Reborn I Refuse To Save The Traitors (Margaery) novel Chapter 65

**Chapter 65: Taking Back The Hairpin**

Russell’s mind was a tempest of bitterness as he reflected, ‘In the end, my father, my brothers, and I were nothing more than accomplices in the torment of Margaery.’ The weight of his thoughts pressed heavily upon him.

With a furrowed brow, he turned to Paige, his voice steady yet laced with urgency. “You mentioned the nanny. What exactly happened to her?” His head hung low, a silent acknowledgment of the painful truth he was reluctant to confront. He cast a fleeting glance at Paige, hoping for some semblance of clarity.

Paige’s body trembled, her voice quivering as she recounted the events. “The nanny never poured water on Lady Tessa. It was Lady Tessa who knocked it over herself. But Halle, driven by greed, accepted Lady Tessa’s bribe and lied to frame the nanny.” She paused, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “I wanted to speak up for the nanny back then,” she confessed, her tone wavering with regret.

“But who could have predicted the outcome? After Halle’s accusations, Lord Chancellor was consumed by rage. He struck the nanny with such force that she coughed up blood right there… in front of everyone.” A shiver ran through her as she recalled the horror of that moment. “After that, I was too scared to say anything. I felt I had no choice but to go along with Lady Tessa…”

Russell had initially intended to take Paige to Margaery to offer an apology, and then hand her over to the authorities. However, he hadn’t anticipated that this would resurrect the tragic incident involving the nanny.

The cellar, a place of despair, held the echoes of that fateful blow from his father, and Russell could not shake the feeling that it was all interconnected. ‘This is something that cannot be investigated further,’ he thought grimly. The mere thought of anyone prying into the past sent chills down his spine. The reputation of his father, of the Chancellor’s estate, was at stake, and he felt the suffocating weight of secrecy pressing down upon him.

Standing in the biting wind, Russell’s gaze drifted toward Gracewind Garden, a sense of despair washing over him like a tidal wave. What had been done was irreversible, and he found himself ensnared in a web of helplessness. ‘What am I supposed to do now?’ he pondered, feeling lost amidst the chaos of his thoughts.

His instinct urged him to seek out Margaery, to offer her comfort and perhaps find a way to make amends. Yet, with the current state of affairs, he knew he could never divulge the truth about the nanny’s demise. If Margaery learned of it, the fallout would be catastrophic, dragging both her and the Chancellor’s estate into a pit of ruin.

‘No, I can’t approach her with this burden,’ Russell resolved inwardly. ‘These secrets will have to remain buried within me, perhaps forever,’ he thought bitterly, his heart heavy with sorrow.

As he wrestled with his emotions, tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, a testament to the strain he was under. Finally, he turned to Paige, his voice cold and unyielding. “Since you didn’t stop Margaery from hanging herself, this is your final resting place. Go down there and fetch that rope yourself.”

Panic washed over Paige, her complexion draining of color. “Lord Russell, what are you saying?” she stammered, fear evident in her wide eyes.

“You can either take your own life and carry these secrets with you to the grave, or I will do it for you. The choice is yours,” he stated, his voice chillingly calm, a dangerous glint in his eyes. “But if I do it, I assure you, your existence will become a living nightmare.”

“I’ll do it! I’ll do it myself!” Paige cried, her voice cracking under the weight of terror. She stumbled down the rocky incline, digging through the snow until she unearthed the rope. With trembling hands, she climbed back up and tied it to the twisted tree, her heart racing.

Russell’s gaze fell upon the rope, and he closed his eyes for a fleeting moment, grappling with the gravity of the situation. Paige fell silent, the weight of their shared history hanging heavily in the air. That day, Margaery had come here, pushed to the brink by the cruelty of their family, desperate enough to contemplate ending her own life.

In that moment of reflection, Russell’s self-loathing surged forth. They had failed her, refusing to defend her, forcing her to kneel in the blizzard for hours, ignoring her desperate cries, locking her away in the woodshed. “Damn it, I deserve this!” he cursed himself, overwhelmed by guilt.

With a surge of frustration, he struck his own face, the sharp pain grounding him momentarily. Paige flinched, her fear palpable as she slipped the noose around her neck, taking a shaky step forward. In an instant, her body hung suspended in the air.

Russell stood frozen, his heart racing as he watched the lifeless figure sway gently from the tree, a chilling realization washing over him. For the first time, he had been complicit in a death, even if it was by her own hand.

But deep down, he understood that he had driven her to this point. A cold dread seeped into his bones. Then, a horrifying thought struck him—the hairpin he had given to Margaery was still in Tessa’s possession, and the mere idea made him feel nauseous.

‘No way. I have to get that hairpin back!’ he vowed, his determination solidifying like iron.

With renewed purpose, Russell quickened his pace.

Meanwhile, in Sunbeam Court, Tessa lay curled on the chaise longue, her complexion pale and ghostly. The pain in her stomach had intensified, and she clutched a hot water bottle, desperately trying to alleviate the ache. When she caught sight of Russell entering the room, a flicker of hope ignited within her. “Russell…” she called out softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Tears brimmed in her eyes, her vulnerability palpable. She looked so pitiful that anyone witnessing her would feel a pang of sympathy. In the past, Russell had always wished he could shoulder her suffering, to take away her pain. There were countless times when she had acted out, falling and needing to be carried back to Sunbeam Court, cradled like a princess in his arms.

But now, as he stood at the doorway, a wave of revulsion surged within him. He didn’t care if Tessa was cold; he left the door wide open, his bloodshot eyes boring into her for what felt like an eternity.

“Russell…” Tessa’s voice trembled, a shiver running down her spine under his intense gaze.

Though Russell had remained silent upon entering, his actions spoke volumes. His demeanor suggested he had uncovered something shocking—something that had transformed his treatment of her into a torrent of disdain.

It was a hatred that felt irreparable.

She could see it clearly now.

‘Russell…’ Tessa thought, her gaze lingering on the door through which he had exited.

‘If he has indeed found out something, then I cannot allow him to live,’ she resolved coldly, a glint of murderous intent flickering behind her delicate, fragile facade.

Oblivious to the storm brewing within her, Sarah hurried downstairs, intent on uncovering the truth.

Meanwhile, Russell raced toward the entrance of Gracewind Garden, only to come to an abrupt halt as he beheld the gate—busted open and hanging askew on its hinges. He stood frozen, paralyzed by the sight, unable to summon the courage to step inside.

Clenching the hairpin tightly in his fist, he longed to return it to Margaery, to convey that his quest to Cloudveil Abbey for a protective charm had been sincere. Back then, Tessa had not yet returned, and his heart had been solely devoted to Margaery.

Yet, even from across the courtyard, he spotted the hairpin glimmering in Margaery’s hair, a stark reminder of his failures.

In comparison, the sandalwood hairpin he clutched felt utterly worthless.

The protective charm he had sought with such desperation now seemed like a cruel joke. Not only had it failed to shield Margaery from harm, but it had also exacerbated her suffering within the confines of their family. Russell lowered his head, staring at the hairpin in his palm as tears threatened to spill from his eyes.

Amber returned to Gracewind Garden, spotting Russell at the entrance. For a moment, uncertainty gripped her, and she hesitated before stepping forward cautiously. “Lord Russell, is there something you need with Lady Margaery?” she asked, her voice laced with concern.