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-Words hung on the tip of Lily and Holly’s tongue, but the two chose to swallow them. They could only manage a forced smile, and said, My lady, you must be prepared. With a royal prince, there is no avoiding concubines and secondary wives.”
Previously, Rafael had also sought to marry her. However, Melanie had brushed him off. She didn’t want to marry her daughter into the royal family. She argued that with so many primary and secondary V wives and concubines, Sophie, who wasn’t adept at dealing with such complicated affairs, would struggle to have a good life.
However, Lily and Holly dared not speak these thoughts to Sophie. After all, it was Melanie who had opposed it. Despite that, Sophie had already agreed to marry Rafael now.
“Concubines and secondary wives are no issue,” Sophie said.
“No issue?” Lily repeated, somewhat surprised. “But in the Jaffes, when General Jaffe wanted to take another wife…”
Sophie shook her head, her delicate face calm.
“It’s different. Blake promised my mother he wouldn’t take concubines. I devoted myself to caring for his family, waiting for his return after he achieved something. Yet, when he returned, he sought to marry Freya, breaking his promise to my mother and failing in his duties as a husband. While I did my part as a wife, he was dedicated to another woman and spoke to me with such cruelty. Naturally, I couldn’t endure that.”
Her words ignited a spark of anger in Frederick and the maids’ eyes. Yes, how could one not be enraged when one’s heart was so trampled upon?
“As for my marriage to His Highness,” Sophie went on, “we have agreed that this union is solely to address our immediate needs. We are indifferent to each other’s feelings, and ek only mutual respect and harmony. Of course, marrying into the royal family is no easy task. His mother, Lady Helen, will also move into our home. She is not an easy mother-in-law to deal with.”
“Lady Helen is the sister of the empress dowager. I have heard that the empress dowager also dotes on her, and the women in the palace are quite fearful of her. If she becomes your mother-in-law, life may become quite challenging,” Frederick said.
He felt that marrying Rafael might not be the best choice, but the alternative-taking in a stranger to marry into the Duke of Northwatch’s family-could also pose risks. There was a fear of encountering a heartless and unfaithful man who, once granted the title, might become arrogant and disregard Sophie altogether.
After all, the purpose of marrying Sophie was to secure the title she held. Once her husband became a duke, he might not be as considerate as an ordinary son-in-law of the family would be.
On the other hand, marrying Rafael had its advantages. He was a man of integrity, born into royalty. This marriage would also serve as a powerful rebuttal to those who had once looked down upon Sophie. Although many in the capital respected Sophie, there were still noble families who believed she would never marry well. They were unwilling to accept a lower status, which meant she might spend her life in solitude, confined to the grand estate of the duke.
With these thoughts in mind, Frederick said, “Marrying Prince Rafael is certainly better than someone chosen by the king himself.”
At this point, they still believed Salvador’s selection was primarily for the purpose of securing a successor for the duke’s title.
After leaving Northwatch Estate, Rafael felt like he was floating in the air. Once mounted, he turned to Dylan and said, “Let’s go. We need to go to the palace to see the king.”
Since there was no morning court session today, and Salvador was in the study room meeting with the Cabinet, Rafael waited for quite. some time outside the study.
When the cabinet officials had finished their business and left, Derek finally announced Rafael.
Rafael entered the room and knelt, presenting the medal of command for the Hell Monarch Army with both hands.
“Your Majesty, I have two matters to report today. The first is that, with the country currently at peace, it is customary for me to return my military command to you. I am here to return the Hell Monarch Army and the late General Devin’s medals of command.”
After a brief pause, he continued, “The second matter is that I wish to marry Lady Devin, the daughter of the Duke of Northwatch. She has agreed to this union. After selecting a date, I will send someone to propose to her formally.”
Salvador looked at Rafael with obscured and unreadable eyes.
Salvador examined the medal of command presented by Derek with an inscrutable expression.
After a moment, he retrieved the other half of the Devin Army’s medal of command, aligning it with the one Rafael had handed.
The Hell Monarch Army’s medal of command was now complete. Their father had given it to Rafael before, allowing him to command the Hell Monarch Army indefinitely to defend the nation.
Rafael didn’t have to surrender it.
Salvador traced the edges of the Hell Monarch Army medal of command with his fingers, feeling a peculiar sensation from the. unfamiliar engravings.
“Sophie agreed?” he asked, almost incredulously.
“Yes, she has,” Rafael replied with evident joy, as though he were still the naive younger brother he used to be. “Before I set out for the campaign, I went to propose to her. I never expected Melanie to marry her to Blake. Even more unexpected, she has returned to met after all that happened.”
Rafael looked up, his smile radiating sweetness.
“Naturally, I must thank you for your support. I know that your three-month deadline was to give me a chance.”
Salvador’s inscrutable demeanor softened, and he smiled warmly. ” If I didn’t push you a little, would you have let her slip away again? I know your nature-having failed to propose before, you now plan to cultivate your feelings slowly. But a woman’s youth can’t be wasted, and her family has a title to inherit.”
A hint of embarrassment flashed on Rafael’s face. “I admit, I was hesitant.”
Salvador was silent for a moment, studying him. “Is Sophie truly that important to you?”
“Your Majesty, I have admired her for a long time. You know this well,” Rafael replied as he took a seat. “I had planned to wait until the matters of the rewards and compensations were settled, then surrender my military command and gradually develop a relationship with her. However, with your edict, I fear she might be taken away.”
Salvador forced himself to smile.
“Yes, this was also the intention of me and my mother. We wanted to nudge you into proposing. Otherwise, Sophie might have been married off to someone else. She’s highly sought after now. She has inherited the Devin family’s military prowess with courage and strategy. She led a successful siege on her first battlefield, and has done so twice, with formidable martial skills and the ability to command troops. My foolish brother, you’ve found a treasure,” he said.
Rafael smiled warmly and happily. “Indeed, I have found a treasure. My admiration for her began when she was at Meadow Ridge. Her capabilities in battle and siege were never my concern.” Salvador nodded. “Indeed!”
It was true that Rafael had admired Sophie long before, without any ulterior motives. Salvador had made things more complicated than necessary.
Salvador smiled on the surface; deep down, however, he felt a pang of regret.
He had previously thought that whatever choice his younger brother made, he would gain something from it. So, it didn’t matter which path Row chese But now that Rafel had chosen Sophie and reliquished he miltan command without hesitation, there was an
WRX his heart
TOS Wnt deer in de 3icture, would Rafael have automatically surrendered his military command after completing The rewards and comperstiors’
U? 10H?ditious, and redaiming the Southern Frontier was part of that ambition. Whether there would be othe. ambitions as time
Went On Was ncertain
With the military command surrendered and no more concerns, the two brothers could continue to maintain a harmonious and respectful reletorship.
As for Sophie
Salvador recalled her calm demeanor when she had come to the palace seeking a divorce edict. She had been as serene and unaffected by the turmoil.
The second time, she had entered the palace to discuss the Victory Pass battle and the Westhaven people masquerading as Sandoria soldiers in the Southern Frontier. Her face had been flushed red with urgency, and her eyes burning with anxiety.
At the time, Salvador had doubted her sincerity, thinking she was merely meddling out of personal emotions.
Now, looking back, it was clear personal matters held no sway over her. Her calm demeanor during the divorce request contrasted sharply with her genuine emotions when dealing with major military concerns.
Salvador sighed inwardly. A woman like her was unforgettable, even if she had been married once.