The Swordswoman's Revenge Story after Rebirth

Chapter 296 The Atmosphere at the Palace Gate

Ebreathed a sigh of relief, feeling both relieved and pleased as she watched Isolde.

Isolde’s temper had improved significantly.

Aveline led Isolde to greet each of the noblewomen one by one.

“This is the Queen’s mother, Mrs. Morris.”

“It's my honor to meet you, Mrs. Morris,” Isolde curtsied.

“Greetings, Princess Langley,” Lady Yuan returned the gesture with a kind and gentle smile, clearly impressed.

“This is Consort Cora’s mother, Lady Wondery, honored by the King.”

“Hello, Lady Wondery!”

“Greetings, Princess Langley.”

After this round of introductions, Isolde received generally positive feedback.

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The main reason for this was that despite her status as a princess and the King’s appointed General, Isolde

remained humble and respectful, neither overbearing nor submissive.

Secondly, she had earned the favor of Aveline, who was known to be Queen Dowager’s adopted daughter and

part of the inner circle of the royal family.

This inner circle included Aveline, Rosemary, and Elisa, the wife of Graeme-all close confidantes of Queen

Dowager who could enter the palace without a formal summons.

While many sought to curry favor with this elite group, few succeeded, so most chose to keep their distance and

avoid offending them.

After the introductions, the palace gates opened.

The procession began to move slowly and silently inside.

It was the fifth watch of the night, and the sky was still dark. As they entered the palace, they walked through a

long palace corridor illuminated by bonfires on either side. The high walls of the palace isolated it from the

outside world, and almost no sound from beyond could be heard.

Birds began to chirp noisily, and from a distant, nameless tree, a flock of birds took flight. The sound of hurried

footsteps echoed as people busied themselves.

As they walked, the horizon began to lighten with the first hints of dawn.

The faint morning light painted the sky in shades of black and blue, and a thin mist hung in the air, carrying the

chill of autumn.

The walk was silent. The noblewomen and young ladies who had been chattering outside now remained quiet,

their expressions serious and solemn.

At the front of the procession was a chamberlain leading them to pay their respects to Queen Catherine.

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Queen Catherine had grown kind and approachable over the years, enjoying interactions with others. Thus, after

Queen Sophia issued an edict allowing the families of palace concubines to visit once a month, Queen Catherine

invited everyone to her palace for a visit.

Since Queen Catherine had extended the invitation, everyone treated it as an imperial decree. Upon entering the

palace, they first went to Queen Catherine’s palace to pay their respects before visiting their daughters’

quarters.

Queen Dowager rarely received visitors, and one could only see her with a formal summons.

Today, everyone hoped to catch a glimpse of Queen Dowager. They had brought generous gifts, using the

opportunity to inquire about her health to pave the way for their daughters.

They had prepared two sets of gifts: one for Queen Catherine and one for Queen Dowager. However, they were

well aware that seeing Queen Dowager would be difficult, so they planned to entrust their gifts to Queen

Catherine for delivery. It was unthinkable to ask their daughters to deliver the gifts themselves.

Since the King forbade any connections between the inner palace and the outer court, family members visiting

the palace had to be women and were required to strictly adhere to etiquette. They could only meet in the main

halls and were not allowed to enter the private chambers for conversations.

Family members often brought gifts when visiting the palace, but due to explicit edicts, these gifts were limited

to items like tonics, fabrics, and silks. They dared not bring anything too valuable, let alone silver. The gifts for

Queen Mother were particularly lavish, so they couldn't be presented in the concubines’ quarters, as it would

invite criticism.

Sfamilies of high-ranking concubines were even more cautious, visiting only once or twice a year instead of

monthly. For example, Layla’s family rarely cto the palace.

This time, Alice had cbecause her daughter had been demoted to a lower rank. She wanted to comfort her

daughter and teach her how to regain the King’s favor.

As they walked, they noticed that the chamberlain was leading them not to Queen Catherine's palace but

elsewhere.

Unable to contain her curiosity, Alice asked, “Lord Chamberlain, may | ask where we are headed?”

The chamberlain turned and bowed, “Ladies and young misses, Grand Queen Mother is unwell. Queen

Grandmother stayed overnight at Mystic Palace to accompany her. Thus, | am leading you all to Mystic Palace to

pay your respects.”

Everyone was instantly excited.

But no one spoke, except for Alice, who said, “We pray for Grand Queen Mother's swift recovery.”

The pace quickened, and aside from the sound of footsteps, even breathing seemed to be held in check.

Everyone nervously adjusted their appearances, smoothing their clothes and fixing their hair, afraid of making

any misstep.

Isolde walked in silence, her mind preoccupied.

Since Grand Queen Mother was going to receive so many people, she certainly couldn’t ask her questions in

front of everyone. She wasn’t sure if Queen Mother would allow her to stay behind for a private conversation.

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Chapter 296 The Atmosphere at the Palace Gate

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Morcover, if Queen Catherine was present, how could she bring up such matters?

But if she didn’t ask today, she would surely burst from the anxiety,

Aveline, noticing Isolde’s uneven breathing, thought she was nervous and said with a smile, “Don’t worry, Her

Majesty is kind and won't make things difficult for you. Just relax.”

Isolde found it hard to relax but still smiled gratefully at Aveline.

Theodric, holding Isolde’s hand, whispered, “If Grandmother scolds you, just pout. You don’t even have to cry,

and she'll soften. That's what | do every time.”

Isolde looked at his little face and gently touched it. A child's skin was so smooth and soft, but she wondered

how delicate a baby’s skin would feel.

The fire had been so intense...

A dull pain tugged at her heart.

She forced a smile, “Alright, I'll listen to you.”

Aveline tapped his head lightly, “A real man doesn’t pout all the time. Do you think it’s something to be proud of?

Grandmother doesn’t like cowardly children.”

Isolde, remembering the the had been kidnapped, said, “No, Theodric is very brave.”

Aveline sighed softly, knowing that the incident still haunted her. Even months later, she would wake up from

nightmares filled with the fear of losing him.

Unable to help herself, Aveline took Isolde’s other hand and whispered, “If it weren't for you that day, he would

have been lost. Isolde, thank you.”

“You've already thanked me. There's no need to do so again,” Isolde replied softly.

Though they spoke in hushed tones, the silence around them made their conversation audible to everyone.

Everyone knew that Isolde had saved Theodric.

But how sincere was the gratitude of those in high positions? Initially, they thought Aveline’s thanks were merely

perfunctory, but hearing her genuine appreciation, they held Isolde in even higher regard.

When they arrived outside Mystic Palace, they saw the imperial concubines waiting outside to be received by

Queen Mother.

Queen Sophia was also there, leading the concubines who had arrived early in the morning. The chilly air made

everyone shiver.

Yet, the silence remained unbroken.

Each person stepped forward to pay their respects, curtsying without a word.

Though it was just a greeting, the atmosphere was more solemn than a court assembly.

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