Chapter 218: Arrest Her First

Agnes composed herself and met Arthur’s gaze. “Jonathan never wanted to marry Rosemary, but in the end, he had no choice. Even after all these years, he has never taken a concubine. Is it for love?”

“No,” Agnes replied, “it’s because Rosemary has the Queen Mother behind her. The Queen Mother once ruled the dynasty, commanded the people’s loyalty, and even the King held her in high regard. With just a word, she could shake the entire court.”

Cristina said indignantly, “Will the Queen Mother listen to Rosemary every time?”

“She certainly will,” Agnes said, her gaze fixed on Arthur. “Father once said that no matter what the Queen Mother commands, Rosemary would see it done. And whenever Rosemary asks for something, the Queen Mother would lend her aid without question. So, how do you truly understand Rosemary?”

Arthur thought for a moment. “I don’t know much, but I’ve heard that she’s unruly and ruthless.”

“Then, will she remember the hatred of stealing her husband?” Agnes asked.

Arthur’s expression changed. He hadn’t thought of this.

“You are not allowed to leave the room again!” Arthur warned Cristina.

Cristina stomped away, crying.

Agnes shook her head gently. “I’m afraid it’s already too late.”

“Too late?” Arthur asked, confused.

“She’s already Oliver’s concubine. It was arranged by Rosemary,” Agnes said. Agnes had considered using Cristina to secure a better alliance, but she realized it was better to send her away. At least, Arthur wouldn’t be biased toward Cristina anymore.

Arthur said in a deep voice, “You mean you want to send her away?”

Agnes replied, “Oliver is dead. We can find an excuse for a divorce. However, Cristina must remain with the Valen family for now and endure some suffering so Rosemary can vent her anger. Otherwise, how can Rosemary let you and her off so easily?”

Arthur sighed sadly. “That’s the only way.”

When Isolde arrived at Eastford Landing, Arthur forcibly sent Cristina back to the Valen family to serve Margaret. Cristina was unwilling, but Arthur had ordered that if she dared to escape, the Felton family would no longer accept her. Cristina never imagined her infatuation would lead to this outcome. Yet, she still clung to the belief that Jonathan loved her—if not for Thelma’s unwavering support of Rosemary.

Isolde met Kolton at Eastford Landing. Isolde’s troop deployment was unusual. First, she had Doug leave in disguise a few days later. Second, she ordered Kolton to lead a thousand men westward, taking a detour to Zloimond—a route about 1.5 times longer, adding at least three extra days to their journey. Meanwhile, she dispatched another thousand men to pursue Lucas, who had left a day earlier, instructing them to follow closely behind the supply convoy but not to merge forces. She herself led a thousand troops eastward, using the pretense of eliminating bandits as cover.

At the residence of the King of Zloimond, a handsome middle-aged man in dark green silk sat in an armchair. His eyes filled with rage as he coldly looked at the kneeling soldier.

“Mr. Conway, the mountain has been searched. Oliver’s body was not found, and there’s still no trace of the metal box,” the soldier replied.

Kamari was furious. He picked up a bowl and threw it at the kneeling man. The man didn’t dare dodge. The bowl struck his head, and blood flowed immediately.

“Trash! All of you are trash!” Kamari roared. “So many people can’t even find a corpse. Why should I hire you? Useless!”

The soldier knelt, blood dripping from his head. He was on the verge of collapse, but he remained upright, not daring to fall. “Mr. Conway! I will do my best to find him again.”

“I’ll give you three more days. If you still can’t find the corpse and the iron box, I’ll kill you,” Kamari said before shouting, “Get out!”

Ashley, a young woman in a red dress, stood beside him. She helped the soldier up, saying softly, “Go back to your work.”

“Yes!” The soldier turned stiffly, not bothering to cover his wound, and strode out.

Kamari looked angrily at Ashley, frowning. “As long as I haven’t seen Oliver’s corpse with my own eyes, I won’t have a moment of peace.”

Ashley smiled, her eyes bright and dignified. Her lips curled slightly in a demure expression. She comforted him. “Oliver definitely won’t survive. The spot was blown to pieces, after all.”

Although her voice was soft, it was convincing. Kamari felt relaxed. However, the thought of the iron box made him anxious. “If Oliver died, where did he die? Did he take the iron box? These things keep ringing in my head!”

Ashley said, “When the gunpowder warehouse was destroyed, Oliver and the others were in the secret room. Then the mountain collapsed. Logically speaking, his corpse should be in the secret room, and later on, we found his sword there…”

“However, I didn’t find his body. I suspect Doug secretly came back then and took the body and the metal box,” Kamari said.

Ashley shook her head. “No, our people have been watching Doug closely every time he goes up the mountain. He didn’t take anyone away, nor did he take anything.”

Kamari’s expression relaxed slightly. “By the way, who are the people Doug left behind? Have you investigated them?”

Ashley said, “Yes. There’s a man and two women. The man is Keith Langley, a guard. One woman is Hattie Goodwin, and the other is Hazel Goodwin. They’re Isolde’s maidservants, the new County Princess. However, these two used to be Oliver’s maidservants. I don’t know why they went to serve Isolde later.”

“County Princess of Cromwell?” Kamari frowned. “Geoffrey’s daughter? That useless man, how promising can his daughter be?”

Ashley said, “I don’t know if Isolde and Oliver were engaged. The wedding dress we recovered might have been given to her by Oliver. Isolde also came to Zloimond a few days ago and left with Doug.”

“Think of a way to get rid of these annoying flies,” Kamari said in annoyance.

Ashley said, “Alright, I’ll get someone to do that tomorrow. Mr. Conway, don’t worry. The iron box might not have fallen into their hands. It might have been buried under the mountain. It might even have exploded and burned the letter inside.”

A trace of viciousness flashed in Kamari’s eyes. “If that wedding dress was really made by Oliver for Isolde, we should capture Isolde first. If Oliver is not dead, then we still have a chance to bargain.”