Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
Stepping forward, she said, “Thanks to Ms. Claire’s quick action, no one was harmed. Ms. Young was holding a stick to protect the students…”
But her voice lacked conviction. One by one, the young women rushed to their parents, eager to recount what they had witnessed.
None of the young women had ever encountered such a scene before. They were terrified, speaking in frantic tones, making the situation seem far more severe than it had been. Some claimed they had nearly been grabbed by the intruders. Others said their sleeves had been tugged. A few said they owed their safety to Rosalind, whose swift intervention had kept the attackers from reaching them.
Catherine and Harriet tried to explain the events, but their words fell on deaf ears. The parents, incensed, pressed forward, demanding answers. Why had the gate been left open? How had the intruders gotten inside?
The angered crowd forced the teachers to step back.
“Everyone, please, calm down!” came the voice of Zoey, who had just arrived.
Disregarding any formalities, she rushed into the hall and shouted, “This was clearly a targeted attack on the school! They’ve apprehended one of the men, and he will be taken to the authorities for investigation. Thankfully, no harm was done to the students-only a fright. No young lady was assaulted. I ask you all not to spread rumors that might harm the young ladies’ reputations.”
Zoey was the Earl of Silverstone’s wife, and her words silenced many of the voices in the room. However, whispers still rippled through the servants and onlookers. Claire grabbed the man by the collar and hoisted him to his feet. Without a moment’s hesitation, she slapped him twice across the face.
“Who sent you?” she demanded fiercely.
In
The man’s eyes were bloodshot. Instead of retreating, he seemed unfazed by the blows and his broken feet. His hands reached toward Claire’s face, a vile grin on his lips as he muttered, “Pretty girl, let me hold you for a moment.”
Fury surged through Claire’s chest. She punched him hard in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He bent over, clutching his belly, but his lewd expression remained. This spectacle only served to further enrage the parents.
“This is outrageous! How dare he?” Winifred shouted angrily, clutching her daughter Cassidy to her chest. The young woman was visibly shaken, trembling in her mom’s arms.
“He looks drugged! Just look at his eyes-they’re completely unnatural! After all that, he still dares to behave like this!” Winifred continued, her voice rising.
“How could such a scoundrel have made it inside? Is no one guarding this school? This matter cannot be swept under the rug. We demand answers. This incident cannot be ignored. We must have an explanation!”
It was at this moment that Sophie arrived. From outside, she could already tell something was wrong. Some people were stuck outside, unable to get in, but they were busy gossiping and trying to figure out what was going on.
Once inside, Sophie quickly took in the scene, her eyes darting over the group of people and hearing their angry accusations. She understood what had happened at once.
The moment she appeared, the parents surged toward her, asking how they should proceed. Though none dared directly question her, the tone of their words clearly showed their demand for an explanation.
Their words were firm but lacked the earlier harshness.
Sophie’s face remained composed, though inside, a storm of anger brewed. She couldn’t believe that on the last day before the holiday, something like this had happened.
The academy gates were supposed to be open today to allow the students to take their belongings home. Since most of the students came from noble families, the servants were always under strict orders. There was no reason to expect any trouble.
Yet, the intruders had seized the opportunity. With the gates opening and parents on their way, they slipped in unnoticed, giving them the perfect chance to cause chaos. They managed to force their way in and, at the same time, create a situation where the young women could have been assaulted, igniting the fury of everyone present.
This was a direct attack on Gracewood Women’s Academy.
“I will make sure everyone receives a full explanation,” Sophie said.
“Your Grace, how will you explain this situation? Who would believe it when we say our daughters were not harmed?” one of the parents demanded.
“That’s right! So many men burst in, and there were so many witnesses. Even if nothing happened, it will be said that something did,” someone else added.
“Why didn’t the academy have more guards in place?” someone else questioned.
Seeing Sophie being cornered, Rosalind wiped her tears and stood up, her voice ringing out. “Please don’t worry, everyone. None of the students were harmed. The intruders only managed to grab me. No one else was touched.”
A stunned silence followed her words.
No one had expected Rosalind to take the blame for what happened.
Even if she had indeed been held by the intruder, it would have been better to conceal such a thing. How could she admit it openly in front of everyone?
With so many people around and so many mouths to speak, Rosalind’s admission would surely ruin her reputation once the word got out.
Catherine quickly responded, “You weren’t really grabbed. Don’t speak such nonsense. The intruder didn’t succeed.”
But Rosalind raised her voice, resolute. “The intruder really did manage to hold me in his arms, but thankfully, no harm came to the students. Everyone is fine. Please don’t worry.”
A hushed silence fell over the room.
Some cast mocking looks her way, while others regarded her with pity, A few understood her reasoning-she was trying to protect the students. As Trevor’s daughter, if the blame fell on her alone, the gossip outside would focus only on her and wouldn’t drag the other young women into it.
The story would now be that an intruder had come into the academy and tried to assault Rosalind, rather than the original fact that the assailants had intended to violate all the students present.
Sophie watched Rosalind with a heavy heart. If only she had arrived sooner, maybe this would never have happened.
Claire was filled with guilt. She had been in the restroom. Had she been present, she could have intercepted the intruders the moment they charged in. She could have driven them into a corner, forced them to the ground, or expelled them from the premises through the back doors.
Sophie turned to Claire and said, “Bring me a basin of cold water.”
It didn’t take long for Sophie to notice the peculiar red in the man’s eyes-something had been done to him. It was clear now that he had been drugged, making him fearless in his brazen actions.
A basin of cold water was soon brought, and Sophie poured it over ve the man. His body shook violently, curling inward as he tried to regain control. His eyes, though glazed with confusion, were still hungrily scanning the young women around him, his gaze fixed on their faces and chests.
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He appeared to be in his forties, his face rough and sunburned, with stubble lining his chin. His clothes were simple, nothing remarkable about them, and his complexion was raw from exposure to the elements. Though not tall, he was stocky, the build of a laborer accustomed to hard work.
Sophie remained composed as she directed the students and their families out of the hall. She no longer bothered with asking them to keep the incident quiet-it was clear they couldn’t.
Once they were cleared out, she instructed Claire to bring in Ivy and someone from the Royal Citadel. The man needed to be restrained and interrogated, and it was obvious he had been drugged. Sophie wanted Ivy to determine what substance had been used. The few who had managed to escape were soon captured by Max and his men, all brought back under guard.
The others, though somewhat more aware, still seemed dazed. Their eyes, glazed and hungry, followed Sophie and Claire with an unsettling intensity.
Sophie walked over and gave Rosalind a comforting hug.
Rosalind had already calmed down and reassured her in return, “It’s alright, I’m fine.”
“You foolish girl,” Catherine said, her voice heavy with sorrow as she sighed. “You shouldn’t have said that. You’ve ruined your reputation. How are you fine?”
Rosalind’s face was pale, and she smiled shakily. “Don’t worry about me, Mrs. Ashford. I never intended to marry. My reputation was just a burden. Now that it’s gone, I can move more freely.”
“You say that, but you’ve taken the burden upon yourself. The public, the rumors… Oh! Humanity has both kindness and cruelty. I fear I can’t even predict what they’ll say about you. As for your grandparents, how will I explain this to them?”