Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
She responded gratefully, “I’m sorry for the disturbance yesterday. I came today to express my thanks.” “There’s no need to be so formal,” Sophie replied. “You’re injured and should be resting at home.” She and Violet helped Kayla into the side hall.
Kayla’s maid presented a gift.
“Madam Kayla is aware of what happened yesterday and feels that it has caused trouble for you, ne?
Grace. She is grateful for your assistance and has prepared a small token of appreciation. Please accept it
Sophie asked Pearl to receive the gift and smiled. “It was just a small gesture. You didn’t have to go to the trouble of involving the matriarch of the Marquis of Elderglen’s family.”
Kayla smiled shyly and said, “Mother said that someone as kind-hearted as you is truly rare. She intended thank youin person, but with all the recent rain, her cough has than el. the worsened. She was afraid that she might pass on her illness to you, so she sent me instead.”
Kayla had dark circles under her eyes, and no amount of powder could conceal her fatigue. It was obvious that she had not slept well the previous night.
After a brief chat, Sophie asked, “Can the earring be repaired?”
“My mother-in-law has already sent it to The Golden Tower for examination. It should be repairable,” Kayla replied.
“Such a valuable item should be kept safely; wearing it out carries risks,” Sophie said, noticing how much Kayla cared about the earring and understanding its significance to her.
“I usually don’t wear it,” Kayla said with a smile, though her eyes were misted with tears. “But it was Alexander’s first day at the academy yesterday. I thought if I wore it, it would feel like my late husband was with me, sending our child to the academy together.”
Her voice trembled slightly, “That was one of the things we vowed to do together when we got married. I know it’s silly. But if I don’t lie to myself sometimes, it’s hard to get through the day.”
Sophie’s eyes were filled with compassion, half for Kayla and half for herself.
“You’re strong, Your Grace. Unlike me, I know you wouldn’t do something silly like lying to yourself.”
Kayla’s voice was tinged with sadness, but she seemed eager to talk to someone.
Perhaps it was because she hadn’t confided in anyone for a long time. Or maybe because Kayla’s husband had served under the Duke of Northwatch and perished with him and his six sons on the Southern Frontier battlefield.
“I have no grand ambitions in life, and my talents are unremarkable. My character is reserved and I lack decisiveness. My husband, on the other hand, was a hero in his youth. He was exceptionally handsome and came from an illustrious family. He could have married any woman he wanted. Yet, he chose me, an ordinary person.
“I married him when I was seventeen. I’m twenty-five now, and we’ve been married for eight years. We were often apart, which is why we couldn’t have our own children. Fortunately, we have Alexander now. Although he’s not biologically ours, I believe my late husband would have liked him.
“I have no other hopes for this life. I only wish for Alexander to grow up to be as upright and noble as his father. And I hope that someday, I can take him to the place where his father fell, so he can pay his respects and offer a prayer.”
As she spoke, Kayla looked at Sophie with tear-filled yet resolute eyes.
“If that day ever comes, I hope you can have someone guide us to where he rests, Your Grace.”
Sophie gently replied, “Of course. When Alexander is older, I will send someone to lead you there. However, once you reach the Southern Frontier, you can ask the locals. They have erected a monument in the honor of those who have fallen, and there are continuous offerings.”
Kayla smiled through her tears. “That’s good to hear. I can rest easy now, truly.”
Seeing her tears, Sophie felt unsure of how to comfort her.
“Don’t cry. He wouldn’t want to see you in pain.”
“Yes, he would be heartbroken. He told me once that seeing me cry hurt him too,” Kayla said, wiping her tears away with a sad smile. “The memories are so vivid in my mind Every night, when I toss and turn, I find myself replaying every word he said over and over in my mind. But that’s enough. The memories he left me are enough to carry me through the rest of my life.”
Sophie and Violet exchanged a glance, both feeling a pang of sorrow in their hearts.
Kayla composed herself. “I’m sorry for my loss of composure. I didn’t mean to cause discomfort for you, Your Grace, Ms. Spencer.”
“It helps to talk about it, doesn’t it?” Violet said, her voice unusually gentle.
“Yes, it helps a lot,” Kayla replied, her eyes and nose reddened from crying.
It seemed like all her emotions had finally found a release, bringing her a sense of calm.
After Kayla left, Violet hugged
Sophie, her nose tingling as she choked up. “Sophie, I wasn’t there for you during your hardest times, and it e breaks my heart. How did you manage? I can’t even bear to think about it.”
Amused at this unexpected display of emotion, Sophie laughed through teary eyes. “But I got through it home
Don’t cry, or I won’t be able to either.”
Violet quickly let go, fanning her eyes and tilting her head back to push down the tears. “No. No crying. Neither of us should cry.”
“Who’s crying?” Helen entered the room and saw both Violet and Sophie with red-rimmed eyes. “Wait, didn’t we have guests? Why are you both in tears?” She muttered, “And why didn’t the guest come to pay respects to me? How rude.”
Violet and Sophie burst into laughter. Helen’s pouty expression was just too much to handle, leaving neither of them able to keep a straight face.
In Simonton City, Oliver was growing increasingly impatient. After four rounds of negotiations, Victor refused to budge. He insisted that he would only release Septimus in exchange for Simonton City.
The other prisoners had already been exchanged long ago. In fact, Starhaven had been on the losing side of the deal. The number of Sandorian captives they had was twice more than the Devin Army soldiers in Victor’s hands. The numbers didn’t add up, revealing how many prisoners Sandoria had killed. Now, they were demanding an entire city in exchange for Septimus’ life.
It was absurd.
If it hadn’t been for Rafael arriving a couple of days ago and urging him to delay the negotiations, Oliver would have flatly rejected Victor’s demands.
Timothy and Louis had repeatedly stressed that Septimus had been an important figure in recovering the Southern Frontier, but Oliver didn’t agree. He had reviewed the list of people in the Devin Army, and Septimus wasn’t even on it. Even if his name not being on the list had been an oversight, how could one man alone provide critical intelligence?
So, Oliver believed that the intelligence Septimus delivered was something scouts could accomplish and wasn’t of paramount importance.
The negotiations had already dragged on for too long. He was unwilling to delay any further. After all, the prisoners had been exchanged. If Septimus were a loyal and righteous man, he wouldn’t want to see the kingdom sacrifice an entire city for his release.
The problem was that the king had sent Rafael to participate in the negotiations. After the prince’s arrival, he issued an order to delay the negotiations, then disappeared. Oliver was fully aware of what this implied-sacrificing Septimus would bring disgrace, so Rafael had hidden away.
With the Hell Monarch out of sight, the responsibility for the negotiations fell solely on Oliver. Whether he chose to sacrifice Septimus or an entire city, the blame from the public would be directed at him, not Rafael.
Therefore, Oliver decided to send people to search for Rafael while reporting to the court that the prince had vanished upon arriving in Simonton City. That way, Rafael would be held accountable for his own disappearance.
With the report dispatched, any decision Oliver made from this point on would implicate Rafael as well-it was his own fault for hiding away.
Once that was done, Oliver called for Louis and Timothy to discuss the situation.
Oliver sat in the command tent, which was now far superior to the makeshift setup of the past. The spacious and brightly lit hall had comfortable couches and even a tunnel leading to a heated underground chamber for the winter.
He sipped a cup of coffee made from beans that had been brought from the capital, finding the fragrant aroma soothing and alleviating some of his irritation.