Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
Sophie laughed. “But you never take off your jewelry in my room. How could they be here? Did you maybe forget them somewhere else? Have you looked thoroughly?”
Violet opened Sophie’s jewelry box and rummaged through several containers nearby. “I’ve checked everywhere. I was planning to wear them tomorrow. Let me see if they’re with you.”
Sophie had many pieces of jewelry, and the items here were just a small selection of what she often wore. As Violet searched through the jewelry boxes, frustration crept onto her face when she failed to find the Mystic Pearl earrings. “Could it be that someone took them? We don’t have any thieves in our household, do we?” she asked.
“Impossible. Nothing like that has ever happened here,” Sophie replied. “You’re so careless and usually leave things lying around. Couldn’t the earrings have fallen to the floor or rolled under the dresser? I’ll ask Lily to help you look. Lulu, Janice, why don’t you help as well?”
Violet sighed in defeat. “Alright, come and help me look. Those two Mystic Pearls are quite valuable. If someone sold them, they would fetch over a thousand silver coins. But it’s not just about the money. They’re special because you gave them to me, and I don’t want to part with them.”
“But I need to paint Lady Sophie’s nails,” Janice protested, wanting to stay behind to see if there were any clues.
Perhaps Rafael hadn’t jumped out the window and was still in the room. Rafael and Sophie’s actions tonight were quite suspicious. If anything happened, Janice would need to inform Eleanor first thing in the morning.
“No need for that anymore. I’ll also look for the earrings,” Sophie said as she stood up.
Left with no choice, Janice took one last look around the bedroom and confirmed that Rafael was indeed gone before following Sophie out.
Violet’s room was already in om was disarray, with chairs and tables pushed aside. Lily had come with several maids from the household to help search. Seeing the mess, they couldn’t help but be astonished at how rough Violet was.
The room wasn’t very large, so it didn’t take long to search it. They searched the outer courtyard as well but found nothing.
Sophie’s expression darkened as she cast a cold gaze around the room and said sharply, “Those Mystic Pearl earrings didn’t just vanish without a trace. If anyone net took them, step forward now and I won’t hold it against you. But if I have to search for them and find out who did it, don’t expect me to go easy on you.”
Everyone exchanged glances, each adamantly denying they had taken them.
When Luke arrived, he sternly asked the same question, and everyone reiterated their innocence.
“A thief would never admit to being one. Ms. Spencer, when did you realize the earrings were missing?” Luke asked.
“Tonight. I was still wearing them yesterday.”
“That means they were likely stolen today. Whoever did it probably didn’t have time to sell them yet,” Luke said. “Your Grace, I suggest we search everyone’s quarters.”
Sophie nodded. “Since no one is admitting to it, go ahead and search.”
When Janice heard that, she turned pale with fear. She instinctively turned to flee, but Lily stopped her.
“Janice, Lulu, Pearl, Joy, Qiana, Sydney-you’ll all come with me to do the search. Luke, please take some guards and start searching the lower-ranking maids’ and servants’ quarters,” said Lily.
Such a large-scale search naturally caught Helen’s attention. She had gone to bed early and was fast asleep when the commotion outside woke her. Gillian, who was sleeping in the same room, was asked to check what was happening. When Helen heard that a servant had stolen Violet’s Mystic Pearl earrings, her anger flared.
“Our household provides a much better life than other estates. The person who stole the earrings doesn’t appreciate that. If I catch them, I’ll have their arms broken!” Helen exclaimed.
“Lady Sophie has arrived,” someone announced from outside.
“Why is she here instead of handling things outside? I’m already in bed,” said Helen, reluctant to leave her warm bed amidst the cold night air.
“Mother.” Sophie strode in confidently, alone.
She knew that the Mystic Pearl earrings would be found in Janice’s quarters. Since Janice originally served under Helen, she should decide how to deal with her once the earrings were found.
Helen’s displeasure evaporated the moment she saw Sophie, and a warm, inviting smile pulled at her lips. “What brings you here? It’s a chilly night, and you didn’t even put on extra layers. Come, have a seat.”
