Awakening Love: Reborn to Be His Duchess Chapter 386: Seeds of Discontent

Dorothea nodded calmly.

"If it's nothing, then stop sighing. It sounds rather unlucky during the holidays."

Beatrice stared at her in disbelief.

Before she could respond, Lyanna, who had once served near Theodric, spoke with a warm laugh.

"Dorothea, don't tease her like that," Lyanna said. Then she turned toward Beatrice with a friendly smile. "We worked together in the palace for years, and now we've all come to Duskmoor Manor together. If something is bothering you, why not tell us? Surely you're not treating us like strangers."

Beatrice shot Dorothea a sharp glare.

She had never liked that woman. Back in the palace they were constantly at odds, and even here she continued to oppose her.

"Go on," Lyanna encouraged. "What happened?"

Beatrice sighed again, as if reluctantly giving in.

"I'll only say this among ourselves," she said quietly. "You must promise not to repeat it."

When Lyanna nodded repeatedly, Beatrice leaned slightly closer and lowered her voice.

"A moment ago I passed by the duchess's study and overheard her giving instructions about rewards for the household."

Someone nearby leaned closer with curiosity.

"Rewards? What kind of rewards? Are they for everyone?"

"If that were the case, I wouldn't feel troubled," Beatrice replied with another sigh. "The duchess said the rewards are only for the servants of Duskmoor Manor. The guards will receive five dollars, and the maids and footmen three extra dollars."

"And those of us who came from the palace?" someone asked quickly.

Beatrice shook her head. "The duchess made it clear that we won't receive a single coin."

The group exchanged uneasy glances.

Inside, Beatrice felt secretly pleased, though her face remained worried.

"It's not that I care about three or five dollars," she said. "I'm only worried for the duchess. She is still young and inexperienced in managing a household. If she keeps rewarding servants so generously and so frequently, won't they all start growing arrogant?"

She sighed again. "As for the money itself, it means nothing to me. I simply worry that she might suffer because of it someday."

Several attendants nodded along. Only Dorothea and Lyanna showed little reaction.

Dorothea let out a short laugh.

"If you truly didn't care, you wouldn't have repeated 'three or five dollars' twice. Clearly you care very much."

Beatrice glared at her.

Lyanna quickly stepped in to ease the tension.

"The duchess may be young," Lyanna said gently, "but perhaps she simply has a kind heart."

Beatrice sighed heavily.

"You call it kindness, but perhaps it isn't so simple. This time the duchess rewarded the entire estate but ignored those of us sent from the palace."

Someone asked in surprise, "You mean everyone received the reward except us?"

Beatrice nodded. "That's exactly what she meant."

The woman frowned. "How can she show such favoritism?"

Dorothea laughed again. "You've only worked here a few days, and the duties you were given are the easiest ones in the estate. Yet you're already thinking about rewards? Besides, our wages come from the palace. Why should this estate give us anything?"

The woman looked embarrassed and fell silent.

Beatrice let out a faint scoff.

"That argument hardly makes sense," she said coolly. "His Majesty and His Grace are brothers. Surely there's no need to draw such strict lines between them."

The atmosphere began to grow tense.

Lyanna quickly spoke again before the argument could escalate.

"Well, the duchess has already made her decision. There's nothing we can do except accept it. It's only three or five dollars after all. If we continue to do our duties well, opportunities will surely come later."

Beatrice sighed once more and muttered quietly, "Who knows if that day ever comes."

That evening Elowen sat alone in her study reading.

As the sky darkened outside, the lines of text on the page gradually blurred in the fading light. She lifted her head and called for Mira.

But Mira was not nearby. The only person standing outside the door was Seren.

Elowen called toward the doorway, "Seren, come in and light the candles."

Her voice carried clearly enough that anyone standing there could hear it. Yet Seren remained perfectly still, pretending not to notice.

"Seren?" Elowen called again.

Still there was no response. Elowen immediately understood.

Beatrice must have succeeded.

She had deliberately arranged for the servants of Duskmoor Manor to receive rewards while excluding the attendants sent from the palace. Three or five dollars might not be a fortune, but it was still money.

Once someone quietly stirred resentment behind the scenes, it was only natural that some palace attendants would feel dissatisfied.

Seren was clearly one of them.

Elowen did not feel angry.

If Seren refused to move, there was no reason to keep calling. She closed the book and rose from her chair, intending to light the candles herself.

At that moment footsteps sounded outside the study.

Elowen turned her head. Rosaline hurried inside.

"Your Grace, please forgive me," Rosaline said quickly. "I was careless. I will light the candles for you right away."

Elowen nodded lightly.

Rosaline moved with practiced efficiency. She stepped to the tall candelabrum, picked up the small fire striker resting beside it, and flicked it open.

Shielding the tiny flame with her hand, she carefully lit the thick beeswax candles one after another.

The wicks caught the flame with faint crackling sounds.

Warm light slowly spread across the room, illuminating the entire study. When she finished, Rosaline turned back with an apologetic expression.

"That girl Seren can be rather careless," she said. "The evening darkened so quickly that she probably didn't notice the light fading and forgot to light the candles in time."

She lowered her head slightly.

"I hope Your Grace will not hold it against her."