Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
“It seems the earl has sent a letter home, so Madam Evelyn specifically asked for you to come,” Rosie explained.
Upon hearing the news, Viola’s mood brightened immediately. “My elder brother’s letter has arrived? No wonder everyone has gathered. Alright, I’ll head to Kindred Hall.” Having said that, Viola hurried to Kindred Hall.
After a long while, Viola collapsed into a chair, her eyes wide with disbelief. Her chest felt as if a heavy stone was pressing down on her, making it hard for her to breathe. “Impossible! How could this be? How can a dead person come back to life? I don’t believe it.”
Evelyn said, “Whether you believe it or not, that’s what your brother’s letter says. He’s seen them himself. It’s pitiful, really. He says they’ve changed so much, and who knows what suffering they’ve endured over the years?” “Impossible. It’s impossible,” Viola muttered, but she couldn’t help asking, “When will they return?”
Evelyn replied, “They won’t be coming back to the capital anytime soon. The Marquis of Elderglen’s second son is in poor condition. He’s said to have suffered greatly after being captured. It’s so tragic, and they don’t know if he’ll make it through.”
“Kayla’s husband?” Viola gasped. “He’s still alive?”
“Yes, all eleven of them are alive. They’ve achieved great merit, and the king will certainly reward them upon their return,” Evelyn said with a sigh. “The Farrell family must be overjoyed, though it’s a pity we no longer have any ties with them Otherwise, I would have gone to celebrate with them. And don’t forget, Mr. Cooper’s two sons are also alive. You know the Larkin family’s son, right? He’s also alive. And there’s the third son of the Jensen family…”
Viola’s eyes widened. “Tobias Jensen? His wife also returned to her family and has remarried now, hasn’t she?”
Since Tobias had not made any significant achievements in the military, he was less discussed compared to Viola and Kayla. Viola and Kayla had no children, whereas others did. Having children meant having hope for the future, and it allowed one to wait for brighter days.
That was why people compared Kayla and Viola.
“Tobias’ wife also remarried, just like me,” Viola said with a trembling voice, but her eyes were filled with joy and excitement.
She had once looked down on Tobias’ wife, considering their different statuses-she was a noble daughter of an earl’s family, while Tobias’ wife was of a lower status.
But now, Viola eagerly mentioned Tobias’ wife with enthusiasm.
Zoey listened to Evelyn and Viola for a while before speaking up.
“The reason we called you back isn’t to discuss those matters. When Thomas died, the Farrell family gave you a divorce letter. It’s understandable that you returned to our family, especially since you had no children and the Farrell family didn’t want to tie you to them for life.
“Do you remember how you cried before returning to our family, vowing never to remarry? That’s why the Farrell family gave you Thomas’ pension and the two shops. Now that you’ve remarried, I think it’s only fair to return the pension to them. As for the two shops, we should convert their value into silver coins and return them. What do you think?”
Viola’s mind was still numb from shock. Upon hearing Zoey’s words, she instinctively shook her head.
“No! Why should I return them? I haven’t done anything wrong. If he didn’t die, why didn’t he tell me? Even though I returned to my family, I remained loyal for several years before remarrying.”
“You won’t have to provide the money. Mother and I will cover it for you,” Zoey said, raising her voice. “But you need to show some effort. This can’t just be on me and Mother.”
“How am I supposed to? I’m already a part of the Jaffe family. Besides, I’ve waited for him all these years…”
Zoey’s expression hardened. “Enough with that. What do you mean, you’ve waited for him? You returned to our family less than a month after he died! Is that what you mean by you were waiting for him all this time? You didn’t settle down because you didn’t find someone suitable. You were just as eager to remarry as anyone, and after meeting several prospects, you knew exactly why it didn’t happen. Others might not know the truth, but we do.”
Viola retorted sharply, “So I should have stayed single for life? Have you ever seen a man who doesn’t remarry after losing his wife? And don’t men also take their wives’ dowries when they’re no longer together? Why the double standard?”
Zoey remained patient. “I didn’t ask you to stay single for life, and you didn’t. But you shouldn’t have made that vow saying you’d never remarry. That made the Farrell family pity you and give you the pension and the shops.”
