Semua Bab Her Graceful War Song: Bab 1041 - Bab 1050

At the Quinton family's residence, Malcolm straightened his clothes and said, "You're being foolish, dear. How could you believe Carissa's deception? If Her Majesty really stepped in to support the workshop, wouldn't she be scorned by the civil officials?"Right now, the queen doesn't need to do anything—Prince Connor's position as the crown prince is already nearly secure. He is the legitimate eldest son. Who else could it be but him?"Marjorie remained seated, her expression calm as she asked, "If that's the case, then why did you target the workshop, my lord?"Since the matter with Casey, Marjorie had stopped addressing him affectionately. After so many years of marriage, there was a clear distance between them now.Malcolm pursed his lips, silent, though the darkness in his eyes deepened.Marjorie understood the reason, and when he remained silent, she added, "His Majesty is in his prime and there's no talk of choosing a crown prince. The palace is full of concubines, so the n

Carissa furrowed her brows, already suspecting it had something to do with Emma. Knowing how the years at Ironridge Estate had been unkind to her, having to not only manage the household but also bear children, Carissa had desperately hoped it wouldn't be her.Jessica frequently criticized her, and although Emma was Margaret's niece, she wasn't the primary wife. While she oversaw the internal affairs of the household and social engagements outside, her standing was always questionable.Violet was also frustrated. "What should we do? Could it really be her? If it's her... well, the woman is dead. Will the Marquis of Ironridge and the old matriarch even believe this? And there's no solid evidence to prove that Emma arranged everything before her death. The testimony of one maid isn't enough. She could easily say I coerced her."Carissa thought for a moment before saying, "Then, let's have Luke summon Giles again. This time, we'll question him ourselves.""That seems like the only opt

Although the authorities hadn't been alerted, the truth had already been uncovered through Rowan's investigation and Giles' admission. The only remaining question was whether the Marquis of Ironridge and Margaret had known about Emma's actions and chosen to cover for her.The entire scheme had indeed been orchestrated by Emma, with Giles and several of her trusted maids tasked with carrying it out.The reason behind it was simple—Emma knew her time was running out.Around this same time, Leopold had told her he planned to take another secondary wife to manage the household. He had already chosen the candidate: Flora, who had recently entered the household as a concubine.In other words, Leopold had intended to marry her as his secondary wife from the start. While secondary wives were technically concubines, they held a higher status than common concubines as they were still rightful wives.When Leopold spoke of Flora, he had admiration in his eyes. He mentioned that her father was

The Marquis of Ironridge's family spent the entire night getting to the bottom of things.Once everything was clear, Margaret summoned Leopold. She laid out her plans. "Divorce Serena, bring Jessica back, and invite those storytellers to come and tell the truth. We need them to clear things up."Leopold was already filled with disdain for Jessica. He didn't want her back, and strongly disagreed with Margaret's approach."I don't agree, Mom. We should just leave things as they are. People have already been gossiping about me because of what happened to Jessica. After all this time, I finally got some peace when I divorced her. All the gossip outside doesn't concern us—it's all about Jessica."If we clear things up now, it will only tarnish our reputation and Emma's as well. She's your niece, and she's also the mother of your two grandchildren. You're being too harsh. Either way, I won't take Jessica back—if she's divorced, she'll stay divorced."Margaret looked at him, her chest

Jessica's expression shifted, her face twisting into irritation. "How many times do I have to tell you? Stop nagging me! You're so annoying! People like you are impossible to tolerate. If I were the lady of the house, I'd never keep a servant like you around!""Then go on back and become the lady of the house. I'm sure you'll find plenty of obedient servants to dote on you there," Selma shot back without missing a beat.Jessica scoffed, lifting her chin. "Of course I'm going back! Do you think I'd stay here to look at the sour face of an old servant like you when I could be living a life of comfort?""Go on, then. Don't bother packing your clothes—what need do you have for them when you'll have every silk and satin you could wish for waiting for you at Ironridge Estate?" Selma replied tartly.Jessica's head snapped up, and she pointed an accusing finger at the older woman. "I'm warning you—don't you dare touch my clothes! Once you've given them to me, they're mine!"Selma laughe