Chapter 90
Eloise wanted to demand answers, but when she saw Willow’s face battered beyond recognition, blood streaming from her nose and mouth, all her questions died on her lips.
Despite everything, Eloise’s heart ached for Willow. She turned to the servants and ordered, “Help her back to her room.”
After a pause, she added sternly, “Not a word about what happened today is to leave this house.”
After all, Willow was in the wrong. No matter what, she never should have cursed Ferris. If word got out, the duke’s estate couldn’t escape blame.
The servants all murmured their assent, trembling with fear. Even without Eloise’s order, none of them would have dared breathe a word.
At this moment, the way everyone looked at Athena had completely changed.
No one would have thought that the carefree Athena could be so terrifying.
Eloise shielded Willow as she led her away, then summoned the house physician to tend to her wounds.
After a flurry of activity, Willow finally fell into a deep sleep.
Perhaps from the shock, Willow kept whimpering and crying in her sleep, her body curled into a tight ball.
Even with Eloise gripping her hand tightly, Willow still couldn’t find any peace.
Michael rode hard all the way to the royal palace. In one fluid motion, he dismounted and strode straight inside.
Suddenly, a strong hand clamped down on Michael’s shoulder.
He spun around to find Nicolas standing behind him, breathing heavily, his face etched with worry.
“Come with me,” Nicolas ordered, his voice rough with urgency.
Michael frowned and shoved Nicolas’s hand away. “Don’t stop me,” he snapped.
He thought, ‘He just wants to keep me from entering the palace. That much is obvious.’
But Michael’s resolve was unshakable, there was no way he’d listen to Nicolas now.
In his desperation, Nicolas snapped, his voice low and urgent. “Michael, are you out of your mind? Don’t kid yourself, none of this is going to win Athena back. Let me tell you, even if you dropped dead right in front of her, she wouldn’t spare you a second glance.”
Michael froze for a moment. He thought bitterly, ‘Yes. Athena truly despises me now.‘
Before he could snap out of it, Nicolas seized the moment and yanked him away.
The two of them reached a shaded, secluded spot. Nicolas angrily shook off Michael’s hand, jabbing a finger at his face as he snapped, “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to! You just want to go to the palace and ask the King to grant you a marriage with Athena. But have you ever thought it? If you use such underhanded tactics to keep her by your side, do you really think she’ll ever appreciate you for it?”
“At least it’s better than throwing her into a living hell!” Nicolas snapped, his anger barely contained. But Michael was even more furious.
He seized Nicolas by the collar and snarled, “You know damn well what the Mcgee family is like, how could you still want Athena to marry into that mess? She’s your sister!”
Michael’s roar vibrated with barely contained rage.
Michael glared at Nicolas, his eyes blazing with fury.
He thought, ‘I just don’t get it. Why is the whole Monson family turning a blind eye to this? Worse yet, they’re even trying to cover it up. What on earth bre they scheming?‘
Nicolas’s collar was yanked out of shape by Michael. Having never been treated this way before, Nicolas shoved Michael away, his face cold as ice, and said sharply, “Athena’s marriage was arranged by Lady Gale Mcgee. Who among us would dare stand in her way?”
“What? Lady Mcgee came to propose?” Michael’s eyes showed unusual confusion. “How is that possible? She’s always looked down on Athena, Even if she were arranging a marriage for Ferris, she’d surely choose someone of impeccable background, not someone like Athena…”
At this point, he abruptly clamped his mouth shut.
A flicker of guilt passed through his eyes.
But soon, Michael’s eyes suddenly cleared with realization. ‘I know now, it must be Ferris,‘ he thought.
Athena had grown up in the countryside. Even after being brought back to the duke’s estate and receiving refined tutoring, she remained worlds apart from those young ladies born into privilege.
What Michael remembered most vividly was the grand birthday party held for Athena. Back then, the duke’s estate had invited most of Pidence City’s high–born ladies to celebrate her.
Among the distinguished guests was none other than Gale.
As expected, she stumbled and fell to the floor in a most undignified manner, her cheeks burning with shame as the room fell into an awkward silence.
Back then, Michael felt triumphant. ‘Ferris isn’t worthy of Athena, and I’ll never let him get anywhere near her,‘ he thought.
Nicolas paid no heed to such matters, his only concern was his own family.
In a grave voice, he told Michael, “It doesn’t matter who it is. Now that the Mcgee family has publicly claimed Athena, it’s set in stone and cannot be changed. By going to the King now to ask for a marriage decree, are you trying to bring ruin upon the Monson family?”
“Do you really think a mere military honor can force the King to grant a marriage and use royal authority to pressure the Mcgee family? That’s treating the King as nothing more than a weapon for your own ends.”
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