Awakening Love: Reborn to Be His Duchess Chapter 257: The Carriage Outside

Yvonne drew in a slow breath, trying to steady herself.

"It's probably someone from the estate," she said quietly. "Maybe they came to bring them back."

But the driver had already climbed down from the carriage.

He moved with the easy confidence of someone used to the place. Without hesitation he walked straight up behind Clarisse and slipped an arm around her waist.

Then he crouched.

A moment later his head disappeared beneath the folds of Clarisse's skirt.

Clarisse arched her back slightly. Her hips rolled forward, and her expression twisted into something that hovered between discomfort and pleasure.

Elspeth and Yvonne were both seasoned women. Neither of them needed a second glance to understand exactly what was happening.

The shock hit them both at once.

Their expressions changed, each more stunned than the other.

Clarisse seemed to notice something.

She lifted a hand and pointed toward the carriage.

The driver understood immediately. The three of them climbed into the carriage together.

Moments later the carriage began to sway. The movement grew stronger and more uneven with each passing second.

Yvonne's face darkened.

She lasted only a few breaths before turning away sharply, her cloak snapping as she spun. She strode back toward the path almost as if she were fleeing.

Elowen remained where she stood.

Her gaze drifted toward the western ridge.

The sun was sinking behind the mountains. Its deep red glow slipped between layers of drifting cloud, spreading softly across the jagged peaks and shadowed valleys.

The light had lost its harsh edge. What remained was warm and quiet.

It truly is beautiful.

Then hurried footsteps sounded behind her.

Elowen turned. Yvonne stood there, her face pale with fury. So she had seen everything.

In her previous life, Elowen had once come to this very overlook alone.

That time she had stumbled onto almost the same scene.

Back then she barely understood anything about the dealings between men and women. Even so, she had known what she was witnessing.

Something hidden. Something shameful. Something no respectable household would ever admit to.

Truthfully, it had not surprised her.

Her sister in law once told her that people romanticized noble houses far too easily. They believed that if a family carried an old name or scholarly reputation, then the people raised within it must surely be upright and refined.

But the larger the household, the easier it was for corruption to take root in places no one bothered to look.

The ugliness simply stayed buried.

And the family Clarisse came from had long since rotted from the inside. It still stood, yes. But only because the collapse had not quite finished yet.

Clarisse herself was proof enough.

The reason she had not married yet was not because no one wanted her.

It was because she had been entangled for years with servants, stable hands, carriage drivers, and men she should never have been anywhere near.

Marriage would have put an end to that freedom. So she delayed it for as long as she could.

Yvonne had never known any of this. That was exactly why she had been so fond of Clarisse.

And Elowen knew something else as well.

If she had tried to tell Yvonne the truth outright, Yvonne would never have believed her.

She would have assumed Elowen was trying to protect Sylvia's engagement to Falconcrest Manor by slandering Clarisse.

The only way to shatter Yvonne's illusion was to let her witness it with her own eyes. Once she saw it herself, admiration would turn into disgust soon enough. That was why Elowen suggested praying for children.

Why she mentioned watching the sunset from the overlook.

And why she guided them here. Right to the middle of Clarisse's little secret.

Elowen smoothed her expression and greeted Yvonne with a polite smile.

"You're back already," she said. "Did you manage to speak with Clarisse?"

The memory of what she had just seen flashed across Yvonne's mind. Her face shifted to ghost pale.

She could not force out a single word.

Elowen let out a small sigh.

"I've been thinking," she continued gently. "If you truly like Clarisse that much, then in a few days I could go to the palace and speak to His Majesty. I could ask for Sylvia's engagement with Falconcrest Manor to be withdrawn. If that happens, you could approach Clarisse's family openly and arrange the marriage you wanted."

"No."

Yvonne's refusal came out sharp and immediate.

Elowen blinked in mild surprise.

"With the gods as my witness, I'm serious," she said. "If you trust me, I'll do everything I can to make it happen."

"That engagement cannot be canceled."

Yvonne cut her off quickly.

"His Majesty arranged it himself. It is an excellent match. Sylvia is a good girl. I want her as my daughter in law. That decision stands."

Elowen tilted her head slightly, confusion flickering across her expression as though she truly could not understand the sudden change.

Yvonne's face was still pale.

She drew in a deep breath.

"Please forgive me," she said stiffly. "I'm tired. We walked too far today."

"Let's return and rest."

She turned immediately and left. Her steps were uneven, and the way she hurried away carried the unmistakable shape of panic.

When Yvonne disappeared down the corridor, Elspeth finally leaned closer to Elowen.

She lowered her voice. "Ella," she asked quietly, "what exactly did you say to her?"

Elowen faced her calmly.

"I only told the truth," she replied. "I saw how much she liked Clarisse, so I suggested that if she truly wanted her as a daughter in law, I could speak to His Majesty and ask him to withdraw Sylvia's engagement to Falconcrest Manor. That way she could approach Clarisse's family and arrange the marriage she wanted."

Elspeth blinked. Then she burst into laughter.

She reached out and lightly tapped Elowen on the forehead.

"You sweet girl," she said with a fond smile. "You're far too honest for your own good."