Awakening Love: Reborn to Be His Duchess Chapter 286: Cakes

She clearly remembered sleeping at Elspeth's place the night before.

So why am I back here? Did I remember it wrong?

Elowen couldn't make it add up, so she gave up and stretched out under the blankets.

"Awake?"

A low, smooth man's voice came from outside the bed curtains.

Elowen pushed her head forward, squeezed half her face out through the slit in the hanging fabric, and looked at Cassian. "I think I sleepwalked."

Cassian came in carrying a tray. At that, he laughed under his breath. "Sleepwalked? I carried you back."

Elowen's eyes widened. "Huh?"

Cassian set the tray down, then crossed to the bed. He bent and pinched her cheek where it stuck out past the curtain. "How many nights has it been since you slept with me? Can you count?"

Elowen had been lying on her stomach. She rolled over and started counting on her fingers. "One. Two. Three..."

"Six," Cassian said.

Elowen blinked. "That long?"

Cassian looked amused. "If we don't sleep in the same room, people are going to start saying we've fallen apart."

Elowen laughed too, then remembered something and shifted gears. "What time is it? I'm supposed to go to Falconcrest Manor today."

"No rush," Cassian said. "Eat first."

Elowen hesitated. "I'm not really hungry."

She'd been so busy lately she kept missing meals. Once she passed the point of hunger, she stopped wanting food at all.

"Eat anyway." Cassian pinched her nose this time. "I made you noodles."

Elowen froze, then stared. "You did? You can make noodles now?"

Cassian lifted one eyebrow. "Want to try them?"

Her appetite still wasn't great, but the words Cassian made them were enough. Elowen scrambled up.

When she tried to swing her legs off the bed, Cassian pressed a hand to her shoulder and held her in place.

Elowen tilted her head. "What?"

"It's cold," Cassian said gently. "Put a cloak on before you get down."

Elowen sat obediently while Cassian stood, fetched a new pale, blue cloak, and draped it around her shoulders. He lowered his eyes and focused on tying the ribbons.

Elowen watched him for a second, and guilt pricked her. "I forgot to ask the last couple days. Your leg... is it any better?"

"Hugh comes every day for treatment," Cassian said. "No progress lately."

"Why not?"

Cassian finished the tie and looked at her, the meaning in his eyes too obvious. "Maybe because we haven't shared a bed in six nights?"

Elowen's face heated. "That affects it too?"

Cassian laughed softly. "I'm kidding. Get up and eat."

On the tray was a big bowl of noodles. Simple, meatless, but it looked, and smelled, good enough to be sold at a shop without embarrassment.

"I heard your appetite's been off," Cassian said in an unhurried tone. "So I asked the cook to teach me how to make things. I haven't learned real dishes yet. I started with noodles."

Elowen looked from the bowl to him. "You're a duke. And you made me noodles. That's..."

Cassian leaned back, lazy and calm. "Outside this house, I'm a duke. In here, I'm your husband. My brother already said once the thing with Warren settles, I should hand off my military work little by little and focus on recovering. Laurent's situation won't wrap up fast. If I'm home anyway, feeding you isn't a big deal."

Elowen didn't know what to say.

"Try them," Cassian said, tipping his chin.

Elowen picked up the fork.

She lifted a bite, blew on it, and ate.

Cassian waited until she'd swallowed. "Too salty? Too bland?"

Elowen smiled. "Neither. It's perfect. It's really good."

She meant it. She kept her head down and finished the entire bowl.

The broth was hot and soothing. She drank a couple sips, and the warmth spread through her limbs. Her eyes narrowed with satisfaction as she let out a quiet breath.

Then she looked up at Cassian, eyes bright, and asked with a shy edge, "Do you have more? I want another half bowl."

Elowen ate nearly two bowls before she finally felt right again.

After she washed up and got dressed, she set out for Falconcrest Manor.

Today, Elspeth and Sylvia were going to try on the newly tailored wedding robes. Cassian was staying back at the manor to wait for Hugh's treatment. So Elowen went alone.

When her carriage stopped, she pushed open the wooden door and immediately spotted a carriage from the Crown Prince's Wing.

Alaric was here too.

Elowen wasn't surprised. With Mira's help, she stepped down.

"Aunt."

Alaric spoke first, approaching and offering a graceful bow.

He wore a pale court doublet worked with delicate silver embroidery, a faint wash of blue stitched along the collar and sleeves. The needlework was dense and intricate, yet at first glance the garment appeared effortlessly elegant, the patterns catching the light like a soft shimmer.