Chapter 1837: Apology and Honesty
“He’s recovered now, hasn’t he?” Margaret asked, though she could already guess the situation. If he hadn’t, Parul would hardly be in the mood to dine here and joke with Weis.
“Yes, he’s fine now, you don’t need to worry about being attacked. But my brother and I have a bit of a rift, so I ran out to clear my head,” I sighed.
“I see. You two have such a deep bond. Then hurry back after dinner, so he doesn’t worry about you,” Margaret said with a smile.
“But I feel so ashamed I can’t face him, I don’t even dare to go home now,” I replied, shaking my head.
“Heh heh, he won’t blame you. I could see the affection between you from the very first day I arrived here. That young man is practically devoted to your every word. How could he possibly blame you?” Margaret didn’t believe me at all.
“But I betrayed his trust this time. I drugged him in secret, which caused him to lose control!” I said with some pain. Keeping it to myself made me feel even worse.
The werewolf mother and daughter were hearing this for the first time. Their eyes widened in surprise, but Margaret immediately asked, “Did you really want to harm him?”
“How could I? I would never harm my older brother!” I denied it immediately, very firmly.
“Then you actually wanted to do good for him, but you accidentally did something wrong, which led to things becoming worse, right?” Margaret asked again.
I nodded. It was indeed as she said, even though the outcome had met my expectations.
“I understand, Miss Parul. Sometimes love has many forms of expression, and not all of them achieve the best results,” Margaret said with a gentle smile. “Do you think I hate the Duke?”
“You don’t hate him?” I asked tentatively. If it were before, I would have definitely said I hated him for abandoning her and kicking her out. Although there were reasons due to the circumstances and the courtiers’ opposition, it was hard to say she didn’t hold a grudge.
But seeing that she still referred to him as “the Duke” and the faint affection in her voice when she spoke, I knew she not only didn’t hate him but might still love Duke Blacksen.
I suddenly realized that perhaps I spoke of Older Brother Jayad with the same love-struck smile, which is why she could so easily discern my feelings.
“Yes, I know he had his difficulties. He cared about me deeply. Before I left, he even wanted me to hide outside the city, but worried I might be found and harmed,” Margaret recalled.
“The final reason that led him to send me away was that an advisor told him that as long as I stayed by his side, as his most loved one, I would still be afflicted by the divine curse. Perhaps only by letting me go could there be any improvement.”
“So Father had such thoughts,” Weis said with a complex expression. She was also learning this for the first time.
In her impression, her father treated her neither well nor poorly. He was willing to fulfill her various material requests and didn’t hesitate to show fatherly love when he was with her.
However, the Duke was extremely busy and couldn’t frequently visit the underground cellar to see his daughter, as he would certainly be discovered harboring an illegitimate werewolf daughter. Thus, he had little opportunity to spend time with her, always leaving in a hurry.
Compared to the Princess’s treatment, there was a vast difference, and Weis naturally felt dissatisfied.
This was also the first time I heard Margaret’s evaluation of the events back then. But I knew the outcome, “In the end, you couldn’t break the curse of turning into a werewolf, nor could you return to be with the Duke.”
“Yes, so the decision to love someone doesn’t necessarily lead to good results. If you dwell on one mistake and dare not face it, it will only hurt both sides. You should focus on the present and don’t regret it when it’s too late,” Margaret said.
“So, go back. He still loves you, and you love him. That’s enough. Go apologize to him and reconcile. Don’t run away.”
I seemed to understand something. She had enlightened me on some truths. Talking with an experienced mother had given me many insights. Although she still seemed a bit simple, was this great wisdom disguised as foolishness?
Actually, I had no choice from the start. I could never leave my brother. If I didn’t return to his side, I would still have nightmares. So, I had to go back; I just lacked the courage. I needed her to give me that courage.
“Thank you, I understand. I’m going home to see my brother,” I said, standing up resolutely. I had made up my mind not to evade.
“Alright, cheer up!” Margaret stood up with her soup spoon, waving it to encourage me. How should I put it? The more I looked at her, the sillier she seemed.
“Go for it! If he dares not forgive you, I’ll beat him up,” Weis said, clenching her little fists. Perhaps because her collar had been removed, she was particularly cheerful now.
“No, no, no, no matter what, I can’t beat up my brother, can I?” I said with a wry smile. Besides, I couldn’t beat him anyway. “Thank you for your hospitality. Goodbye!”
They said I needed to build courage, make up my mind, and prepare psychologically, making it all so complicated. But in reality, my home was right next door to the werewolf mother and daughter’s house. Just a turn outside the door and I was there.
As I arrived at the door, I was still feeling uneasy and apprehensive. But I thought I had to face it eventually, so I took a deep breath and knocked.
The door opened, and Older Brother Jayad was the one who opened it. He might have been waiting for me in the living room for a long time. The moment I saw him, all the speeches I had prepared in my mind instantly vanished. I opened my mouth, but no words came out.
Then Older Brother Jayad was also stunned. He stood there with his mouth half-open, probably having prepared many things to say to me, but when he opened his mouth, nothing came out.
Even more miraculously, although neither of us could speak, upon seeing each other, we both understood what the other wanted to say, and we both knew that the other understood.
After a long pause, I decided to start with the simplest thing. I leaned forward, intending to bow and apologize. Almost simultaneously, Older Brother Jayad and I said, “I’m sorry!”
“Ah? Uh, uh, it’s okay. But why would Older Brother Jayad apologize to me?” I couldn’t react for a moment.
“I was too stubborn and disregarded Parul’s concern, which made you anxious enough to consult the Twin Nuns on how to save me, right?” Jayad said. “But why does Parul need to apologize?”
“I disobeyed my brother’s wishes and drugged you without permission, leading to the current outcome. I also forced Miss Leo Man to bear responsibility that wasn’t hers. I am truly sorry!” I said, lowering my head, tears streaming down my face.
Speaking about it was incredibly painful, like my heart was being twisted with a knife, but keeping it bottled up inside felt even more suffocating. It felt as if I had betrayed Older Brother Jayad.
“Parul, don’t blame yourself, because I’ve never blamed you. You did it for me, and I’ve always known that,” Older Brother Jayad said, hugging me. “I will always love you, Parul. Welcome home.”
