Awakening Love: Reborn to Be His Duchess Chapter 327: A New Beginning

"Our child," Cassian murmured.

The words sounded strangely new to Elowen. But she didn't dislike them. If anything, excitement began to bloom inside her.

Will the baby be a boy or a girl? Will the baby look more like me, or more like Cassian?

For a brief moment, she remembered what Elias had said about having something to look forward to. And Elspeth had said there was nothing cozier than a house with a new baby in it. Before, those words had meant little. Now they felt suddenly real.

It was still early, and the sky outside remained dark.

Hugh finished making her medicine and brought it in himself.

Cassian insisted on feeding her every spoonful.

Standing off to the side, Hugh said matter-of-factly, "The fever isn't from infection. It's from thinking too much and wearing yourself out."

Thinking too much indeed.

Elowen flushed bright red, and a faint smirk tugged at Cassian's mouth.

"Rest," Hugh said. "Sleep, sweat a little, and you'll feel better in the morning."

"Thank you."

Once Hugh's room had been prepared, he went off to sleep as well.

Cassian, meanwhile, took his time feeding Elowen her medicine. "Do you really miss me that much?"

Elowen blushed, embarrassed but honest. "Yeah. I do."

Cassian smiled, warm and pleased. "Then I'll make sure I'm here every day from now on."

When the medicine was finished, he asked, "Want to sleep a little longer?"

Elowen nodded. She still didn't feel fully well, but before lying down again, she looked at him hesitantly. "Will you stay? I... I don't want to sleep alone."

He chuckled and agreed at once. "Of course."

He took off his outer robe and slipped into bed beside her.

Tucked against Cassian's steady warmth, Elowen finally drifted into a quiet, peaceful sleep.

When she woke shivering in the middle of the night, Cassian didn't call for Mira or the maids. He wiped away her sweat himself and changed her into clean nightclothes.

By morning, she felt much better. The heavy, uncomfortable feeling from the day before was gone.

As soon as she stirred, Cassian opened his eyes and pressed the back of his hand to her forehead. "Much better."

Elowen stretched and smiled brightly. "I feel fine."

He nodded, satisfied. "Are you hungry? I'll make you something."

Her stomach answered for her with a low growl. "A little. Maybe noodles?"

Cassian stroked her cheek. "I'll make them. Stay here and rest."

But the moment he got up, Elowen sat up too. "I want to come with you."

He tried to stop her. "The kitchen will be smoky."

She pouted. "But I want to be with you."

Cassian gave in. "All right. But stay in bed while I get you some warmer clothes."

She nodded obediently.

Cassian returned with extra layers and dressed her with patient care.

Then he paused. "Should I do your hair too?"

Elowen wrinkled her nose. "Just pin it up quickly. I'm too hungry to fuss with it, and I want to eat your noodles while they're still hot."

He laughed. "Then I'll make them as fast as I can."

Once she was dressed properly, he pinned her hair into a simple bun and draped her cloak over her shoulders to keep out the cold.

While Cassian rolled out the dough, Elowen rested her chin in her hands and watched him.

Then, out of nowhere, she said, "I came up with names for the manor courtyards yesterday."

"Oh? What did you choose?"

Elowen gestured toward the courtyard outside. "This one, where we live, I named Stillwater Court. It just felt right. Quiet on the surface, but strong underneath."

She glanced at him, a little shy, trying to see what he thought.

Cassian stepped closer, bent down, and kissed her. "It suits the place. I like it."

Elowen flushed and hurried on. "The courtyard where Aunt Elspeth stayed has those rose trees, so I called it Rose Hall. And Marwen's old place used to be Rose Hall as well, but I thought it deserved a fresh start. I was thinking of calling it Tranquil Court instead. After everything Marwen caused, a home ought to feel peaceful."

Cassian nodded. "You've thought of everything, Ella."

Smiling, Elowen kept going, naming the rest one by one—even the peacocks in the back garden, whom she had decided to call Aurelius and Sylpha.

Cassian listened through it all with quiet fondness, and at last set two steaming bowls of noodles on the table.

She looked up at him and grinned. "Cassian, what do you think of all those names?"

He met her eyes, didn't answer the question at all, and simply said, "Ella, I love you."