chapter 24 trial

Even now, Grace kept her head down, still maintaining a calm demeanor. Despite her simple attire and lack of makeup, she remained the most eye-catching presence in the entire hall. Anyone who saw her couldn't help but sigh in admiration, what a stunning and captivating figure. She seemed to be a natural beauty, capable of attracting the attention of all men. This was precisely what irritated Cora the most. "Hmph, acting all high and mighty. Let's see if you can remain so composed when your precious son arrives." Thinking of this, Cora couldn't help but smirk slyly, eagerly anticipating what was to come. At this moment, Grace sat quietly in the hall, so elegant, so serene. Yet, her tightly clenched hands revealed her underlying anxiety, worrying for Garfield. Why did he have to offend the master of the Hall of Artifacts like this? Why is he so foolish? Although Grace didn't know the specifics of what had happened, she understood Eddie very well. Without substantial evidence, he wouldn't have agreed to the elders' request, creating such a huge commotion. Looking at the excited and angry expressions of Cora, Odell, and the various elder members of the Quickely family, Grace's heart had completely turned cold towards the family. There was simply no need to stay in this family any longer. Her heart was as cold as iron. And at this moment, upon seeing Grace's indifferent gaze, Cora was instantly provoked. "Grace, do you have no shame? Your wild seed has brought such disaster to the Quickley family, and yet you remain unmoved. If we had known this brat was so prone to trouble, we should have drowned him in a pigsty long ago." A Quickley family elder snorted coldly, demanding, "Where is Garfield? Why hasn't Griffin brought that brat back yet!" Grace raised her head, calmly looking at Cora. Suddenly, a hint of mocking coldness appeared at the corner of her mouth. Her gaze swept coldly over the many elders present, taunting, "If my son is a brat, then what does that make all of you? Aren't you all just a bunch of old brats!" "You..." Cora and many elders were trembling with anger. "Grace, how dare you speak to me like this! I am your elder, have some shame!" The old man's hair stood on end out of anger. He was Grace's third uncle, a prominent figure in the family, and held a high status. Grace gave him a cold glance, a layer of mist in her beautiful eyes, but a stubborn smile appeared on her face, neither confirming nor denying. These people from the Quickley family had never welcomed her back when she returned, and now they were scolding her, expecting her to respect them. It was simply wishful thinking. Grace had long seen through these people in the Quickley family. The old man, seeing that Grace didn't even look at him, became even angrier and roared, "Grace, I'm talking to you." At this moment, a middle-aged man beside Eddie spoke, "Uncle, calm down. Sister is also worried about Garfield. Don't argue with her." This man was Aubrey's father, Grace's second brother, Salim Quickley. Apart from the old master, Laird, within the entire Quickley family, only Salim had shown some consideration for Grace's family. "Am I arguing with her? If she hadn't eloped back then, would our Quickley family have become a laughingstock in Daqi Country?" The old man's chest heaved with anger, his beard bristling and his eyes glaring. Salim sighed and was about to say something when suddenly— "Crack!" A flurry of disordered footsteps came from outside the door of the council chamber, and the door was suddenly thrown open. Everyone looked up and saw Griffin and a group of guards escorting a young man inside. The young man walked steadily among the guards, with a calm demeanor and a handsome air about him. His presence seemed to make Griffin, who was escorting them, appear like his own guard, exuding a strange sense of composure. Behind Garfield, Aubrey also walked in with the guards, smiling wryly and shaking her head at Salim. Salim sighed. He had asked his daughter to stay at the door to keep Garfiels out of the limelight, but Griffin had still brought Garfield here. This was going to be troublesome. Looking at Eddie, Salim felt a strange mix of emotions. He knew how proud his elder brother was. If the sister hadn't left secretly back then and had instead married into the imperial palace, the status of the Emperor's brother-in-law would have been enough for his elder brother to advance further in the court, perhaps even becoming a duke or establishing his lineage. These expectations had turned into disillusionment when Grace brought back Garfield, and his elder brother had been brooding over this matter for years, unable to let it go. The elders of the family were also dissatisfied with Grace because of this. In the council chamber. After Garfield walked in, he glanced at Grace first, and upon seeing that his mother was unharmed, he relaxed slightly. Then he raised his head and scrutinized the people at the head of the chamber. Among these people, there are those Garfield is familiar with, and those he is not familiar with, but the only feeling Garfield gets is indifference. It's as if this Quickley family's council chamber is not a place for family discussions, but a courtroom, a courtroom for interrogating prisoners. "Garfield, why haven't you knelt down when you see the head of the family?" an elder saw Garfield's calm appearance and angrily said. Garfield glanced at the other party indifferently and said, "Head of the family? Who here is the head of the family?" The elder slammed the chair and angrily said, "How dare you! Of course, Eddie is the head of the family." "Haha." Garfield laughed, "I remember this mansion should be the Prince Caspian Mansion, when did it become the Marquis Nichols Mansion? Did I remember it wrong?" "How dare you!" "Bold!" Several elders were suddenly furious and shouted one after another. Even Eddie, who was sitting at the head, maintaining his indifference from beginning to end, frowned at this moment, and a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes. Cora was secretly delighted on the side and shouted in a high-pitched voice, "Master, all of you elders have seen it. This little beast is lawless. Now even the head of the family doesn't acknowledge him. Such a guy staying in our Quickley family is a disaster." Eddie looked coldly at Garfield and said, "Garfield, this time I called you here for the matter of Master Yanto. Tell me, how did you offend Master Yanto in the Hall of Artifacts?" "I have nothing to say." "Hmph, I knew this little beast would be evasive," Cora said sharply. "Odell, tell all the elders in detail how this little beast offended Master Yanto." Odell immediately walked out of the crowd and looked coldly at Garfield, saying loudly, "Elders, a few days ago, I took my father to the auction house and spent a lot of money to buy the Black Flame Pluton. I went to the Hall of Artifacts to ask Master Yanto to refine a weapon for me. At that time, Master Yanto had already agreed to my request, but this Garfield insisted on provoking Master Yanto..." ----------