Chapter 137
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Tessa was his biological daughter, while Margaery was an impostor. Even if he had shown favoritism toward Tessa, it was understandable. He had never demanded the return of all that Margaery had eaten, used, or spent in the manor over the years, which was already an act of mercy.
Yet, as fate had it, Margaery still could not leave. This truth he could not speak aloud; he could only endure the label of favoritism in silence, swallowing his bitterness.
Raul clenched his fists, his entire body trembling, yet in that moment, he found no way to respond. After all, when they had arrived, no one had expected Margaery to actually come and break off the engagement.
Besides, she had behaved so well before. They believed her temperament had changed, but in truth, her scheming ran deep. She had coaxed them into submission, made them eager to please her, and led them to let down their guard.
It was not until today, when she suddenly turned against them, that they found themselves with no way to respond. Her calculation and cunning ran far deeper than they had imagined. Raul stared at Margaery, wishing he could grind her bones to dust.
Margaery had long since become numb. She no longer cared.
After all, this so–called paternal affection was nothing to her. In her previous encounter, when her father stood by and watched the Wallen sons torment her to death, he had not even blinked; he even claimed that dying in Tessa’s place was her good fortune. Such “good fortune” could be left to whoever desired it.
Margaery turned her head and looked at Dominic to the side. “Dominic, do you have anything else to say?”
Dominic was at a loss for words. That night, after being discovered by Phillipa, he had deliberately sought out Margaery. Only after not finding Phillipa at Gracewind Garden did he feel at ease, yet he never expected they would be waiting here.
Now that things had escalated to this point, there was nothing he could say. He felt utterly humiliated, wishing he could dig a hole and disappear. Yvette was infuriated by Margaery’s aggressive demeanor. Seeing her own son bullied like this, she lost all sense of reason.
She blurted out, “It is normal for men to have multiple wives and concubines. Dominic is the eldest son of the Hadley family and bears the responsibility of continuing the family line. He will inevitably take concubines in the future. Yet you, Lady Margaery of the Chancellor’s estate, have not the slightest tolerance…”
“If that is the case, then why was it not clearly stated in the marriage contract?” Margaery interrupted her. “Back then, why did Lady Sophia insist on writing ‘one lifetime, one couple‘ and demand loyalty?”
Yvetten froze, too angry to recall that detail. Just as she was about to think of a rebuttal, Margaery interrupted her again. “Oh, that’s right!”
She let out a cold laugh, glanced at Raul, and said, “That year, I was eight years old. My father had just been promoted to Chancellor, becoming a powerful minister second only to the King, favored by His Majesty. Right after his promotion, Lady Sophia brought Dominic to propose marriage.
“When seeking a connection, the words sounded so pleasant, yet now, all is forgotten?” This statement directly
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Chapter 137
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slapped the faces of everyone in the Hadley family, and even delivered another blow: “Not only did you forget, but you also conspired with the Chancellor’s estate, planning for Dominic and me to break off our engagement so he could marry Tessa.
“This past year, you indulged Tessa as she lorded over me, caused the death of my nurse, took away my maid, drove me out of my own quarters, locked me in Gracewind Garden, refused to send coal to my room in the dead of winter, and threw me into the firewood room.”
Margaery touched the hairpin on her head and sneered, “If it weren’t for this hairpin, my dear father would have thrown me into the cellar and suffocated me alive. And now, you ask me to be magnanimous?”
Raul was enraged upon hearing these words and snapped, “Margaery, stop acting like a stray dog, dragging everyone into your mess!” In his fury, he finally slapped Margaery across the face.
This gave Dashnell the perfect opportunity; he retaliated with a slap. With a loud thud, Raul was struck by a forceful blow, staggered back several steps, crashed hard into the wall, and spat out a mouthful of blood.
From the front came Dashnell’s cold voice: “The Chancellor certainly throws his weight around. Whose face are you striking?”
His gaze landed on Raul’s face, yet it seemed to freeze everyone in place; only his voice remained in the room. “The Wallen family’s father and son are truly skilled at twisting right and wrong. I have witnessed it firsthand.
“The affairs of the court are complex; if one’s mind is not sharp, it can be fatal. It seems the court needs some reform. Allowing someone lacking basic judgment, quick to anger, and prone to agitation to sit as Chancellor is detrimental to the nation’s fortune and the people’s welfare.
“If any mistakes are made, and people come to believe my father is a foolish ruler, that would be most unfortunate.” His words were delivered calmly and slowly, without any sharpness; none was needed, that single slap had already made his point.
After all, Raul was the Chancellor. In the vast court, only the King would have dared lay a hand on him. Yet today, it was Dashnell who stepped forward. This was not merely a display of skill, but of courage, ambition, and unmistakable intimidation.
In an instant, everyone’s expression shifted; the way they looked at Dashnell grew deep, complicated, and cautious. Marcus and Callum shifted uneasily in their seats, while Nathaniel drew his brows together in a frown.
Everyone knew Dashnell was favored by the King, but none expected him to possess martial skill, let alone such formidable internal strength. And for Margaery’s sake, he had struck Raul openly, as if prepared to offend the entire civil court. After all, Raul was the head of civil officials.
Yet Raul had not dared to retaliate, nor did he have the strength to do so, for Dashnell was, after all, a prince. To strike back would have been treated as defiance, and with internal energy that strong, few could ever hope to withstand him.
Raul had run up against a steel wall. His gaze trembled as he stared at Dashnell, finally conceding, “I was reckless, Your Highness. Please forgive me!” With that, he slid to the ground and knelt.
Joshua, too, was sobered by that slap; if it truly came to blows, he would not be a match for Dashnell. The
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Chapter 137
others remained silent, choosing to watch and wait. The room fell into a rare silence.
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From this day forward, everyone in this room would have to reassess this crippled prince, Dashnell. Only Margaery’s heart pounded. She turned to him, gratitude in her eyes. “Thank you, Dashnell.”
He was her senior, but not just her senior. He was the man who moved her heart.
“You are my junior,” Dashnell half–closed his eyes, a certain authority flashing in his gaze, sweeping across the room. “To lay hands on my junior in front of me, does someone think the Chapel of Wisdom at the Southern Abbey is easy to bully?
“Even at its lowest, the Chapel of Wisdom has produced an emperor for the nation. How could such insolence be tolerated!”
A faint, cold snort echoed, yet it carried an aura that made Marcus, Nathaniel, and even Alicia tremble with fear. The rest dared not utter a word.
The remark had landed like a bucket of cold water, bringing everyone present back to their senses. Margaery had been heir to the Chapel of Wisdom, and the King was as well.
When the King was young and frail, he was sent to the Southern Abbey for three years of protection, where he cultivated the teachings of the Chapel of Wisdom, and only then did his health gradually improve.
The Southern Abbey had been the King’s place of origin and his source of support. And now, Margaery was as well.
In other words, Margaery was now, in a sense, under the King’s protection. Although the King would not intervene directly, if matters were pushed too far, it would inevitably provoke his displeasure.
Only Yvette, oblivious to the gravity of the situation, stared at Margaery and said, “Margaery, even if Dominic made a mistake, matters of breaking off the engagement should be discussed privately. Why must you come to my family’s birthday party? In my view, you inherit Christianity, yet you commit the most malicious acts in the world!”
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
