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He knew that even if he couldn’t become an official or enter the ranks of civil service, he would still inherit a noble title. As a titled lord, he could live his life in wealth and prestige, criticizing other nobles from a place of secure privilege.
Claire relayed what happened at Hibiscus Lane to Violet, who then informed Sophie. Alana had visited a couple of days earlier, and informed Sophie that Leona had quarreled with Samuel.
Sophie advised Alana to gently guide Leona, to remind her that as a duchess, her authority meant that everyone in Gracehold Estate had to heed her wishes-including Samuel.
When feelings between a couple were gone, power became the deciding factor. As long as her family opposed it, Leona wouldn’t consider divorce as an option.
–
Early in the morning in the middle of the month, the stewards from the estates and shops lined up outside, waiting to report to Sophie.
After questioning each of them, it was already midday. Sophie had them stay for lunch before sending them back to their duties.
Since taking charge of the household affairs, she had her hands full. Thankfully, the entire estate had previously been managed well under Jacob and Luke, so there was little to clean up. The next day marked the formal engagement ceremony between Kiera and Logan.
Logan arrived with his mother and the elders of his family. Though Kylie had referred to him as her brother previously, as she considered him as such, Logan was actually her cousin from the third branch of the Quinton family. His mother, Audrey, came from a humble background but was Known for her kind and honest nature. Logan’s father suffered a head injury in his youth, and he had the intelligence of a child. So, he didn’t accompany them today.
Helen had hoped her daughter would marry into the Quinton family, but she hadn’t been impressed with Logan at first. Now, seeing him well-groomed and graceful, with proper behavior and fluent responses, he seemed far from the idle playboy rumored about. Moreover, Sophie had already advised Helen that Kiera’s husband didn’t need to be a high-ranking official. It was more important that he had good character, was considerate, and treated Kiera well.
Given that the two were mutually interested, their future together seemed promising.
So today, Helen sized up Logan with the keen eye of a mother-in-law checking out her future son-in-law. The more she looked, the more she felt that Logan wasn’t bad at all.
As for Audrey, she was easy to get along with. She spoke gently and had a gaze that lacked any sharpness. Helen also recalled that Audrey didn’t mind Logan’s father’s limited intellect. The couple was deeply affectionate, and children raised in such an environment were unlikely to turn out poorly.
So, after the engagement ceremony, Helen’s heart settled. The match seemed favorable. Whether the remaining members of Logan’s family were easy to deal with or not was of little concern, as the young couple would be living in the princess’ residence anyway. Meanwhile, Violet had followed Winona’s instructions and established a base in the capital. Winona assigned Claire, Lillian, Iris, and Mabel to her. These individuals were among Winona’s most skilled scouts, adept at Lightfoot Skill and disguise.
In addition to them, there were several more whose identities Violet was unaware of. They followed Claire’s orders and operated in passersby, other times infiltrating noble households as maids, or setting up stalls around the city.
various capacities-sometimes net
That day, Claire reported that several suspicious individuals had entered the capital and checked into Prestige Lodge.
The reason they were considered suspicious was because they carried a distinct aura of violence, one that set them apart from the usual martial arts practitioners. This bloodthirsty presence was something the scouts were highly sensitive to. As soon as the scouts detected it, they began to track the individuals closely. After they checked into Prestige Lodge and didn’t come out, the scouts reported their findings.
Upon hearing the report, Violet went to find Sophie.
Sophie frowned when she heard the news. The capital was the most prosperous and bustling place in the kingdom, with a significant number of merchants and martial artists coming and going.
“People who have killed excessively often carry a distinct scent,” Violet said. “That’s what Claire said, and that’s why those people are highly suspicious. Could they be plotting to assassinate the king?”
Sophie thought for a moment before shaking her head. “An assassination attempt on the king would need to occur when he is outside the palace. Attempting to assassinate him inside the palace would be the height of folly, especially since they are only a few in number. An inside accomplice would be necessary for such a plot.”
