Chapter 20
The coldness in Athena’s eyes made Rose tremble with fear. She knew Athena was someone who would follow through on her threats. With a sob, she repeated the words she had just spoken.
As soon as she finished, both Eloise and Nicolas’s expressions changed dramatically. Now it was clear why Athena was so angry, and why Rose had been beaten half to death. For a servant to speak ill of her mistress–it was a punishment she had more than earned.
Eloise’s face turned pale with fury. “You audacious girl! What right do you have to gossip in the courtyard? You’re no longer welcome here. Someone, take her away and sell her off!”
Two servants stepped forward to drag Rose away, but Athena’s sharp voice halted them. “Wait.”
A flash of panic crossed Eloise’s face, but she quickly covered it with a smile and reached out to take Athena’s hand. “Good girl, don’t worry. I’ll take care of it. I’ll have her sold off so she won’t dirty your eyes.”
Her meaning was clear: she had handled the matter and didn’t want Athena to pursue it further.
Athena pulled her hand back, leaving Eloise grasping at air. With a mocking smile, Athena said, “Lady Eloise, don’t you find it strange? How could this maid have the courage to speak ill of her mistress?”
“It’s just a foolish maid who said a few wrong things. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?” Nicolas’s voice was low, and his gaze was filled with disapproval as he looked at Athena. He couldn’t understand why she was treating this situation so harshly. He thought, ‘Willow is seriously ill–why isn’t her older sister showing more concern for her?’
Athena glanced at Eloise, noting the flicker of unease in her eyes. Eloise said, “Athena, Willow is not as you think. I trust her character. She would never encourage her servants to gossip. If there’s any fault, it’s that she hasn’t properly managed the servants. For my sake, please don’t make this difficult for her.”
Their obvious attempt to cover for Willow sparked a flicker of anger in Athena’s chest. She lifted her head and looked directly at Eloise, her lips curving into a mocking smile. “Could it be, Lady Eloise, that you’ve forgotten about Megan?”
Eloise froze, her face betraying a hint of panic. Ten years ago, there had been a concubine in the household who, taking advantage of Henry’s favor, had caused trouble by accusing a young, pregnant concubine of an affair. The accusation led to the tragic drowning of the young concubine, who died along with her twin children. Later, it was revealed that the young concubine had been wronged. However, Megan Littleton refused to accept it and even tried to burn down the duke’s estate, attempting to steal the family’s wealth and run away. The fire was eventually extinguished, but it caused damage to nearby houses, resulting in two deaths. As a result, officials reported Henry to the king, accusing him of favoring his concubines over his wife and recklessly disregarding lives. The king was furious and stripped Henry of two years' salary. Because of that incident, Margaret established strict household rules: anyone who gossiped behind their master’s back would have their tongue cut out and be expelled from the duke’s estate. The master would also be punished with a whipping for failing to properly discipline their servants. It was precisely because of these harsh measures that the household had enjoyed ten years of peace, with no one daring to stir up trouble.
When the topic of Megan came up, Nicolas’s face subtly changed. That incident had been a devastating blow to the duke’s estate. It severely weakened their position, and for a long time, the king refused to show Henry any favor. Even now, whenever she thought about it, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread. Serving the king was like walking beside a tiger–one wrong step could lead to utter ruin.
Athena brought up the old incident deliberately, hoping to warn Eloise. She needed to be careful not to let her indulgence lead to an even bigger mistake.
Eloise flustered, waving her hands in protest. “How could that be? That incident is still burned into my memory. How could I forget? But today’s situation is different from that one.”
“How is it different?” Athena responded, her voice sharp. “Just because the victim is me now, it’s no longer important, is it?”
“No, no, that’s not what I meant. You’re my daughter! How could I not care about you?” Eloise stammered in reply.
Athena’s expression remained calm and unyielding. “Then, if that’s the case, I’d expect you to take actual action, not just make empty promises. I’m tired of hearing the same old words–‘I won’t let you suffer again.’ I’ve had enough of that.”
“Athena, how can you speak to your mother like that?” Nicolas’s voice was filled with disapproval as he scolded her.
“I’m just speaking the truth,” Athena shot back coldly. “If you find it hard to hear, you don’t have to listen.”
Nicolas was taken aback, unable to respond. His frustration with Athena’s forceful attitude was clear. She could have handled this in a way that would have made it a small issue, but instead, she was pushing it to the breaking point. He wondered, ‘Is she really only satisfied when the household is in chaos? And isn’t she hurt by all this too?’ The Athena he remembered wasn’t like this. She had once been bright and full of warmth, like a little sun. Now, she seemed cold and hard–almost unrecognizable.
Athena’s gaze was unflinching as she stared at Eloise. “If you feel sympathy but can’t find the words, I’m more than willing to take on the role of the villain.” Athena was forcing Eloise to make a decision. Today, Willow would not escape responsibility.
Eloise staggered back a step, her eyes filling with tears. She opened her mouth to speak but found herself unable to say anything when she met the coldness in Athena’s eyes. She turned to Nicolas, silently pleading for help. Just as he was about to step forward, Athena’s voice cut through sharply, “Do you need me to go fetch Grandmother?”
With that one sentence, Nicolas found his feet frozen to the floor.