Reborn I Refuse To Save The Traitors (Margaery) novel Chapter 22

**Whispers Shape Distant Tomorrows by Aren Cole Vale**
**Chapter 22**

“I know,” Margaery replied, her voice barely above a whisper. She raised her gaze, searching for understanding in Joshua’s expression. “But tell me, what exactly did I do wrong?”

Joshua’s brow furrowed deeply, casting a shadow over his usually composed demeanor. “To be fair,” he began, his tone measured and serious, “you didn’t technically do anything wrong. The real issue lies in how you aired our family’s dirty laundry in public. This affects the entire Wallen family and could tarnish Avery’s career.”

“In simpler terms,” he continued, his eyes narrowing slightly, “you betrayed this family.”

Margaery suppressed a derisive snort at his self-righteousness, the absurdity of his “impartial” act making her want to roll her eyes.

“Since you believe that, then I suppose my betrayal is a fact,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. There was little left to contest; after all, she had grown accustomed to bearing the weight of blame.

“Then why did Father and big brother summon me here today?” Her smile faded, replaced by a cold, piercing gaze that locked onto Joshua.

Joshua shifted uncomfortably under her scrutiny, his voice faltering as he replied, “They want to salvage the situation.”

“And how do they plan to do that?” Margaery pressed, her curiosity piqued despite the tension hanging heavily in the air.

“You need to go to the palace and explain to the King what transpired at the Royal Medical Hall today,” Joshua outlined his plan, his tone growing more serious.

“But I already made myself perfectly clear at the Royal Medical Hall,” Margaery retorted, a hint of mockery lacing her words. “I thought I articulated everything well enough for Nolan, and even Prince Dashnell seemed to grasp the situation.”

With that, she shot a pointed glare at Avery, who was attempting to feign ignorance behind Joshua. “What part of that didn’t reach your ears, Avery?” she challenged, her eyes narrowing.

Avery looked distinctly uncomfortable, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, clearly wishing to disappear.

Joshua cast a quick glance at Avery before returning his focus to Margaery. “What I mean is, you need to go to the palace and confess to the King that you deceived Prince Dashnell, who was completely unaware of your actions.”

“You took Craig’s prescription without permission and handed it to Avery, who mistakenly believed it was valid for use at the Royal Medical Hall. You never considered that your deception could lead to such chaos,” Joshua explained, his tone firm but tinged with concern.

Margaery couldn’t help but burst into laughter at his words, the sound echoing in the tense silence.

She looked at him, eyes sparkling with sarcasm. “Joshua, are you even listening to yourself? All those years you drilled into me the values of ‘honesty’ and ‘living with a clear conscience.'”

“Do you still possess those values now?” she continued, her voice rising. “Are you still playing the impartial judge in this mess? Doesn’t it make you feel sick inside?”

Joshua’s expression darkened, his patience wearing thin. “So, you’re not going to defend yourself?” he asked, his voice low and dangerous.

“Is this even a defense?” Margaery retorted, her tone icy. “Can you even explain what ‘explain’ means?”

“You—” Joshua’s voice was strained with anger, his eyes flashing red with emotion.

Earlier, when Avery had stormed in, fuming with rage, Joshua had thought Avery was overreacting. A little girl could easily provoke him because he lacked stability.

The irony of the situation twisted in his gut; now he found himself reeling from Margaery’s verbal blow, feeling bile rise in his throat.

“What do you want from me?” Margaery shot back, her eyes narrowing. “You’ve always been the older brother, bossing me around for years, and I accepted it. But look at you both now.” Her gaze landed on Raul, her father. “Lord Chancellor, is this how you manage state affairs?”

Though her words lacked harshness, the formal title “Lord Chancellor” dripped with contempt, a calculated jab at Raul, who knew he hadn’t treated all his children fairly and had taken sides in a biased manner.

With a roar, he exploded, “Wretched creature! Still refusing to yield until you break? Fine! The cellar will cool that hot head of yours. When the rats become your audience, maybe you’ll learn how to address your betters!”

Raul’s thoughts spiraled into turmoil. How had he raised such a defiant daughter? Blood surged in his throat; he couldn’t swallow it down, nor could he spit it out.

“Lock me in the cellar?” Margaery sneered, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. “Just like how my wet nurse met her end, right?”

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