“Should we ask Michael to investigate the palace guards?” Violet suggested.
“No,” Sophie said as she clasped her hands together and looked out at the overcast sky.
The summer rains had begun. Though the capital was situated further north, it rained more after summer.
She recalled the recent issues surrounding the new crown prince of Westhaven.
“Has Claire mentioned if these individuals seem like they’re from Starhaven? Or could they be from Westhaven?”
“If they managed to enter the capital smoothly, they’re likely from Starhaven,” Violet replied.
“Not necessarily. If they’ve been in Starhaven for a long time, it wouldn’t be difficult for them to obtain the necessary papers to enter the capital.”
“Do you suspect they might be from Westhaven?” Violet asked.
Sophie replied, “I have some suspicion, but I’m also considering the possibility that they might be agents sent by Prince Yuvan. However, I’m puzzled by his motives for sending people into the capital. If they’re from Westhaven, I would assume they’re here to seek revenge for their deceased crown prince. But if Prince Yuvan is behind this, I can’t even begin to guess his reasons.”
Violet said, “It could be that we’re worrying too much and being overly sensitive. Perhaps they’re just a few wanderers coming to the capital to seek their fortune.”
Sophie didn’t share this false sense of security. “Keep an eye on them. Report immediately if there’s any news.”
“Don’t worry, I’m on it,” Violet replied, taking a sip of coffee and glancing out with wide eyes. “Looks like it’s going to rain. Ryan is scheduled go to Silverbrook Academy tomorrow. I hope the rain holds off until then.”
“Yeah,” Sophie responded absentmindedly, her mind preoccupied with the suspicious individuals and their possible motives.
Could they be Westhaven spies?
She couldn’t bring herself to say those words to Violet. In fact, just hearing the mention of Westhaven spies felt like a dagger driving deep into her heart.
Liam had told her that apart from those who were killed on the spot, he had dealt with all the remaining Westhaven spies in Starhaven. His words should be credible. After thinking for a while, Sophie said to Violet, “Vivi, find out about Blake’s recent duty schedule.”
“No need to ask. Duty changes every ten days. These days, he’s on daytime duty, and he’ll switch to night duty in twenty days.”
“Night duty.” Sophie said softly. “On the day he changes shifts, keep an eye on Prestige Lodge.”
“Do you still think they’re targeting Freya?” Violet asked, unconvinced. “If they’re after her would they need so many people? Freya’s martial skills aren’t that great.”
Sophie replied, “We’ve fought alongside her and sparred with her, so we know her skills. But before that, she was renowned far and wide as Starhaven’s top female general. It’s possible that someone might overestimate her abilities.”
“Fine,” Violet said with a touch of annoyance. “We hate her so much we wish she were dead, but we can’t let her die.”
“We can’t let her die,” Sophie repeated.
As she said it, a sudden realization hit her.
“No, it can’t be Westhaven’s new crown prince His goal wouldn’t have just been to kill Freya. The reason we’re keeping Freya alive is so that he can hold her accountable later. If he had someone kill her, he wouldn’t be able to use her as leverage for the Fawnrun City incident to negotiate with us. He wouldn’t make such a mistake.”
Violet looked at Sophie, and asked, “If they’re not targeting Freya, could they be targeting you and the marshal’s household?”
“I don’t know,” Sophie admitted.
She hadn’t been able to analyze it yet. After all, she only knew that a few individuals with a heavy aura of bloodlust had entered the capital, and there was no other information.
“I need to have Rod strengthen the defenses of the estate. Tomorrow, I’ll take Ryan to the academy and have Rod station people outside for a few days until those individuals leave.”
No matter what, caution was paramount. With Rafael and Jacob not in the estate, it was better to take extra precautions rather than rely on luck.
That day, Travis began setting up defenses. With five hundred soldiers stationed in Hell Monarch Estate under the king’s nose, Salvador might feel some trepidation. However, their actual utility was significant.