Chapter 142 Candy Who Considers Herself Noble
But the old lady didn't want to listen. In her view, who knew how Anne really got those military achievements anyway. If Anne really made a fuss about it, worst case scenario, she would just take Holden straight to His Majesty the King and see how smug Anne could be then.
She's just a woman - could she really turn the world upside down?
Seeing Trion still looking reluctant, the old lady remembered how Trion had been speaking up for Anne earlier. Her expression immediately turned cold. "If you're not willing to go and can't handle this matter on behalf of the Titan family, I'll have Mephist divorce you!"
Trion's body swayed and she collapsed back onto the sofa.
Anne was far away at the eastern front, cut off from news, completely unaware that the Soth Empire citizens' discussions about the military honors list had already painted her as a Valkyrie of the Hall of Heroes.
As for the Titan family, even if news reached them, Anne had no interest in knowing about it.
The reply from the royal capital had arrived. Friedel announced the good news that Anne would take over as commander of the Ivy Knights, thrilling not just the Ivy Knights but even the Lion Knights.
For good reason - the previous Lion Knights commander was Anne's father. Most members were soldiers personally trained by Duke Skoda, so they naturally had high hopes for his heir. Seeing Anne climb the ranks even faster than the Duke had, the old veterans beamed with pride.
Friedel was also happy, but he was busy arranging the troops to garrison Warlinekza and couldn't spare much time to celebrate specifically for Anne.
Although the war had ended and a short-term peace treaty had been signed with the Viller Empire, Warlinekza bordered the boundary between the two nations after all. Not only was it rich in mineral resources, its geographical position was also very important. Moreover, if both sides reached cooperation in the future and engaged in various trades, Warlinekza would inevitably serve as an important transportation hub.
What's more, because of Zotfort, the area where the Drogo Mountains connected the two countries also needed a certain military presence stationed there. Choosing what kind of soldiers to leave here was also a problem Friedel needed to consider.
Under these circumstances, the ones in the worst mood were probably Candy and Holden.
The soldiers who had burst into the cave that day saw Candy's miserable state, and the news quickly spread. Everyone knew that Candy had been used by Zotfort's soldiers, one after another.
Candy had no way to explain this matter. After all, it was the truth - no matter how many excuses she made, she couldn't deny it.
These past few days Holden had been unusually quiet and unwilling to pay attention to Candy. If she hadn't watched him stay in the tent without going anywhere, confirming he hadn't snuck off to the Ivy Knights, Candy would have suspected that Anne had quietly stolen his heart during her captivity
Seeing Holden like this, Candy felt terrible too. She knew Holden probably minded that she had been touched by those men - and not just one or two.
Candy had already mentally prepared herself that no matter how others pointed fingers and gossiped about her, she would live well and make something of herself, to show those people who deliberately put her down and insulted her that she, Candy, was no delicate little flower.
But after just a couple days, she saw Holden walk out of the tent, heading toward Hanks and the others' tent. Candy hesitated for a moment, then followed anyway.
What if Holden was pretending to visit Hanks but actually planned to take a detour to the Ivy Knights to find Anne?
Candy refused to trust Holden's loyalty. Now she only trusted her own eyes.
Watching Holden approach Hanks's tent, Candy didn't continue forward. Her leg had been set by the military doctor and after resting these past days, she could barely walk. As for Hanks and the others, Candy knew clearly that those few who had been captured with her would have trouble not just walking but even using their hands in the future.
Their limbs had been crushed by Zotfort's men, and even their torsos were injured.
Candy had originally wanted to comfort them - after all, they had made it down the mountain alive. But when Hanks and the others saw Candy, they cursed her for being heartless, cursing her for trading her subordinates' lives for her own.
Candy didn't understand. Before, they had gotten so many military achievements and rewards because of her. Now that she was in trouble, what was wrong with them using their lives to protect her?
Besides, they had broken limbs, but she, Candy, wasn't much better off. Those men had done unspeakable things to her, making everyone think she was a whore who would spread her legs for anyone.
Wasn't that worse than killing her?
Thinking this, two knights passing by glanced at her with some disgust. "Why are you still here?"
Candy sneered. "Why can't I be here? I came to Warlinekza as the knight commander of the Dawn Knight Order. Even though I lost the duel to Anne and will be stripped of my commander position, Friedel hasn't kicked me out early. What are you nobodies to bark at me?"
One of the knights, seeing Candy still acting so high and mighty, was about to rush up and argue with her, but was stopped by the other person. "Don't fight with her. Too dirty."
Candy could accept people insulting her, but she didn't think she was dirty. Those men had forced themselves on her and taken her, but they couldn't pollute all of her. She believed her heart still maintained its original purity. How could she allow these people to call her dirty!
"How am I dirty? I didn't deliberately sell my body. As a prisoner, as someone weak, I couldn't resist the violence from you men. Is that my fault too?"
Candy glared at the two knights as a crowd gathered, and someone laughed at her words. "But when you were slandering others before, didn't you also think Lady Anne and her friends were weak? You used rumors about selling their bodies to hurt and suppress them - wasn't that also violence?"
"Now Lady Anne and her friends are fine, but the one who spread the rumors got to experience it firsthand. What, now you want to say you're the weak one?"
"I remember on the battlefield, weren't you the one who disobeyed military orders and pushed to the front row, then chased after fleeing soldiers and fell into Zotfort's trap? How are you talking like someone dragged you all the way from the rear forces to the Drogo Mountains? Isn't that disgusting?"
Candy hadn't expected all these people to surround her and criticize her.
Shaking with anger, she shouted, "You think by accusing and putting me down like this, you can shame me into killing myself? Dream on! I know who deliberately arranged for you to come here - it's Anne, isn't it? That woman just can't stand to see me doing well. She wishes I had died on that mountain!"