Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
A glimmer of hope appeared in Malcolm’s eyes. “Then, is it possible to have him imprisoned separately?”
“There’s no place to hold prisoners separately at the Capital Guard headquarters, Lord Malcolm. The real issue now is that His Majesty didn’t ‘t want to know the namesz initially, but I will be reporting to him tomorrow. Whether he chooses to know then, I cannot say.
Sophie glanced at Malcolm’s pale face. He really did resemble Gerald.
She continued, “Also, after two days, everyone except the spies will be released. Before the raid on the gentlemen’s retreats, no one knew anything. But now that we’ve sealed all the retreats and uncovered Sandorian spies, this matter has become huge.
“There will be many rumors. Lord Gerald didn’t visit once or twice-he’s been going every few days for years. Over time, someone was bound to recognize him. I think the damage to your reputation is the real crisis for the Quinton family.”
At least, it was a bigger crisis than Malcolm keeping a mistress.
Malcolm knew this all too well. Even if Gerald had taken a few concubines, it could easily be spun as him surrounding himself with learned women to assist and inspire him while he worked on his writings.
But now, how could he explain any of this? No matter what he said, it would be impossible to spin this story in a way that would save their family’s dignity.
“Your Grace, I beg you to show me a way forward.”
Malcolm’s voice faltered, his face drawn with desperation. He no longer addressed her as Commander Devin, but with the proper respect, lowering himself in a way that signaled he was truly pleading. Sophie shook her head again. “I have no specific advice for you, Lord Malcolm. But if I were you, I’d first find out how many people at the gentlemen’s retreat know about Lord Gerald’s identity. The more who know, the more likely rumors will spread.
“It would be wise to go to the palace early tomorrow and beg for His Majesty’s forgiveness. No one can control this situation better than His Majesty, and no one values King Sigmund’s reputation more than he does.
“As for Lord Gerald’s time here, I won’t allow anyone to lift the cloth from his head. No one will see him.” Looking at her, Malcolm could tell that she was genuinely offering a solution.
His mind was a whirl of confusion. Until now, all he had focused on was how to negotiate with Sophie to free Gerald from the prison.
He fell silent for a moment before asking in a strained voice, “Your Grace, you’ve advised me and protected my dad. What do you wish to gain in return? Please speak frankly. As long as it doesn’t go against my conscience or the law, I Will do everything in my power.”
Sophie cradled the cup in her hands, savoring the warmth. “Lord Malcolm, do you think you can offer me something that I can’t achieve on my own?”
Malcolm was momentarily stunned, unsure of what she meant.
Sophie gave a faint smile. “You should return now. I’ll be staying here tonight.”
The cold had begun to fog Malcolm’s thoughts, and he struggled to make sense of her words.
“Then, why not be direct and tell me what it is that you want?” he said.
“Nothing at all. I’m doing this for the sake of King Sigmund’s reputation, nothing more. Not every situation requires a trade of interests. Oh, and by the way, the Capital Guard headquarters doesn’t provide meals to those detained here. You can have someone bring food for Lord Gerald, or leave some money and we’ll arrange for it ourselves,” she replied, her tone sharpening slightly.
Malcolm stood, still confused by her actions.
Why was she doing this for the Quinton family? Though they weren’t bitter enemies, there had always been tension between them. He couldn’t understand why she would offer help so selflessly.
As for Sigmund’s reputation, Malcolm didn’t think it was something a woman like her would concern herself with.
“Commander Devin, if you have any suitable candidates for promotion to the court, perhaps below the sixth rank…’
“Lord Malcolm, I won’t walk you out,” Sophie cut him off sharply.
Malcolm fell silent for a moment, genuinely unsure of what she meant. He searched his pockets, only to realize he hadn’t brought any money. With a sigh, he muttered something about going back to prepare food and then made his exit.
As soon as he was gone, Violet came rushing over, her face lit with excitement. “I’m heading back now. Someone from Hell Monarch Estate just sent word that Thia and Bun will be here by this evening. Since you’ll be staying here tonight, I’ll go ahead.”
