Her Majestic Battle Cry

Chapter 1322

Violet observed the group before her.

Two of them were shorter in stature, stocky and muscular. They had arms that appeared unusually thick, and their necks had visible veins bulging slightly. The other three were taller. Though their breathing seemed normal, Violet couldn’t help but notice that their shoes were nearly spotless, showing no sign of dust.

This suggested they practiced Silent Force, a type of internal martial arts.

Those who mastered Silent Force could control their breathing, making it shallow or deep at will. Judging by their composure, Violet suspected their skills were considerable.

“Do you know martial arts?” she asked.

The group all shook their heads, their faces looking notably sincere. “No.”

Violet took another look; in a sudden motion, she threw a punch at the shorter man.

His eyes flickered with alarm, but then he quickly shut them, his face showing a look of fear.

Violet retracted her fist. From the brief flash of light in his eyes, it was clear this was the instinctive reaction of a martial artist. However, he controlled it well and didn’t raise his hand to block.

This, in fact, revealed something. Even someone who didn’t know martial arts would instinctively make a blocking gesture if suddenly attacked in the face, regardless of whether they could defend it.

However, the short man didn’t do that.

Violet smiled faintly and turned to leave.

The group exchanged a cold, silent glance before slowly backing away.

Chaya had been watching from a distance. She placed her hand on her forehead, her gaze conflicted. It was hard to tell if she was hopeful or frightened, but she was certainly no longer as calm as she had been

earlier.

Violet and the others were assigned to quarters beside Emerald Hall, which was Hayden’s courtyard. It was a section of the estate filled with rose bushes, aptly named Rose Hall. A thin wall separated them, and those with sharper hearing could probably make out conversations from Emerald Hall, especially if someone were speaking loudly.

Chaya also resided in Emerald Hall, though not in the same room. Originally, when Eleanor had sent her to Hayden as a concubine, Hayden had no interest in one. He had taken her in more as a casual companion to ease his boredom. She had her quarters, but she had recently been staying in Emerald Hall.

That was what Violet had heard from the servants.

Living here, Violet couldn’t help but notice the strange atmosphere that seemed to harig over Willowbrook Estate.

At night, many people seemed to be walking around, as though on patrol. Bun had noticed it too, rising from his seat and spotting a few shadows moving in the distance.

The atmosphere was tense–so different from the lighthearted feel of the day.

Violet didn’t know where this heavy atmosphere came from, but it felt like there was an invisible killing intent even while she was lying in bed. During the day they got up and observed everyone in the estate.

The staff all appeared well–rested, including the five individuals Violet had observed the night before. They gave no indication of working through the night

It seemed that Willowbrook Estate housed quite a few people, after all.

The group split up to carry out their tasks.

Violet wandered through the gardens, curious to see how many unfamiliar faces she might encounter.

Meanwhile, Bun made his way to the kitchen, inspecting the provisions. When he saw the large quantities of grains and meats set aside–enough to feed over a hundred people–he turned to the cook and asked, “Why are there so many supplies? How many days worth of them are this?”

The cook smiled and replied, “Just for today, my lord. His Highness always prefers fresh food.”

Bun raised an eyebrow. “Then why buy so much?”

“The servants must eat too,” the cook answered.

Bun couldn’t help but feel confused.

The servants ate the same food as the master?

Everything–vegetables, meats, even fish and shrimp was the same in both quantity and variety.

As Violet strolled through the various courtyards, she noticed that each one of the gates was meticulously clean, as though they were regularly used. Yet, all the gates were closed. She asked Chaya if they could open them, but Chaya explained that she didn’t have the keys and couldn’t unlock them.

Without a second thought, Violet nimbly climbed the courtyard wall and peered inside. She saw that the doors to the inner rooms were also tightly shut. The gardens had no flowers but were overrun with weeds, some nearly waist–high. The only clear path was a stone–paved road, but the rest of the area was almost swallowed by the wild growth.

“Ms. Spencer, what are you doing?” came a worried voice from behind.

It was Gordon, the elderly steward. His back was hunched as he hurried toward her, followed by Hayden’s trusted man, Sonny.

Gordon looked genuinely concerned, even extending his hands as if to catch her. “Quickly get down. Be careful not to fall.”

Violet sat on the wall with a faint smile, and she turned to look at him. “Gordon, can this gate be opened?

“Of course,” Gordon said with a warm smile. “If you wish to enter, simply ask me for the key. Why climb over like this? It’s far too dangerous.

11

With that, he trem as he pulled a set of keys from his pocket and handed them to Chaya. noveldrama

“Here, open the gate for Ms. Spencer and let her have look.”

Chaya took the keys and went to unlock the gate. The heavy creak of the hinges echoed through the courtyard, as if the door hadn’t been opened in years.

Violet jumped inside. Even without the keys, she could have entered.

Once inside, she pushed open the main door to the courtyard. The musty scent inside confirmed her suspicion–it had clearly been abandoned for quite some time.

Next, she checked several other rooms, all of which she selected on the spot, and the conditions were mostly similar to the first one.

She even checked each room individually; they were all in much the same condition, with no signs of occupancy.