Back at the Quinton family''s residence, Malcolm summoned the members of the fourth branch and unleashed his fury upon them.


    "Malcolm, we were only following Her Majesty''s wishes," Vera said, looking aggrieved. "I had nned to propose the third son of the Marquis of ndale for Jocelyn''s marriage, but Her Majesty insisted that we needed military support." She revealed the situation where Kylie had nearly arranged the marriage between Jocelyn and Thomas but had been stopped by Victoria.


    Her voice grew sharper, adding, "The Farrell family is too proud, don''t you think? Do they think a Quinton family daughter isn''t worthy of their son? They''re looking down on us!"


    "Why should the Farrell family think highly of the Quinton family?" Malcolm retorted sharply. "Have we ever considered the Farrell family''s stature in the same light?"


    Malcolm realized that somehow, his family had begun to expect respect and deference from everyone, as though they were untouchable.


    The fear began to settle in.


    Without realizing it, the Quinton family had be powerful in everyone''s eyes, and the people in the Quinton family thought the same. Why did they think this? Naturally, it was because others had been supporting them.


    Vera fell silent for a moment, her thoughts clearly swirling before she said, "But we are the Quinton family."


    Shaken by this realization, Malcolm called a meeting with the entire family. He addressed them sternly, instructing them to be mindful of their actions and speech.


    "We must avoid arrogance and presumptuousness," hemanded. "Be humble, be discreet, and never associate with those who might bring scandal upon us. We cannot afford the appearance of forming factions within the family or making private alliances for personal gain."


    As for Malcolm''s affair, it was only discussed among the women in the family. The men talked about how it shouldn''t have happened, but in their hearts, they understood. Yes, men always tended to understand when other men made such mistakes because they didn''t consider it a mistake in the first ce.


    So, the people in the family would follow his words today.


    Malcolm felt especially uneasy. Before Connor showed any signs of being clumsy or arrogant, he thought there was no need to n anything for him. Connor was the future king, and that position would always be his.


    But Connor''s mediocrity gradually became more apparent. It turned out that not only was he mediocre, but his character and morals werecking as well. Salvador clearly knew this, so any attempts to scheme for Connor''s benefit at this point would only make the king suspicious.


    Fortunately, the prince was still young and could be properly guided. For now, the best course of action was to keep a low profile, bide their time, and focus on educating him.


    That, Malcolm believed, was the wisest path forward.


    However, when word of the situation reached Kylie, she was displeased. She believed Malcolm had grown too cautious. Now was the time to forge more connections, especially with military figures. The best move, in her eyes, was to build stronger ties with the Minister of Defense, Davis. She sent a message to her father, urging him to consider Connor''s future more seriously.


    Malcolm replied, calmly exining that the prince''s mediocrity was evident. His education was the only matter of importance at this stage-nothing else should be done that might risk displeasing Salvador.


    Kylie was well aware of her son''s limitations. Infact, it was because she knew that she felt a sense of


    urgency Connorcked thes


    to secure his position through intelleet or military prowess. He would only hold onto his ce through the support of the older generation of officials.


    Kylie could feel the urgency of the situation. Why didn''t Malcolm feel the same? How could the Quinton family not feel it?


    If Connor was not appointed as the crown prince, she feared that the Quinton family would fall from favor.


    Kylie thought her father was short-sighted, only seeing the current power of the Quinton family and not considering what would happenter.


    Lydia entered from outside the hall and quietly said, "Your Majesty, Lady Sylvia and Lady Grace gathered the other day and were talking about Ms. Jocelyn being expelled from the academy. Now, many people in the pce are discussing it, saying that the Quinton family is a prestigious schrly family, so how could they have produced a daughter who was expelled from the academy?"


    Kylie''s eyes narrowed in displeasure. "Lady Sylvia grows more brazen with each passing day. She dares to spread rumors about my own family? It was Jocelyn who left the academy on her own. For them to say she was expelled is pure fabrication." Lydia hesitated before replying, "It doesn''t matter what people say in the pce. What concerns me is that the noble families are starting to gossip. If this continues, Ms. Jocelyn''s prospects for marriage could be ruined."


    "Then, let her be," Kylie said sharply.


    "If she can''t marry General Farrell, there is no need for me to care about her. None of my rtives are of any help. They seem to be making alliances with noble families, but they''re all focused on their own households and are unwilling to


    support Connor."


    Lydia knew exactly who Kylie was referring to-Adide, Kendrick''s princess consort. Adide used to visit Kylie frequently, but ever since Kendrick''s concubines gave birth to sons, she rarely came to the pce anymore. Now, she was focused on getting pregnant with a legitimate heir. Kylie had summoned her multiple times, but Adide found a way to avoid her summons each time, unwilling to help sway Kendrick to speak on Kylie''s behalf in front of Salvador.