Her Graceful War Song

When Samuel's trial began, the first ruling was to sever all ties between him and Leona, the Duchess of Everpeace. This complete break showed no regard for protecting the dignity of the Earl of Gracehold's family.

Then, Samuel was found guilty of brutally beating his rightful wife, which resulted in the death of their unborn child. Given that Leona was part of the royal family and had the king's royal edict backing her, the Supreme Court's deputy minister sentenced Samuel to ten years of exile in Quarath. He would be subjected to the supervision of the local authorities there and forced to do hard labor, including farming.

The ruling was immediate and would take effect the very next day, leaving the Earl of Gracehold's family with no chance to plead mercy from anyone.

However, Noah didn't pursue any appeals either. He had spoken to Yuvan, who informed him that he had already interceded on Noah's behalf with the queen dowager. Samuel would be the only one punished, and Noah's title would remain intact. However, Yuvan warned Noah not to stir up any more trouble. If he did, things could spiral out of control.

Noah didn't dare mention Samuel's sentence to Dorothy. All she knew was that Samuel was in prison and safe from hardship. However, the knowledge did little to ease her heart. After all, Samuel was her beloved grandchild whom she had spoiled and nurtured. When Samuel was being escorted to Quarath, Noah and Abigail went to bid him farewell.

During that time, a servant inadvertently let slip the details of Samuel's sentence, causing Dorothy to faint on the spot. She had already been on a hunger strike for two days, which had taken a toll on her health. Coupled with her age, her sudden anger and heartbreak caused the lower half of her body to be paralyzed. Her mouth was askew, and she couldn't stop drool from leaking out. She could also hardly articulate her words.

Noah and Abigail were oblivious to the news as they waited outside the city for Samuel's escort to appear. When they saw Samuel shackled, the image of his once vibrant self flickered in their minds. However, he was now a hollow shell. His eyes were vacant, and he was almost unrecognizable.

Noah rushed forward and hurriedly gave some money to the escort so he could talk with Samuel for a while.

Tears streamed down Samuel's face as he begged, "Dad, Mom, save me! I don't want to go to Quarath and do hard labor! I won't be able to bear it! I'll die! Please, save me!"

All his arrogance and pride had vanished. He was now a pitiful sight as he sobbed uncontrollably.

Abigail nearly fainted from grief, and she was unable to utter a single word.

Noah held back his tears and said,

"This is all your own doing. You had such a bright future, but you ruined it yourself. I'll make the necessary arrangements for your journey to Quarath and ensure you get there safely. But once you're there, whether you live or die is up to you. The king hasn't named the crown prince yet, but when he does, there may be a general amnesty. That'll be your chance to return, okay? No matter how difficult things get, you must endure. Do you understand?"

Samuel felt a wave of despair wash over him. How long would he have to wait until the king named the crown prince and granted a general amnesty? His exile was for ten years. With the king still so young, Samuel was afraid the crown prince still wouldn't be named even after ten years had passed.

How could he possibly endure that long?

"Dad, if there's any chance, please save me! I beg you!" Samuel cried, desperation seeping into his voice. "I can't last ten years! I won't survive until the general amnesty."

Noah's heart twisted in anguish. He

had intended to question Samuel about whether the latter understood the gravity of his mistakes, but he couldn't bear to press further after seeing Samuel in such a state Instead, he urged Samuel to hold onto life and promised he would find a way to rescue the latter if given the chance.

One of the escorting officers stepped forward, offering Noah a modicum of respect. "It's time for us to set off."

Tears streamed down Noah's face as he pressed a banknote into the officer's hand. He bowed deeply, and pleaded, "Please take care of him on the journey. If he arrives safely, I'll reward you generously." The escort officer nodded. "Don't worry. It's autumn now, so the weather won't be as harsh. He'll make it through."

"Thank you," Noah said, relieved to hear that his son wouldn't die on the road.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

Noah was an earl, yet he had to bow and scrape before a mere escort officer. It was a new low for him.

When had he ever felt this small in life?

He wiped his tears, and couldn't help but turn to Samuel. "Do you finally realize your mistakes? If you do, I'll be willing to convey your apologies to the duchess."