Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
After Sophie said that, her gaze swept across the room. The only one who seemed pleased with the situation was Charlotte. Everyone else looked grim.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll be leaving.”
With that, Sophie turned and walked out decisively.
The Jaffe family members exchanged puzzled glances. None expected the usually agreeable Sophie to stand her ground so firmly this time.
She even defied Rebecca, the matriarch of the family!
“She’ll come around. She doesn’t have any other choice,” Rebecca said coldly.
That was true.
With Sophie’s family gone, she had no one to rely on except the Jaffe family. Besides, she was still Blake’s rightful wife, and it wasn’t like she had been mistreated.
Early the next morning, Sophie and Lulu returned to Northwatch Estate.
The estate was bleak and covered in fallen leaves. After just half a year of neglect, the courtyard was overgrown with weeds that were taller than a person. Stepping back into the estate, Sophie’s heart ached fiercely.
Six months ago, she had collapsed upon hearing that her family had been massacred. She had wept when she saw the lifeless bodies of her grandmother and mother-their corpses cold and devoid of warmth. Every corner of the estate had been stained with blood.
Memorial plaques for her ancestors and mother had been placed at the estate’s family chapel. Sophie and Lulu prepared flowers to place on the plaques, their tears unceasing.
Sophie knelt before her parents’ memorials. Though her eyes were swollen from crying, they held a determined gaze.
“Dad, Mom, if you can hear me from heaven, please forgive your daughter for what she is about to do. It’s not that I don’t want a peaceful life with a husband and children, but Blake is not someone I can trust with my life. Rest assured, I promise Lulu and I will live well.”
Lulu knelt beside her, sobbing uncontrollably.
After they were done, they boarded a carriage and headed straight for the palace. It was noon by the time they arrived.
Under the scorching autumn sun, Sophie and Lulu stood like statues in front of the palace gates. They waited for a full hour, but no one came to let them in.
Lulu was distressed and said, “My lady, the king might not see you. Maybe he thinks you’re here to oppose his edict about the marriage. You didn’t eat last night or have breakfast today. Are you holding up okay? Should I go get you something to eat?”
“I’m not hungry.”
The only thing Sophie felt was the unwavering resolve to dissolve her marriage and return home.
“Please don’t be so hard on yourself. It’s not worth getting sick over. Why don’t we just let it go? After all, you’re still the rightful wife and the lady of the Jaffe family. Even if General Ernst is to be a legal wife, she’ll just be a glorified concubine at best. Maybe we should just endure it?” Lulu pleaded.
Sophie’s gaze was cold. “Lulu, if you’re going to talk like that, don’t speak at all.”
Lulu sighed, feeling lost and unsure of what else to do. She had hoped that once Blake returned, Sophie would find some peace. But the situation had only worsened.
In the palace’s study, Derek Walker had already reported Sophie’s arrival to the king three times.
“Your Majesty, Mrs. Jaffe is still waiting outside the palace gates,” he repeated.
The king, Salvador Quinton, set aside the document he was reading and rubbed his temples. “I can’t see her. The edict has been issued, and I can’t take it back. Tell her to go home.”
“The guards tried to persuade her, but she refused to leave. She’s been standing there for over an hour without moving.”
Salvador felt a pang of guilt. “Blake requested the marriage as a reward for his military service. I didn’t want to agree, but not granting it would embarrass both him and General Ernst. They have made significant contributions.”
“If we speak of military achievements, the Marquis of Northwatch and General Sullivan’s contributions surpass all others,” Derek countered.
Salvador remembered the Marquis of Northwatch, Hector Devin. When Salvador was a crown prince who had recently joined the military, it was Hector who had guided him. Sophie was a familiar face from those days, though she had been a delicate child. He still remembered her fair skin and endearing looks.
Salvador had fought a bloody path to the throne, paved with death. He understood the struggles of military officers. When Blake requested marriage as a reward, Salvador had hesitated but eventually agreed.
Apart from his brother who was known as the Hell Monarch on the battlefield, the kingdom had no other capable generals. In the recent war with Westhaven, Dominic Sullivan’s third son had lost an arm. Dominic’s seventh son had been killed, though this had been kept secret.
But Derek was right. In terms of military merit, Blake and Freya were far inferior to Hector.
“Alright, let her in. If she agrees to this marriage, I’ll grant her whatever she wants. I’ll even give her a noble title or an official rank,” said Salvador.
Derek breathed a sigh of relief. “As always, you’re wise, Your Majesty!”
Sophie knelt in the study with her head bowed.
Salvador remembered the Devin family. Knowing that Sophie was now the only one left stirred a feeling of pity in him.
“Rise and speak,” he commanded.
Sophie bowed deeply with her hands clasped. “Your Majesty, I know it’s presumptuous of me to seek an audience today. But I also wish to implore for your grace.”
“I have already issued the edict. It’s impossible to revoke it,” Salvador said.
Sophie shook her head gently. “Your Majesty, I implore you to issue another edict. I want to divorce General Jaffe.”
The young king was taken aback. “What? You want a divorce?”
Salvador thought she had come to ask him to rescind the marriage edict. He never expected a plea for a divorce.
Holding back tears, Sophie pleaded, “Your Majesty, General Jaffe and General Ernst sought the marriage edict with their military achievements.
“Today is the death anniversary of my father and brothers. I wish to seek an edict to divorce my husband based on my late family’s military merits. Please, Your Majesty, I’m begging you.”
“Sophie, do you know what you’ll face after the divorce?” Salvador asked, a complicated expression on his face.
Sophie hadn’t heard Salvador call her by name in a long time.
When he was still the crown prince, he used to occasionally visit Northwatch Estate. He would always find some interesting little gifts to give her when he did. After Sophie later went to Meadow Ridge to study under her master, they never saw each other again.
“I do,” she affirmed.
There was a hint of a smile on Sophie’s stunning face. But no matter how one looked at it, the smile seemed tinged with irony.
“I’m sure you know the saying that a true gentleman appreciates and helps others to fulfill their aspirations, right? Even though I’m not a gentleman, I don’t want to hinder General Jaffe and General Ernst from being together,” Sophie added.
“Sophie, there’s no one left at Northwatch Estate. Are you really going to go back there? Have you thought about your future?” Salvador asked.