Reborn I Refuse To Save The Traitors (Margaery) novel Chapter 51

**TITLE: Whispers Shape Distant Tomorrows by Aren Cole Vale**
**Chapter 51: A Farewell**

Raul’s hand, extended towards Margaery, quivered with a mix of anxiety and desperation as he managed to utter her name, “Margaery…”

Amber, caught off guard by the sudden appearance of the Lord Chancellor, swiftly turned her gaze towards Margaery, confusion etched across her face. “What is Lord Chancellor doing here?”

Margaery’s expression remained inscrutable, a mask of calmness that hid the storm of emotions beneath. “Go open the door,” she instructed, her voice steady yet laced with an underlying tension.

Amber complied, opening the door and greeting him with a polite, “My lord.”

Raul stepped over the threshold, his eyes scanning the dismal surroundings. With each glance, a wave of unease washed over him, mingling with a profound sense of shame.

The room was in a state of disrepair. The furniture bore the marks of neglect, gnawed at by rats, and the paint peeled away like the skin of a tree shedding its bark. Water stains marred the walls, creating an atmosphere of abandonment. It felt as if the very essence of the place had been forgotten by time itself.

“Margaery, this is unacceptable. The conditions here are dreadful. Why didn’t you tell me? Had I known it had deteriorated to this extent, I would never have allowed you to remain here,” Raul’s voice was thick with regret, each word weighed down by remorse.

His gaze fell upon Margaery, and he felt a tremor in his voice as he implored, “Margaery, I’m your father, not just some distant figure.” Yet, he could detect a hint of resentment woven into his words, a realization that stung.

Margaery lifted her gaze to meet his, a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “When Tessa expressed her desire to move into Blissom Hall, you personally affixed a new plaque and renamed it Sunbeam Court. Then, without a moment’s hesitation, you sent me off to Gracewind Garden.”

Her voice was steady, each word deliberate as she continued, “I told you I was afraid. After Mother passed, no one ever dared to live in Gracewind Garden again. It’s haunted and dilapidated.”

“You claimed I was spoiled, that I didn’t understand true hardship, that I couldn’t fathom what Tessa had endured. So, you confined me to Gracewind Garden, believing it would teach me to appreciate the comforts I had taken for granted all these years.”

Margaery stood tall, rising from her position beside the brazier, then bowed her head slightly in respect. “Thank you for your lessons, Father. I have come to learn what true hardship is. I have also discovered that the greatest pain one can endure is the longing for something that will never be.”

Raul’s heart sank as he observed his daughter’s trembling figure. Margaery had always been the epitome of sweetness and decorum, and yet, in this moment, she seemed to embody everything he had once hoped for, yet everything felt irrevocably wrong.

“Margaery, I realize I was mistaken in the past. From this moment onward, I—” Raul reached out, yearning to bridge the chasm that had formed between them, hoping for a moment of connection.

But before he could close the distance, Margaery stepped back, her voice firm. “The past is the past. If there’s something you wish to say, then say it plainly.”

That bow marked the finality of their farewell.

From that moment on, Margaery would no longer see him as her father; he had become just another stranger in her life, and she had fully relinquished her ties to him.

Raul’s gaze lingered on her head, her face, and the graceful way she held herself. In that fleeting moment, he felt a profound sense of displacement.

Since Tessa had arrived, he had hoped Margaery would embrace a role of grace and tolerance, becoming a guiding light for the other women in the household.

Yet, it dawned on him that she was merely his daughter, not the matriarch of the Chancellor’s estate nor a reflection of his late wife.

Margaery and Tessa were twins, yet he had expected Margaery to step into a maternal role for Tessa simply because she was the elder.

But now, all those expectations lay shattered at his feet.

“Margaery, do you… no longer see me as your father?” His eyes glistened with unshed tears as he stepped closer, raising his hand in a futile attempt to gently pat her head.

Margaery turned her head away, her silence speaking volumes, the message clear and unyielding.

Raul was no fool; Margaery’s icy demeanor pierced through him like a dagger, leaving him numb and hollow.

He had suppressed so much emotion for so long, and now, the words seemed to stick in his throat, heavy and unyielding.

Finally, he managed to say, “Get some rest. Tonight, the seamstress will come to take your measurements. All the jewelry your mother left will be given to you as your dowry. I’ll only keep a pair of earrings for Tessa…”

When Margaery had been sent to Gracewind Garden, Raul had been furious. Joshua and his brothers believed she was being unreasonable, picking on Tessa, and as a family, they agreed she deserved such punishment.

Yet that so-called “punishment” had ended the moment Margaery adorned herself with that jeweled hairpin.

With that, she was no longer someone to be relegated to a crumbling side house. She deserved a place within the royal palace; if not the Queen’s residence or the manor of a favored consort, then at the very least, Prince Marcus’s grand estate.

The Chancellor’s estate simply wasn’t grand enough for someone of her stature any longer.

They had once banded together against her, making her feel like an outsider, but now, she had risen beyond their reach.

Joshua reflected on the past, a swirl of emotions churning inside him, and finally spoke, “Father, you should return. She agreed to accompany me to the outskirts this afternoon. I’ve prepared some generous gifts, intending to offer them to the old beggar as an apology and inquire if we can use his prescription.”

“Even if we cannot win him over, Tessa’s illness still requires treatment. If we don’t address her stomach issues, she won’t be able to eat, and her health will deteriorate. Once she marries into the Hadley family, she must be capable of bearing children. That is the only way to secure her position.”

Moreover, it was also the key for the Wallen family to forge an alliance with Lady Alicia and Prince Marcus.

With Margaery acting the way she was, their only hope now rested with Tessa.

Raul understood, nodding in agreement. “Very well, proceed. We will accept whatever terms he proposes. If he’s willing to assist us, I’ll offer him a place in my quarters, and he shall be treated as an honored guest here.”

Joshua replied, “With that kind of hospitality, I doubt he’ll refuse. After all, who would choose to live like a beggar when they could enjoy wealth and status?”

Raul nodded and departed.

Joshua turned and stepped into Gracewind Garden. “Margaery, are you ready? Let’s go see Craig now.”