Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
Though Salvador knew the circumstances well, he likely asked because he needed some reassurance.
Sensing this, Rafael said, “He will survive. With Sebastian attending him, he will get better.”
Salvador fell into a long silence, then slowly started to walk with Rafael. As they began their journey back to the palace, the king at last broached the topic of Sylvia’s death.
Sophie wasn’t with them, but Rafael knew the details of the investigation. So, he recounted everything from beginning to end.
Salvador reflected on the matter for some time before saying, “Sylvia was a simple woman. Her likes and dislikes were plain to see. Though she appeared domineering, she lacked the malice to be truly cruel.
“Perhaps I nurtured her ambition too much, leading her to take action against Jeanette’s unborn child. But even so, the poison would have taken weeks to act. The fact that she was willing to stake her life to prove her innocence shows that she is not guilty.”
Salvador’s gaze darkened as he added, “Continue the investigation. It is imperative that the true culprit is uncovered.”
Upon hearing this, Rafael knew at once that Sylvia had made the right wager.
For Salvador, Sylvia and Cecil were no longer under suspicion. Kylie would never harm her own son, and Sylvia had staked her life on proving her innocence. That left Grace as the most likely culprit. With only three princes in total, all signs now pointed to her.
That said, the investigation would not exclude Sylvia entirely. Personal judgment could not override objective facts.
Sylvia’s passing deepened
Salvador’s melancholy. As king, he had never truly entrusted his heart to any of the women in his harem However, Sylvia had been the one he favored most. Perhaps it was due to her beauty, or maybe it was because her mind had not been as intricate and treacherous as others.
“She loathed the winter, yet she perished in it. She feared pain, yet she chose to take her life with sharp pair of scissors. To protect Cecil, She was willing to sacrifice everything, even her life,” Salvador murmured, pulling his sleeves tighter, as if trying to ward off the chill that seemed to have settled in his very soul.
He thought back to the choice he had given Kylie, when she had opted for her royal position, choosing her own ambitions over everything else.
Salvador returned to the palace secretly, with trusted guards replacing those at the gates.
Victoria fell ill upon her return to the palace. The cold weather, compounded by days without rest and a refusal to eat, had drained her entirely. Her energy seemed to have withered away.
Preparations for Connor’s funeral were underway, with Rafael and Derek overseeing matters. Naturally, the coffin didn’t contain the eldest prince’s body. Since he was not yet an adult, there was no public viewing of his remains, and the coffin was sealed early.
The entire court was filled with sorrow and regret.
Kylie wept so deeply that she fainted several times. Yet, amidst the grief, she still had the audacity to propose that since Sylvia was gone, she would take it upon herself to raise Cecil and Phoebe at Everspring Palace.
When Salvador didn’t grant her request, she sought out Victoria, who was weak and confused from her illness.
Hearing someone crying by her bed, the queen dowager struggled to sit up and slapped Kylie across the face. “Leave!”
Stunned, the queen stared at her mother-in-law’s face, which was red with anger. Had Victoria just struck her?
In the past, the queen dowager was always reluctant to raise her voice to anyone. She would offer a few pointed words, and if one listened, fine. If not, she wouldn’t say anything more. But now, Victoria had personally slapped Kylie.
Keith immediately had the servants escort the queen from the room. Outside, her sobs ceased. She walked away unsteadily, feeling as if the path of life ahead of her was slowly closing off.
While Kylie was still fervently attempting to bring Cecil to Everspring Palace, Sophie arrived.
“I have long been waiting for you to ask me whether Prince Connor said anything before he passed, Your Majesty. Yet, you never did,” she said, looking at the queen.
Kylie sharply turned her head toward her, her expression filled with resistance. “There is no need to speak of it. He would have blamed me, for he was always angry with me.”
“On the contrary, he said that he loved you very much,” Sophie replied.
A bitter smile curled on Kylie’s lips. She clearly didn’t believe Sophie’s words. “He is gone. Why would you make up such things to make me sad?” she said.
Sophie looked at the clear finger marks on Kylie’s face and her swollen, red eyes. The pain of losing her son should have been a wound to the soul itself, yet here she was, scheming to bring Cecil to her side.
Was it for revenge? Or was she trying to secure leverage, pushing Cecil to become the crown prince and crushing Grace’s hopes once and for all?
“I am but the messenger. Whether you believe it or not, that is for you to decide,” Sophie said.
After offering a shallow bow, she took her leave.
Once Sophie departed, Kylie pressed her hands to her face and collapsed into uncontrollable sobs.
Of course she knew how utterly, ridiculously absurd her actions were. How could she not? But she had lost her son, and Sylvia had died. After all the fighting and scheming, the one who benefited in the end was Grace, the person she looked down on the most.
Kylie loathed Cecil. But if he became her son-the queen’s son-he would be able to rival Caden.
As for Connor’s murder, she had plenty of lawful ways to exact revenge on Cecil. Anything beyond that, she had not yet considered. All she knew was that she couldn’t allow Grace to rise above her.
It was Salvador’s lack of heirs that had brought her to this point. Had there been any other alternative, she would never have entertained the idea of adopting Cecil.
Lydia made no attempt to console her, allowing her to cry freely. The former felt a profound regret and an overwhelming sorrow. She realized that she should never have listened to the queen and done so many things.
Sylvia had probably carried out the murder because she and Kylie had plotted against Jeanette together, yet only she was punished. On top of that, Kylie even made a scene at Laurel Palace, kicking Sylvia while she was down.
Someone as proud as Sylvia could never endure such humiliation. Retaliation was only a matter of time-but no one had expected it to happen so soon, or that she would target Connor.
After the funeral, the year came to an end.
The investigation had continued without pause, though Sophie had refrained from directly questioning Grace. Instead, she carefully sifted through the court’s staff, seeking to understand who served which concubine, and where loyalties truly lay.
This relentless digging left Grace on edge. It was as if a sword was hanging over her head, ready to fall at any moment.
As for Cecil and Phoebe, they were brought to Serenity Palace to be raised under Victoria’s care. The queen dowager hadn’t shared the true cause of Sylvia’s death with her grandchildren, only telling them that she had succumbed to a sudden illness. The same explanation was also given to the public.
Cecil and Phoebe were heartbroken-losing their mother at such a young age left them feeling like their whole world had collapsed.
Patrick and Gladys were also devastated by the loss of their daughter. Violet visited them, and later told Sophie that Gladys had cried so much her eyes were nearly blind from grief.
Violet let out a heavy sigh. Everything had happened so suddenly and without warning. It was hard not to feel sorrowful.
Sophie didn’t respond. Her eyes only dimmed, the image of Sylvia dying in front of her playing over and over in her mind. If she had been a little more alert, maybe she could have grabbed the scissors in time.
That thought crossed Sophie’s mind, but she wouldn’t dwell on it. Sylvia had made up her mind. Even if Sophie had managed to prevent it, Sylvia would have found another way.
The path to death was one she had chosen for herself.
Violet sighed again, then asked, “How’s the investigation going? Did Lady Sylvia really kill Prince Connor? And was it really Prince Cecil who planted the caltrop?”