Sophie nodded respectfully. She was aware her mother-in-law preferred to stay in bed, so she settled on the edge of it.
“I’m sorry to have disturbed you so late, Mother. It’s my fault for not managing the household more strictly.”
“Oh, it’s not a big deal. It’s just that it’s quite the fuss at this hour. Why not search tomorrow instead?” Helen asked as she yawned.
“If we wait until tomorrow, the thief could easily dispose of the earrings. They’re worth quite a bit of money,” Gillian explained.
Helen hummed in acknowledgment, glancing calmly at Gillian as if asking the latter to continue showing off how presumptuous she was.
“Make some coffee,” Sophie instructed. “It’s late, and we can’t hold out without a cup. I see your eyelids are about to close, Mother.”
Helen waved her hand dismissively. “No coffee for me. If I drink it at this hour, I won’t be able to sleep tonight.”
“Just a little to help us stay awake. If we catch the thief, you can reprimand them. Your status alone would be enough to intimate them and make sure they never do it again,” Sophie said.
Helen heard the implications in her daughter-in-law’s words. While
Helen’s status was indeed prestigious, she had never really involved herself in household matters. A few words of rennet wouldn’t be enough to intimate anyone.
Besides, Sophie was always efficient in handling matters. So, it didn’t make sense that a minor thief issue would be brought to Helen in the middle of the night, let alone for her to be expected to intimidate anyone. Clearly, Sophie already knew who the thief was.
Helen immediately narrowed her eyes and glared at everyone in the room. “Who among you took it? Return it now while Sophie is still here, and I might still be able to plead for your sake.”
The ones serving Helen were Mindy and Sonia, along with Gillian. If her daughter-in-law had made such a fuss by coming to her room in the middle of the night, it had to be someone close to her, not just any random servant from outside.
Mindy and Sonia quickly knelt down. “Your Grace, we haven’t taken anything.”
Helen had initially suspected one of them might be guilty. With a search underway, they wouldn’t be able to hide it for long if they had taken the earrings. Their only option would be to confess. If they admitted it now, there might still be a chance for mercy. Waiting until the search revealed the truth would make it too late to beg for leniency.
But both denied it.
Helen turned her gaze to Gillian, her suspicion deepening. It couldn’t be this old woman, right? Though, she had once mentioned that the money Helen paid her wasn’t much. Gillian caught the look of doubt in Helen’s eyes and frowned slightly. “Am I that kind of person?”
Helen turned away. She did trust Gillian. After all, the elderly woman had been by her side since Helen was a child. They were more like family than just a master and servant. That was strange. If it wasn’t any of the servants close to her now, then who was it?
Sophie smiled at Mindy and Sonia, who were still kneeling on the ground. “You can both get up now. Go make some coffee. Mother and I could use something to clear our heads.” Helen realized the situation was more serious than she had anticipated. This was likely not just about stealing.
Her heart skipped a beat as she said, “Go on, prepare the coffee.”
Helen randomly picked up a hairpin. There was a gemstone set into its head, and she recognized the handicraft of the product all too well. It was from The Gilded Tower, which sold imitations of The Golden Tower’s merchandise. She picked up a bracelet and examined its craftsmanship, which was of similar quality. There were dozens of such items. Combined with the banknotes and ingots, the items on the table roughly totaled a thousand silver coins. At first, Helen thought Janice might have stolen them. However, who in Hell Monarch Estate would buy and use jewelry from The Gilded Tower? After all, Helen had already sold off any such items she owned to distance herself from them. “Lily, take everyone else out for now. I’ll interrogate her with my mother-in-law,” Sophie ordered.
“Understood.” Lily waved her hand and led everyone else out, including Mindy and Sonia. Both looked equally shocked. They had shared a room with Janice and had no idea she possessed such wealth.
Violet entered and closed the door behind her. She stepped up to Janice and grabbed the latter’s chin. “Caught you red-handed. What do you have to say for yourself?”
“I didn’t steal the earrings!” Janice protested.
Her face was still pale, and she trembled slightly as the reality of the situation began to sink in. She realized that the commotion tonight was a setup for her.