Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
As she and Violet stepped outside, Viola had already vanished. Violet approached the sanctum attendant, and asked, “What was the illness of the lady who was just standing here?” Violet had visited Arcane Sanctum several times, so she recognized the attendants. Since the lady Violet mentioned hadn’t come for treatment herself, the attendant spoke freely. “Her maid was getting some herbal tea. It was to dispel the heat in her body. The lady was just accompanying her.”
“Oh, I see.” Violet thanked him, and rejoined Sophie as they left the building.
They climbed into a carriage, which was understated in its design-more a reflection of modesty than royal opulence.
Their destination was Gracehold
Estate, and they were on their way to visit Leona. With the days ticking down, Leona was nearing her delivery, so Sophie had come personally to request a few slices of thousand-year Evergreen Root to aid her during childbirth.
“Don’t you think there’s something… I don’t know, hard to explain, between Viola and Silas?” Violet asked as they traveled. “It’s like they’re hiding some big secret.”
Sophie narrowed her eyes, recalling
Zoey’s attitude toward Viola. “I noticed that too. There’s definitely something going on, but it’s not our concem. It seems more like an internal feud or perhaps some inappropriate relationship.
“Inappropriate relationship?” Violet frowned. “Well, I won’t bother asking Claire to look into it then. We don’t need to get tangled in something like that.”
“That’s right.” Sophie didn’t want to dwell on it. Before long, the carriage arrived at the entrance of Gracehold Estate.
Sophie rarely visited, but she knew Leona’s situation well. Alana and Leah kept her updated.
With Leona’s pregnancy progressing, she had put aside her thoughts of getting a divorce. She would try to endure until the baby was born. Afterward, she planned to use her health as an excuse to move out with the child for some peace and quiet-far away from Samuel and his family.
Aside from Samuel and Dorothy, everyone else at Gracehold Estate was not difficult to deal with. They simply didn’t genuinely care for Leona. Disheartened by their indifference, Leona figured it would be safer to leave. She had shared this plan with Alana, who had then informed Sophie about it.
–
When Sophie arrived at Gracehold Estate, the servants came out to greet her. After all, they were mindful of her status as a princess consort.
That was precisely the kind of attention Sophie found bothersome, which was why she rarely visited. She waited for the formalities to conclude before seeking out Leona.
When Leona saw her cousin approaching, her face lit up with joy. She waddled out with her prominent belly to meet Sophie.
Sophie naturally took Leona’s hand, gently placing the other on the latter’s belly. “How are you feeling with such a big bump? Is it uncomfortable?”
“Not too bad, just a bit restless at night,” Leona replied with a smile. “The hardest days are behind me. Back when I had to stay in bed to keep the baby safe, I ended up feeling so nauseous from lying down all the time.” “Once the baby arrives, it’ll all be worth it,” Sophie reassured her.
Once inside, she found Alana and Leah in the inner room-one sewing clothes, the other working on a net. They looked up and greeted her as she entered.
“You’re here, Sophie.”
“Hello, Alana, Leah.” Sophie returned the greeting with a respectful nod.
There was another woman in the room who was embroidering. Upon hearing that the Hell Monarch’s princess consort had arrived, the woman quickly stood and bowed.
“Greetings, Lady Sophie.”
Sophie recognized her as Nora Wagner, the concubine from the merchant family who had entered the family with Ruby. She appeared kind and demure.
Sophie nodded slightly. “No need for such formalities.”
“She often comes to keep me company,” Leona said, looking noticeably more cheerful. “She shares many amusing stories with me. Her dad used to take her and her siblings with him on his business trips, so she’s quite knowledgeable.” Nora smiled shyly. “Your Grace, I wouldn’t say it’s knowledge. It’s just some experiences.”
