Chapter 226
At these words, both Nicolas’s and Henry’s eyes widened.
Henry sprang to his feet in shock and exclaimed, “Nonsense! Mother has always been in good health. How could she collapse like that?” He was convinced the physician was spouting utter nonsense.
With a desperate look, the physician swore, “Sir, I would never dare deceive you. If Lady Margaret does not receive proper treatment immediately, she won’t last another fortnight.”
“How could this be?” Henry stammered, collapsing into his chair, his eyes glazed with helpless confusion. At that moment, Henry was consumed with bitter remorse. “If I’d known, I would never have agreed to poison her. If this gets out, I’ll be branded a monster who killed his own mother,” Henry thought desperately.
Nicolas also grew anxious. “Then even the imperial physicians can’t cure her?”
The physician looked troubled and said respectfully, “I can’t say for certain myself, Lord Nicolas. Perhaps you could invite Dr. Harding to take a look.”
Nicolas immediately summoned a page boy and barked, “Make haste! Fetch Dr. Harding now!”
Half an hour later, Dr. Harding arrived, carrying his medical kit.
Dr. Harding first went to examine Margaret. Afterwards, he bowed respectfully to Nicolas, his face full of regret. “Lord Nicolas, her condition is beyond my skill to treat,” he said apologetically. “It would be best to seek counsel from a more capable physician.”
Nicolas stared in shock. “It was just a poisonous mushroom…how did it come to this?”
But little did Nicolas know that Margaret had always been frail. Had it not been for Athena’s medicine barely keeping her alive, Margaret would have long since departed this world. Though the mushroom’s toxicity was low, it dealt a devastating blow to Margaret’s already frail constitution.
Everyone was caught in a dire dilemma. If they didn’t let Athena take Margaret away, the elderly lady might truly breathe her last. However, if they let Athena take Margaret away, there was no telling what would become of the duke’s estate’s reputation.
Nicolas turned to Henry, only to find equal helplessness in his eyes. Even the two granduncles dared not utter a word. They had no say in this matter.
“Well, Lord Nicolas,” Athena challenged, her voice dripping with sarcasm, “still struggling to make up your mind?”
Nicolas clenched his fists, as if steeling himself for a momentous decision. “Lady Margaret cannot leave the duke’s estate,” he declared, his voice hardening, “but you must stay.”
Athena scoffed at his twisted logic. “By what authority and under what reason do you plan to keep me here?”
They’re just using pretty words to put me under house arrest, Athena thought.
“With Lady Margaret gravely ill, it’s your filial duty as her granddaughter to stay by her side and care for her,” Nicolas stated.
Nicolas’s scheme was clear. With Athena’s medical expertise, he intended to keep her confined by Margaret’s side under the guise of care. He would then be able to effectively keep Athena under house arrest within the duke’s estate. That way, he could finally teach her a lesson.
However, Nicolas had forgotten that Athena was no longer the meek little girl who’d dance to his tune.
Didn’t you just say I wasn’t part of the Monson family, Lord Nicolas? Now you’re suddenly admitting I am? Isn’t that going against your own words?” Athena sneered.
Nicolas’s face flushed with embarrassment, but he refused to back down. “With our two granduncles as witnesses today, I’ll let you return to the Banks estate, but only if you swear never to harass Willow again and sincerely apologize to her.”
This was the furthest Nicolas was willing to go.
Athena let out a bitter laugh. “You’ve got some nerve.”
She rose and started to leave, when Nicolas’s sharp command rang out from behind her, “Guards! Stop her!”
From the moment Athena set foot in the duke’s estate, her fate was sealed. Escape was never an option.
Several guards blocked Athena’s path, but her own bodyguards instantly closed ranks, forming a protective circle around her. Tensions were at an all-time high as both sides stared each other down. A fight could break out at any moment.
Athena fixed Nicolas with a cold, unyielding stare and spat out each word, “If you want mutual destruction, I’m all in.”
With that, she snatched the longsword from a guard’s scabbard and leveled it at everyone in the room. Athena’s eyes blazed with nothing but murderous intent.
Every face in the room paled in shock. No one had expected Athena to actually draw a blade.
Henry, still trying to rein in Athena with his paternal authority, bellowed, “Are you out of your mind? How dare you point a sword at us?”
“You’re the insane ones!” Athena glared at their hypocritical faces, her composure finally shattering. “You were the ones who backed me into a corner! You were the beasts scheming against Grandmother! You were the ones who were so deluded that you thought you could control me. You’re nothing but hypocrites through and through!”
With every word Athena spat out, the faces in the room darkened.
Nicolas’s eyes bulged even wider, his face stark white with fury. “Our granduncles have thoroughly investigated and confirmed it. Grandmother’s poisoning was nothing but a misunderstanding! Why do you refuse to believe it?”
Athena glared at Nicolas and spat, “You’re utterly pathetic and ridiculous. You’ve lived in your web of lies for so long that you’ve probably convinced yourself that Grandmother ate that mushroom by accident. Where is your conscience? How has she treated you all these years? And how have you repaid her kindness?”
Athena’s words pricked Nicolas’s conscience, yet he couldn’t bring himself to admit it. If he admitted it, it would be tantamount to admitting Athena was right, that they had deliberately harmed Margaret.
Henry shifted his eyes guiltily and snorted coldly. “Put down that blade. Surely you don’t mean to kill someone?”
“Even if I kill someone,” Athena roared, “it’s you who drove me to this!”
With a swift sweep of her longsword, Athena strode for the door.
One foolish guard dared to block her path. In one fluid motion, Athena swung her blade, gashing his forearm. Blood spurted from the guard’s arm, rapidly pooling on the floor.
The remaining guards, seeing Athena meant business, recoiled in terror, and no one dared to approach. As Athena pressed forward, the guards instinctively fell back.
The tense standoff continued all the way to Starting House, with Athena single-handedly going against the entire duke’s estate.
Athena stormed into the courtyard, sword in hand. At the sight, Gwen blanched in terror. “L–Lady Athena, what are you…?” she stammered, trembling.
“I’m here to take Grandmother away,” Athena told Gwen, her tone firm. “Pack her things. We leave now.”
Gwen stood frozen for a moment, but the steely resolve in Athena’s eyes snapped her into action. Without another word, she hurried off to pack their things.
Athena stood at the doorway, sword in hand, ready to cut down anyone who dared stand in her way.
Hot on her heels, Nicolas and Henry rushed over. The sight sent them into a fit of rage.
Nicolas’s fury erupted. “Outright defiance! You’ve gone too far,” he roared. “Let’s see you walk out that door today.”
The guards surged forward, sealing off the doorway completely.
Just then, a light chuckle cut through the tension. “My, what a lively scene at the duke’s estate.”
Although it was light laughter, anyone could hear the lethal intent beneath it.
“Ah, Lord Nicolas, are you staging this grand spectacle for my princess?” Xander drawled, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
Nicolas felt a chill run down his spine. He turned slowly, only to see Xander advancing steadily into the courtyard, the Aegis Guards in formation behind him.
A faint smile played on Xander’s lips, but his eyes remained cold and dangerous. The lethal aura around Xander only subsided slightly when he saw Athena.
Xander tilted his head slightly toward Athena. He saw the strong grip she had on the sword, and her expression that looked like she was ready to go down fighting and take her enemy with her.
Instantly, the cold amusement in Xander’s eyes vanished and was replaced by raw fury. “Who dared to push my princess to such a state?”