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Moreover, the king shouldn’t be held responsible for the matter at all.
“What do we do now? Jacob and Kyle aren’t in the estate, and His Highness is at the Supreme Court. I had no choice but to come to you,’ Violet said.
She knew all too well how dangerous those words were. Not only the current king, but even the previous king, who was usually more forgiving, would find it impossible to tolerate such an accusation.
After all, Salvador had sent reinforcements to Victory Pass, and those troops had been dispatched under Dominic’s orders. If Salvador were to take responsibility for this, would that mean every failure on the battlefield would also be his fault?
If anyone were to take the blame, it would be Blake, without question.
Sophie held onto the note, then lit a lamp to burn it. Nothing could leak out before Kevin returned to the capital.
Sophie collected herself and spoke with calm precision, “Ask Lord Edwin for help. When Kevin gets back to the capital, stop him. See if Lord Edwin can convince him. If Lord Edwin can get him to hold off on reporting, it will be fine. But if Lord Edwin can’t persuade him, General Dylan’s life will be in danger, and my grandpa will have one more crime to answer for.”
“Are you going, or should His Highness go?” Violet asked, agreeing with the plan.
Edwin would likely help out given his ties to Lawrence, but the real question was whether he could persuade Kevin. Sophie paused for a moment.
“Whether Lord Edwin can convince Kevin is still uncertain,” she said. “If he can’t, those words will eventually reach His Majesty. But recently, every time Raf and I visit any noble house, someone has been reporting to the king. When Kevin returns to report, the king will know that we knew about it in advance.”
“You’re right. Being cautious in everything is never wrong,” Violet replied thoughtfully.
She had become much more grounded lately, learning to pay attention to details. As Jacob often said, sometimes it was the smallest details that determined success or failure.
“So, who should we send? We can’t let others know about this.”
Sophie thought for a moment before deciding, “Sebastian.”
Lawrence still needed to recover from his illness. Sebastian had saved his life, so ever since his return to the capital, Sebastian had continued treating him.
Though Lawrence had been granted the title of Earl of Dunewind, he still lived at Elderglen Estate. If they informed Lawrence about the situation, he would not sit idly by.
“I’ll go to Arcane Sanctum to get my wrist treated. It’s sore from all the sparring I’ve been doing lately,” Violet said decisively.
With that, she was already on her way.
That night, Sebastian arrived at Elderglen Estate with his medical kit. When Edwin and Lawrence heard the news, their expressions immediately darkened.
Lawrence was the first to respond, “Dad, we can’t let Kevin report this to the king.”
Edwin not only understood the importance of returning favors, but he also knew that Dominic had been unfairly wronged in this case. If those words reached Salvador, it would be a death sentence without question.
“Don’t worry,” Edwin said, his voice low but firm.
It was only two words, but they carried the weight of a thousand decisions.
Sebastian bowed his head in gratitude. “I am deeply grateful.”
He knew this wasn’t easy for Edwin. If Edwin couldn’t stop Kevin, the Marquis of Elderglen’s family would be dragged into the mess as well once Kevin reported it to the king.
After Sebastian left, Lawrence turned to his father. ‘Dad, no matter what it takes, we must stop Kevin.”
Edwin nodded. “Don’t worry. I won’t let General Sullivan fall into such an unjust situation.”
Even if it meant losing his noble title, there were some things and people Edwin would protect with everything he had. His ancestors had been military officers, and they had earned the title of marquis on the battlefield. If he had to give up his title to protect Dominic, Edwin believed his ancestors would understand and not fault him.
Edwin wasn’t confident he could convince Kevin. The young man had always been strong-willed and had learned early on to plan for his future. Unfortunately, luck had never been on his side. Every time something important came up, Kevin would either fall ill or something would happen to prevent him from making a name for himself.
