Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
“You don’t remember? Let me help you recall. She was a girl from Valken named Wendy Lloyd. Her dad was a craftsman, and she had three older brothers. You brought her to the capital when she was fifteen, and she died at eighteen Do you know how she died? She gave birth to a son, who was thrown to death. Eleanor ordered the girls fingers and toes to be chopped off, and she was tortured for three days before she died.”
Fiona’s face paled slightly. “Who said such nonsense? I don’t even know anyone by that name!”
Sophie leaned back in her chair, watching her coldly.
“It doesn’t matter if you deny it. Someone in Harmony Palace remembers, and it’s recorded in the books. Those records detail every girl who entered Harmony Palace. It also includes where they came from, who brought them, how they arrived, their ages when they came, when they died, and the kinds of abuse they suffered??verything is crystal clear.
“Do you want to explain now, or should the Supreme Court summon you directly, Lady Fiona? Do you think Eleanor is only implicated in the rebellion? Over a hundred girls suffered and died in Harmony Palace. This case will shock the entire Starhaven, and the king is taking it very seriously.
Fiona gripped the armrest, tiny beads of sweat forming on her forehead. She hadn’t expected that despite all her precautions, she would be caught like this.
She had even forgotten the girl’s name. It had been too long. All she knew was that when Eleanor saw a girl resembling Melanie Sullivan, she would take her back to Harmony Palace.
Back then, Fiona had just married Yuvan. So, she had sent just one girl to curry favor with Eleanor.
She pretended to be deep in thought, and took a while before finally saying, “Now that you mention it, I do remember something. I did send a concubine to the grand princess. At that time, Grand Princess Eleanor had just given birth to Lady Jessica and didn’t want to have more children. She didn’t want Lord Henry’s line to end, so she sought a few concubines of humble origins who would be easy to manage. I recommended one, but it’s been so long, I nearly forgot.”
After Fiona finished speaking, she suddenly covered her mouth for a moment, looking at Sophie in terror.
“Did you just say that girl died three years after entering Harmony Palace? She had her fingers and toes. chopped off? Heavens, how could that happen? What did she do wrong? I thought she came from a decent family and had good character, which is why I sent her to Grand Princess Eleanor, What could she have possibly done to deserve that?”
“She erred by being seen by you,” Sophie said.
“What?” Fiona’s face registered shock and innocence. I truly didn’t expect this. I had good intentions. I thought the Marquis of Grovehill’s family was a noble household. Even if the girl was just a concubine, it would be better than marrying a commoner.”
Sophie replied coldly, “Are you saying you didn’t know she would end up staying at Harmony Palace instead of Grovehill Estate? That’s quite the convenient excuse.”
Fiona hurriedly explained, “I really didn’t know! After all, Lord Henry doesn’t live in Harmony Palace. I thought that since he lived at Grovehill Estate, his concubines would also stay there. I truly don’t understand why Grand Princess Eleanor treated her that way.”
Molly usually wouldn’t defend Fiona, but she felt a wave of crisis this time as Sophie aggressively pursued the matter. For the first time, Molly stepped in to help Fiona.
“I believe Lady Fiona is a good person, Commander Devin. She only wanted to give Lady Wendy a better, life.”
Sophie’s expression remained icy. “A good person, you say? So, did Lady Wendy go of her own accord, or did you deceive her into coming with you?”
Fiona replied, “She came of her own accord. I told her to come to the capital to be one of Lord Henry’s concubines. Both she and her family agreed, and I even provided a dowry for her. Her family added dowry items as well. You can verify this.”
Sophie said, “We will certainly investigate.”
“Go ahead and investigate all you want. Her family agreed to everything,” Fiona declared, showing no signs of guilt.
Sophie looked at her steadily for a long moment until Fiona averted her eyes, revealing a flicker of fear.
Finally, Sophie said, “Alright, we’ll leave it at that for today. If we think of anything else we need your assistance with, we’ll come back.”
Fiona’s tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and she stood up. “Alright, we’ll be happy to cooperate.” Then, she gestured at one of the maids. “Please show them out.”
Sophie saluted in acknowledgment and left with Michael and the capital guards.
Outside, passersby hurriedly pretended to be merely passing by, quickening their steps as they saw them emerge.
That night, the major families were in an uproar, gossiping about the Capital Guard’s visit to Edgeview
Estate that lasted nearly four hours. That naturally sparked a sense of unease. The conspiracy case involving Eleanor felt like a wildfire spreading among the noble families in the capital, and no one knew when it would reach their doorstep.
