Chapter 208
Fueled by anger, Nicolas stormed off to settle the score with Athena.
When Nicolas arrived, Athena was already at the doorway. She shot him a sly, mocking smile and teased, “Lord Nicolas, how did you like getting the cold shoulder?”
“Athena!” Nicolas, seeing red, pointed an accusing finger at her and roared, “You’ve gone too far! You deliberately set me up, didn’t you?”
Athena chuckled softly, crossing her arms over her abdomen as she countered, “Did I make you, Lord Nicolas, come begging for medicine at my door? Or did I twist your arm into paying for it?”
“You’re utterly vicious!” Nicolas exclaimed with rage, but Athena was no longer the same woman he once knew. The docile girl he could push around was gone. Even in his fury, Nicolas found himself powerless against her now.
Athena nodded lightly in response, “Oh, so you think I’m vicious? Then you’d better keep your distance from now on. If I ever truly poison you, you’ll be in serious trouble.” As she spoke, she pointed her finger directly at Nicolas, her eyes blazing with defiance.
Nicolas took a deep breath, forcing down his fury. He nodded slowly and responded sarcastically, “Fine, that is just perfect. I never realized what a scheming person you were. Had I known your true nature earlier, I would never have shown you such kindness.”
Athena’s smile vanished as she coldly sneered, “If pinning the blame on me without caring about right or wrong, and always ignoring me, is what you call love, then I want nothing to do with such love."
Nicolas was momentarily stunned speechless by her words. He wanted to say something, but in the end, all he could do was let out a cold snort and sneer, “After all, one can’t explain snow to a desert dweller.”
Nicolas’s heart clenched in agony at the thought of losing 7 million dollars pointlessly. That was the entire year’s worth of profit from the artillery department. Shockingly, every last bit had ended up in Athena’s pocket.
“Here, take your damned medicine back, and refund me my money!” Nicolas snarled. If it weren’t for the money, he would never have come back to endure Athena’s insolence.
Athena sneered, “All sales are final. There will be no refunds or returns.”
“That’s pure sophistry! Return me my money!” Nicolas’s voice rose sharply, his eyes burning with bitter resentment. He had always prided himself on never suffering a setback in his life, yet before Athena, he found his dignity slipping away again and again. There was no way Nicolas would just let Athena have all that money.
Athena arched an eyebrow at him and sneered, “I’ve never seen someone use the goods and then ask the seller for a refund. And you, Lord Nicolas, with your noble status, resorting to such despicable behavior? If the Duke’s Estate ends up in your hands, it is doomed.”
“How dare you!” Nicolas roared as he erupted into impotent fury. His glare at Athena was as savage as a ravenous beast’s, as if he could tear her apart.
However, not a shred of fear crossed Athena’s face. She stared Nicolas down and shot back, “The insolent one here is you.” Smoothing out her sleeves as she fixed Nicolas with a steely gaze, Athena enunciated every word, “Who gave you the nerve to spout nonsense in front of the future Mrs. Cavendish?”
Nicolas gasped in disbelief, his face paling as he stammered, “You… You’re using your status as Mrs. Cavendish to intimidate me?” His eyes filled with pain that he struggled to suppress as he thought, The sister who once looked up to me as her dearest brother, whom I cherished more than anyone else in the world, is now using her status as Mrs. Cavendish to put me in my place.
“Lord Nicolas, you’d better get used to this,” Athena said, her voice dead serious. “Because from now on, every time you see me, you might even have to kneel before me.” She fixed him with an icy stare, regarding him as if he were nothing but a stranger.
Nicolas’s lips trembled as he thought, My own sister, is she really demanding I greet her with the highest ceremonial respect? From now on, I’ll be the subject, and she the master. I’ll have to prostrate myself at Athena’s feet and address her respectfully as Mrs. Cavendish.
Such a drastic reversal of their roles was more than Nicolas could stomach. He stood rooted to the spot, his mind a complete blank.
As Athena walked past Nicolas, she delivered one final blow, “My Monson family has no welcome for anyone from the Duke’s Estate. Don’t come back here to humiliate yourself again.”
Only after Athena had walked away did Nicolas’s legs give out, sending him stumbling back a few steps. His mind ached, Everything had changed. Nothing was the same anymore. Who would have thought that the very daughter once scorned by the Duke’s Estate would now consider them so beneath her dignity that she couldn’t even stand to look at them?
Athena boarded her carriage and headed toward the McGee family’s residence. As she approached, Athena’s heart twisted with mixed feelings. She was so close to becoming Ferris’s bride, but through a twist of fate, they had simply missed each other. Ever since the incident, she hadn’t met Ferris alone. And today, Athena had taken the initiative to visit him.
Startled by Athena’s unexpected arrival, the gatekeeper frantically scrambled inside to report her arrival. After all, no one had anticipated her visit. As Gale was recuperating from a minor injury she sustained at the imperial banquet, the gatekeeper didn’t dare disturb her and went straight to inform Ferris instead.
The moment Ferris heard Athena had arrived, his expression instantly lit up with joy as he eagerly strode out to greet her. He paused at the doorway to quickly check his appearance and smooth down his clothes before finally stepping outside. Ferris practically sprinted the dozen yards to the front courtyard with just a few quick strides.
Tears welled up in Ferris’s eyes as he spotted that slender figure beneath the tree. Athena… my Athena is finally here, he thought, his heart overflowing with emotion.
“Athena,” Ferris called softly.
Athena turned to face him, meeting his fervent gaze that was brimming with longing and unspoken devotion. He had grown noticeably thinner, and the body Athena had painstakingly nursed back to health was now wasting away before her eyes. It was as if he had reverted to those frail and sickly days. But Athena knew his health had already been restored, and this could only be because he’d been neglecting himself.
Athena’s face darkened as she scolded him, “I moved heaven and earth to save your life. Are you just throwing all my efforts away? Do you have any idea how rare and difficult those medicinal ingredients were to find and prepare?” Though Athena wore a frosty expression, Ferris felt a sweet warmth inside, and it was as if he’d just been given the sweetest treat.
Ferris flashed Athena a sheepish, almost boyish grin and promised, “I won’t do it again, I swear. From now on, I’ll eat properly and get plenty of rest, just like you want.”
Ferris took two steps forward, gazing at Athena standing right in front of him. For a moment, it all felt unreal, as if he were caught in a dream. Almost without thinking, Ferris reached out to pull Athena into his arms—only for her to step back, deftly evading his touch.
“Athena, you—” Ferris called out.
Athena lowered her head with a pang of heartache as she said, “I came today to remove the Burrowing Spike for you.” It seemed that all that remained between her and Ferris was nothing more than the clinical bond of doctor and patient.
Upon hearing her words, the light in Ferris’s eyes faded. He was so overjoyed by her visit that he momentarily forgot that Athena was now Mrs. Cavendish.
She’s the future Mrs. Cavendish, and not my Athena. The only reason she came today was to treat my condition, Ferris thought dejectedly.
His smile froze, as if he had been abruptly jolted awake from a dream. The world before him remained a disorienting haze as he stared at Athena with his helpless and bewildered eyes. Ferris’s fingers unconsciously tightened in his palm, and only when the sting of pain hit did he finally recognize reality.
This wasn’t a dream. It was all painfully real, he thought. Ferris felt a dense, agonizing pain welling up in his heart, as if a thousand needles were stabbing into it. He offered Athena a weak smile, his eyes pleading as he whispered, “Could you… just remove one for now?”