Chapter 23
The maids jolted–hands snapped back like scorched birds. They scurried aside, heads lowered to the floor.
Margaery’s eyes welled up with tears.
Her so–called family wasn’t even as good as Dashnell, an outsider.
Joshua turned pale, looking at Raul. “Father, we can’t just confront them head–on. We need to think this through.”
Raul frowned, his anger subsiding slightly. His expression became serious as he stared at Margaery. “What’s going on between you and Prince Dashnell?”
“You should ask Prince Dashnell,” replied Margaery with a sneer.
Raul clenched his fists, knuckles bone–white. A sharp jerk of his chin freed Margaery from the maids. “Show him in.”
It was time to find out what was really happening.
Margaery felt extremely sarcastic about it all. Her father wasn’t rash by nature; he knew how to handle people and situations, but was rough with her when needed.
When facing someone more powerful than him, he remained calm and knew exactly what to say.
At that moment, Adam walked in and greeted, “Greetings, Lord Chancellor.”
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Raul came out of the study, all boiling rage swapped for ice–cold courtesy. “Ah, Mr. Elkins. To what do we owe the honor? Might I inquire as to His Highness’s… business with Margaery?”
His gaze fell on Margaery’s face with a complex expression.
Ignoring him, Adam turned toward Margaery and opened a purple sandalwood box in front of her. And then, he took out a hairpin from inside.
“Lady Margaery,” Adam said as he placed the hairpin in Margaery’s hair himself. “After Lady Serena saw you last time, she developed quite an interest in you.
“Today, she sent me here to give you this hairpin and hopes that you will visit her in the palace soon.”
Finishing, he turned towards Raul and added sternly, “Lord Chancellor, this hairpin belongs to Lady Serena and is bestowed upon her by our late King. Please take care of Lady Margaery so she doesn’t accidentally damage it.
“Things could get… treasonous by then.” With that, Adam clasped his hands. “I’ll take my leave.”
Margaery touched the hairpin on her head, her heart racing.
Inwardly, she decided she was going to marry Dashnell.
This time, she was going to marry him no matter what.
Meanwhile, her father and brothers eyed the hairpin on her head, their expressions turning extremely grave.
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Chapter 23
“Father, do I have to go to the cellar now?” Margaery couldn’t be bothered to argue with them and asked directly.
“Margaery, wait a moment.” Raul calmed down under the pressure of this hairpin and gestured for her to come over. “Follow me.”
Then, he pointed at Avery. “You too.”
Margaery followed Raul into his study.
Soon after, Avery followed in as well.
“Close the door.” Raul’s voice, suddenly, terribly calm, even gentle, a stark contrast to the thunderous rage moments before.
Only then did Margaery understand: her father wasn’t stupid or blind to her suffering; it was just that she didn’t matter enough to him.
That was what not loving someone meant.
From the start, he never loved her enough.
That was why she was so neglected.
She remembered when she was very young, her father drunk and pointing at her nose, roaring, “It’s all your fault. You killed your mother. If it weren’t for you, a bad omen, how could she have left me alone?!”
His eyes were extremely fierce that day.
Terrified, Margaery ran crying into Joshua’s arms.
Joshua comforted her. “Margaery, Dad just misses Mom. Come on, let’s go make some popcorn.”
Later on, she forgot about that incident completely.
But now it came back to her again.
Gradually, she understood why, after Tessa arrived, both her father and brothers quickly transferred their feelings onto Tessa.
Because they believed Tessa had suffered greatly outside over these years. Although she also “killed” Mom in a way, Tessa had already atoned. In fact, like Mom, Tessa was seen as a “victim.”
Only Margaery herself, growing up in luxury, was seen as the perpetrator because her birth caused Mom’s death.
She killed her mother, made Tessa suffer unjustly, and left her father all alone.
Though all these accusations were baseless, they might fill the void of guilt in Raul’s heart for not taking good care of his wife, leading to her miscarriage and death, and also for abandoning Tessa.
By shifting all blame onto Margaery, he found relief.
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With some clarity now in mind, Margaery looked at Raul. “What does Lord Chancellor need me for?”
That “Lord Chancellor” hit like a knife–twist in his chest. Raul’s voice cracked. “Margaery, must you speak to your own daddy like this?”
“Are you my daddy?” Margaery looked at him. “I don’t think so. You can’t even tell right from wrong. You’re not really blind; you just don’t want to see.
“You only believe what you want to believe, and as for me…” She sneered, “To you, I’m just a tool. Do you think a tool would develop feelings for its user?”
“Lord Chancellor, one can’t have it all.
“That’s too shameless.”
“You-” Raul was about to explode with anger.
But seeing her hairpin, he forced himself to calm down. “Margaery, you’re the daughter of the Wallen family. Your every move affects the Wallen family. The rise and fall of the family is closely tied to you.
“Dad has been busy with state affairs and Tessa’s illness lately, so I did neglect you. I apologize.” He tried to take Margaery’s hand.
“But Margaery, you’re still my daughter. Blood is thicker than water. If something’s bothering you, please tell me. Can’t we forgive each other this time?”
Margaery didn’t say anything; she just stared at him silently.
‘If Adam hadn’t come today, would he still be talking nicely?‘ he wondered.
Looking at her blank expression, Raul realized that his clingy daughter was gone.
That eerie calm didn’t belong to a pampered kid. Her eyes held the world–worn chill of his years–as if she’d already seen what he’d seen. That once–warm heart? Ossified into stone.
His daughter no longer loved him. This realization hit him hard like a knife piercing his heart.
He finally understood that he might lose her forever.
Under the pressure of death and truth, Raul finally stepped down from his lofty position as the Chancellor and head of the family to face his daughter as a father.
Only then did he realize that Margaery had lost weight significantly.
Not only had she lost weight but also developed red rashes all over her body; her hands were covered in chilblains; some nails were missing without notice.
The scars on her exposed wounds were shocking right before his eyes–likely from when she was dragged into the lumber room that day.
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