better.
Dorothy was enraged to learn that her precious grandson had been stripped of his title as heir and could no longer inherit the Earl of Gracehold’s name. She had been causing a commotion for days, demanding an audience with the queen dowager to refute the charges brought by the Oversight Department.
Her actions had caused widespread discontent among the other family members. The position of heir wasn’t something only Samuel could inherit-weren’t there other descendants? Dorothy’s favoritism was so extreme that it chilled everyone’s heart.
Unable to bear the disturbance any longer, Noah knelt down and pleaded with her, “Mom, he’s given up everything for that lowly woman. Why are you still favoring him? You don’t have only one grandson. If you continue this way, our family will be torn apart and truly be ruined.”
Dorothy was furious, and struck him with her cane.
“How outrageous! You’re such a useless father! He’s your son! You should be hoping for him to succeed, not fail! The king had acknowledged him as a top scholar and personally appointed him as an official! How can you allow others to slander him so freely? You didn’t protect him in court, and now he’s been stripped of his title. His official position and heir status are gone! What do you expect him to do in the future?”
Dorothy hit Noah several times with her cane. Though she wasn’t very strong, the blows humiliated him as he was the head of the household.
He grasped the cane with one hand and said mournfully, “Mom, His Majesty already spoke to me. If this chaos continues, our title will be at an end.”
Dorothy staggered. “What did you say? The king said this personally?”
Noah let go of the cane, his voice filled with helplessness.
“His Majesty said it himself. He said if the Earl of Gracehold’s household doesn’t treat the duchess well, we’ll lose our title. Regardless, His Majesty has already considered revoking the title. We can’t make any more trouble. We can’t let Samuel make any more mistakes. He always listens to you. Please get him to stop insulting the civil and military officials and criticizing the royal authority.”
Dorothy collapsed into her chair, her face ashen. “No, our family’s title is hereditary and was granted by King Augustus himself. How can the current king revoke it? What does a man taking a concubine have to do with his title?
“Haven’t we treated the duchess well enough? You all are eager to stand up for her, but I’m the only one protecting Samuel. Look at him now-our esteemed scholar has had his teeth knocked out by a maid!
Anyone can strike him, and now, with his official rank and title stripped away, even the few words of criticism he receives are being regulated and controlled. It’s as if you’re trying to drive him to his doom!”
“Mom, think about your other grandchildren,” Noah said mournfully.
“But none of them are as outstanding as Samuel is! None of them can compare to him!”
Dorothy’s eyes hardened. Samuel was her cherished grandson, and those little people wanted to ruin him!
She slowly commanded, “Hold off on the ceremony to appoint a new heir for now. After I see the queen dowager in a few days, I will find a way.”
At Harmony Palace, Eleanor questioned the middle-aged man before her. His head was bowed, and she asked sharply, “How is this possible? How did Sophie find out about Cece’s identity?! Did that wretch herself tell Sophie’s people?”
The man was tall and handsome, though a bit weathered. Hearing Eleanor’s accusation, he quickly shook his head.
“It’s impossible. Celeste would never take the initiative to tell Lady Sophie. She has always been so obedient to you and never dared to disobey your orders.”
“She wouldn’t dare.” Eleanor’s eyes flashed with hostility. “Her mother is still imprisoned in my palace dungeon. If she wants her mother released, she had better be obedient.”
“Of course. She’ll definitely listen to you.”
Eleanor glared coldly at him, growing more enraged at his demeanor. “Go and ask her. Also, instruct the others to keep a lower profile and not let anyone learn of their identities. I suspect that Sophie only learned about Celeste and is making a fuss to provoke me, hoping to make me hesitate and disrupt my plans. I won’t be fooled by her tricks.”
“Understood. I will speak to them about it.”
Seeing that he had nothing else to say and was solely concerned about his daughters, Eleanor’s gaze grew even colder. “Get out!”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Henry turned and left. Over the years of internal strife and scheming, his once imposing figure had become slightly stooped.
Eleanor watched his retreating figure, thinking of the man who bore some resemblance to him. Her heart stirred briefly, only to be engulfed by a surge of deep-seated hatred.
Years ago, she had sought Hector’s hand in marriage as a princess, but he had dismissed her without a second thought. Instead, he had chosen the lesser and more insignificant woman, Melanie Sullivan. On their wedding day, Eleanor had cursed them, wishing they would be childless and doomed to an unhappy end.
Yet, Melanie had given birth to six sons and one daughter. The more Eleanor despised them, the more they seemed to flourish, their love for each other ever strong. The Duke of Northwatch had no concubines or secondary wives.
After all these years of resentment, Eleanor knew she would never forget the man who had suddenly intruded into her heart and disrupted her entire youth. When the news of his death came, she laughed wildly, and then cried just as uncontrollably.
He died well, but why wasn’t it Melanie who died instead?
At least Melanie’s sons had all died with him. Melanie must have been heartbroken. Indeed, she cried so much that she nearly went blind.
In time, the entire family was wiped out, which was truly a satisfying turn of events.
Wretches always get their just desserts.
But that man, even at the moment of his death, probably never once thought of Eleanor. And in the dead of night, she still dreamed of the moment she first saw him, her eyes full of wonder, her cheeks flushed with shyness.