649.Chapter 649
Some of the ministers were just about to plead on Gabriel’s behalf when Magnus spoke again, his tone nostalgic, “I still remember how well Lady Mowbay cared for me when I was a young, ignorant prince.
“Who would have thought that before I could repay her kindness, such a virtuous and gentle soul would leave us so soon? Now, the only way to honor her is through her daughter. What do you all think?”
Only then did the ministers recall that King had indeed been taken care of by the Duke‘ s wife in his youth. She was Caroline of the Padilla family. It was precisely from that point on that the Stonor family began its rise to prominence.
Had it not been for Caroline and the Padilla family, would the Duke of Mowbay have come this far? He had totally forgotten his roots. While the Stonor family thrived, the Padilla family had fallen. Their only daughter had married Gabriel, only to be betrayed.
And now, as a descendant of the Padilla family, the Holy Lady wished to honor her mother by taking her name. Yet, Gabriel tried to stand in her way.
He already had four sons, a daughter, and even a pair of illegitimate children. What harm would it do to let one child bear her mother’s name?
After all, the Holy Lady had severed ties with the Stonor family. She had every right to take on the Padilla name.
“Lord Mowbay, how could you forget your roots? Do you really think your family’s power came out of thin air?” someone said pointedly.
At that moment, Magnus looked down in surprise. The first to step forward and berate Gabriel was none other than Theodore.
Then, it occurred to him, as it did to many others present, that Theodore had actually gone to school with the patriarch of the Padilla family. The two had passed the civil service exam in the same year and entered court together.
While the Fairfax and Padilla families weren’t close, the two elders shared mutual respect and competed with each other in their younger days. So it was no surprise that Theodore, who had helped Grabriel in return for a favor, would now openly condemn him for what he had done to Caroline.
And he wasn’t alone.
“Theodore is right. Lord Mowbay has indeed forgotten his roots,” said Percival, who had remained silent all this while. He cast a cold glance at Gabriel and continued, ” Fortunately, his daughter–the Ho successfully unlocked the blood of both Stonor and Padilla–is far more loyal and grateful.
“Your Majesty, letting the Holy Lady take the Padilla name would honor Caroline’s memory and preserve her bloodline. It would also show the people your generosity
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649 Chapter 649
and sense of gratitude.”
This gesture would surely leave a deep impression, especially on scholars. Even after the fall of the Padilla family, countless students still revered its legacy.
For instance, among the civil officials who had once aligned themselves with the Duke of Mowbay, at least half of them, whether they spoke up or not, were now glaring at him with burning rage.
After all, it was because of the Padilla family that they had chosen to stand with the Duke of Mowbay in the first place. Who would have thought he would turn out to be nothing but a heartless, ungrateful man?
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