The Scarred Queen's Rise (Athena) novel Chapter 299

Chapter 299

To avenge Macy, Athena devised a diversionary tactic to lure Willow away from her protectors.

‘If I had come alone, Willow would never have dared to follow,’ Athena thought.

But with Gale using hot spring therapy as a pretext, it was only natural for Willow to tag along.

Athena knew that the moment she made a move, Michael would inevitably follow, and Willow would never let Michael get close to her.

‘So she obediently walked to her doom, Athena thought coldly.

This was a game Athena had been plotting for ages, and now that it had ended just as she envisioned, she felt profoundly satisfied.

Athena splashed water on her face, then rose from the pool and stepped onto the bank with deliberate calm.

The maids hurried forward to help her dress.

Before leaving, Athena instructed the maids, “Miss Monson says she enjoys the hot spring and wants to soak longer. Do not disturb her.”

The maids replied respectfully, “Yes, Your Ladyship.“.

As Athena emerged, she saw Nicolas waiting anxiously nearby with his retainers.

“Athena?” Nicolas’s face registered surprise. “Why are you the only one here? Where’s Willow?”

“She’s still soaking in the hot spring. Why so anxious, Lord Nicolas? Afraid I might have killed her?” Athena taunted, her tone dripping with mockery.

Nicolas’s expression darkened, but then he remembered there were people everywhere. Even if Athena wanted to act, she wouldn’t get the chance.

The anxious look faded from Nicolas’s face as he scoffed, “What nonsense are you spouting now?”

But Athena simply smiled at him.

He thought, ‘What is she smiling about? What could possibly be so amusing?‘

Seeing the triumphant smile in Athena’s eyes, Nicolas seemed to grasp something.

He smirked knowingly. “You really don’t need these taunting tricks, Athena. I know you’ve always envied Willow that she’s more favored. If you’d just mend your ways, we could still welcome you back.”

Athena gave him a cold look and replied, “There’s no point in wasting breaths on you.”

Just then, panicked screams erupted from the hot spring. “Help! Miss Monson needs help!”

Nicolas’s face darkened as realization struck.

He thought, ‘So that’s why she’d kept me talking here. She was just stalling for time!‘

“Willow!” Nicolas shouted in panic, abandoning his confrontation with Athena as he charged in.

1/2

The maid’s voice called out again in alarm, “Lord Nicolas, this is the ladies‘ bathing area. You mustn’t enter!”

Nicolas snapped, “Now’s not the time to worry about that, her life comes first!”

Athena let out a soft, mocking chuckle. “How amusing, everyone says Lord Nicolas is the very model of noble propriety, yet here he is, breaking all the rules.”

Watching Nicolas charge recklessly in to save Willow, Athena just shook her head in disdain.

She thought, ‘Back when those noble ladies shoved me into the ladies‘ privy and humiliated me, Nicolas wasn’t half as frantic as he is now. He didn’t care about me at all.

‘All it would have taken was one kick to break the door down, but he chose to turn a blind eye.

‘Afterwards, he even had the nerve to say, “If Athena hadn’t provoked them, would those noble ladies have mocked her?”

‘In the end, it was always my ‘crude manners‘ that brought trouble upon myself.

“Those noble ladies walked away without a scratch, while I was forced to offer them apologies.’

Athena used to feel heartache, but now all that remained was a cold sneer.

Athena turned to leave, but Nicolas’s retainers blocked her path. “You can’t leave,” they said.

Athena said coldly, “How dare you try to stop a viscountess from going wherever she pleases?”

The retainers hesitated, clearly torn. Willow’s accident was undeniably linked to Athena.

If they let Athena go, Nicolas would surely have their heads for it.

Athena merely shot them a frosty glare and strode away without hesitation.

From behind came Nicolas’s desperate cry. “Willow, wake up!”

2/2