Awakening Love: Reborn to Be His Duchess Chapter 281: Meal

Without waiting for a reply, he mounted up and left to prepare.

Duskmoor Manor's carriage followed at an unhurried pace, arriving at the restaurant after.

Cassian got down still seated in his wheelchair.

Elowen stepped down, draped a thin blanket over Cassian's knees, moved behind him, and took the handles, pushing him forward.

Alaric stood on the steps and watched it all, his mood souring.

Elowen had only ever been that attentive to him.

So why was she treating Cassian this way now?

He ground his teeth, then turned and warned Daphne in a low voice, "Do what you're supposed to do in there. If you mess it up, you know what happens."

Then he walked away.

Daphne's face was pale. She curled her fingers tight.

The entire restaurant had been booked under the Crown Prince's Wing. Guards were posted inside and out. No outsiders.

The private room was on the first floor.

A server led the way. Elowen followed, pushing Cassian's chair.

Halfway there, they ran into Daphne.

Elowen stopped short when she saw her.

Daphne looked like she'd withered. Even with makeup on, her complexion didn't improve, if anything, it made her look like she'd pasted a false face over exhaustion.

"Greetings, Duchess," Daphne said, eyes lowered, and bowed.

Elowen nodded in return.

Daphne pressed her lips together and asked softly, "Could I speak to you alone for a moment?"

Elowen lifted a brow. "Sure."

Bran immediately understood. He stepped up, took hold of the wheelchair, and continued on with Cassian toward the private room.

Elowen stayed. "What do you want to say?"

Daphne didn't speak right away. She kept watching Cassian's direction until he was far enough that he couldn't hear them.

Only then did she exhale and step one pace closer, lowering her voice. "I just wanted to give you a friendly warning. Cassian has a woman outside."

As she spoke, Daphne watched Elowen's face carefully.

But Elowen only listened, calm. Daphne's heart tightened with impatience.

This was Alaric's assignment.

On the wedding day, she'd been exposed for pretending to be Azure. She'd lost face and earned the displeasure of both Alaric and Isla.

Since the marriage, Alaric had never stayed in her bed. They still hadn't consummated the marriage.

Daphne blamed all of it on Elowen. She wanted Elowen dead.

So that was her plan. She had made the doll and tried to lay a curse on Elowen in secret.

She hadn't expected Alaric to catch her.

With that leverage, he'd forced her to come to the gate and tell Elowen, face to face, that Cassian was keeping a woman.

Truthfully, when Daphne first heard it, she'd felt a vicious kind of delight.

So Elowen wasn't as happy as she looked.

The man who seemed to dote on her was keeping someone else on the side.

Elowen had once sworn to Daphne that the woman in Cassian's heart was Elowen herself.

Now that seemed laughable.

Elowen actually believes a man when he says he loves her?

On the way here, Daphne had imagined Elowen's reaction.

Shock, eyes wide, unable to speak.

Or heartbreak, trying to hold back tears but failing.

Either way, Daphne would've enjoyed it.

Instead, Elowen was too calm, and Daphne found herself getting annoyed.

So Daphne continued, adding details. "It's in Elmwood Alley, at the very back. The gate's painted red. The back courtyard has expensive chrysanthemums planted everywhere. Cassian set the woman up there, then goes every few days. I heard... I heard she has a great figure, plays instruments, dances. He's crazy about her, buys her anything she wants."

"Chrysanthemums?" Elowen turned her head sharply.

She remembered Cassian had been going out frequently for a period of time. When he came back, there was often a clean, faint chrysanthemum scent on him.

So he'd been going there...

Daphne nodded. "Yes."

Elowen made a small sound, still not looking shocked or sad. "Why are you telling me this?"

This time, Daphne froze.

Elowen's gaze moved over her once. "You don't like me. You hate me. If Cassian really had someone outside, you'd be thrilled. You'd watch and make it worse. You wouldn't warn me. So why are you warning me?"

Daphne's stomach dropped.

Elowen was right. Under normal circumstances, Daphne would've watched the disaster unfold and enjoyed every second.