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After politely returning the gesture, Sophie went straight to the matter at hand without even introducing herself.
“I wish to ask about what happened Mr. Clifford Murphy all those years ago.”
Edgar appeared taken aback that someone would bring up such a matter after so many years. He paused for a moment, then glanced at Jeremiah. Recognizing that the prime minister’s visit at this hour meant he needed a precise answer, Edgar motioned to the maid.
“Go and retrieve the brocade box from the highest shelf in the cabinet,” he instructed.
It was a dark red brocade box, thick with dust. Edgar blew on it, then wiped it with his sleeve. With a snap, he opened the clasp and took out a malachite pendant, gesturing for Jeremiah to take it.
The prime minister hesitated before accepting it. Upon a closer look, he saw an intricate carving of a griffin encircling the malachite. It was unmistakably a personal item of Sigmund’s.
“Look at the back, Mr. Murray,” Edgar said.
As soon as Jeremiah flipped the pendant over, he froze. On the back, there was a circle of griffin patterns, but they coiled around a single maple leaf. Carved beside it, in delicate script, were the letters ‘S.C’. The maple leaf and the ‘S.C’ were placed on opposite sides-one large, one small.
Sophie also saw it, but she didn’t understand its meaning.
Jeremiah let out a heavy sigh and spoke softly, “The late king’s first and middle names are Sigmund Constantine. As for Mr. Murphy, he spent some time wandering the martial world and earned the nickname ‘the Iron Maple’.”
Edgar explained, “This pendant was a gift from King Sigmund to Commander Murphy. The griffin carving was originally all it had, but Commander Murphy added the maple leaf and the letters ‘S.C’ himself. He carried this pendant with him, wrapped in a silk pouch.
“Somehow, King Sigmund discovered it. In a fit of rage, he threw it into a corner. I picked it up with the intention of returning it to Commander Murphy, but there was never a proper time. After he left the capital, it stayed with me.”
Sophie stood there, stunned.
What… What did this mean?
Did she understand this correctly?
But hadn’t Clifford had some kind of unresolved entanglement with Gerald? How did Sigmund fit into this? She had always assumed that Sigmund had discovered some improper conduct between Clifford and Gerald, or perhaps that Clifford had acted out in some way, which led the late king to cast him out of the capital. After all, Sigmund despised homosexuality. Since Clifford served in court, Sigmund would think he was deliberately ignoring the rules.
“Mr. Whitley, did King Sigmund strip Mr. Murphy of his title because of that?” Sophie asked. Though she realized the question might seem redundant, she couldn’t help but ask.
Edgar paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully before saying, “Perhaps it was indeed because of that. After the incident, King Sigmund was furious. After stripping Commander Murphy of his title, the late king recalled their past bond and the merits of Commander Murphy’s ancestors. So, he granted Commander Murphy the title of earl instead. As for why Commander Murphy left the capital… Well, it seems no one spoke up for him at the time.”
“Did Lord Quinton not plead for him?” Sophie asked.
“None of them did, and Lord Quinton certainly didn’t,” Edgar replied, giving Sophie a brief look, realizing she and Jeremiah knew quite a bit.
Unable to hold back her curiosity, Sophie voiced her thoughts, “But wasn’t there some kind of bond between Mr. Murphy and Lord Quinton?”
Edgar’s brow twitched. Even after all these years, he felt as though Sigmund’s gaze was still upon him, warning him not to speak of such matters. But tonight, with Jeremiah having visited personally, he felt the need to speak.
“Lord Quinton married and had children,” Edgar said.
He then claimed he was feeling unwell and needed to rest early, signaling that it was time for the guests to leave. He had said all he could and believed he had made himself clear.
What Sophie understood was that perhaps in the past, Clifford had feelings for Gerald. But Gerald, pressured by the responsibility to continue his family line, got married and had children. His actions perhaps caused him to break the promise he had once made to Clifford.
While Clifford was heartbroken, he continued to spend every day in Sigmund’s company. The late king’s exceptional appearance was undeniable, evident even in the features of his descendants like Salvador, Kendrick, and Rafael.
In his fragile state, Clifford eventually fell for Sigmund, and that was when he crossed a line with the late king.
So, was this the root of the resentment-unrequited love?
