Chapter 509
Aurora’s mocking voice drifted in. “You’ve turned yourself into a joke!”
Viola clutched her chest. “How dare you! You’re just a concubine! How dare you come here to ridicule me?”
Aurora laughed. “As a concubine, I’ve actually received quite a generous sum from this household. Since I entered the family, I’ve had the best of everything—no one dares to treat me poorly. And not a single penny of my own money has ever gone out.”
She left gracefully, leaving Viola gasping in frustration. In the entire household, Aurora was the only one who could stand apart and enjoy the spectacle. If Serena dared to ask for anything, Aurora would slap her without hesitation. Only someone like Viola… so despicable!
After mocking Viola, Aurora returned to her room. She checked the defensive mechanisms and ordered her maid not to enter before she changed and went to bed. She had heard about the new Westhaven crown prince and confirmed the true identity of the man she had captured in Fawnrun City. Westhaven’s spies had killed the Duke of Northwatch’s entire family. She had to be more cautious in case spies were still hiding in the capital.
Regardless, Barrett wouldn’t come to her room, which was irrelevant. Staying alive was the most important thing.
While the Warren family residence was in chaos, the situation at the Earl of Gracehold’s residence was no better. Dorothy was enraged that her grandson had been stripped of his title as heir and could no longer inherit the earldom. She had been causing a commotion for days, demanding an audience with the queen dowager to refute the charges brought by the Oversight Department.
Her actions had caused widespread discontent among other family members. The position of heir wasn’t solely Samuel’s—weren’t there other descendants? Dorothy’s favoritism chilled everyone’s heart.
Unable to bear the disturbance, Noah knelt and pleaded, “Mother, he’s given up everything for that lowly woman. Why are you still favoring him? You don’t have only one grandson. If you continue this way, our family will be torn apart and ruined.”
Dorothy, furious, struck him with her cane. “How outrageous! You’re such a useless father! He’s your son! You should hope for his success, not his failure! The king acknowledged him as a top scholar and personally appointed him an official! How can you allow others to slander him? You didn’t protect him in court, and now he’s been stripped of his title and official position! What do you expect him to do in the future?”
Dorothy hit Noah several times. Though she wasn’t strong, the blows humiliated him as head of the household. He grasped the cane, saying mournfully, “Mother, His Majesty spoke to me. If this chaos continues, our title will end.”
Dorothy staggered. “What? The king said this personally?”
Noah released the cane. “His Majesty said if the Earl of Gracehold’s household doesn’t treat the duchess well, we’ll lose our title. He’s already considered revoking it. We can’t make any more trouble. We can’t let Samuel make any more mistakes. He always listens to you. Please get him to stop insulting civil and military officials and criticizing the royal authority.”
Dorothy collapsed, her face ashen. “No, our family’s title is hereditary, granted by King Augustus himself. How can the current king revoke it? What does a man taking a concubine have to do with his title? Haven’t we treated the duchess well enough? You all are eager to stand up for her, but I’m the only one protecting Samuel. Look at him now—our esteemed scholar has had his teeth knocked out by a maid! Anyone can strike him, and now, with his rank and title stripped away, even criticism is controlled. It’s as if you’re trying to drive him to his doom!”
“Mother, think about your other grandchildren,” Noah said mournfully.
“But none of them are as outstanding as Samuel! None can compare to him!”
Dorothy’s eyes hardened. Samuel was her cherished grandson, and these people wanted to ruin him! She commanded, “Hold off on appointing a new heir. After I see the queen dowager in a few days, I will find a way.”