Chapter 318
Since Margaret didn’t finish her sentence, Athena struggled to suppress her agitation as she kept listening. Unconsciously, her hands twisted the handkerchief, her knuckles turning white from the strain. Within the vast mansion, only Margaret’s low, mournful voice reverberated.
"After Vania got married, tragedy struck the duke’s estate. The former heir accidentally fell into the water and drowned, leaving the estate without an heir. Only then did they finally remember your father and me. People from Pidence City were sent to bring your father back.
"Meanwhile, Vania and I stayed behind. After Henry left, Vania discovered she was pregnant. We thought your father would come to fetch us soon, but months flew by without a single word from him.
"When we finally heard from him again, he had already become the next heir to the duke’s estate. Vania and I set out for Pidence City. She was already close to her due date when the carriage met with an accident on the way. The shock sent her into premature labor, and she fought desperately to deliver a baby girl before she passed away."
Tears streamed down Athena’s face as she listened. Her fists clenched so tightly her knuckles turned white, her eyes wide with shock. In a trembling voice, she asked, “Grandmother, she was my birth mother, wasn’t she?”
Margaret could hardly bring herself to meet Athena’s eyes, her guilt-laden voice growing fainter. She reluctantly nodded, as if she couldn’t bear exposing the duke’s estate’s dirty affairs. She continued, “Your father conspired with Eloise for the duke’s title. By the time I arrived in Pidence City with you in my arms, Eloise had already given birth to a baby girl about your age.
"At that time, Eloise was already the duchess, posing as your mother. But she couldn’t account for an extra child, so she had no choice but to take you in as her own, while her actual daughter was passed off as an adopted orphan. Since it was public knowledge that your birth mother and I had returned to Pidence City, Eloise had no choice but to acknowledge you as her own. But I never imagined she could be so cruel as to abandon you while you were just a baby. I tried everything to find you and bring you back, but even then, I still couldn’t protect you. You ended up enduring three bitter years of hardship in the military camp.
"These matters are a deep stain on the duke’s estate. To protect its honor, your father and I kept them completely concealed; not even the elders in the family knew about them.”
By this point, Margaret was weeping uncontrollably. With trembling hands, she reached out and grasped Athena’s hand, managing a pained smile. “Child, I am sorry. To protect your father’s title, I kept the truth from you and made you suffer all these years for nothing. I am truly sorry for what I’ve done to you.”
Choking back sobs, Margaret confessed to Athena, “For her own daughter, Eloise was dead set on eliminating you. The poison in those pastries was her doing.”
Athena gritted her teeth and demanded, “Did Willow know about all this?”
Margaret nodded slowly, her voice heavy with regret. “She’s known her true identity from the very beginning. Every pitiful act, every time she tried to undermine you, it was all to secure her place as the legitimate heir.”
Athena found this series of events to be a cruel twist of fate. Her birth mother's identity had been stolen by Eloise, who lived a life of opulence that should have been hers. Athena was the legitimate heir, yet her aunt’s schemes left her homeless and motherless. Her birth mother’s resting place still remained unknown. Athena was sobbing uncontrollably, a seething flame burning in her chest, scorching her very soul. The truth was unbearably cruel. For over a decade, she had taken her enemy as her mother.
Everyone had kept this from her. Even Kurtis was unaware that his eldest daughter had passed. Athena felt that Kurtis must still be wondering why his most obedient daughter suddenly cut all ties with him.
“How could this happen?” Athena couldn’t believe it. She frantically shook Margaret’s hand and pleaded, “Grandmother, this isn’t real. Please, tell me this isn’t true.”
Athena collapsed to her knees before Margaret, burying her face in Margaret’s lap as sobs wracked her body. She had imagined countless possibilities. She thought Eloise simply disliked her for being a girl. But she never imagined the truth would be so devastating. She thought, ‘No wonder Grandmother always doted on me and shielded me at every turn. So this was the reason...’
Margaret’s eyes were swollen and red from crying. Gazing at Athena with profound heartache, she gently stroked her hair, her voice thick with tears. “Athena, I’ve failed you. If you must blame someone, blame me. It’s entirely my fault.”
Athena was on the verge of collapse as she cried, “Grandmother, you’ve kept this from me for decades. Why tell me now? Why not keep it from me forever?”
Faced with Athena’s anguished questioning, Margaret closed her eyes in sorrow and shook her head weakly. “It’s my fault. It’s all my fault.”
Margaret and Athena clung to each other, dissolving into uncontrollable sobs. With trembling hands, Margaret fumbled a gold pendant from her robes and pressed it into Athena’s palm. “Athena, this was left to you by your mother when you were born.”
Athena’s hands shook as she accepted the pendant, her grip tightening until her knuckles turned white. Tears streamed down her face, falling faster than she could wipe them away. She could only imagine how desperate and heartbroken her mother must have been back then. She had just given birth to Athena, only to be separated from her so soon.
Clutching the gold pendant, Athena collapsed into wracking sobs, as if she could finally release all the years of pain and injustice she had endured.
“Your mother was buried by the Jana River, about fifteen miles from Pidence City. Every year, I would go to pay my respects,” Margaret's voice grew increasingly faint.
Athena looked up in alarm to see blood trickling from her mouth. Margaret was clearly at death’s door.
“Grandmother!” Athena shrieked.
Only then did she notice Margaret’s lips had turned a dark, unnatural purple. Athena realized with horror that Margaret had taken poison.
“No. Please, Grandmother, don’t die. I don’t blame you!” Athena shrieked, more panicked than she’d ever been. She screamed, “Someone, help! Trina, bring my medical kit now!”
Clutching Margaret’s hand in near-hysterical desperation, she pleaded, “I’m a miracle healer, Grandmother. I can save you. I won’t let you die.”
On her last breath, Margaret gazed at Athena, a look of profound relief dawning in her eyes. “Athena, my dearest Athena, I have lived with this guilt for so many years. Now, I am finally free. Please, just let me go.”
“No. Grandmother, don’t die. I can’t lose you too…” Athena clung to Margaret, sobbing uncontrollably. She had lost everyone else and couldn't bear losing her grandmother on top of that.
But Margaret took the poison with the resolve to die. Even Athena, who was a miracle healer, couldn’t save someone whose vital organs were already poisoned.
With a trembling hand, Margaret reached out to caress Athena’s face and whispered weakly, “Athena, you must live a good life. My wrongdoings can never be atoned for in this lifetime.”
“No, Grandmother. Please don’t die, Grandmother, please!” Athena sobbed while clutching Margaret’s hand as she frantically reached for her medical kit.
Then, she realized that Margaret had peacefully closed her eyes for the last time. A heartbroken wail tore from Athena’s throat. The door burst open, and Gwen, along with all the household staff from the courtyard, collapsed to their knees.
Gwen, her face etched with grief, intoned, “Farewell, Lady Margaret.”
The servants behind her echoed in unison, “Farewell, Lady Margaret.”