Reborn I Refuse To Save The Traitors (Margaery) novel Chapter 53

**Chapter 53: Margaery Isn’t The Same Person**

As the words left Margaery’s lips, Joshua’s expression darkened, the weight of the situation pressing heavily upon him.

With a gentle smile, Margaery turned to Craig and said, “Craig, Joshua’s here to apologize because Avery took your prescription to the Royal Medical Hall to take credit for it.”

However, the way she phrased it felt disconcerting to Joshua, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.

Despite the awkwardness, it offered him a chance to step in. He swiftly placed the gifts he had brought on the table, his heart racing with urgency. “Yes, sir,” he began, his voice steady but laced with tension. “What my brother did was undeniably wrong. I’m here to apologize on his behalf. Please, for Margaery’s sake, could you find it in your heart to forgive him?”

He cast a quick glance at Margaery, seeking her support in this moment of vulnerability.

Margaery, however, couldn’t suppress a roll of her eyes.

Avery had been nothing short of a bully towards her, and yet here was Joshua, pleading for Craig’s forgiveness on his brother’s behalf, all for her sake. It struck her as absurd, yet Joshua delivered his request with a sincerity that suggested he truly believed it was a reasonable request.

As anticipated, Craig responded with a cold snort, his disdain palpable.

“I’m not doing this for Margaery’s sake,” he retorted sharply. “If you had told me that the prescription was sent to the Royal Medical Hall for her benefit, that might have made some sense.

“Margaery asked that fool for a favor regarding the prescription, but he didn’t accomplish a single thing. Instead, he squandered the medicine. And now you want me to forgive him because of her?”

“Joshua,” Craig’s tone shifted suddenly, his seriousness cutting through the tension like a knife. “Tell me, why do you think I gave Margaery the prescription?”

Joshua froze, grappling with the question. He had no clear understanding of Craig’s motivations.

Finally, he stammered, “Because… you like her, so you wanted to give her a gift…”

“Wrong!” Craig interjected, his expression darkening further. “I was concerned that she would be mistreated in your family, so I gave her the prescription, hoping that Avery would at least show her some care. But what did you, Avery, and your father do?”

His voice escalated, raw with anger. “How did you treat her, huh?”

Joshua stood there, dumbfounded, as the words echoed in his mind. Simon had expressed similar sentiments to their father before.

A thought flickered in Joshua’s mind: ‘What is it about Margaery that compels so many to go to such lengths for her?’

He felt a twinge of jealousy at the thought.

Summoning his courage, he asked Craig, “Why are you so determined to protect Margaery?”

He locked eyes with the older man, a sudden realization striking him. Perhaps Craig had some hidden connection to his family.

But as he mulled it over, Joshua found the notion perplexing.

‘If this man has ties to my family, shouldn’t he be looking out for all of us? Why just Margaery?’ he pondered, confusion evident on his face.

He pressed further, “Why do you believe Margaery would be mistreated? The Chancellor’s estate is her home!”

A frown creased Joshua’s brow as unease settled within him.

Craig sneered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “You really have the audacity to say that. Your mother died because your father failed to take proper care of her. He let her walk home alone in a torrential downpour, and that’s how she fell and lost the baby.

“You and your brothers weren’t innocent either. All of you went to Cloudveil Abbey together, but you were too preoccupied with your own pleasures to look after your mother. That’s why she fell and bled out. Yet you all had the gall to blame Margaery for her death.”

Craig, still seething with anger, let out a laugh that was anything but jovial. He looked Joshua up and down, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Oh? And how does this help Margaery’s reputation?”

Craig had long known the Wallen family was shameless, but he never imagined they could be so brazen. He thought, ‘Seriously, spouting this kind of nonsense and still acting like they’re in the right? The audacity of these people is astonishing.’

Taking a deep breath, Joshua lifted his head, his voice filled with righteous conviction. “As you know, Tessa and Margaery are twins. Margaery has enjoyed a life of comfort, while Tessa has faced hardship. Margaery could have aided her sister with her health issues but chose to remain silent instead.

“If this information gets out, people will label her as narrow-minded and cold-hearted. If something dire happens to Tessa, won’t the blame fall squarely on Margaery’s shoulders, painting her as heartless?

“Moreover, soon they will both be marrying into the Hadley family. If Tessa remains frail while Margaery does nothing, what kind of reputation will that earn her?

“By helping Tessa, you’re ultimately helping Margaery. They are sisters, and their fates are intertwined— for better or worse.”

After laying out his argument, Joshua looked at Craig with earnestness and asked, “Sir, don’t you agree?”

Craig’s laughter was fueled by rage.

Without uttering a word, he unleashed a palm strike through the air, landing a sharp slap across Joshua’s face.

Joshua was sent reeling backward, and only then did Craig step out into the snowy street, standing tall in the doorway.

“Joshua, if you’re going to speak like that, let me clarify something for you. Margaery is the Star of Fortune, a disciple of the Chapel of Wisdom. The regal jeweled hairpin she wears was gifted to her by the late king himself.

“For generations, only the queen mother and the reigning queen have had the honor of wearing that jeweled hairpin during religious ceremonies.”

“The late king broke with tradition to bestow it upon her, recognizing Lady Serene’s father for his unparalleled service to the empire. Do you truly think Tessa can be compared to someone of such stature?”