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When Margaret heard the news, her face changed instantly and she leaped to her feet. “What? Is that true?
“It is, Madam Margaret. She admitted it herself.”
Margaret sat back down and raised her hand. “Go out and continue listening.”
“Yes, ma’am!” The servant hurried out.
Leopold’s secondary wife, Emma, was also present. After hearing the news, she looked stunned. “Mother, what should we do? If she’s implicated in these crimes, it will reflect badly on our household.”
Margaret trembled with anger, her lips quivering. It took her a moment to regain her composure.
“She’s so malicious! I’m sure His Majesty will not allow her to keep her title. She must pay for what she has done.”
Giles, the head steward of Ironridge Estate, stood outside the door. He nodded respectfully as he entered the room.
He explained, “Madam Emma, there’s no need to worry Grand Princess Eleanor’s treason has essentially been established. The Supreme Court’s Investigation is merely to uncover those behind it. Even if they don’t find anyone, the Supreme Court will still go through the motions. Since the Marquis of Ironridge’s household and Grand Princess Eleanor’s household are connected through marriage, some fallout is inevitable.
“However, Lady Sophie only summoned the marquis and Lady Jessica for questioning today, which clearly indicates she doesn’t intend to escalate things. Otherwise, even those close to Lady Jessica would have been called in.”
Emma sighed. “I really don’t understand. Grand Princess Eleanor holds such a high position. Why would she resort to treason? And what about the concubines in her household? I’ve heard there were over a hundred, and most of them have died, I also heard that no male infants were left alive. How can a person be so cruel?”???/p>
With how things were, it wasn’t strange why Jessica had never gotten pregnant.
Emma wanted to mention that, but the thought was too harsh to voice aloud. Still, it lingered in her mind.
The consequences of one’s actions would always come back to haunt them.
Margaret felt a chill in her heart. It was all too horrifying to contemplate.
“Giles, summon those who were with Jessica and ask if they have suffered from her abuse,” she said.
Giles hesitated but, seeing Margaret’s serious expression, he finally spoke up, “Most of the maids who accompanied her are gone. Rumor has it they were sold off, but I fear their fates weren’t any better.”
“Investigate further,” Margaret commanded. “In the past, we didn’t manage her affairs closely and let her do as she pleased. We were unaware of her cruelty. Whether they were sold or killed, there will be someone who knows what happened.”
Emma, always dutiful and respectful towards Margaret, understood her mother??n??aw’s thoughts. Asking someone to look into this matter meant Margaret was considering asking Leopold to divorce Jessica and cast her out.
*Ask Lady Serena. Since she entered the household, she’s always been by Lady Jessica’s side. She should know quite a bit,” Emma added, her tone now calmer.
Given the results of the questioning, it was clear the Marquis of Ironridge’s household would be implicated to some degree. If word got out and the public began to discuss and condemn them, how would the servants mistreated by Jessica or those sold off feel? Margaret and Emma feared they might go public with their grievances.
Therefore, a thorough investigation of the household should be conducted. Anyone who had suffered under Jessica’s cruelty should be compensated well.
Margaret struck the armrest in anger. “My health is failing, and I’m already struggling with household matters. I thought Jessica wouldn’t dare act recklessly only to discover how truly malicious she is. I’ve been far too complacent.
Giles replied, “There’s no need to be upset, Madam Margaret. Let’s first find out where the people from her quarters have been sold off to and see if we can bring them back. As for those she has wronged, we’ll make sure they are compensated.”
“Giles is right. Mother, don’t blame yourself. It’s not unusual for a mother??n??aw to refrain from interfering in a daughter??n??aw’s treatment of her maids and servants, especially when their contracts aren’t under the family. You shouldn’t bear the burden for this,” Emma said.
Margaret sighed heavily. “You think you know a person, but you never truly understand their heart. I never imagined such a depth of hidden malice would be concealed in Grand Princess Eleanor’s household. It’s truly horrifying. What we know is likely just the tip of the iceberg. This scandal could severely tarnish the royal family’s reputation.”
In the main hall, Sophie finished her questioning and prepared to wrap up.
Leopold was stunned. He had always known Jessica to be domineering, willful, and unruly, but he never suspected her heart could be so vicious.
She had even justified her actions, claiming she had only beaten a few pets??ets that belonged to her mother’s household. She even asked if that really warranted such a grand inquisition?!
To her, human lives were as insignificant as dirt.
Moreover, Jessica had been secretly running businesses in the gold and silk industries, yet she could only keep a small portion of the profits. The rest went directly to her mother, Eleanor.
What did Eleanor do with that money? It was all too clear??he had bought weapons.
If these matters came to the king’s attention, Leopold and his family would likely be dragged down with them.
After Sophie left, Leopold remained in a daze for a long while. It took him a while to slowly regain his senses. His eyes were bloodshot as he seized Jessica by the collar and raised his hand, delivering a sharp slap across her face.
“How dare you hit me?! You coward!” she screamed like a crazed woman.
“That’s not all I’m going to do! I’m divorcing you!” Leopold snapped, raising his voice for the first time as rage boiled within him.
“What?” Jessica froze for a moment, her face darkening ominously. “Say that again!”
“You’re such a vicious woman! Why wouldn’t I divorce you? Am I supposed to keep you around to harm my family and our people?!”
Suddenly, a ceramic pot came crashing down on Leopold’s head, shattering with a resounding crack. The force of it sent him staggering back, disbelief washing over his face as he stared at the frenzied Jessica, As dizziness overtook him, he collapsed to the ground blood gushing from his head.
“Lord Leopold!”
The servants rushed in and hastily supported him as one shouted, “Fetch the physician!”
“Divorce me? You want to divorce me? Then, I’ll make sure we both go down together!” Jessica glared coldly at the man lying on the floor, not an ounce of sympathy in her eyes.
As Sophie stepped outside the gate, she immediately heard the sounds of yelling and screaming from within. She instructed Michael to go in and find out what was happening while she returned to the Supreme Court to report. She needed to gather and organize the testimonies first.
Ironridge Estate was thrown into chaos. Fortunately, due to Margaret’s poor health, they had already employed a physician, which allowed Leopold to receive timely medical attention. While it didn’t result in a fatality, he was gravely injured.
After assessing the situation, Michael returned to the Supreme Court to report to Sophie.
“Are his injuries serious?” she asked, concern etching her features.
“The physician said Lord Leopold was saved in time, so his life isn’t in danger. However, we won’t know if there will be any further complications until he wakes up. When I left, he still hadn’t regained. consciousness,” said Michael, recalling how shocked he had been when he saw the blood pooling on Leopold’s head.
“That’s truly ruthless,” Matthew remarked, shaking his head. He had just finished questioning Eleanor and couldn’t help but smile wryly. “The mother and daughter are quite similar. During my interrogation, Eleanor initially said nothing. But then she erupted into a fit of curses, her voice growing hoarse from screaming before she finally stopped. Now, it’s Peter’s turn.”
Rafael chuckled and acknowledged Matthew’s hard work. “Let’s organize the testimonies. I have to drop by the palace to report to His Majesty. We need to update him on the preliminary investigation.”
“Should we report everything she raved about as well? Matthew asked.
“Of course. We must report exactly what she said, no matter how ridiculous.”
Noticing the troubled expression on Matthew’s face, Sophie asked, “What did she say?”