Nicolas shot Athena a displeased look. He could not believe that she had bothered the granduncles over such a trivial matter. The last time the granduncles were alarmed was when Willow had burned down the Memorial Hall. Willow had received a severe whipping then.
‘Does she really think the granduncles would still defend a disowned girl like her?’ Nicolas thought.
“Granduncles,” Nicolas stepped forward and greeted them respectfully.
The two granduncles, Les and Toby, furrowed their brows. They were usually not involved in the Monson family’s affairs. However, with Margaret involved, they could not simply leave things as they were. After all, Margaret was their brother’s wife.
After Les and Toby took their seats, one of them asked, “What happened to your grandmother? Why is she suddenly in critical condition? Wasn’t she perfectly fine before?”
Nicolas flushed with embarrassment and averted his gaze guiltily. He replied, “The cook mixed up the ingredients. It is a truly minor matter. We are deeply mortified to have troubled granduncles to make this trip.”
Les narrowed his eyes, clearly unconvinced. “That’s all? The cook worked in the estate for years without a single incident, and just happened to serve your grandmother poisonous mushrooms? Do you honestly expect me to believe this was just an accident, Nicolas?”
Les’s piercing gaze fixed on Nicolas, his voice taking on a sharper edge.
As a family unit, the Monsons shared all glory and disgrace. If one of them prospers, they all prosper. However, when one of them falls, they all suffer. If the main branch commits heinous acts, the other branches will inevitably be implicated as well.
At this critical moment, Henry rushed in. He stepped forward and bowed to Les and Toby respectfully. They acknowledged him with a slight nod and motioned for him to take a seat. Henry caught sight of Athena standing off to the side, and a flicker of annoyance flashed in his eyes.
He turned to Les and Toby and said, “This was but a minor incident caused by this ungrateful lady. There was no need to trouble you both.”
Turning sharply to Athena, Henry snapped, “What are you waiting for? Get over here and kneel! Beg your granduncles for forgiveness!”
Athena stood her ground, fixing Henry with a piercing gaze. “Grandmother’s poisoning won’t be swept under the rug. If the family won’t bring her justice, I’ll take this to the Federal Bureau.”
At her words, Les and Toby’s faces soured. If this matter gets escalated to the Federal Bureau, the public outcry alone would be enough to drown the entire duke’s estate in disgrace. If word got out that Margaret had been poisoned and was critically ill, the Monson family would be utterly disgraced and condemned by all. Once the family’s reputation is ruined, no one would want to marry into the family.
Athena’s move was ruthless. She had given them no alternative.
Les, being the elder, spoke up first with authority, “Since Toby and I are already here, we won’t let this matter rest until we’ve uncovered the whole truth.”
“My sincere thanks to granduncles,” Athena said earnestly.
Les, however, waved his hand, a complicated expression on his face. “Since you are no longer a part of the Monson family, what we do here has nothing to do with you,” he said. “We’re only investigating because we can’t bear to see our sister-in-law suffer such injustice. Getting to the bottom of this will not only ease your mind and clear the Monson family’s name.”
Chapter 225
Truth be told, they were simply afraid Athena would air the Monson family’s dirty laundry and tarnish their reputation. Regardless, Athena had achieved her goal.
Les fixed his gaze on the cook and demanded, “Spare me these cheap tricks. I’ll give you two choices: either confess who put you up to this, or face torture. Which will it be?”
The cook was terrified. After frantically scanning the room for Joseph in vain, she lowered her head in despair. Clutching the hem of her clothes with trembling hands, she stammered, “Sir, please spare me! I swear, it was just an accident! I would never dare to hide anything from you!”
“So you refuse to tell the truth? Guards, take her for punishment.” Les cut the conversation short and signaled for his attendants to drag the cook out and strap her to the punishment bench. Almost immediately, agonized shrieks erupted from outside.
After a dozen or so blows, the cook’s back was a bloody mess, and she was about to give out. Just as she was about to confess, a child suddenly rushed to her side and sobbed desperately, “Mom, mom, please don’t die!” The child was no more than eight years old, and his little face was awash with tears. The sight of her child plunged the cook into a fierce internal struggle.
“If I confess today, I’m as good as dead. But if I don’t confess, maybe, just maybe, there’s still a glimmer of hope!” The cook thought desperately.
She gritted her teeth and cried out in pain, “Please, spare me! Please, have mercy! It was all my carelessness! No one put me up to it, I swear! Please, sir!”
Not far away, Joseph let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding when he heard the cook’s testimony.
Joseph sneered inwardly. “Athena is still too naïve to challenge me. The lifelong contracts of these servants and their families are right here in this estate. They would never dare disobey me.” Joseph was sure that Athena would never uncover the truth. The cook’s agonized screams made everyone present wince in sympathy.
When the flogging ended and the cook still revealed nothing, Les turned to Athena, his voice edged with impatience. “Athena, the punishment is over, and nothing was uncovered. Are you satisfied now?”
Les declared, “It appears this was indeed just an unfortunate accident. No one intended to harm Margaret.”
This outcome was exactly as Athena had anticipated. She knew that it was likely the Monson family had already appointed someone to take the fall if they had the guts to pull this off. From the very beginning, unmasking the true mastermind was never Athena’s intention. Margaret was her real target.
Athena said coldly. “An “accident” like this is utterly chilling. I was the one who saved Grandmother this time. But what about next time? Can any of you guarantee she’ll be safe?”
Athena fixed Nicolas with an unyielding stare, demanding his response.
Nicolas slumped back in his chair, his voice low and stern. “That would not be your problem. This is a Monson family affair.”
With a single sentence, Nicolas made it clear that Athena was no longer part of the Monson family and that their family affairs were no concern of hers. “Granduncles,” Athena said respectfully yet firmly, “Grandmother is no longer young and her health has always been delicate. I’d like to ask for your permission to take her to my residence so I can care for her myself. I have medical training and can properly tend to her health. Frankly, I simply don’t trust anyone at the duke’s estate.”
Both Les and Toby paused, their brows furrowing deeply. There was no precedent in the Monson clan for a disowned child to take an elder into their care. Athena’s request was beyond the authority traditionally granted to Les and Toby. It concerns the honor and dignity of the entire duke’s estate.
Before Les and Toby could respond, Henry burst out, “This is utter nonsense! I absolutely forbid it!” Henry strongly believed that he would become a laughingstock if Athena were allowed to take Margaret away.
Nicolas also stated firmly. “I also object. Why on earth should my grandmother be entrusted to your care?"
Nicolas shot Athena a withering look of contempt, his eyes practically sneering. “Who do you think you are to even make such a request?”
Athena curled her lips into a smirk. “Since you refuse, then Grandmother’s illness is no longer my concern. After all, my medical services don’t come cheap. I won’t treat your so-called ‘grandmother’ without due cause.”
“Your arrogance knows no bounds! Do you seriously think you’re the only one who can cure Grandmother’s poisoning?” Nicolas let out a derisive laugh. He could not believe her audacity.
Nicolas scoffed, “We have our physicians right here, and we have access to imperial physicians. Do you honestly think a mere case of food poisoning would be beyond them?”
Just then, a physician entered, trembling with fear as he bowed to Nicolas. “Sir, please have mercy! While the poison itself isn’t hard to cure, Lady Margaret is already extremely frail. From this incident, she is already at death’s door. We…we can do nothing more…”