Her Graceful War Song novel Chapter 1041

At the Quinton family's residence, Malcolm straightened his clothes and said, "You're being foolish, dear. How could you believe Carissa's deception? If Her Majesty really stepped in to support the workshop, wouldn't she be scorned by the civil officials?

"Right now, the queen doesn't need to do anything—Prince Connor's position as the crown prince is already nearly secure. He is the legitimate eldest son. Who else could it be but him?"

Marjorie remained seated, her expression calm as she asked, "If that's the case, then why did you target the workshop, my lord?"

Since the matter with Casey, Marjorie had stopped addressing him affectionately. After so many years of marriage, there was a clear distance between them now.

Malcolm pursed his lips, silent, though the darkness in his eyes deepened.

Marjorie understood the reason, and when he remained silent, she added, "His Majesty is in his prime and there's no talk of choosing a crown prince. The palace is full of concubines, so the number of princes will only grow.

"If another prince emerges, wiser and more capable than Prince Connor, won't His Majesty take that into consideration? Right now, His Majesty refuses to discuss the position of crown prince, and I'm sure you know the reason for that better than I do. But one thing is certain—Prince Connor is mediocre and His Majesty looks down on him."

Malcolm furrowed his brow, wanting to argue, but there was nothing he could say.

In the end, he simply responded, "If we anger His Majesty and provoke the nobles and civil officials, it won't be good for the queen. Don't be foolish, dear."

Marjorie replied, "With the Hell Monarch's princess consort and Mrs. Lloyd leading the charge, there's no need for the queen to raise a banner herself. She could test the queen dowager's stance first. If the queen dowager approves, the queen could send some money to the workshop.

"If the king blames her, she could say it was done out of respect for the queen dowager. If the king doesn't say anything, it'll just be some rumors outside. But in the long run, it would benefit both the queen and Prince Connor's reputation. After all, you believe the workshop can succeed. Otherwise, you wouldn't have sent people to sabotage it."

But no matter how Marjorie urged, Malcolm still disagreed. He felt that avoiding the matter entirely would be the safest course—why take the risk?

Seeing that he wouldn't agree, Marjorie didn't press further. However, after some thought, she decided it was a viable plan, so she sent someone to the palace to send word that she was coming to visit the queen.

"Mom, stop talking nonsense," Kylie replied, her face now serious. "What kind of good woman would be abandoned? There are laws in place to protect women—so long as a wife serves her husband and fulfills her duties, there's no reason for her to be cast aside."

As Marjorie heard those words, an indescribable feeling stirred in her heart.

Before her daughter was married, she had been a well-known scholar in the capital, well-versed in literature. Back in her boudoir, Kylie had once said something naive—that if women could take the national examinations, she would have been able to serve in the government.

But now, Kylie was so far removed from the suffering of the common people, and even further from the sorrow of women. Marjorie would rather her daughter say she didn't want to intervene because she was afraid of angering Salvador. Hearing her speak so coldly about women was truly disheartening.

Marjorie fell silent. Some words, if they weren't pleasant to hear, would only cause resentment.

Still, Marjorie couldn't shake the feeling of unease. Why was it that men viewed women this way, yet women treated other women the same?