Her Graceful War Song novel Chapter 1245

The news, regardless of its shock value, had only one result—it completely enraged Gerald's admirers.

Like Trevor, Gerald had been one of Starhaven's most respected scholars and was renowned for his wisdom. Trevor had stepped back from court politics, leaving his influence to dwindle. That was why when trouble befell the Young family, few people spoke up for them.

However, Gerald was different. His son still held a powerful position in the Civil Department, and many officials, unaware of the truth, saw this as a way to win favor with the Quinton family. They clamored in court, demanding the Marquis of Glandale be held accountable for spreading rumors about Gerald.

Under normal circumstances, this would have been little more than a passing storm. But that day, several officials and prominent young men had been arrested. Though Salvador tried to preserve their reputations, the common folk were relentless in their gossip. Wherever one went, there were whispers, fingers pointing in every direction.

The officials were desperate to shift the public's attention elsewhere, so they acted quickly.

Within days, servants from the gentlemen's retreats began to speak out. They confirmed they had seen Gerald there on numerous occasions, sometimes braving the fiercest storms just to make the trip.

When that happened, the scandal escalated beyond anyone's control.

At first, Salvador had been furious. However, Jeremiah advised that, since the truth had already come to light, it would be unwise to keep covering it up. The matter had become so public that acknowledging it and taking steps to clear up the misunderstanding was the only sensible option.

Moreover, Sigmund had other tutors, and honoring his true mentor would preserve the late king's dignity.

Thus, the once-respected scholar, Cloud Draken, was posthumously honored with the title of Royal Tutor. His memorial plaque was moved to the royal chapel.

Cloud had no descendants. He was a scholar who had placed third in the national examinations during the seventh year of Augustus' reign. Brilliant and highly talented, he served as an official for two years before resigning to travel the world.

Upon his return to the capital, Augustus appointed him as tutor to Sigmund, who was crown prince at the time. However, after two years of teaching, Cloud couldn't resist his restless spirit and requested to resign again.

Cloud had a free-spirited personality and often wrote articles criticizing social issues, sometimes in an extremely sharp manner, which made him less liked by people. Later, he turned to poetry and published many collections. After his passing, over a thousand of his poems had been passed down through the world, and he was celebrated as a great poet.

After his death, Sigmund himself wrote a tribute in his honor. Now that he had been posthumously named a royal tutor, it seemed reasonable for his memorial plaque to be moved to the royal chapel.

Salvador had his reasons for this move, one of them being Victoria's words that the Quinton family was large and well-established, with deep, far-reaching connections. It was time to trim a few of their overgrown branches.

What he didn't expect was that before the branches could be trimmed, half of the roots had already been dug up.