While the exact details remained unclear, one thing seemed certain: Clifford must have felt betrayed, which affected his loyalty to Sigmund. As a subject, he was bound to be loyal to his king. But when that loyalty became entangled with other emotions, it was no longer pure. He was no longer bound by the simple loyalty expected of a subject to his sovereign.
And with Nicholas having Clifford’s support, it made sense why the former had never felt the need to reach out to the Spencer family.
Of course, it could also be that he hadn’t needed to yet, but would do so when the time came. It was likely because he understood that a life debt shouldn’t be wasted, and had to be used at the right moment.
While Sophie’s end of the investigation was cleared up, Jacob had also gathered a full understanding of the situation with the river project.
In recent years, the workers requisitioned for the riverworks project came from both inside and outside the capital. The same group of workers and conscripted laborers for the riverworks project were employed for various tasks.
Cameron was the head of the Waterworks Department, which was under the Ministry of Infrastructure. Under the guise of river repairs and irrigation drainage projects, the department had seized a considerable amount of land and resources.
They scattered houses across these areas, but not in any organized way. Workers and some conscripted laborers for the riverworks project now lived in those places.
The river channel crisscrossed the land, and the areas they’d taken covered all directions-east, west, south, and north. Jacob marked these locations and connected them with lines, revealing that they encircled the palace district like an inescapable net.
If these workers were private soldiers of the true mastermind behind the rebellion, then guarding the city gates would have been useless. They had been right there inside the city, constantly surveying the terrain in their free time. In fact, they likely knew the capital’s layout better than even the Garrison Unit and the Capital Guard.
Sophie studied the map, a feeling of unease creeping over her.
She then posed a question, “Given that they have requisitioned so much land, they must have received approval from the Ministry of Infrastructure and the king, right?”
“That’s correct,” Jeremiah confirmed. “But as part of the river and drainage project, they weren’t supposed to be building houses. Now, they’ve settled quite a few people in these areas. I went to the government office to check the household registrations, but none of those people are officially listed.”
“Are the conscripted laborers living there as well?” Sophie asked.
“Most of them. The conscripted laborers requisitioned from outside the city are all housed in these locations. These are men who’ve spent years doing hard labor. They’re strong-lifting a heavy hammer or sword is a trivial task for them.”
Sophie furrowed her brow. Building the river channels and foundation dams sometimes required stone cutting. They had tools like large hammers, axes, and knives, all of which were provided by the court. What they had uncovered was only part of the puzzle. There was still much to be investigated. Not wanting to waste any more time, Sophie set out early the next morning to report to Salvador. Upon hearing her report, Salvador couldn’t help but scoff. “That rabble are you suggesting they’re rebels?”
“Your Majesty, they are not just rabble. These men have been working as conscripted laborers for years. They’re strong and capable of feats of great strength,” Sophie replied, standing firm.
Salvador shook his head slowly, his expression turning serious. “You’ve been in court for only a short while. You don’t know how the Ministry of Infrastructure has been using them for years to clear river silt, open irrigation channels, and even clear the mountains.
“If they were truly rebels, they had their chance when the Mystic Army was at the Southern Frontier. That would have been their moment to strike. Even if you think Prince Nicholas is behind Prince Yuvan, could he have commanded them from Nerovia? Or are you suggesting that Prince Hayden is the one pulling the strings in the capital?”
Sophie pressed forward with her analysis, explaining, “Your Majesty, during the war at the Southern Frontier, the treasury was running low and the riverworks were limited to basic dredging. The conscripted laborers involved were minimal.
“But this time, it’s different. This is a massive operation-there’s large-scale construction of foundation dams, digging of river channels for irrigation, and building reservoirs. Together, the conscripted laborers and workers number nearly 20,000. Can you afford to take such a risk, Your Majesty?”
A risk.
Salvador loathed the thought of it. With both internal unrest and external threats looming, the last thing he wanted was for trouble to erupt in the capital.
Yet, when it came to risks, Salvador couldn’t equate the riverworks project workers to the Mystic Army. He studied Sophie in silence for a long moment, weighing her words.
On one hand, he trusted her loyalty. Hector’s principles were her guiding light, and she would never conspire against the crown. On the other hand, the full might of Starhaven’s forces was concentrated in her hands, and that alone was a dangerous prospect.