Her Majestic Battle Cry

Jocelyn didn’t say a word, but her face had gone deathly pale.

She still harbored resentment toward Courtney, but who could blame her? Courtney had spoken up for Thomas. The mess with those families was so filthy and disgusting to hear about.

The Farrell family’s household was in disarray, and such vile things happened in an estate that large–wasn’t it right to speak of them?

Jocelyn had acted impulsively when she slapped Courtney, but Courtney had brought it upon herself. She shouldn’t have defended Thomas. A good woman needed to stay away from people like that and situations like those.

The two of them sat in silence, Cassidy occasionally sniffling as Jocelyn remained quiet.

Her mind was a jumbled mess, running through so many thoughts. At last, she sighed softly and said, “Actually, going back to the academy wouldn’t be so bad. But the queen doesn’t like the academy.”

Ultimately, Jocelyn was just a sheltered girl. She was unable to keep secrets and was unaware of the gravity of some matters. And so, she shared them with Cassidy.

Cassidy paused her sobbing; looking at her in confusion. “The queen doesn’t like it? But the academy was established by the queen dowager’s instructions…”

“Maybe it’s because Lady Carissa is the headmistress,” Jocelyn said slowly. “I remember when I went to the palace with my aunt, I overheard the queen talking to her. The king originally wanted to take Lady Carissa as a consort, so the queen never liked her. So naturally, she wouldn’t like the academy or the workshop that Lady Carissa started.”

She then pressed a finger to her lips. “You can’t tell anyone, okay? This is a secret.”

Cassidy nodded quickly, her expression solemn.I know. I won’t tell anyone.”

Then, she lowered her head and began crying again. “How could this happen? Why would those people barge in and just…grab people like that?”

“Yeah…” Jocelyn murmured in agreement, but her expression suddenly changed as if a thought had struck her. Her eyes widened in fear

“What’s wrong?” Cassidy asked quickly, noticing the change in her friend’s face.

Jocelyn was frozen, struck as if by lightning. She stared at Cassidy, her lips trembling.

“Nothing… I’m fine. It’s just…terrifying. If something like that happened, if they grabbed me- my life would be ruined.”

Cassidy nodded solemnly. “Yeah, it’s really terrifying.”

+25

BONUS

In the end, Jocelyn left in a daze. But before she departed, it seemed as though she realized something and warned Cassidy not to speak of their conversation to anyone.

Cassidy promised, “Don’t worry, I won’t tell.”

But a girl’s “I won’t tell” was nothing more than a spoken assurance. As soon as Jocelyn was gone, Cassidy hurried off to find her mom.

Winifred was quick–witted, and after only a few words, she understood the full implications. She sighed deeply.

“You can’t speak of this to anyone else, do you understand? There will be consequences. If it weren’t for Ms. Young protecting you, you’d be the one ruined. Tomorrow, you will accompany me to Highstone Estate and thank Ms. Young.”

“I understand.” Cassidy lowered her head, sinking into her mom’s embrace. “I truly regret how I treated Ms. Young. I always went against her. I even said she was chasing after General Farrell, and he didn’t want her.”

Winifred slapped her daughter sharply on the back of the head. “How can you say such things? Don’t you understand the importance of respecting your teachers? Never speak to that girl from the Quinton family again!”

“No, I can’t do that. Jocelyn’s my good friend. She didn’t mean it. It was the queen who made her do it,” Cassidy protested,

Winifred froze, her hair standing on end, and she quickly silenced the conversation.

The Quinton family was at the height of their power. Kylie was the current queen, and the eldest prince was likely to become the crown prince soon. Even if the Xavier family had ties with the Quinton family, they dared not say a word beyond what was necessary. novelbin

The labor foreman at the docks had been silenced, and that example loomed as a warning. Even if the Xavier family knew something, they had no choice but to keep their lips sealed.