Chapter 241
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“Mr. Wallen, are you all right?” The guard snapped back and stepped forward to support him. When he glanced again at the nameplate overhead, he felt something on the verge of collapse.
‘Perhaps this place is no longer suitable for staying,‘ Raul thought, his head spinning as if the world was whirling.
He gazed dazedly at the nameplate above, the gilded characters “Chancellor’s Estate” stabbed at his eyes, tears streaming down his face, his heart full of reluctance.
He had been in the position of the Chancellor for ten years. From a humble peasant on the outskirts of Valewyn, he clawed his way up to this position, wielding great power and influence.
Once his sons entered officialdom one by one, the Wallen family would rise into a great house, firmly entrenched in Sinderin City for generations to come. However, unexpectedly, a mere misstep, and because of a daughter, the entire edifice came crashing down.
Thinking of those words from Tessa that pierced his heart, Raul felt dazed. “Could it be that I am still the same old person I once was?” he muttered.
That self–loathing, oversensitive man who harbored a deep, festering hatred for women of noble birth, who despised everyone rich and everything exalted in this world, that useless wretch scorned by every girl everywhere…
‘Despite climbing all the way to the position of Chancellor, my heart has never changed, and I’ve never truly crawled out of that outskirt,‘ Raul thought to himself, bitterness filling his chest, his entire body trembling.
Just then, a commotion arose in the street. A troop stopped in front of the Chancellor’s estate, and the leading imperial guard shouted, “Take down the Wallen family’s nameplate!”
Raul was stunned and snapped back to reality. Upon seeing the commander of the imperial guard seated atop a tall horse, he began to tremble all over and mumble, “You, you, you all…”
No one paid attention to him. Two imperial guards stepped forward, drew their bows, and fired arrows. The nameplate fell with a loud “clang,” landed at Raul’s feet, and shattered.
Sounds of astonishment rose all around, “Oh my God, has the Chancellor’s estate really fallen just like that?”
“I truly didn’t expect it. There wasn’t even a hint of trouble a month ago, and now look at what’s happened in such a short time!”
“Not long ago, several snowfalls came in between, and everyone rarely went out; it’s as if we woke up to a world completely changed.”
Amid their shock, the people began to denounce him loudly, “It’s only natural that it collapsed. After all, even animals protect their young. The things Raul has done are truly beneath that of beasts.”
“Margaery is truly fortunate. Even with the collapse of the Chancellor’s estate, it does not prevent her from enjoying a good life.
“I heard that the King has already issued an edict for her to enter the Carey family. After the recognition party, she will soon become Lady Margaery of the Careyfamily.”
“It’s truly ironic when you think about it. Just 20 days ago, Raul held a recognition party for Tessa, inviting all the city’s dignitaries. What a grand affair! At that time, he even forced Margaery to admit fault.”
“How could she admit to something she didn’t do? Forced confessions are nothing more than this. For those who know the
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truth, Margaery is the daughter of the Wallen family; those who don’t would think the Wallen family is the Inquisition Court’s prison and Margaery is the criminal.”
“What goes around comes around. Now that the slap’s landed square on his face, I wonder if Raul feels the pain.”
Raul trembled all over, his face burned, and his heart really ached. It was strange that during the year since Tessa entered the estate, his attention had been totally on her. He always felt that Margaery had enjoyed enough, so he should favor Tessa to make up for her.
As time went by, he actually got used to it. When it became a habit, he even forgot about the days Margaery had spent in the estate over the years.
Now that she was gone, and he had fallen from the position of Chancellor, trampled upon in utter pain, the 16 years he had lived with Margaery seemed to come alive again.
‘How adorable she was as a child!‘ he thought.
At just four or five years old, Margaery would stand at the door on rainy days, holding an umbrella, anxiously waiting for him to return from court. If the servants had not stopped her, she would have gone out to fetch him.
