Her Majestic Battle Cry

Seeing that Yuvan was unable to leave the capital, Wayne deliberated for several days before saying, “Your Highness, you need time to recover and cannot return to Valken. However, it is concerning that Prince Harvey has been managing affairs there for so long. I fear he may take advantage of the situation and claim your position for himself. I must return to Valken to handle matters.”

Yuvan stared at Wayne, stunned, and then his face shifted into anger. “So, you’re abandoning me here and going back to Valken? How do you expect me to handle this mess on my own?”

Wayne was prepared for Yuvan’s outburst. He took a deep breath and said calmly, “Your Highness, the situation is already a mess. While you’re recovering, the public will soon forget about it. It’s best if you stay here in the capital for now. I’ll go back to discuss the next steps with Prince Harvey. Half of our suicide soldiers are now under his control. We need to reorganize and strategize. And besides, can you really trust Prince Harvey to run Valken?”

Though Yuvan did not trust Harvey, he was reluctant to face the mess alone. His frustration remained evident.

Wayne pressed on, “Your Highness, the Spencer family has already expelled Lady Molly. You and the Spencer family are no longer allies. You can’t rely on their warhorses, weapons, or financial support. We need to find another way. If we don’t act now, we may lose our chance. We’ve got an army to maintain, and it takes money–money that Grand Princess Eleanor can no longer provide. I must return to find a solution.”

Wayne spoke the harsh truth, but he was careful not to let it crush Yuvan’s spirit completely. The reality was grim, but Wayne didn’t want to demoralize him further.

Yuvan didn’t immediately agree to Wayne’s departure and instead asked him to stay a few more days. He wanted to see if Salvador would issue any further edicts.

What concerned Yuvan most was the possibility of someone randomly bringing forth a woman and accusing him of dishonoring her. In such a scenario, he feared he would have no way to defend himself, and only Wayne could offer counsel and strategies.

When Wayne understood his worry, he sighed inwardly. It was frustrating that Yuvan couldn’t see through such a situation.

“Your Highness, they won’t resort to that. The woman in question is Violet Spencer. They are eager to bury this scandal as quickly as possible. Besides, their efforts to establish the women’s academy and workshop are all for the sake of reputation. They advocate for protecting women’s rights and dignity–how could they then push a woman into the spotlight to be scorned? That would completely contradict their cause.

11

But Yuvan wasn’t ready to listen to reason, whether based on facts or logic.

In the end, it was Fiona who persuaded him. She reminded him that years of careful planning couldn’t be allowed to fall apart now. If Harvey had any thoughts of rebellion, the power in Valken would fall into his hands.

Yuvan finally relented, but not before summoning his son, Lucian. He instructed Lucian to go back to Valken with Wayne, and insisted that Wayne repeatedly swear to ensure the authority would be transferred to Lucian. He even planned to request the title of heir apparent for his son.

Wayne knew that securing the title of heir apparent wasn’t a simple matter, but for the sake of returning to Valken, he had no choice but to agree. The next day, he left the capital with Lucian.

Meanwhile, Randall, who had been living in the capital as a political hostage, had moved to a separate residence after Yuvan’s initial departure from the capital. To this day, he hadn’t returned to Edgeview Estate. Though he wasn’t formally confined, someone always followed him when he left the residence, leaving him far from free.

When Randall heard about how Yuvan petitioned to name Lucian as his heir, a sour bitterness crept into his heart.

Though Randall was the eldest son borne by a concubine, he had been raised by Avis. Lucian and Raymond, on the other hand, were born to Fiona and thus were also the children of a concubine.

Yet, despite having an elder son, Yuvan chose to pass his title to Lucian. Randall felt indignant, but knew there was nothing he could do–he had never been in a position to fight for anything. He couldn’t face Avis, nor could he face his cousin, Carissa. His life seemed destined to pass like this, without even the hope of marriage.

Perhaps it was for the best. At least now, he had found a friend of sorts. His name was Barrett, the fallen son of the Warren family.

Barrett had first sought him out to ask about Aurora. novelbin

At first, Randall paid Barrett no mind. Upon seeing him linger outside the courtyard for hours, refusing to leave, Randall eventually told him.

How Randall knew of Aurora’s fate was another matter–he had overheard Wayne speaking with Yuvan about it. There were things he knew but had to feign ignorance.