“At that time, I was Thomas’ wife! Wasn’t it right for me to receive his pension?”
Zoey looked at Viola. “We’re the only ones here now, and there are no servants present. There are some things I don’t want to spell out too clearly, but all of us understand the situation. Do I need to repeat myself? Fine. You have no right to keep the pension.” Her words made Viola feel guilty.
Luna said softly, “Viola, you don’t need to provide the money yourself, but you should at least show some effort. After all, the Farrell family allowed you to return home. Also, Madam Alice treated you as her own daughter. So I believe…”
“What gives you the right to judge my decisions?” Viola snapped.
She looked down on Luna. The girl was just a merchant’s daughter, but didn’t know her place.
“Be quiet! If I decide to return it, it will be because of what Mom says,” Viola went on.
Luna had grown used to Viola’s tone and didn’t bother to argue. Engaging with Viola only led to shouting matches, and Luna was tired of it. So, she chose to stay silent.
However, Zoey didn’t indulge Viola.
“When will you curb that attitude of yours? Even though Luna’s from a merchant family, she has a more et noble character than you. Do I need to remind you of the disgraceful things you’ve done? Apologize to Luna!”
Zoey had managed the household for many years, and her demeanor commanded respect.
Viola reluctantly said, “I apologize for my harsh words. Please don’t take it to heart, Luna.”
Luna replied, “We’re family, so there’s no need for that. Just handle the matter properly so that no one can speak ill of us in the future.”
Luna knew Viola’s apology was insincere, but it didn’t matter. What she wanted was to resolve the situation quickly.
Both she and Zoey were concerned about the same issue-Viola was unpredictable. They feared she would play on Thomas’ guilt to. manipulate him. Then, she would divorce Blake and worm her way back into the Farrell family
Such a situation couldn’t be allowed to happen.
The only way to cut off Viola’s options was to return the pension and money so that the ties between the two families would be clearly cut.
That way, they wouldn’t have to worry about Viola embarrassing the Earl of Silverstone’s family again.
Evelyn, Zoey, and Luna completely agreed on that matter.
Seeing that she didn’t need to use her own money since her family would cover it, Viola reluctantly agreed after a brief hesitation.
Zoey didn’t require Viola to appear in person, given that she was now a member of the Jaffe family. Instead, she only asked Viola to write a letter to Alice, signing it as “Mrs. Jaffe”. The name indicated her status as a member of the Jaffe family, which was why she returned the pension and value of the two shops in money.
After writing the letter, Viola handed it to Zoey and said grudgingly, “Was it really necessary to go through all this? It makes it seem like my remarriage was inappropriate.”
Zoey replied, “When you married Blake, you did so as the third lady of the Earl of Silverstone’s family. No one criticized your remarriage. I’ll be straightforward with you this is to cut off any other thoughts you might have.”
Viola laughed, though her anger was palpable. “What do you think I want? Do you really believe I’d want to divorce Blake and run back to Thomas? You think you know me?”
“It’s good if you haven’t thought of it. Trust me, I know exactly how you are,” Zoey said.
Viola was fuming. “Zoey, everyone makes mistakes! I don’t know if you’ve ever made a mistake, but I haven’t caught you in one. So, stop throwing my past in my face. Although life in the Jaffe family isn’t ideal, at least my husband respects and loves me. I haven’t considered a divorce.
“Also, let’s not forget that this marriage was arranged with my brother’s best interests in mind, and Mrs. Murray acted as the matchmaker. Instead of being grateful, you continue to blame me. Aren’t you being a bit ungrateful?”
Zoey folded the letter calmly, her expression unchanged. “Don’t flatter yourself. I don’t owe you any gratitude. When Mrs. Murray came to arrange the marriage, it was a negotiation. If things were different, the king would have simply issued a marriage edict. Why would the king grant a marriage to someone like Blake more than once?
“You had the chance to understand what kind of person Blake was before agreeing to the marriage. Since that was the case, the marriage wasn’t forced on you, and you could have refused it.”
“Mom!” Viola turned to Evelyn, her face full of grievance. “Be fair-wasn’t the reason for not offending Mrs. Murray because of my brother? I wasn’t that keen on the marriage in the beginning.” Evelyn sighed. “What’s the point of discussing this now?”