When she was seven or eight, she would go to the kitchen by herself, trying to make him chicken soup. Even though she cut her hand, she would not let him see, only asking if the soup tasted good.
As she grew older, she blossomed into a graceful young woman. When he was busy in the study, she would massage his shoulders; when he was asleep, she would quietly tidy up the mess he left behind from his hectic work.
Her presence was everywhere in this estate. When Raul thought of these things, he felt somewhat dazed. Ignoring the humiliation from the imperial guards and the people, he staggered into the courtyard, stumbling step by step toward Gracewind Garden.
As he passed by Sunbeam Court, tears welled up uncontrollably. Remorse tore through his heart, and he collapsed to his knees halfway, wailing toward Gracewind Garden, “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry! I’ve wronged you!
“Margaery! I know I was wrong. I beg you, please come home, okay?”
Sunbeam Court was a three–story pavilion. In the courtyard below, rare and precious flowers were cultivated, a pond was kept, and koi fish were raised. Upstairs, everything was of the finest quality…
He once built that place for Margaery. However, it was Tessa who moved in subsequently, and Margaery… Raul got up and staggered to the entrance of Gracewind Garden. There was no one here now. At a glance, it was even more desolate.
Outside the courtyard, wild grass grew more than half a person’s height. The main gate was covered in rust, and when the wind blew, it clanged loudly, as if it might fall apart at any moment.
Inside the room, there was only a bed, a table, and two chairs, all in a state of ruin. The walls were pitted and uneven, some areas had already turned pale, and the slightest movement would cause dirt and debris fall from above.
Raul suddenly remembered that this was the old house in the courtyard when he first arrived in Sinderin City and bought this property. It was cheap when he bought it, as it was said to be 70 or 80 years old, and likely to collapse soon
To save money at the time, he bought it and lived here with Wrenna for quite a while. Later, they moved out. After Wrenna passed away, this place had remained vacant until he drove Margaery away to live here.
Raul recalled the time he had driven Margaery away here. At that time, he had just been reunited with Tessa and was busy taking care of everything for her, seemingly forgetting that Gracewind Garden was an old house, a nearly collapsed, abandoned place.
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Chapter 241
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‘Did Tessa bewitch me?‘ When this thought arose, Raul suddenly remembered Tessa’s harsh words. Seeing Tessa was like seeing his own humble, weak self, so he regarded her as a kindred spirit, drawn together by mutual misery. In contrast, Margaery became the enemy.
Just by standing there, Margaery’s noble and dignified bearing already made Tessa unable to raise her head. Margaery did not even need to do anything; simply appearing in the same place as Tessa was enough to provoke his anger.
This is who I am. The one who appears glamorous on the surface, yet has never truly climbed out of the gutter!‘ Raul thought, feeling a spine–chilling shiver. He knelt blankly in the courtyard, as if he had lost his soul…
“Mr. Wallen! Mr. Wallen!” The guards called out to him several times, but he did not respond. The guard was terrified and quickly looked for Joshua and others. At that time, night had completely fallen.
Joshua, having caught a chill from walking bare–chested to plead for forgiveness, coughed continuously along the way. Coupled with the severe beating he had received earlier, his body was now covered in wounds.
Although his wound had already begun to heal, it still hurt so much that he gritted his teeth and walked with a limp. When he saw Raul, he was taken aback, his voice completely hoarse when he said, “Dad, what’s happened to you?”
The condition of Avery, who came afterward, was even worse. After being beaten, his face was bruised and swollen, and he had even lost two teeth. He looked so miserable.
Seeing Raul, he was taken aback too. “Why has Dad suddenly become like this? What did the King say to him?”
The guard did not know what the King had said, but he had witnessed firsthand what the imperial guards had just done. He answered dejectedly, “The imperial guards just came and took down the nameplate from our Chancellor’s estate.”
“What did you say?” Avery stared in astonishment, his eyes wide, his voice nearly breaking, “Why did the imperial guards do this?”
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