For years, Kevin was nothing more than a low-ranking guard in the crown prince’s personal guard unit. Even after Salvador’s ascension, when he was placed in the Mystic Army and later made part of the Crown Guard, he still hadn’t risen much in rank. His chance to go to Victory Pass only came because Galen had recommended him to lan.
Kevin had always wanted to stand out. Now that he had such an opportunity, he wasn’t going to let it slip away easily.
After Sebastian left Elderglen Estate, he sent word to Hell Monarch Estate.
However, Rafael wasn’t too concerned. He knew Kevin was an upright person, though lacking in luck. He suspected that Kevin was internally struggling with whether or not to speak out. If Edwin talked to him, it was highly likely that he would remain silent.
Moreover, if Kevin truly wanted to use the situation to advance, it would make more sense for him to be open with Felix, who was from the Quinton family and related to Logan, a prince consort. What they could offer Kevin in terms of benefits would far outweigh what he could gain from simply reporting the matter.
Having spent so many years beside the king, Kevin should understand him well. While Salvador might temporarily praise or promote him, the cost would be losing his trust.
Salvador feared powerful military officers and influential families, but as a man, he respected Dominic. He wouldn’t want anyone stabbing the general in the back.
Rafael explained all this to Sophie, trying to reassure her.
“If Grandfather saw you like this, he’d only be worried. Don’t stress yourself out too much. We’re not fighting alone. Go out and listen. Ever since Commander Prince spoke up, there’s been a lot of talk about your grandfather. Many people are speaking out on his behalf, and a lot of officials are supporting him. Even some lower-ranking officials are discussing it in taverns,” he said.
The minor officials, in contrast, weren’t so cautious. Whenever they gathered for drinks, they spoke freely.
Dominic had the people’s favor-he was a hero in the hearts of many.
As the conversations turned to this hero, reminiscing about Dominic’s youth and reflecting on his current state, people couldn’t help but feel the poignancy of his aging years. This only added to the sense of tragedy and heroism, making their admiration even deeper.
As the days passed, the public discourse, which had initially been manageable, began to spiral out of control. As it gained momentum, people started voicing all kinds of opinions. Some began to suggest that Blake, who had led the attack on the supply depot, should be held accountable for his actions, as should Freya.
After all, Dominic had been incapacitated by an arrow and couldn’t make decisions at that time. If anyone were to be questioned about the failure, it should be those who had been responsible for the operation, not just the marshal.
Blake would certainly be held responsible, but there was also the matter of Wyatt. He had temporarily taken over as marshal after Dominic was injured by the arrow.
Some talked about how Wyatt had lost an arm while trying to save Blake. His situation was already dire enough, having spent so many years guarding Victory Pass, with no personal stake in the wealth and prestige of the capital. Despite losing an arm, he didn’t return to the capital but continued to defend Victory Pass. Wasn’t that something to be respected?
As talk turned to the Sullivan family, the conversation shifted to the Duke of Northwatch and his six sons. After praising their deeds, many people were filled with contempt for Blake and Freya’s actions.
Freya and Blake found themselves caught in a whirlwind of criticism. People rallied against them. Everyone voiced their support for Dominic, condemning the actions that had led to his suffering.
All this overwhelming public opinion, which flowed like a great river, had started with Sophie. She had merely set the ball rolling by having Alistair overhear her conversation with Blake. After that, nobody from Hell Monarch Estate interfered.
Rafael knew that once a spark was lit, it would quickly spread, becoming a wildfire.
Someone would step in soon enough.
With such intense public opinion, it was clear someone had been pushing the narrative. Salvador suspected it was someone from Hell Monarch Estate, but after a thorough investigation, he discovered, much to his surprise, that the trail led directly to the prime minister, Jeremiah.
The articles and the storytellers in coffeehouses and taverns spreading the rumors had all been sent by Jeremiah. As the investigation unfolded, it became evident that the prime minister hadn’t tried to hide his involvement. He hadn’t planned on deceiving Salvador at all.