Seeing the rapport between them and Leona’s newfound cheer made Sophie relieved. She handed over the Evergreen Root slices and medicine to Alana, mentioning they would be useful during the delivery. Alana promptly locked them away in the cabinet. Samuel, who had been cursing Sophie daily, fell silent upon learning she had arrived. He hid in his study, not daring to emerge, which allowed the cousins to chat uninterrupted.
At the Farrell family’s residence, Zoey’s arrival surprised the Farrell family. The last time Zoey visited, she returned the death pension and money for the shops, so they didn’t expect her to come back.
After Zoey chatted with everyone for a while, Thomas returned home. When he heard that Zoey was there, he stepped in to greet her.
Zoey looked at him and skipped the pleasantries. “I need to speak with you privately for a moment. Is that alright?”
The others exchanged surprised glances, but Thomas seemed to grasp the situation. Perhaps it was about what Viola had mentioned the other day. Given that he was already investigating the assassination attempt at Valor Estate, he nodded. “Sure, let’s go to my study.”
Alice felt a bit uneasy, and asked, “Is something wrong?”
Zoey smiled reassuringly. “No, not at all. Thomas just returned from the Southern Frontier, and I wanted ask about… the situation there not something I can inquire about with anyone else, so I thought it best
It’s to ask him directly.”
Her deliberate hesitation was intended to make them think she was curious about whether Oliver had any women on the side-after all, a wife at home would naturally worry about such things.
Alice picked up on this, and smiled knowingly. “Alright, you two go ahead.”
Thomas’ study was furnished in a simple manner. There was a large black desk, matching black chairs, and two towering bookshelves filled with books. A few swords hung on the walls, and a long axe stood in the corner to the left.
There were four chairs in front of the desk, two on each side. Thomas gestured for Zoey to sit down while he took a seat opposite her.
Zoey got straight to the point. “Viola has contacted you, hasn’t she?”
Thomas was an upright person, and he had no intention of hiding anything. “Yes, she mentioned the assassination attempt at Valor Estate. She also told me that Julia and Yvonne are both dead. I’ve been investigating and have uncovered some details. The assassin killed several people in Valor Estate, but their real target was Freya.”
Zoey didn’t pursue that line of conversation. Instead, she fixed her gaze on him and asked, “Did she tell you she plans to divorce Blake and rekindle things with you?”
“She did mention that.” Thomas acknowledged with a nod.
“If she does divorce him, are you really going to marry her?”
Thomas fell silent for a moment, then looked up. His eyes were filled with a sense of resignation.
“I had thought that I was the one at fault first. If she can’t make it work with Blake and decides to come back to me, then I should take responsibility. But there are som things I’ve learned that make it complicated. I believe you know this as well. You’re here today to tell me, aren’t you?”
Zoey was taken aback. “You know? What exactly do you know?”
Thomas met Zoey’s gaze, feeling a knot in his throat. It was a matter of a man’s dignity, and he wasn’t sure how to articulate his thoughts.
“Do you know everything?” Zoey asked, studying his expression.
“I can’t say I know everything.” He sighed deeply before asking outright, “After I left for the Southern Frontier, did she develop feelings for my cousin? Did they exchange tokens of affection?” “Tokens of affection?” Zoey wasn’t aware of that detail.
Thomas stood and walked to the drawer behind his desk, pulling out an emerald pendant. “I found this under the bed where she used to sleep. It was wedged between the foot of the bed and the wall. I recognize it. It belongs to my cousin.” He laughed bitterly.
“It was under her bed. She must have taken it out at night to look at as she thought about him. When did she start liking my cousin? I always thought we had a loving marriage, but it seems she was hiding someone in her heart all along. You knew about this, didn’t you?” Hearing him speak like that, Zoey felt a pang of bitterness. Here was a man so pure-hearted, he couldn’t even bring himself to consider the darker implications of finding that pendant. He could only imagine Viola had pulled it out during a sleepless night. He was a man who had escaped captivity and helped build a spy network-someone who had fought through hell. He should have been capable of the most meticulous and skeptical thinking about everything.