Chapter 267: Don’t Tell Him To Die

Ashley smiled, but her smile held a hint of venom. "Isolde, you're too smug. Those who are too proud often become arrogant. I'll wait for the moment when your pride falters. Or perhaps, something already exists to appropriately dull your edge."

Doug and Kolton would arrive in Argentum in two days. They entered the palace first and instructed Harlan to inform Isolde that Geoffrey was recuperating at the Becker family's villa outside the city.

When Harlan reported, he said, "If you don't want to visit, just send some tonics as a gesture. No matter what he did before, you still have to fulfill your filial duty." Harlan had already forgiven Geoffrey, but he understood Isolde's predicament.

Isolde nodded. "Alright. Please take good care of him."

"I will," Harlan said, offering little more. He didn't even inquire about the situation in Argentum before leaving.

When Oliver returned from the Southern Prison, Pablo informed him of the matter and asked him to comfort Isolde. Oliver didn't think comfort was necessary. Such matters were deeply personal; no words could truly help. Geoffrey's past actions had hurt Isolde too deeply. It was only natural for her not to visit him, and no one could morally pressure her to do so. Therefore, in front of Isolde, Oliver didn't mention Geoffrey at all.

It was Isolde who brought it up. "If the King finds out that he secretly left Argentum and went to Zloimond, what would happen?"

"Well…" Oliver mused, "There's no precedent for this. Although he's now an official in the Inspectorate, he's still a military officer at heart. For a military officer to leave the capital without orders and join the troops is, strictly speaking, a violation of military law. Before a battle, military orders are absolute. Violating them is almost equivalent to deceiving the King."

Isolde frowned. Many people had witnessed his injury, including Ashley. If Ashley reported this, the punishment would be even more severe. Thinking of this, she said in a deep voice, "No, I have to go to the villa and make him enter the palace to confess his crime and beg for punishment!"

"Isn't that too risky? If the King is furious, his life might be in danger, let alone anything else," Oliver said. Too many people saw it; there's no way to hide it. If they wait and he's charged with deceiving the King, it'll be even worse.

Oliver considered this and agreed, but… He looked at Isolde and said softly, "Have you considered that if you ask him to confess his crime and the King imposes a heavy punishment, you'll be criticized by everyone? After all, he went to protect you."

"Exactly because of that, I can't just stand by and do nothing," Isolde said, her heart filled with worry and anxiety. He had already died once and come back to life. If he were to be executed by the King for this, it would be her fault. But if he confessed first, perhaps they could plead for mercy from the King, asking only to spare his life and nothing more.

Oliver understood her thoughts and said, "Alright, I'll go with you."

"No, you should rest. You've been busy all day. Southern Watch must be hectic lately, right?" Isolde actually didn't want him to witness the awkward interaction between her and Geoffrey. They had never been able to speak properly. Family shame, though already widely known, was something she wanted to keep a bit of dignity about in front of him.

Oliver said, "Yes, I'm indeed quite busy." He wasn't very busy, but he knew what Isolde meant. Even the closest of couples had a corner of their hearts reserved for the darker parts of their lives, parts they didn't want others to see.

Isolde rode alone to the villa under the cover of night. Doug arranged for a few trusted aides to wait on him there. Harlan was naturally also present.

Harlan was surprised by Isolde's arrival. "My lady, you're here?"

Isolde looked at Harlan's happy eyes and asked softly, "How is he?"

"Not very good. His injuries are always recurring. Fortunately, he took Consumption Pills. His life can be saved, but he probably won't be able to go back to how he was before. My lady, aren't you going to go in and see him?" Harlan sighed softly. He couldn't even get out of bed. As a general, the deterioration of his body was the biggest blow.

Isolde was silent for a moment, then asked Harlan, "There's something I want to ask for your opinion on."

"What is it?" Harlan saw her serious expression and pulled her aside to talk.

Isolde looked at the dappled shadows cast by the lantern and said, "I want him to enter the palace to confess his crime and beg for punishment!"

Harlan was shocked. "What?" Isolde looked at him calmly. Harlan realized that she was serious. He was very angry. "No matter how much you hate him, he saved your life at Zloimond. He barely survived, and now you want to push him to his death? You might as well not have come."

Isolde knew that Harlan cared a lot about their master-servant relationship. She explained, "This matter can't be hidden. Too many people witnessed it, and Ashley saw it too. If he confesses first, we might be able to plead for mercy from the King and spare his life. But if someone reports him, it'll be disastrous."

"Who would report him? The Northern Camp Army listens to you and Garrett. Besides, there's still Doug keeping things under control. As for Ashley, even if she enters the palace, she's just a concubine. Can a concubine interfere with court matters? And she wouldn't just bring it up for no reason, would she? If your father doesn't say anything, he still has a chance. If he does, it's a death sentence."

As Harlan spoke, he suddenly looked at her strangely. "My lady, do you feel that the merits you've earned aren't enough? Do you want to report your father to earn more credit?"

"You think I'm that kind of person, right?" Isolde's voice was slightly cold.

Harlan knew that he had misspoken. "I'm just too angry. I don't agree with your suggestion."

"I'll talk to him," Isolde said, about to walk in.

Harlan stopped her. "You can't go. He'll listen to anything you say now. If you tell him to die, he'll do it without hesitation. If you tell him this, he'll definitely go to the palace to confess. Once that happens, there's no turning back." Harlan had been in the army and knew how severe military crimes were. Once Geoffrey went, there was no turning back.

Isolde looked at Harlan and said helplessly, "Alright, since you don't agree, let's pretend I never said it."

Harlan's eyes were filled with sorrow. "My lady, I really can't let you do this. I know that you might not have the intention to harm him, but you don't understand. Ever since your mother left, your father has been living off his past merits. The King hasn't thought highly of him for a long time. It's only thanks to you that he's regained the King's favor and been granted a hereditary title. But how many people in the court are jealous of him? Others earned their hereditary titles through military achievements, but your father earned his through his daughter's accomplishments. He's actually quite distressed about it. He was once a valiant military officer who made great contributions to the country. You saw for yourself how brave he was in Zloimond. That's the instinct of a military officer—once on the battlefield, they fight with everything they have to protect the people behind them. And this time, your father had an additional obsession—to protect you at all costs. You really can't send him to his death again. Even if you can't forgive him, just hate him from afar."