Chapter 165

Lily stepped forward to interrupt Rebecca’s pitiful display, her expression fierce.

“What do you mean, ‘it was a marriage edict granted by the king’? Wasn’t it General Warren who requested the marriage, leveraging his military achievements?

“And don’t talk about concubines! What General Warren wanted was a legitimate wife! When the royal edict was issued, General Warren and General Yates came to see Lady Sinclair. Would you like me to repeat their heartless words?

“General Warren said that after marrying General Yates, he would never set foot in Lady Sinclair’s room again. She was only to manage the household and continue using her dowry to support the Warren family. They expected Lady Sinclair to care for any children General Warren and General Yates had, which would, in their view, give Lady Sinclair some form of purpose.

“Also, General Yates demanded a high dowry. Since the Warren family couldn’t provide it, they demanded Lady Sinclair lend them the money. She was willing, but she wouldn’t give it outright. Because of that, you accused her of being heartless and ungrateful.

“Eventually, when you couldn’t get what you wanted, you tried to claim that Lady Sinclair was disrespectful, unable to bear children, and that your son should unilaterally divorce her. Once a woman is unilaterally divorced, she can’t reclaim her dowry. What a malicious scheme!

“How could you claim Lady Sinclair was disrespectful? Since marrying into the Warren family, has there been a day she hasn’t been caring for your illness? Then you claim Lady Sinclair is unable to bear children? That’s absurd! On their wedding night, General Warren left for the battlefield and returned with the intention to marry General Yates. From the start to the finish, he never touched a finger of Lady Sinclair; in that case, how could there be any children?

After Frederick and Lily spoke, the crowd engaged in a heated discussion.

“Does this mean Lady Sinclair is still pure?”

“The Warren family is too excessive, aren’t they? General Warren himself requested the marriage, but now they’re scheming to seize Lady Sinclair’s dowry.”

“The entire family is shameless! It’s truly a calamity!”

“Nonsense! The Duke of Northwatch’s family is known for their integrity, and General Sinclair achieved military success on the Southern Frontier. She wouldn’t be this kind of person!”

“I heard that when the divorce was happening, Lord Sinclair was furious, saying the Warren family was going too far.”

“Speaking of Sebastian, I remember now. Last year, when I went to the physician’s office, I saw one of the Warren family’s ladies kneeling at the door, begging him to sell her medicine. The physician told me he was unwilling to sell the medicine because the Warren family’s matriarch had questionable conduct.”

The crowd buzzed with renewed outrage and disbelief as the scandal continued to unfold.

“They treated Lady Sinclair like trash and swept her out of their lives. Who would have thought the king would honor the Duke of Northwatch with a posthumous title? In fact, the duke’s family estate can still be passed down through three generations. The Warren family must regret it now!”

“Who wouldn’t? If it were me, I’d be so remorseful I’d hit my head against a wall. How dare they come back and try to reconcile their old ties?”

“Although the Duke of Northwatch’s family is a military family, they haven’t been overbearing. They respond with reason and evidence. Now look at the Warren family’s matriarch—she’s just wailing and acting as if she’s suffered a great injustice! What injustice could she have suffered? Isn’t it all because General Warren wanted to marry General Yates?”

“Speaking of General Yates, have you heard? She got herself captured on the battlefield because of her greed and overeagerness. When they found her, she was without pants and lying in a pool of blood!”

“I heard about that too! I also heard she caused trouble for the others who were captured with her… They were castrated. Can they still be soldiers now? They might as well become monks!”

“Shut up, all of you! Shut up!” Rebecca’s face turned pale with rage; her trembling finger pointed at everyone. “It’s not like that at all! It’s all rumors! Just shut up!”

However, her frantic denial only confirmed the rumors. The crowd grew more animated. Some even started arguing with her, questioning what nerve she had to come to Northwatch Estate and make a scene.

Rebecca bickered with the crowd, while Serena and Amelia remained silent. Although Serena had shouted a few times earlier, she was now too scared to speak further as the situation turned against them. She still hadn’t married, and her reputation was important to her. As for Amelia, she had been dragged along unwillingly in the first place. She didn’t want to get involved and was deeply embarrassed. Why would she speak in such a situation?

Benjamin, being a man, found it even harder to speak up. Seeing that the situation was spiraling out of control, he hurriedly stepped forward to persuade his mother. “Let’s go. Justice will prevail on its own.”

At this moment, Frederick’s voice rang out firmly, “Yes, justice will prevail! The vile and sinister cannot withstand the light of day. You may leave. Lady Sinclair hopes never to have any dealings with the Warren family again, and the past grievances are hereby settled.” He saluted the crowd in thanks.

“Thank you all for standing up for what’s right. Everyone here understands the truth. Right and wrong will become clear upon investigation. Lady Sinclair’s misfortune was her fate, and we accept that.

“However, we will not engage with the Warren family again. If they dare to cause trouble once more, we are not afraid. We’ve handled the situation in a transparent and straightforward manner. Any attempts to distort the truth are futile, because everything is clearly visible!”

Having heard Frederick’s strong words, the crowd began to disperse, their murmurs a mix of agreement and concern.