However, not everyone was afraid. Some families looked down on Sophie. They believed she was merely flaunting her authority under the guise of the kingdom’s highest female official, using the conspiracy case to assert dominance over the noble families.
When the Duke of Oakspire, Norman Whitfield, heard about the event, he was extremely furious. During dinner, he instructed that no one in his household was to associate with anyone from Hell Monarch Estate.
“Have we reached the point where a hen crows at dawn? Is she trying to overturn everything?” Norman shouted, his face flushed with anger as he slammed his cutlery down.
“She dared to bring people directly into a prince’s residence and interrogate the people in there for four whole hours! The king must be blind to allow a woman to command the Mystic Army. If she continues to be allowed to stir up things like this, what dignity do the noble families have left?
“She thinks she can act with impunity by relying on her dad and brothers’ military merits. If she dares to come and interrogate my household, I’ll make sure she’s unable to leave once she enters!”
The head of the Quinton family, Malcolm, who was also the current Civil Minister, gathered the elder and younger members of his family together, his expression grim.
The Quinton family had produced great scholars in the past. Even the current patriarch of the family, Gerald Quinton, had once been a teacher to the late king. Though he had retired to live a quiet life, his words still sent ripples through the literary circles of the court.
The Quinton family was regarded as the pinnacle of the civil service elite, thanks to two factors??erald’s status as a teacher to the late king and the fact that the current queen was a member of the Quinton family. Adding on that Malcolm was now in charge of the Civil Department, even the prime minister’s family couldn’t compare to them.
However, Malcolm knew that with the family’s current prestige, they were under strict control regarding their descendants’ behavior, and the women in the family adhered to traditional values, ensuring no scandals would arise.
Yet this time, Malcolm felt that Sophie had gone a bit too far with her antics.
The Quinton family had navigated the political landscape for many years, and they were now in their prime. Malcolm had gained significant favor during the reign of King Sigmund. He prided himself on understanding the late king’s intentions, yet he couldn’t grasp the current king’s mindset.
He couldn’t understand why Salvador would appoint Sophie as Mystic Army’s commander. This position was critical. If the Hell Monarch and his people had treasonous intentions, the power that came with that role was considerable.
Thus, he convened a family meeting, where he imposed strict measures and expressed his dissatisfaction with Sophie.
“Causing such a commotion will turn the noble families of the capital upside down. I fear it may lead to wrongful accusations. I never realized she was such an impatient and self??erving person. She made an example out of Prince Yuvan’s household right off the bat??ow can we expect her to show any mercy to the other families? It’s simply absurd.”
Felix and Logan were also present. They considered defending Sophie, but before they could speak, Malcolm shot them a cold look.
“You need to be more cautious. That applies especially to you, Logan, as you’re married to a royal family member. Princess Kiera is the Hell Monarch’s younger sister. You must be careful of what you say and do in her presence. Who knows where her loyalties truly lie?”
Logan had no choice but to reply, “Uncle Malcolm, please rest assured. I can withstand any test from the princess, and I believe Commander Devin is not acting recklessly.”
“What do you know?” Malcolm frowned deeply. “The fact that she started this today shows she has no regard for anyone’s reputation. The king might not act against her for now, but this kind of chaos is humiliating for all the families involved, especially ours. How can we let her trample on our family like this?”
With the Quinton family’s current status, they weren’t easily challenged.
Logan wanted to say more, but Felix stopped him. After the family meeting ended, the two of them stepped outside.
Logan asked, “Why didn’t you let me speak, Felix? I believe Lady Sophie isn’t making a scene for ne reason. If Grand Princess Eleanor truly is plotting treason, she must have allies by now.”
Felix replied, “Do you think Uncle Malcolm isn’t aware of this? To put it bluntly, it’s because the person investigating the noble families is Lady Sophie. If it were Prince Rafael, Uncle Malcolm would certainly have a different stance.”
Logan found the conversation rather dull. “What does it matter that she’s a woman? Everyone knows Lady Sophie’s capabilities. Uncle Malcolm has praised her before for having the qualities of her dad.” “Praise is just a passing comment,” Felix explained. “But now she’s in charge of the treason case, which means she can interrogate anyone from the noble families at will, even intimidate them. How can Uncle Malcolm endure having our family be trampled on like this?”
“But Lady Sophie wouldn’t do that, Logan insisted.