Chapter 236
The room was adorned with elegant white florals and soft candlelight, filled with the warmth of a wedding celebration. Dressed in a classic gown, Willow sat on the edge of her seat, quietly weeping, her face streaked with tears.
Eloise rushed in from outside. Upon seeing Willow in tears, she quickly went to comfort her and gently remarked, “My dear, why are you crying on your wedding day?”
Willow had been getting ready before sunrise, but with the wedding procession nearly at the door, she suddenly broke down in tears at the worst possible moment. Eloise, understandably, was beside herself with worry.
Willow wiped her tears with a handkerchief, too overcome with emotion to speak. Nona felt compelled to intervene: “Lady Suffield, you really cannot hold Milady responsible. We graciously invited Lady Margaret, yet they not only prevented her from attending but even claimed she was unwell—isn’t this just ruining Milady’s special day?”
No one wanted to hear news like that on their wedding day—it was bad luck for the bride, casting a shadow over the occasion.
Eloise furrowed her brow at the news. “How utterly disgraceful! How could they lower themselves to such behavior?” No bride wanted to be branded as bad luck.
Nona dropped to her knees, pleading, “Please, Lady Suffield, have mercy on Milady. Just this once, could you let Lady Margaret and Athena come back to see her?”
Rumors had long circulated in the capital that Willow was the reason the Duke of Suffield’s family had severed all ties with Athena. If neither Athena nor Margaret attended the wedding, it would only serve to confirm those whispers.
Eloise recognized this as well. Noticing that there was still time before the wedding, she made a resolute decision. Gently, she said, “My dear, please wait here for a moment. I will go and resolve this for you.”
“Mother…” Willow sobbed softly, nearly collapsing to her knees. Eloise quickly supported her, saying gently, “No more tears on your wedding day, my dear. Just take a moment to breathe and wait.”
‘If dropping to my knees is what it takes to bring Mother back, then that’s exactly what I would do. With my status as the Duchess,’ Eloise thought confidently, ‘there’s no way she could bear to keep me kneeling for long.’
Eloise hurried out with her attendants, while Willow cast a sly glance at her departing figure, a triumphant smile spreading across her face. ‘I knew it,’ Willow thought smugly. “Mother always has a soft spot for me.”
Willow turned to Nona with appreciative eyes. “Nona, please don’t do that again—it complicates things for Mother.”
Nona saw the concern in Willow’s eyes and said firmly, “I can’t stand to see you mistreated, Milady. You’re too kind—if you won’t speak out, then I must.”
“Oh, you…” Willow sighed, then handed a stack of money to Nona. “Once we enter the Osborne household, you need to be more careful, understood?”
Willow was sincere in her words; the Osborne family enforced stricter rules than the duke’s estate. As a new bride, she had to navigate everything with caution.
However, Nona completely misunderstood; she believed Willow was encouraging her. Nona accepted the gift with gratitude and responded, “Yes, Milady.”
Meanwhile, Eloise hurried to Athena’s residence with her attendants. Upon arriving at the tightly closed gates of the manor, a wave of frustration washed over her.
‘While Mother may have her affection for Athena, there is a time and place for everything. How could she possibly allow Athena to hide away and refuse to show her face when the duke’s estate is preparing to marry off their daughter, such a significant family event? If news of this got out, our family would become a laughingstock!’ she thought.
Eloise, her expression icy, ordered the servant beside her, “Please go and knock on the door.”
Chapter 236
The servant approached and knocked on the door, announcing, “Lady Eloise requests a meeting with Lady Margaret.”
Outside the gates, Eloise proclaimed loudly, “Learning that my mother is unwell fills me with deepest shame. Here I shall drop to my knees and pray for your recovery—nor shall I rise until your health is fully restored.”
The moment Lance recognized that the visitors were from the duke’s estate, he groaned inwardly and hurried to report to Athena. “Milady, the people from the duke’s estate are here again.”
Upon hearing Lance’s words, a weary look crossed Athena’s face. Athena tossed the medicinal herbs into the wicker basket and snapped, “Enough is enough! I won’t see them.”
