“I know.” After a moment, Margaery looked up at him. “But what did I do wrong?”
Joshua frowned. “To be fair, you didn’t do anything wrong. Your mistake was bringing family matters out in public, which affects the entire Wallen family and ruins Avery’s career.
“In other words, you betrayed this family.”
Margaery bit back a snort at his oh–so–serious “impartial” act.
“Since you think so, then it must be my betrayal.” There wasn’t much to argue about.
It was all her fault anyway; she had gotten used to it.
“So why did father and big brother call me here today?” Her smile faded as her cold eyes landed on Joshua.
Joshua looked uncomfortable, replying, “To salvage the situation.”
“How?” asked Margaery.
“Explain what happened at the Royal Medical Hall today to the King,” Joshua explained his plan.
“But didn’t l’already explain clearly at the Royal Medical Hall today?” Margaery pretended to be dumb with a hint of sarcasm. “I think I made myself clear enough for Nolan, and even Prince Dashnell understood.”
With that, her gaze sliced to Avery playing dumb behind Joshua. “What part of that didn’t reach your ears, Avery?”
Avery looked extremely uncomfortable right now.
Joshua shot him a glance before turning back to Margaery. “What I mean is that you need to go to the palace and tell the King yourself that you deceived Prince Dashnell, who knew nothing about it.
“You took Craig’s prescription without permission and gave it to Avery, who thought it could be used at the Royal Medical. Hall but never expected you would dare deceive Prince Dashnell into causing such chaos.”
Margaery couldn’t help laughing upon hearing that.
She couldn’t stop laughing, staring him down with pure sarcasm. “Joshua, listen to yourself! All those years drilling ‘honesty‘ into me and ‘live with a clear conscience‘.
“Now, do you still have honesty or conscience?
“Still playing the impartial judge here? Doesn’t it make you sick?”
Joshua’s face turned completely dark, “So, you’re not going to explain yourself?”
“Is this even an explanation?” Margaery’s expression cooled down. “Can you explain what explain means?”
“You-” Joshua was so angry his
eyes turned red.
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Chapter 22
When Avery came looking for him in a rage earlier, he thought Avery was overreacting. A little girl could get him that worked up because he lacked stability.
The irony choked him–now he was the one swallowing bile after her verbal gut–punch.
“Me what?” Margaery looked at them. “You’re older than me and have been bossing me around all these years. And I
bought it.
“But look at yourselves now.” Her gaze fell on Raul’s face. “Lord Chancellor, is this how you handle the state business?”
Though there weren’t harsh words, the formal “Lord Chancellor” itself was an ultimate insult to Raul, especially since he knew, as a father, he hadn’t treated every kid equally and had taken sides unfairly.
He roared, “Wretched creature! Still refusing to bend until you break? Fine–the cellar will cool that hot head of yours. When the rats become your audience, maybe you’ll learn how to speak to your betters!”
‘How did I produce such a defiance of a daughter?‘ Blood pooled in Raul’s throat–couldn’t swallow it down, couldn’t spit it out.
“Lock me in the cellar?” Margaery sneered as tears welled up in her eyes. “Just like how my wet nurse died, right?”
Her wet nurse was framed by Tessa.
Last winter, Fessa deliberately knocked over a coffee pot and said it was the wet nurse who poured hot water on her body; if she hadn’t dodged quickly enough, she would’ve been disfigured.
After framing the wet nurse, she pretended to plead for mercy and said she understood why the wet nurse didn’t like her since her presence threatened Margaery’s interests.
With fuel added to the fire, Raul got furious and locked the wet nurse in the cellar as punishment.
Three days. That was all it took.
When Margaery dragged her out, the wet nurse had already gone cold, stiff as the cellar stones.
Raul squeezed out two crocodile tears. “Her old illness,” he croaked. “Couldn’t survive three days.” Then the kicker. “Failed your mother’s dying wish… not gentle enough with the wet nurse, not strict enough with the daughter.”
But everyone in the family knew how the wet nurse died.
Even Raul had his suspicions.
When he heard Margaery’s words, Raul was like a cat whose tail was stepped on. “Damn it! How dare you bring up old stuff again! Guards, take her away!”
Margaery became even more certain that her wet nurse didn’t die because of any illness she had.
The real death blow? Raul’s palm shattered her ribs–ruptured something deep inside. That was why three days in the cellar finished her.
Tears welled up in Margaery’s eyes. “Lord Chancellor, you can lock me up, but if you do, your precious daughter’s stomach
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Chapter 22
ailment might never be cured.”
She glanced at Tessa.
“Are you threatening me?” Raul was so angry his chest hurt.
Margaery remained silent and stood stubbornly where she was, with an icy look in her eyes that Raul had never seen before.
“Daddy, maybe we should give up.” Tessa tugged Raul’s sleeve, her voice trembling. “Margaery only stormed off to the Royal Medical Hall in a fit of pique.
“But the cellar… that damp air chokes. What if something happened to her down there?” Her tears welled.
“I’m just sick over her nanny’s death. If I’d only known she was unwell, I’d have begged you to show mercy.”
With that, she let out a soft sigh. “Father, my stomach hurts.”
Hearing that, Raul was heartbroken; he hurriedly said, “Tessa, go back to bed right now.”
With that, he carried Tessa to bed. Seeing her paper–pale face, drenched in cold sweat, then glaring at Margaery, that jealous viper, he felt every ounce of his patience snap.
“Option one,” his voice dropped like a stone. “Hand over the cure now, then beg the King to clear two, the cellar. Your choice.”
your
brother. Option
He braced to drag her there himself.
‘Let her play stubborn. Just a soft girl. That cellar? Pitch–black. Air thick enough to choke on. Three days max, she’d break.
‘After the mess was fixed? I’d smooth things over. Plenty of time,‘ he thought to himself.
He waved his hand, signaling Astrid to drag Margaery out.
“Miss, please!” Astrid snarled, drunk on borrowed power, and dug her claws into Margaery’s arm.
The other two matrons swarmed, grabbing and dragging–straight for the cellar’s gaping mouth.
Then, a figure burst through the doors. “Sir! Prince Dashnell’s man is here now. He demands Lady Margaery’s presence- immediately!”
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