Reborn I Refuse To Save The Traitors (Margaery) novel Chapter 66

**TITLE: Whispers Shape Distant Tomorrows by Aren Cole Vale**
**Chapter 66: Another One Dies**

Amber’s mind was a whirlpool of questions as she stood there, grappling with the strange turn of events. *Wasn’t that hairpin meant to be an apology gift for Tessa?* she pondered, her brow furrowing in confusion. *So why is it now clutched in Lord Russell’s hand instead?* The sight of him was unsettling; his eyes were red-rimmed, and his expression was marred by the remnants of tears. *And what could possibly have made him cry?*

Amber felt a knot tightening in her stomach as she struggled to piece together the puzzle. Russell, clearly not wanting her to witness his vulnerability, averted his gaze and muttered, “I’m fine,” though the quiver in his voice betrayed him.

“Oh,” Amber replied softly, her heart aching for him even as her mind raced with questions.

She carefully maneuvered around him, her thoughts still tangled, and sought out Margaery. “Lady Margaery,” she began, her voice low and urgent, “I just saw Lord Russell outside our door. He was crying and holding that hairpin he once gave you. I can’t figure out if Lady Tessa discarded it and he retrieved it, or if he got it back from her.”

Margaery’s brow arched in surprise. “Either way, it’s just really weird,” Amber added, her tone laced with concern.

*He actually managed to get it back?* Margaery thought, a flicker of surprise crossing her features.

After a moment’s contemplation, she managed a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Even if he did, it has nothing to do with us,” she replied, dismissing the matter with a wave of her hand. Deep down, she felt relieved; she didn’t want the hairpin or the memories it conjured.

At that very moment, Russell stood at the threshold of the front door, his heart heavy with Margaery’s words. They pierced through him like a sharp blade, leaving him breathless. He gripped the hairpin tightly, his fingers trembling as an overwhelming wave of sorrow washed over him. The sense of injustice clawed at his insides, and he felt an urge to weep, though he was acutely aware that he had forfeited the right to such tears.

*I’m already in so much pain,* Russell thought bitterly. *What about Margaery?* The weight of his past actions settled heavily upon him. He recalled the moment he had sided with Tessa, the way it had shattered Margaery’s reputation and forced her into a humiliating apology. *How much heartache must that have caused her?* The realization struck him with the force of a physical blow, and he found himself frozen in place, unable to take another step inside.

Margaery, engrossed in her own thoughts, didn’t even glance in his direction.

In the end, Russell turned away, feeling like a ghost wandering aimlessly.

Amber, observing from a distance, shook her head in disbelief. “Lord Russell didn’t even come in,” she remarked, her voice tinged with disappointment. “If he knows the truth, shouldn’t he at least step inside and apologize? Clear the air? What’s going on with him?”

A cold laugh bubbled up in Margaery’s chest, a bitter sound that echoed her thoughts. *He’s always so proud, so full of himself—how could he ever muster the courage to confront his own failings?*

That was the essence of the Walles family, she mused. Quick to criticize one another, yet utterly incapable of owning up to their own faults, just like her father.

**

Not long after, Joshua made his entrance, a whirlwind of urgency trailing behind him.

After conferring with Raul, he made a beeline for Gracewind Garden, his voice carrying a weight of complexity as he spoke through the door. “Margaery, we need to discuss something important. There’s a new treatment for Tessa’s stomach illness. Apparently, using a family member’s blood as a catalyst could actually cure her.”

Margaery’s gaze flicked up to meet his, her eyes narrowing slightly. “And? What does that have to do with me?” she replied, her tone laced with a hint of frost.

Joshua felt the tension in the air, aware that his words were teetering on the edge of absurdity. Yet, the thought that she might not even be a true Wallen steeled his resolve. “It won’t require much blood—just a small prick with a needle. It’s nothing serious. Don’t get too worked up about it. It’s not just you; Dad will have to do it too.”

“And you?” Margaery pressed, her curiosity piqued.

Joshua shook his head firmly. “Not me. Dad’s doing it because he’s her father—his blood is closer to Tessa’s. And as for you, being Tessa’s twin means your blood should be just as compatible.”

*How utterly ridiculous,* Margaery thought, a smirk creeping onto her lips.

By this point, she had pieced together Raul’s plan. *In the end, all his careful suspicion lands squarely on me. What a painstakingly cautious father,* she scoffed inwardly.

“Alright,” Margaery replied, her smile faint and almost mocking. Her voice was light, as if she were discussing the weather, revealing none of the turmoil brewing beneath the surface.

Deep down, she hoped fervently that her blood wouldn’t match Raul’s at all. When that day arrived, whoever wished to marry Dominic could go right ahead. It would have nothing to do with her, and she would finally escape the clutches of the Chancellor’s estate, free and unburdened.

With that, she returned to her book, feigning indifference as if the conversation had never occurred.

Joshua watched her, his brow furrowing in concern. “Margaery, if you ever need anything, please just tell me.”

A strange emptiness swelled within him at the sight of her aloofness, as if a vital piece of his heart had vanished, leaving him feeling hollow and unsettled.

“Nothing,” Margaery replied, glancing up but choosing to remain silent.

Just as Joshua was about to speak again, a panicked voice broke through the stillness outside the door. “Joshua, something terrible has happened. Paige has hanged herself!”

“What?” Joshua exclaimed, shock coursing through him like ice.

He froze, his mind racing. “Wasn’t Paige already expelled? Where did she end up dying?”

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