Her eyes brightening and her face glowing with joy, Sophie stood up abruptly. “Really? Then, I’ll… Oh, never mind. Go on ahead. After I report to His Majesty tomorrow, I’ll return to the estate. Make sure to take care of them in the meantime.”
Sophie hadn’t seen her friends since returning to the capital after the battle, and she missed them dearly. Violet dashed off like the wind, her excited voice echoing through the cold halls of the Capital Guard headquarters.
With the biting cold night air, Sophie had arranged for some coal to be delivered to the prison. It wasn’t the finest coal, and it smoked a bit when lit, but it was better than nothing.
Sophie personally inspected the area and found Gerald and Cody huddled in a corner. Cody was fiercely guarding Gerald, making sure no one approached. His eyes were sharp, but when they met Sophie’s gaze, he instinctively lowered his head, using his body to shield his master.
Gerald still had his face covered, so it was impossible to read his expression. However, his rigid posture betrayed his nervousness.
The entire prison fell silent when Sophie entered. Before her arrival, some had been asking when the Capital Guard would release them. But now, with the one in charge present, they dared not speak a word. Sophie glanced around and said, “The Capital Guard cannot provide meals for you. You may have your families send food. Also, if anyone needs to relieve themselves, raise your hand and someone will take you outside. Do not make a mess here.”
After she finished speaking, a member of the Garrison Unit stepped forward and asked, “Which of you wants your family to send food? Come here and tell me which family you’re from, and we’ll send someone to inform your household. If you prefer not to notify your family, you can pay us the money and we’ll buy food for you. The cost is for two meals a day, for four meals total.”
“I-how much do I need to pay?” A young noble stepped forward, holding a silver ingot. His face was obscured, but his eyes, still visible, carried an air of arrogance. “Is this enough? If not, I have more.”
He probably thought the Capital
Guard headquarters was extorting money, as the ingot he held amounted to ten silver coins. He figured the Capital Guard would make a huge profit from buying just four meals with the money he was giving them. After saying he had more, the young noble pulled out a banknote which was worth one hundred silver coins.
Sophie gave him a brief glance. He was unrecognizable to her, but she made a mental note to have Michael look into him. This kind of reckless young man would eventually run his family’s wealth into the ground.
“Four meals, simple fare, twenty-five copper coins per meal. That’s one hundred copper coins for four meals.’
The Garrison Unit member shoved the silver ingot and banknote back toward the young noble, his expression one of distaste.
Upon hearing this, the prisoners looked around in confusion. One hundred copper coins? Who even had copper coins on them?
Sophie motioned for a member of the Garrison Unit to take the silver ingot worth ten silver coins and said, “Buy meals for everyone tomorrow. Once they’re released, they can pay back the money they owe him.”
What she said was meant to reassure those being held-nothing would be done to them beyond this brief detention. She wanted to keep the peace, urging them not to cause a ruckus and to get through the next two days without any trouble.
At the same time, it was meant as a subtle reminder for Gerald to calm down.
In the dead of night, Sophie made another round of the prison. This time, she found Gerald trembling even more.
Cody approached her, speaking softly, “Might it be possible to get him a blanket? My lord is weak and can’t stand the cold. His health is frail.”
Sophie noticed that Gerald had curled himself into a strange, almost rigid position, huddling into the corner. There was a small draft coming through a hole in the wall, which explained why he seemed so cold.
She sighed inwardly, realizing it was impossible to treat everyone the same. This was only the first night. If Gerald froze to death in here, she would have a lot of explaining to do.
“Take him out and place him in solitary confinement. Give him a cotton quilt so he doesn’t freeze to death here,” Sophie ordered one of the guards.
Cody immediately knelt, deeply grateful, “Thank you, Commander Devin. Thank you so much.”
Gerald could no longer stand and had to rely on Cody to carry him out.
The other men watched silently, feeling a sense of injustice but too fearful to speak up. From behind, it was clear that the man being taken out was an elderly figure. If he were left here to die, they would be forced to share a cell with a corpse, and that was bad luck they didn’t want to invite.