Lance frowned with concern. “Lady Eloise is on her knees at the gate, praying for Lady Margaret. With her stubborn demeanor, I doubt she will move unless you go to see her.”
Athena raised an eyebrow in surprise. “A threat?” she said, her voice laced with sarcasm.
‘Praying for Grandma? What a joke,’ Athena thought. ‘She’s just trying to blackmail her, attempting to force her out. It’s hard to believe Lady Eloise would stoop this low for Willow.’
Athena bit her lip, her chest feeling tight as if it might burst from anger. At that moment, just hearing the name Eloise was enough to make Athena fume.
Athena had finally reached her limit with their bullying. She stood up abruptly and walked out. Jessa was munching when she noticed Athena storming out in anger. Eagerly, she quickly caught up, her eyes shining with anticipation, and asked, “Milady, are we going to fight?”
Jessa thought, ‘I’ve been stuck in this manor for so long that I’m going stir-crazy! A fight would be just perfect!’
Athena, fully aware of Jessa’s abilities, said to her, “No, we are not.”
Jessa had always acted on her whims, disregarding propriety and decorum. Worried that her good intentions might backfire, Athena had quickly warned her, “Don’t act rashly.” Though the Duke of Suffield’s people had been a nuisance, resorting to violence would have changed everything.
Jessa nodded blankly. “Okay.” Jessa thought, ‘All these arguments within the house are such a hassle. The worst part? I can’t even throw a punch—it’s so frustrating!’
Athena strode to the door and swung it open, only to find Eloise on her knees at the entrance, hands clasped in mock prayer.
At the sound of movement, Eloise slowly opened her eyes, anticipation glimmering in her gaze. When she saw Athena, a relieved smile crossed her face. “Athena,” she said softly, “you’ve finally decided to see your mother.”
Jessa frowned at the scene, her brows tightly knit. She scoffed, “What kind of mother drops to her knees just to force a meeting? How shameless…”
Eloise’s stern disapproval of the servants’ behavior was ignored. Her expression turned cold, and the air grew heavy with the authority she carried as Duchess. “Which disrespectful servant dares to behave so rudely? If not for your lady, you would’ve faced serious punishment by now.”
Athena stepped protectively in front of Jessa, her voice cold and steady as she addressed Eloise. “What an impressive display of authority, Lady Eloise. However, this isn’t the duke’s estate—your authority does not extend here. Even if my servant was disrespectful, her discipline is my responsibility, not yours.”
Eloise stared at Athena in disbelief, only to be met with an expression cold as ice, her gaze steady and unyielding, offering no trace of compromise. A dull ache spread through Eloise’s chest as she struggled to understand how her daughter could treat her with such indifference.
“Athena, I am your birth mother after all. How could you allow a mere servant to humiliate me like this?”
Eloise’s eyes burned with tears as they spilled down her cheeks. Athena’s icy demeanor pierced her heart like a sharp blade. “Lady Eloise, you’ve already trampled all over me—do you truly expect me to treat you with any respect?”
“Athena, how could you be so callous?” Eloise’s eyes were filled with deep disappointment.
Chapter 236
Unfortunately, Athena had long abandoned any hope in Eloise. She faced her with a sense of complete detachment. “My cruelty is nothing new—you should know that all too well by now, Lady Eloise. Kneeling at my gate like this—isn’t this your tactic to force Grandma to reveal herself?
“You constantly preach about filial piety, yet your behavior is utterly despicable,” she retorted. “With Grandma suffering from illness, all you seem to care about is yourself. When it comes to cruelty, I’m nothing compared to you.”
Eloise appeared as though Athena’s words had struck her like a devastating blow. She swayed, struggling to remain upright, her eyes brimming with tears as if she felt profoundly wronged.
Even as Eloise wept uncontrollably, Athena remained indifferent. She regarded her coldly and challenged, “So, Lady Eloise, do you still intend to kneel at the door and compel Grandma to show up?”