Chapter 113

As soon as the sun had set, the temperature began to drop.

Trina walked in from outside, her little face flushed red from the cold. Her hair was still damp with moisture as she said, "It might rain tonight. If you feel cold, should I light the charcoal fire?"

Ever since Athena returned, she had become very sensitive to the cold. On rainy days, her knees would ache faintly. With an old illness lingering in her body, it wasn’t something that could be cured overnight.

She touched her aching knees and nodded gently. "Go ahead and light the fire. Grandmother’s health isn’t good either. Once you’ve received the charcoal, send some to her as well."

Trina acknowledged the order and lifted the curtain to leave.

Not long after, she hurried back, holding a food box in her hands. She smiled and said, "Lady Margaret was thinking of you too. She specifically asked me to bring you a bowl of calming soup."

Athena always found it hard to fall back asleep once she woke in the middle of the night. Margaret knew about this condition and had prepared a bowl of calming soup just for her.

"Grandmother is always so thoughtful." Athena drank the soup in one go. Trina helped her to bed before going to sleep in the outer room.

Sure enough, at midnight, the wind howled and thunder rumbled outside. Trina woke quietly and peeked into the inner room, seeing that Athena was sleeping soundly. She returned to her own small couch and lay back down.

Athena awoke from a restful night, feeling relaxed all over. Outside the window, the golden morning sunlight filtered through the carved window lattice, casting gentle light on the bed. Hearing movement, Trina came in with a basin of water, smiling brightly. "You’re awake?"

Athena nodded slightly and looked outside. Under the eaves, water droplets fell like strings of crystal beads, ticking softly. The sunlight refracted off them in a rainbow of colors, causing her to squint slightly.

"It rained all night, huh," Athena said softly, her voice hoarse.

"Yes, it did." Trina dipped a cloth into the water, wrung it out, and handed it to Athena. "Last night the wind was fierce, the rain was heavy, and the paper on the windows was rustling from the gusts. Luckily, you had the calming soup and slept soundly."

Athena took the cloth and began to wipe her face, a small smile forming on her lips. But before the smile could fully bloom, a doubt suddenly rose in her mind. "How did Grandmother know it would rain last night and prepare an extra bowl of calming soup?"

Trina leaned closer and said, "I heard from Gwen that the calming soup wasn’t made by Lady Margaret. It was sent over by Lord Joseph."

"Joseph?" Athena’s brows furrowed, her voice sharpened, and the smile disappeared instantly. A trace of wariness flickered in her eyes.

She said, "He’s always been indifferent to Grandmother’s health, and now he suddenly sends calming soup? He’s definitely up to something."

Trina’s expression also turned uneasy. "He wouldn’t dare go that far, would he?" Joseph had many bad habits. No one could guarantee he wouldn’t stoop to theft or deceit.

Athena shook her head. "The human heart is unpredictable. You think he’s changed just like that? Whether he has or not, we’ll go check on Grandmother first."

With that, she got up, threw on a thick cloak, and strode out the door. Trina hurried to catch up.

The two of them quickly made their way through the winding corridors, just as the steward came rushing toward them in a panic. "Something terrible has happened…!"

Athena stopped and snapped, "What’s going on?"

"The…the storeroom, Lady Margaret’s storeroom… it’s been robbed…" The steward’s face was pale with fright, like his soul had fled.

Athena’s face turned grim. "Take me there."

She rushed to the storeroom, where a group of servants were already kneeling on the ground in fear. Seeing Athena arrive, they trembled even harder.

She stepped forward and saw the storeroom doors wide open. The lock was still hanging properly, with no signs of tampering. But all the contents inside were gone. A hundred large chests were emptied.

Trina gasped. Her mind immediately jumped to Joseph. But she didn’t dare say it out loud, only looked at Athena with fearful eyes.

Athena was so angry that her head felt dizzy. She took several deep breaths to calm herself. "Who was on night duty last night?" At her sharp voice, the servants shrank back even more.

Two older maids came forward with tearful faces. "It was us, Lady Athena, we were on duty last night."

"Did anyone come or go from the estate last night?" Athena asked.

They shook their heads. "No one. The wind and rain were too strong. We didn’t dare sleep. Even during the shift change, we were fully awake."

Athena looked at the second maid, who quickly added, "Lady Athena, please believe me. We would never steal from Lady Margaret."

If the back gate hadn’t been opened, then the front gate certainly hadn’t either. There were guards stationed there. If Joseph had tried to move that many chests out, it would’ve been impossible to hide.

"Has anything from Lady Willow’s storeroom been taken?" Athena asked.

The steward replied nervously, "Thankfully, Lady Willow’s storeroom was untouched."

Athena shot him a cold glance, making him quickly lower his head. Willow’s storeroom was quite close to Margaret’s, yet it was completely untouched. That made things look all too obvious.

Athena ordered, "Guard this place. Steward, go summon Lady Eloise and the Duke immediately."

With that, Athena turned and left. If the front and back gates hadn’t been breached, it meant the stolen items were still somewhere inside the estate.

"You lot." Athena pointed at the servants. "Grab some sticks and follow me."

The servants looked confused but obeyed and followed her with clubs in hand.

Athena walked quickly and soon arrived at the entrance of Joseph’s courtyard. She raised a hand, motioning for them to stop. She ordered, "Surround this courtyard. If Joseph tries to leave, beat him back in with your sticks."

"What? Beat Lord Joseph?" The servants became nervous, their hands trembling around the sticks.

Athena’s voice was ice cold. "Lady Margaret’s storeroom was robbed. None of you is innocent in this. If the items aren’t recovered, think carefully about what punishment you’ll face."

She pointed to the footprints on the ground and said sternly, "I’m sure the items are in Joseph’s courtyard. If he escapes, you’ll all be blamed."

Then she turned and walked away. The servants looked at each other in terror.

Trina chased after Athena, confused. "My Lady, since you’re sure Lord Joseph did it, why not go in and catch him red-handed?"

Athena’s face was full of hatred, her voice brimming with fury. "Catching him red-handed would be useless. I strike where it hurts most. I’ll teach him a real lesson."

Even if she caught Joseph in the act, Eloise would defend him. And that foolish Henry would downplay everything in the end. All that effort would amount to nothing more than a whipping.

Trina asked, "Then what do you plan to do?"

Athena stopped in her tracks, her eyes flashing coldly. She signaled Trina to come closer and whispered a few words in her ear.

Trina’s eyes widened in shock, and she gasped. "Are you sure about this?"

Athena’s expression was calm, her voice firm. "I’m sure."