Chapter 28 Chapter 28 "Don't touch me. Get lost!" Phillipa flung his hand away. "You disgust me." n Right after, Phillipa turned to the maid she brought. "We're going home. If I come to the Chancellor's estate again, I'll be a dog." Dominic was caught off guard, stumbling into the snow. He got up and instinctively glanced toward Gracewind Garden. Suddenly, his heart pounded erratically. An unexplainable unease surged through him, as if someone had caught him with some unforgivable secret. In the end, Dominic didn't even think about Tessa and rushed off to find Margaery. Tessa leaned out the window, trembling as she shouted, "Dominic!" But Dominic didn't look back. Tessa was so furious that her nails dug deep into her palms. "I can't believe it. Even now, at this point, he's still such a coward, still terrified Margaery will find out." "Looks like I need to stir the pot myself." Tessa gritted her teeth and turned to Paige. "Go keep an eye on him. The second anything happens, you come straight back and tell me." Paige didn't want to head out in the snowstorm. But with Gracewind Garden no longer accepting her, she had no choice but to stay with Tessa and earn her keep. Tessa was too angry to sleep, her stomach feeling worse and worse. Before she came here, Tessa thought with the Chancellor's estate holding so much power, finding a skilled doctor to cure her stomach illness wouldn't be that hard. But after seeing so many imperial physicians, none of them had been able to help. Sometimes, Tessa genuinely felt jealous of Margaery. Kneeling in the snow, locked up in a woodshed, yet somehow still full of life. At that moment, Dominic arrived at Gracewind Garden. The lights in Margaery's room were still on. She sat quietly by the brazier, completely focused on what she was reading, her expression calm and serene. Dominic found himself staring. In the past, he thought Margaery was immature, still throwing childish tantrums at sixteen, nowhere near capable of becoming the proper lady of the house. But now, Margaery seemed exactly like the wife he'd always dreamed of-sharing a quiet evening, reading by lamplight, wrapped in red sleeves. After all, they had grown up together. Dominic's heartbeat quickened with sudden heat. "Margaery..." he couldn't help calling her name. In the dim light, Margaery glanced at the man standing in the doorway, playing dumb. "What brings Lord Dominic to see me again?" Seeing her act as if nothing had happened, Dominic let out a slow breath. He replied, "Margaery, I came to tell you that I'll be marrying you soon. After all these years, we've grown up together." 1/3 10:57 Thu, 21 Aug 46% 38) Chapter 28 Through the closed door, Dominic stared at Margaery, who was still seated by the brazier, studying a chart of acupuncture points. A complicated mix of emotions swelled in his chest. He continued, "It's true that Prince Dashnell has taken a liking to you, but he's a cripple. He won't be able to father children." Dominic took a deep breath, softening his tone as he stepped into the room. "You're a woman. If you marry him, what future will you even have? But don't worry. "Once you become my wife, as long as you fulfill your duties as lady of the house, I won't treat you badly. At least, you'll have children of your own, and the rest of your life won't be empty." Dominic looked at her, as if already seeing her future play out: marrying him, then being forced to explain the medicinal formula to the King, helping Avery return to the imperial medical bureau. Meanwhile, she herself would be thrown into the Laundry Bureau, or worse, the Labor Division. If she was lucky, after years of hardship, Margaery might survive-old, worn, and exhausted. If not, she would die in the Hadley household. For the Wallen family and the Hadley family, having one daughter for a marriage alliance was enough. Two was redundant. So now, Dominic's gaze toward Margaery carried a hint of pity, a kind of sympathy he had never shown before. It was his final trace of pity. Margaery looked up and stared at him for a long while before speaking. "You're right. We grew up together. Ten days from now, I'll personally attend your grandmother's birthday celebration." In her previous life, during that same birthday party, Dominic had torn up the engagement with his own hands, making her a laughingstock across Sinderin City. Margaery would never forget that. This time, she would return the favor. Seeing her like this, Dominic thought she had agreed. He nodded. "Then rest well. I'll visit you again tomorrow." "Take care." Margaery lifted her eyelids lazily and didn't spare him another glance. Dominic thought to himself, 'It's already so late, and Phillipa hasn't come to see Margaery again, so she must be done for the night. But with things escalating like this, somehow, Dominic had no desire to see Tessa anymore. After leaving Gracewind Garden, Dominic hurried home to prepare for the marriage proposal. "Well, pig must be flying." After he left, Amber shut the main gate and said in surprise, "Why did Lord Dominic suddenly start talking nicely?" "Because he's feeling guilty." Margaery shot her a glance. "He thinks that with the situation turning against him, father and the others are eager for him to marry me as soon as possible." In the previous life, Margaery had been entangled with these people for an entire lifetime. She might not know every detail of their personalities, but she had figured out eighty percent. Margaery explained, "Father knows Dashnell might be watching me. He's afraid I'll lose control and refuse to speak up for Avery. That's why he wants Dominic to marry me quickly, to keep me in check and force me to go to the King and get Avery back into the imperial medical bureau. "The palace has always been linked. If Lady Alicia loses Avery, my father's political standing will crumble too. So compared to family interests, my life means nothing. 2/3 10:57 Thu, 21 Aug G 6 Chapter 28 "And now that Tessa knows Dominic is going to marry me, she'll definitely try to keep his heart with her. Dominic won't resist her sobbing and whining, and they'll probably end up sweet-talking and fooling around. "But on the surface, he'll still want to play the gentleman, calling me a vicious woman while he keeps his reputation clean. But that clean image was just shattered by Phillipa." 38 Margaery let out a cold laugh. "Now, all those moments when he looked down on me and accused me of his high horse not holding up anymore. "He came tonight just to make sure Phillipa wouldn't come to me and stir up trouble. He's also afraid I'll find out and embarrass him, leaving him with no way to save face and handing me leverage over him." Outside, the wind and snow howled. Inside, candlelight flickered. The brazier crackled and popped. Margaery spoke of things that deeply affected her own fate, yet her face remained perfectly calm, as if she were telling. someone else's story. Amber, feeling both heartbroken and stunned, asked after a long silence, "Then why didn't you confront him? You clearly knew that Lady Phillipa had caught them... No, you even planned it." Phillipa was invited by Margaery herself, and it was Amber who delivered the letter. But what Amber couldn't figure out was why Margaery didn't follow up after that. "I'm not making a move yet because it's not the right time." Margaery tossed another charcoal piece into the brazier, stirring up a burst of sparks. "If I strike, it has to be fatal." 3/3 AD Comment Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!