Filed to story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
The interrogation area allowed enough light for those behind the partition screen to see the expressions and movements of the person being questioned. However, without a light behind the screen, the interrogated individual wouldn’t be able to see who was behind the partition screen.
Sophie sat with her back to the screen and examined the interrogation room.
Aside from two tables and three chairs, there were no torture devices in sight. In front of her stood a desk lit by two lamps, one on each side, with a third positioned for the clerk. However, the clerk wouldn’t sit there today, and would instead record Florence’s testimony from behind the partition screen, sitting with Rafael.
The setup would create an illusion for Florence, making her believe she was alone with Sophie without any onlookers.
When Florence was brought in, she could barely walk, weak from not eating or drinking. She had to be supported by two men as they brought her inside.
Sophie looked at Florence’s sunken cheeks and chapped, peeling lips. The old woman’s eyes were devoid of life, and she radiated an air of desolation. She could barely sit upright, but as soon as she recognized Sophie, she placed her trembling hands on the table and struggled to straighten herself.
Florence’s cold and hollow gaze was fixated intently on Sophie, who returned her stare.
She had seen Florence during her visit to Harmony Palace, where the old woman had worn a stone??lue silk gown. Authority had been etched into every wrinkle of her face, instilling fear in many who crossed her path.
However, Florence was dressed in a wrinkled indigo outfit now, and her hair was a mess. Her eyelids sagged and dark spots marred her once??roud visage, revealing the toll of age and hardship. She looked painfully thin, her frailty accentuated by worry and her refusal to eat, making her appear near skeletal. Though Florence seemed indifferent, caught in a state of waiting for death, the truth was that she was anxious??therwise, she wouldn’t have aged so dramatically in such a short time.
Matthew had spoken to her, but she hadn’t uttered a word, not even sparing a glance in his direction. Now, when facing Sophie, she spoke first, saying, “Don’t think you’ll hear a single word against the grand princess from me. I advise you not to waste your breath.”
“Kurt said you saved my uncle and his family. If it weren’t for you, they might not be alive. For that alone, I thank you,” Sophie replied.
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Florence scoffed and coldly said, “How presumptuous. I had no intention of saving them. It was my people who captured them. Whether they lived or died was entirely up to my whims.”
“Regardless, they walked out of Grand Princess Eleanor’s residence unharmed,” Sophie remarked.
“Stop pretending. You want me to testify against Grand Princess Eleanor, don’t you? Don’t bother. The grand princess is innocent. She knows nothing of what transpired. Everything was orchestrated by Kurt and I, Florence shot back.
“What things are you referring to?” Sophie asked, regarding Florence with an unfazed demeanor. “There are plenty of unsavory matters hidden within Harmony Palace.”
“Are you talking about the women in the back courtyard? Hmph!” Florence’s eyes glinted with resentment as she locked her gaze on Sophie. “Anyone has the right to criticize that matter, except for you and your family. Your dad, Hector Devin, ruined the grand princess’ life. Those women in the courtyard were victims of your dad’s actions too.”
Sophie didn’t let anger show on her face, but her eyes were icy. “What terrible sins did my dad commit that harmed Grand Princess Eleanor and those women? Was he fickle? Did he deceive Grand Princess Eleanor’s feelings? Or did he gather those women for Lord Henry to ruin him?”
Florence chuckled coldly. “Yes, he did nothing at all. But do you dare say those women didn’t suffer because of him?
Sophie’s voice grew slightly harsher as she retorted, “Why wouldn’t I? Their suffering stemmed from the sment born out of Grand Princess Eleanor’s unrequited love. My dad had nothing to do with it. Even if you want to absolve her, don’t drag my dad into this and tarnish his reputation. As a member of the Devin family, I must say that my dad was unfortunate to have crossed paths with her.”
Florence fell silent, her hands gripping the edge of the table tightly.
Sophie’s gaze shifted from the old woman’s hands to her slightly trembling face. She could tell that Florence understood everything, yet chose to turn a blind eye out of favoritism and indulgence.
“You know the truth in your heart, but you refuse to accept it, Florence. You think that it was a privilege that Grand Princess Eleanor set her sights on my dad. Or perhaps, in your mind, she can do no wrong. “Everything she did was out of necessity, and any pain she felt justifies the harm she caused to others. For her happiness, you’d excuse anything and even allow her to hurt others. But Grand Princess Eleanor isn’t the only person with feelings, Florence. Everyone else is human too, with their own joys and sorrows. Those women had lives of their own, and because of your so??alled heartbroken princess, they’ve been ruined for life.”
Florence’s knuckles turned white. “You must acknowledge that some people are born noble, while others are born lowly, Lady Sophie. The noble can do anything to the lowly and call it a blessing to them.”
Sophie didn’t find Florence’s words ridiculous. Instead, she felt a twinge of sadness. Regardless of the old woman’s current thoughts, it was clear she had once held those beliefs deeply.
Sophie chose not to counter Florence’s claims. From the way she secretly spared Daniel and his family from Eleanor’s wrath, it was evident her mindset had changed. The things she said now weren’t meant to persuade anyone else??lorence was merely trying to convince herself.
