Her Majestic Battle Cry

Viola’s tears flowed uncontrollably.

“But Barret is so useless!” she argued, her voice shaking. “He’s gone off to become a lowly soldier! How will I ever show my face again? I just didn’t want to degrade myself. When Carissa wanted a divorce, she even went as far as to ask for a royal edict. You could see how determined she was. How can I lose to her?”

Poppy wanted to say that it was much harder for Viola to face people now, but she didn’t dare to say it out loud. Instead, she said, “There’s no comparison to be made. Everyone has their own path. Some may be less fortunate than Lady Carissa, but others might be luckier. Even if she has the upper hand now, does that mean she’s unbeatable?”

Viola’s bitterness deepened. “Why didn’t you ever say these things to me before?”

“Because you wouldn’t have listened,” Poppy replied. Then, she pulled the curtains down and said to the coachman, “Sir, we may go now.”

Viola sank back against the embroidered cushion, her mind heavy with unease. Suddenly, an overwhelming dread gripped her. She realized, with a sinking heart, that she might truly be alone for the rest of her life.

She couldn’t be like Carissa, who, after her divorce, still managed to marry a handsome, accomplished prince with great military achievements.

Viola grasped Poppy’s hand tightly, her face drained of color. “Poppy, do you think Barrett will ever make anything of himself? Do you think he’ll get some military merit?“!

“My lady, fate is unpredictable,” Poppy replied. “He might rise again and become a general. Or perhaps he’ll fall into ruin and never get back up. His Majesty might even take back Valor Estate from them because of that.“.

“With how he is, he’ll never get anywhere. If I stay with him, I’ll end up losing everything. His Majesty might even seize Valor Estate, and my life will be truly ruined. No, my choices weren’t wrong. I’m not wrong,” Viola muttered under her breath.

At first, she admired Barrett. He was handsome and favored by the king, and their marriage was arranged by the prime minister’s wife. Over time, she began to see his weaknesses–he was indecisive, easily swayed by emotions, and lacked direction.

On top of that, he had a domineering rightful wife and a dazzling ex–wife. And then there was Viola, the third daughter of the Earl of Silverstone, who felt ordinary in comparison.

Before Viola married into the Warren family, she thought she would be loved by them all. However, reality had been a bitter disappointment. She resented Barrett for failing to live up to her expectations, and that resentment had only grown over time, eventually driving them apart.

The following day, Barrett ignored his family’s objections and set off for the Southern Frontier with orders from the Ministry of Defense in hand.

Before this, he had already applied to re–enlist with the Ministry of Defense. His choices were limited–either the Southern Frontier, Victory Pass, or a military outpost.

He had served in one of the military outposts when he first enlisted, earning merit in the suppression of bandits alongside, two generals. Later, he served at both Victory Pass and the Southern Frontier, so he only had these three options.

He chose the Southern Frontier. He couldn’t bear to face the Sullivan family, nor did he wish to serve under Thomas. The Southern Frontier was his only option. Since he and Violet ha peaceful divorce and he was just a regular soldier, Oliver wouldn’t make things difficult for him.

Zoey’s illness came on suddenly–swift and harsh as an avalanche, then dragged on, slowly dissipating like a thread being pulled from fabric. Perhaps she had been eager to rest, for even though she felt much better, she still remained in bed.

Carissa and Violet had visited her a few times, and only when they were there did Zoey’s face light up with a smile. Yet, despite her ailment, not a single task she had set in motion had been delayed. novelbin

She had sold off some property, and the money wasn’t placed in any bank. She hid it in a house that was part of her dowry, buried deep beneath the floorboards. Then, using her status as the Earl of Silverstone’s wife, she set up a soup stall on the outskirts of the city. 1

People thought she was trying to restore the family’s reputation, but that wasn’t her real aim. Reputation can mean different things. Even if the Earl of Silverstone’s family had a reputation for charity, it couldn’t change the damage to its morals caused by Viola.

People would only say that the Earl of Silverstone’s family had good people, but their household was corrupt.

That was why Zoey had her children and even the concubines‘ children go out and help with the food distribution whenever they had time–not for anything else, but to keep them from getting too much involved in the mess.

Of course, her real goal was to gain a reputation for kindness. She hoped that if something ever happened to the Earl of Silverstone’s family, someone would remember her good deeds. and stand up for them in court. At the very least, she hoped that someone would spe in their defense and ensure their misfortunes wouldn’t affect future generations.

As for those who had benefited from the earl’s family, she hoped that when the criticism came pouring in, at least one of them would step forward to defend them.