Chapter 244

Nicolas stared at Athena in disbelief, his teeth clenched tightly. So this was his "good sister."

He had still been thinking of familial bonds, willing to let her off the hook. But she'd turn around and bite back at him.

Alright. Just great. Nicolas seethed.

Nicolas was so furious he no longer wanted to speak to Athena. He simply glared at her as if trying to bore holes into her with his eyes.

Seeing the tension between the two, Radnor stepped forward to mediate. “Since the child is still ill, in this official’s humble opinion, treating the illness should come first. Everything else can wait, haha…”

Nicolas scoffed coldly. “My son is burning with fever and still unconscious. The household physician says his life is in danger. How could I possibly let her off so easily?”

Athena sneered. “How peculiar the heir’s priorities are. Your son is gravely ill, yet instead of calling a royal physician, you’re here accusing me of wrongdoing?”

She paused before continuing, “Or is it that you already knew he would fall this ill, and you came here ahead of time just to cause me trouble?”

Athena’s words left Nicolas speechless. Before he could retort, Athena turned to Radnor and said, “Your Honor, please allow the imperial physician to visit the duke’s estate to examine Cedric and determine the cause of his condition.”

Radnor had been thinking the same. They needed evidence. He couldn’t just rely on Nicolas’s word and convict Athena.

Nicolas scoffed coldly, exuding absolute confidence. “You really won’t admit fault. I only asked for an apology, but you insisted on escalating things. Since you’re so convinced your prescription is harmless, I’ll make sure you see the truth with your own eyes.”

Seeing that Nicolas agreed, Radnor ordered someone to take his official token and summon a royal physician from the palace.

He then followed Athena and Nicolas to the duke’s estate.

Nicolas, still nursing his injuries, moved slowly.

Just as Nicolas stepped out of the gates, a servant came running straight toward him, panting and drenched in sweat. “My lord! Bad news, my lord…”

Recognizing him as a servant from the Osborne family, Nicolas asked in a grave voice, “What happened?”

“Lord Osborne, he’s been taken away!” The servant stammered. He flushed with panic and stamped his feet in agitation. “The old Marquis sent me to summon you to the manor right away to discuss what to do.”

Nicolas’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Slow down. Who was taken?” He demanded.

“My Lord… my young master…” the servant stammered, his face twisted in despair.

There was only one Marquis in the Osborne family, and that was Michael.

Nicolas took a deep breath and asked, “What exactly happened? Speak clearly.”

Radnor, eavesdropping nearby, craned his neck to listen. The Osborne family couldn't catch a break.

Just yesterday, they’d nearly had his new bride hauled off, and now the groom himself had landed in jail.

He glanced cautiously at Athena but saw her calm and collected, as if it had nothing to do with her.

He sighed inwardly. The Osborne family had acted dishonorably, trying to cancel a settled marriage. This was their just deserts.

Meanwhile, Athena was now a titled county princess and had established her own household.

Her medical skills were renowned, and her remedies were worth more than gold.

Radnor couldn’t understand how the Monson family had lost their minds, throwing away such a daughter in favor of a foster orie…

The servant explained breathlessly, “Someone from the palace took Lord Osborne away, saying that during the wedding procession, he threw coins into the crowd, which led to a stampede. Many elderly and children were hurt. Somehow, His Majesty found out and summoned Lord Osborne to reprimand him.”

He added, “My lady asked me to request your help, my…”

Nicolas and Michael had grown up together and were as close as brothers. Now that their families were joined in marriage, they were closer than ever.

With Willow in a panic, she naturally turned to Nicolas for help.

But Nicolas was already overwhelmed. He had to deal with Athena and confront her in court.

He didn’t have the leisure to worry about Michael.

Besides, this was an imperial matter. Even if he went to the palace, he wouldn’t be able to plead for Michael.

If His Majesty was truly enraged, he might scold him too.

Nicolas sighed, clearly powerless. “Go back and tell your lady to stay calm. Lord Osborne will be fine.”

Nicolas thought dismissively, ‘They’re just a few lowborn commoners who got hurt. Worst case, we’ll just throw some money at them and smooth things over.’

His Majesty may be angry, but he wouldn’t have Michael executed.

Fermin and the Queen had his back in the palace.

There was no need to go invite trouble.

The servant, unaware of all the political intricacies, only heard Nicolas’s refusal to help.

His face fell. He mumbled a reply and turned to report back.

Athena, meanwhile, felt a flicker of glee. A string of happy events was happening at once.

The Justice Ministry didn’t take Willow, but Michael was summoned by the King and scolded.

Had it been any other time, she might’ve burst out laughing.

By the time they arrived at the duke’s estate, the royal physician had already arrived.

Inside, cries could be heard. “Please, save my son! He was fine yesterday, and suddenly today he’s critically ill.” Fiona sobbed.

She had no idea what had gone wrong. Ever since her son had begun taking Athena’s medicine, his condition had been stabilizing.

But now, it had worsened dramatically.

She blamed herself, thinking she hadn’t taken proper care of him. Little did she know, this was all orchestrated by Nicolas.

When Athena entered the room, she saw Fiona pleading with the royal physician.

The physician quickly helped her up. “Madam, don’t worry. I will examine the child immediately.”

Fiona’s heart felt like it was breaking. When she looked up and saw Athena, her eyes lit up with hope. “Athena! Please save my son! I beg you!”

Fiona was so frantic and anxious because she knew Cedric’s illness all too well. This time, it was far worse than ever before.

There were several moments when she thought her child had stopped breathing.

Oddly, the household physician was away, and no doctor in the city had been available. Fiona felt like the sky was collapsing.

Seeing Athena gave her a sliver of hope. As long as Athena was there, her son might be saved.

Athena didn’t move, calmly saying, “Don’t panic. Let’s hear what the physician has to say first.”

Fiona choked back sobs and nodded, stepping aside.

A dark glint flashed in Nicolas’s eyes. He turned to her and said, “You’ve been here all night. Go rest. Someone, escort the madam to her room.”

Fiona usually obeyed him, but today she unexpectedly resisted, “No. I’m staying with my son. I won’t leave until he recovers.”

“Don’t be stubborn. What if you collapse? Who will care for the child then?” Nicolas’s tone hardened. “Go rest. You’re not a doctor. Staying here only gets in the way.”

There wasn’t a trace of concern in his expression, and even his voice was cold.

Already wracked with guilt, Fiona felt even more chilled to the bone by his harsh words.

Athena couldn’t stand it anymore and spoke up for her. “She is the child’s mother. Even if she can’t help, she’s been by the child’s side night and day. She was the one who carried him for ten months, risked her life giving birth.”

She added, “And what about you, dear heir? You tossed the responsibility aside. How many times have you changed his diapers? Fed him? Do you even know his current weight, what he likes to eat, or what toys he prefers?”