The Slave Queen - Chapter 13: Chapter 13

Gripping the prescription tightly, Raelynn made up her mind—she had to find Edgar Coventry as soon as possible.
There was no time to lose. She would leave now.
Every day sooner might give Margot one more chance to live.
But just as she turned to go, Gabriel grabbed her arm and snapped, brows furrowed, "Grandmother is still sick in bed—where do you think you're going?
"She fainted standing up for you, and you're just going to walk away? Do you have no conscience?"
Raelynn jerked her arm free.
She stared at that once-handsome face, the one that had once adored her, spoiled her. Now, she didn't say a word—just raised her hand and slapped him across the face.
"Gabriel, you have no right to say that.
"Have you already forgotten who actually made Grandmother collapse?
"If you really care, then stay here and take care of her. I'm going to Mount Darost to find the physician—again."
With that, she turned and walked out the door.
Behind her, Gabriel's expression shifted—guilt flickered in his eyes.
Because he remembered—last time she went to Mount Darost, it had been for him.
But Raelynn barely made it past the doorway when a hard slap came out of nowhere, knocking her straight to the ground.
"You ungrateful wretch!
"You used your grandmother just to get your way! If anything happens to her, you shouldn't even be allowed to live!"
Clutching her stinging cheek, Raelynn looked up.
Standing before her was the Duke of Seymore—her father, Hugo—fresh from entertaining guests.
Right behind him stood Cecilia and Julia.
Cecilia's eyes flickered with a trace of hesitation when she saw Raelynn being struck—but in the end, she said nothing.
Julia, on the other hand, wore a look of barely contained glee.
But her expression remained pure and pitiful, like always. "Raelynn," she said softly, "Grandmother loves you more than anyone. Now that she's sick, you're not even staying to care for her—and instead, you're running off somewhere?
"Even if you did upset her, I'm sure Father and Mother—and Grandmother too—would forgive you, as long as you truly regret it. Please, don't stay mad at me anymore."
As she spoke, her eyes turned red, and her voice trembled.
"If you really can't stand having me around, I'll leave the Duke's estate right now. As long as you, Father, Mother, Gabriel, and Grandmother can live in peace..."
As expected, those words only poured fuel on the fire. Hugo exploded with rage.
"You ungrateful brat! I never should've brought you back! Just to spite Julia, you came up with this twisted scheme?"
By now, Cecilia had already pulled Julia into her arms, stroking her hair and cooing softly.
"Julia, don't say that. You're not going anywhere. You'll stay with me forever, my sweet girl."
Raelynn looked coldly at the people in front of her—her own flesh and blood—fawning over someone who wasn't even truly theirs.
She thought she'd feel heartbroken. She thought she'd feel despair.
But instead... she felt nothing.
Of course. Why would you resent strangers?
She slowly stood up, a faint, almost mocking smile curving at the corner of her lips.
Hugo's slap had landed hard—her mouth was bleeding, and a thin line of blood trickled from the corner of her lips.
The sight was almost eerie.
For a moment, guilt flickered in Hugo's eyes.
She was still his daughter, after all. Maybe he had gone too far.
But then again—she was the one who stirred up all this chaos.
He thought, 'If she hadn't run crying to Margot, would Margot have stepped in and gotten so worked up she fainted?
'She even dared to threaten us—saying if she couldn't move back to Lunebloom Hollow, she'd have Margot move into the rundown Evermist Hall!
'As if that place were suitable for Margot?'
Hugo had conveniently forgotten that Raelynn was his daughter—and that she was already living in that courtyard.
Meanwhile, Esther, who had originally gone to Moonspire Keep to deliver a message, rushed over the moment she heard Margot had collapsed.
She kept respectfully behind her masters but arrived just in time to see Raelynn being struck down.
Her heart broke at the sight. She rushed forward. "Lady Raelynn, are you all right?"
Raelynn's expression softened slightly as she looked at her. "I'm fine, Esther. Go check on Grandmother first."
At that moment, Gabriel came rushing out, having heard the noise.
When he saw Raelynn's disheveled hair and the red mark on her cheek, guilt twisted deeper in his chest.
He'd heard every word of Hugo's tirade from inside.
But...
He pressed his lips together, then stepped in front of her, blocking her from their parents.
"Father, Mother... this isn't Raelynn's fault.
"Grandmother fainted... because of me."
The courtyard fell completely silent.
Hugo stared at him, stunned. "What did you just say?"
Gabriel dropped to his knees. "She fainted because of something I said. Grandmother was so angry, she hit me a few times... and then collapsed from the shock."
"What?"
Cecilia gasped, her eyes wide in disbelief.