Chapter 200
Michael glanced at Willow in surprise. It wasn’t until he saw the tears on her face that he realized he’d gone too far.
Even though Michael still had feelings for Athena, his engagement to Willow was already set in stone.
For him to push her away like that was too harsh.
Michael softened his tone and said to Willow, “I didn’t mean it that way. I just can’t bear to see you exhaust yourself.”
Willow’s face blossomed into a smile again as she looked at Michael, her gaze overflowing with tenderness. “As long as1 can be with you, Michael, I don’t mind the hardship at all,” she said, her voice full of affection.
Michael’s emotions were in turmoil. He had already let down one woman who loved him, he couldn’t bear to fail another.
He tacitly allowed Willow to remain at the Osborne residence, tacitly allowed her to share his courtyard.
That evening, as Nona helped Willow prepare for bed, she said softly, “Miss Monson, I truly feel you’ve been wronged. It’s just so unfair.”
Willow sat in front of the mirror, brushing her hair. Catching the implication in Nona’s words, she asked with a faint smile, “Why would I feel wronged?”
As Nona gently combed Willow’s long hair, she said, “Miss Monson, you and Lord Osborne are clearly in love and already engaged, but the Osborne family keeps delaying the wedding. You’re not getting any younger, and the rumors are only getting worse. Doesn’t all this make you feel aggrieved?”
Willow felt a pang in her chest. Of course she felt wronged.
‘Not a day goes by that I don’t wish I could marry into the Osborne family. But there’s nothing I can do to hurry it along, otherwise, I’d look like some desperate spinster,’ she thought.
Willow narrowed her eyes at Nona and asked, “Nona, what are you really trying to say?” She knew her maid was never one to speak without a reason.
Nona seized the moment, leaned in close to Willow’s ear, and whispered, “Miss Monson, you’ve got to look out for yourself. If Lord Osborne won’t make the first move, then you should. When a woman goes after a man, it’s quite easy. Once you break that barrier, everything else just falls into place.”
Willow looked at Nona with feigned confusion, though she had already guessed what her maid was implying.
“But how could a proper young lady like myself ever bring up such matters?‘ she thought, feeling both helpless and embarrassed.
Pretending not to understand, she asked, “What can I do?”
Nona lowered her voice to a whisper. “Miss Monson, I know of a certain… potion that can make a person lose all restraint. If we could get Lord Osborne to take it, wouldn’t your path to becoming his wife be assured?”
Willow’s face flushed with indignation as she hastily cut Nona off. “Nona, how could you even suggest such a thing?” she scolded in a hushed but firm tone, “Never speak of this again.”
“Miss Monson, I truly have your best interests at heart/Even if you punish me for this, I must still speak my mind for your sake.”
Nona dropped to her knees at Willow’s feet and whispered urgently, “Miss Monson, can’t you see? Even Lady Kelsey is on your side. Why else would she keep you here in the Osborne residence?”
Willow fell into deep thought. Of course, she understood Kelsey’s intentions.
She mused, ‘But this approach is far too risky. If I were to sleep with Michael this way, it might only make him despise me more.”
As the cherished daughter of a Monson family, she would never stoop to the tricks concubines use to compete for favor.
“I need to think this through carefully,” Willow fell silent, weighing whether she was really willing to take such a drastic risk.
But before making any decisions, she figured she could at least subtly test Michael first.
Two days later, Michael had fully recovered, but he remained despondent, drinking alone day after day.
Seeing that the opportunity had come, Willow changed into an elegant dress and approached Michael.
Michael’s bleary eyes focused on Willow as she appeared. With a drunken chuckle, he slurred, “Willow… you’re here.”
Michael gestured for Willow to sit down, poured her a glass of wine, and slurred, “Come… drink with me.”
Willow sat facing him, her voice soft with concern. “Michael, why are you drinking so much? Alcohol isn’t good for your health. You should really cut
down.”
Willow reached for the wine in Michael’s hand, but he pulled it away.
Michael swayed the wine bottle in his hand, slurring drunkenly, “This… this wine’s the best thing ever. Don’t… don’t try to stop me.”
With that, he downed another glass in one gulp.
Michael’s breath reeked of alcohol as he slurred, his mind clouded, “She… she’s right to ignore me… I don’t even deserve her attention…”
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