“Alright, since everything was done by you and Kurt and has nothing to do with Grand Princess Eleanor, why don’t you tell me how many women you’ve brought into Harmony Palace over the years, how many have died, and how many baby boys were killed?” Sophie asked.
Florence fell silent, her expression growing increasingly grim.
“They’re already dead. You owe them some justice and should let the families of the abducted women know they don’t have to search anymore. Besides, Grand Princess Eleanor has committed the heinous crime of treason and won’t escape death. By revealing the identities of those women, you would be accumulating some merit on her behalf,” Sophie pressed.
Slowly, Florence lifted her gaze to meet Sophie’s. Her lips trembled violently??erhaps from hunger or perhaps from the weight of that accusation of treason toward Eleanor.
Sophie didn’t push further. Instead, she fell silent and waited.
After a long pause, Florence’s hoarse voice finally broke the stillness, asking. “Could you bring me a cup of water?”
There was a jug of water on the table that had been prepared for Sophie. She hadn’t touched it, so she poured a cup and pushed it toward Florence.
“Here.”
With hands that resembled brittle twigs, the old woman shakily grasped the cup. She drank it all in one go, then cradled the empty cup in her palms. She managed to offer Sophie a smile that looked more like a grimace.
“I remember…everyone. You must have searched every corner of Harmony Palace by now, right? There’s an apple tree outside my room, and next to it is a stone bench that can be moved. If you shift that stone bench, you’ll find a box buried beneath it. Inside the box is a notebook where I’ve recorded everything.”
She set down the cup, her hands slowly falling to her sides. She could no longer hold herself upright, and murky tears spilled from her eyes.
“Those concubines aside, there were three baby boys I can never get over. The first one… he didn’t cry when he was born. Instead, he smiled at me while I held him in my arms, his little gums pink and perfect. Have you ever seen a baby who comes into the world laughing instead of crying? I had never seen anything like it. I treasured that moment, and I smiled when he smiled.
Florence covered her face with her hands, unable to continue, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs.
Sophie clenched her fists, fully aware of the fate that had met all the baby boys in Harmony Palace. They entered this world and opened their eyes just long enough to catch a glimpse of it before being snuffed out. To inflict such cruelty on an infant was a heartlessness that made even a snake seem merciful.
After having cried to her heart’s content, Florence regained some composure and hastened in her narration.
“Grand Princess Eleanor deemed the baby who smiled at birth unlucky. Despite just having given birth, the concubine tried to snatch him away and even dared to defy the grand princess. In a fit of rage, the grand princess killed the baby right in front of Lord Henry. As for that concubine, she had her fingers and toes chopped off and suffered for days before dying. I… I was the one who did it. I was also the one who threw that baby to his death.
“Three years later, there was a pair of twins. I carried one in each arm as I walked outside. I showed them to Grand Princess Eleanor, then told her I would take them outside to suffocate them. That was the first time I harbored a rebellious thought against the grand princess, I wanted to send them away. Once they were gone, their fate would be up to them…
“But it didn’t work out. That day happened to be your fourth brother’s Lunar Blessing Ceremony. Grand Princess Eleanor was absolutely furious and needed to vent… And just like that, not a single baby was allowed to live. It wasn’t only the boys. Not every baby girl survived either??t all depended on her mood.” Earlier, Florence had insisted she wouldn’t say a bad word about Eleanor, but now, she had done just that. It was clear she loved Eleanor, but those three boys would forever remain an insurmountable hurdle in her heart.
As Sophie listened to Florence’s words, the rage inside her nearly consumed her.
It was the details of everything that had happened that truly shattered one’s heart.
Sophie fought to keep her anger in check and not let it show. She pretended to be unaffected as she listened calmly and rationally. The more Florence revealed, the more Sophie would have to use as evidence. When the time came to interrogate Eleanor, be it for the charge of treason or the crimes against those women, all of this would seal the grand princess’ fate.
“I know there’s no way Grand Princess Eleanor can escape what’s coming now.” Florence sighed. “But she used to be such a lively, cheerful girl. She was so noble, and she had the world at her feet. She could’ve had any man in the kingdom, so many of them would’ve lined up for her.
“And yet, she fell in love at first sight with General Devin, a mere military man. Of all people, it had to be him, who didn’t even care for her… At first, all I wanted was to make her happy.”
Lost in her memories, Florence no longer cared whom she was speaking to. She had kept these feelings bottled up for so long. Now that she was old, her heart had softened. The things she had once done without hesitation now chilled her to the bone when she thought back on them.
Her words were disjointed and came out in no particular order. It was as if she were merely voicing whatever came to mind.
“As long as she was happy, nothing else mattered. She was a princess??he could do whatever she wanted. She cursed King Augustus and blamed him for destroying her chance at happiness. He had once adored her more than anything, but the year she begged him for a royal edict to marry General Devin, he refused. She knelt before him from dawn until dusk, and from dusk until dawn the next day, but still, he wouldn’t relent. He was so cruel.