The Swordswoman’s Revenge Story After Rebirth

Chapter 307: Everything Will Settle in Time

Thelma waited until they were on the verge of passing out from crying before she finally spoke. “Shut your mouths and wipe your tears. I don’t want to hear another sound from you.”

“The King found out about this last night and was so furious that he collapsed. If not for Oliver pleading on your behalf, your heads would have rolled last night. Do you still think you have the right to cry before me?”

The room fell silent. Everyone stared at Oliver in shock, unable to believe the man had pleaded for them.

Thelma said coldly, “Don’t bother looking. Without him, you wouldn’t just lose your heads; your entire families would also be implicated for treason.”

A heavy silence settled over the ministers. Fear gripped them.

Then, Thelma suddenly slammed her hand down and snapped, “How could you betray the King? Has he not treated you well enough? Ask yourselves, aside from colluding with King Kamari, are your records truly clean? The King turned a blind eye and even dismissed reports against you because he believed in your abilities.”

“He thought as long as you were competent and worked for the people, that was enough. But he never expected his leniency to embolden you to this extent. Instead of gratitude, you chose treason. Tell me, can any of you give the King a reason to spare you?”

Under her fierce questioning, no one dared to speak. They trembled, too terrified to utter a word. Whether their heads would stay on their shoulders was still uncertain.

“You have nothing to say, do you?” Thelma sneered. “But Great Marshal Valois does. Last night, the King drafted a decree to seize assets and execute the entire families of those involved in the rebellion. Great Marshal Valois knelt and begged for you.”

“He argued that now that the conflict in Zloimond is settled and peace has been restored, exposing your betrayal would only shake the court’s faith in the King. You are high-ranking officials and role models for countless others. If they discovered you had conspired with King Kamari to overthrow the court, how would they react? You deserve to die, but he couldn’t allow this to destroy the trust of the entire administration.”

“Your Majesty… I… really deserve death!” Deangelo sobbed again, but this time, there was some sincerity in his tears. There was regret, but not for betraying Theodore or Thelma. He regretted ending up like this.

As Thelma said, he had been respected all his life. If the world found out that he had plotted a rebellion with Kamari, he would go down as a traitor and be cursed for generations.

“Oliver, what about you?” Thelma’s authoritative voice cut through the silent room.

Oliver’s eyes widened in shock.

“Do you realize your mistake?” she asked sternly.

Oliver replied hesitantly, “I… do.” He wasn’t sure what she meant.

Thelma’s expression softened slightly, and she said, “You already knew the names of these traitors while you were in Zloimond, yet you kept it hidden. If not for someone exposing them, you might have continued shielding them. Since you pleaded for them last night, you will take responsibility for them in the future. If they step out of line again, I’ll take your head.”

Oliver’s face hardened as he said, “Understood.” Deep down, he was impressed by Thelma’s masterful act.

“As for you lot, this is your first offense, and though you conspired, you haven’t yet harmed the court or the people. For now, you can keep your heads. But if you make one wrong move, I will have your lives. Hand over everything you took from King Kamari. Miss a single coin, and I’ll make sure you regret it. Now get out. Tomorrow, you’ll receive the official decree at your estates,” Thelma added.

The officials bowed in gratitude before scrambling away.

Once they were gone, Oliver chuckled. “Your Majesty, so this is what you meant by paving the way for me?”

“Yes,” Thelma replied with a serious expression. “For now, they’re under your watch.”

“Understood,” Oliver stated. “I must say, Your Majesty, you put on quite the performance when you said my life was on the line if they made another misstep—”

“I wasn’t joking,” Thelma looked at him and said flatly.

Oliver’s smile gradually faded. “Huh?”

“That’s right. If they do anything wrong again, it means you failed to keep them in check. Your life, just like theirs, is hanging by a thread. And not just yours—if it comes to that, I’ll take Isolde’s life as well.”

Oliver’s expression turned grave. “Understood. I take my leave.” He had to catch up with those bastards and issue a stern warning.

“Go on,” Thelma heaved a sigh of relief and waved him off.

As Oliver stepped outside, he was about to rush after them when he saw they were still lingering nearby. Noticing his arrival, they quickly gathered around and greeted him.

Deangelo said in shame, “Great Marshal, I deeply regret my words earlier. I hope you can forgive me.”

“Thank you for saving our lives!” Other officials expressed their gratitude.

Oliver had intended to deliver a harsh reprimand, but seeing them so remorseful—especially knowing he was the one who had reported them—he felt somewhat undeserving of their gratitude.

Instead, he simply said, “You should all return home. The final verdict hasn’t been decided yet. But let me be clear. My life is now tied to yours. From now on, think twice before you act. I’ll say this upfront. Southern Watch will be keeping a close eye on you. If any of you repeat your mistakes, don’t blame me for being ruthless. When my life is at stake, I won’t show mercy.”

“Of course, of course!” The officials who had just narrowly escaped death could not care less about their dignity. Besides, their fate was still uncertain. They had passed Thelma’s test, but they didn’t know how Theodore would punish them.

Deangelo hesitated before turning back. “By the way, Great Marshal, may I ask who snitched on us?”

Oliver replied flatly, “There’s no need to ask. You should already know the answer.”

Deangelo nodded hastily and said, “Yes, yes. Understood. I’ll take my leave.”

Inside the prayer hall of Mystic Palace, Rowena helped Thelma and said, “Did you really have to frighten Great Marshal Valois like that? Threatening his life was one thing, but bringing up Lady Isolde? You scared him half to death.”

Thelma replied in a low voice, “If I hadn’t, would he have the resolve to keep those fools in check? You know his temperament. He rarely takes anything to heart, but when it comes to Isolde, it’s a different story.”

Rowena said, “Great Marshal Valois is just indifferent to these things.”

“Indifference has no place in times like these,” Thelma stepped out and said. “He was too nonchalant before, never caring about anything, not even his own life. That’s how he ended up like this.”

Rowena chuckled. “True enough. So, what’s your plan for those officials? You’re not going to let them off easy, are you?”

Thelma looked up at the cloudless sky. “That’s for the King to decide.”

Rowena agreed, “Yes, it should be his responsibility. You haven’t been in the best health lately. Don’t burden yourself with too much. You’ve done your part. Can we just let things be from now on?”

“I wish,” Thelma murmured, lowering her eyes. “But just wait. Once Ashley enters the palace, the storm will continue for a while.”

Rowena scoffed. “Continue? More like never end.”

“It will. Everything will settle in time.” A sharp glint flashed through Thelma’s eyes. She suddenly turned to Rowena and said, “Go to the Marquis of Eldermere’s estate and teach her palace etiquette tomorrow.”