Chapter 171
“All of you, leave.” Margaret spoke irritably. Not a single one of them was useful.
Eloise and Willow, relieved, let out a long breath, curtsied, and retreated. Henry and Nicolas followed suit and left as well.
Once they were gone, the courtyard felt empty.
Margaret looked around at the desolate courtyard and felt her heart grow equally empty.
Suddenly, a small hand rested gently on the back of her hand. The soft touch sent a jolt through her heart.
Looking up, she saw Athena smiling at her. “Grandmother, thank you p>
Margaret felt a little dazed, as if she was seeing the sunny, cheerful Athena from childhood.
But a closer look reminded her that the little girl had grown up.
“Thank me for what?” Margaret asked with a smile.
“Thank you for standing up for me,” Athena said, her eyes growing a bit misty. She sniffed and forced back the sting.
She wasn’t someone who cried easily, but whenever she saw her grandmother, the feeling of grievance would rise.
Margaret gently patted the back of her hand and sighed. “As long as you’re well, I can die with no regrets p>
She waved her hand, and Gwen placed a box in front of Athena.
“These are the deeds to the ten shops and two manors. I’m handing them over to you now. From this day on, they’re yours,” Margaret said kindly.
Athena bit her lip and replied vaguely, “I’ll hold onto them for now, on your behalf. These are your possessions. In the future, they’ll be used to care for you p>
Margaret laughed at that. “Silly girl, how much can an old woman like me need? These are the dowry I’ve been saving for you. When you get married, you’ll take them with you p>
Athena was about to say more, but she noticed Margaret looked tired.
This matter had taken a toll on her. She was exhausted. So Athena swallowed her words.
“Alright. I’ll accept them,” she said cheerfully.
Only then did Margaret smile. “I’m going to rest for a while. Athena, tend to your injury too p>
“Yes, Grandmother,” Athena replied obediently.
Gwen helped Margaret back into the house. Athena remained quiet for a while, then also left.
In the following days, Willow kept her head down. Maybe it was because her wedding day was near.
She no longer dared to show up around Athena and stayed quietly in her courtyard, preparing for marriage.
In order to prepare Willow’s dowry, Eloise sold off several of the family’s assets.
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Piece by piece, she managed to gather everything.
Bright red wedding chests now filled the storeroom.
Trina went to take a look. All of them were packed with valuables.
Just the silver ingots alone filled seven or eight chests, not even counting the other gold, jewelry, and pearls. It was clear that the Monson family had gone all out.
Trina looked at Athena in confusion and asked, “Didn’t they say the manor’s storerooms were empty? Where did all this money come from p>
Athena was just as confused. The estate had limited assets to sell. Gathering so many valuables in such a short time would’ve been nearly impossible.
Just then, the steward arrived with the bookkeeper. “Lady Athena, the bookkeeper you requested is here p>
Now that she had taken over the shops, naturally, she had to check the accounts.
Athena nodded, and Trina called out, “Come in p>
The bookkeeper walked in and respectfully greeted Athena, “Lady Athena, I am the manager of the shops. My name is Ruben Vega. If you need anything, feel free to ask p>
Ruben was lean and wiry, with triangular eyes and hollow cheeks.
When he looked at people, there was a glint in his gaze. He looked extremely shrewd.
Athena glanced at him coldly, a faint smile on her face. Suddenly, she spoke. “Go organize the account books and bring them all to me p>
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Sara Lili
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.