Awakening Love: Reborn to Be His Duchess Chapter 409: A Quiet Lead

Elowen leaned back in her chair, resting her chin lightly against her fingers as she watched Seren across the room. The girl stood near the window, focused on shaping a potted evergreen, trimming it with careful, practiced movements like she had all the time in the world.

"Your Grace, your coffee."

Rosaline stepped in, placing a warm cup into Elowen's hands.

Elowen accepted it, but didn't look away from Seren. Rosaline caught that and hesitated before speaking again, her tone cautious. "Has Seren done something wrong, Your Grace?"

Elowen shook her head, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "No, nothing like that. I just didn't realize pruning was part of her duties. I was under the impression the estate brings in professionals for that."

Rosaline dipped her head politely. "Seren and I only just started serving in the study, Your Grace. We're still new, so most of what we handle is light work, cleaning, organizing, keeping things in order. That plant had been left unattended for quite a while. Seren used to help tend the gardens when she served under Lady Elira, so she knows her way around it. She thought she'd be helpful. If she overstepped, I ask your forgiveness."

"It's fine. She did well," Elowen said, then let her gaze shift slightly. "So your duties are mostly cleaning the shelves?"

Rosaline answered without hesitation. "The shelves are actually Seren's responsibility."

"I see."

That was enough.

A few quiet pieces clicked into place in Elowen's mind.

Still, something didn't add up.

Rosaline and Seren both came from Elira's side, yet somehow they were tied to Isla... and the Baker family.

That connection didn't happen by accident.

There was something else going on behind the curtain.

Later that night, Elowen called Mira over.

"I have a feeling Seren might be getting a little too interested in Cassian," she said, keeping her voice even. "Keep an eye on her. I want to know who she spends time with."

Mira froze for half a second, then her eyes went wide with outrage. "Excuse me? She thinks she can go after His Grace and compete with you? That's bold. That's incredibly bold. Absolutely not. Not on my watch."

She straightened, already fired up. "Don't worry, Your Grace. I'll be watching her closely. She won't get near anything she shouldn't."

Elowen let out a soft laugh and patted her hand. "Alright. I'll leave it to you."

Mira didn't disappoint.

By that same night, Elowen had her answer. Seren had been spending time with a maid named Alyssa.

Elowen checked the household registry, and there it was. Alyssa had previously served in Isla's palace, and more importantly, she was Beatrice's niece.

That was the thread.

Then she asked Anson and learned that Alyssa had left the manor early that morning, claiming she needed to purchase sewing supplies.

Everything lined up.

So that's how it is.

Isla already knew about the stories.

And the Bakers had someone watching closely enough to know Elowen had visited the bookshop.

So the question wasn't whether they knew.

It was what they were going to do next.

Elowen sat with that thought for a long time.

In another life, she had lived under Isla's roof, but they had never truly gone head-to-head. She had never seen how Isla handled someone she considered a threat.

Which meant she couldn't predict her or stay one step ahead, at least not for now, but Cassian could, and that changed everything.

This wasn't just personal anymore.

She wasn't some overlooked daughter tucked away in a quiet household.

She was the Duchess of Duskmoor.

Anything that happened between her and Isla wouldn't stay contained. It would ripple outward into power, into alliances, into families.

And now she had something to lose, a husband, a child, an entire household that relied on her, people who trusted her, people who had no business being dragged into something like this.

I can't afford to guess wrong.

She exhaled slowly.

Fine. She'd ask.

That night, Elowen sat at her vanity, absentmindedly removing her jewelry, her thoughts clearly somewhere else.

She didn't even notice when Cassian walked in.

He noticed immediately.

With a subtle gesture, he dismissed everyone else in the room, then stepped behind her. His hands settled gently on her shoulders, easing the tension there.

"Want me to help?" he asked.

"Mhm."

Her response was vague, distracted.

He reached up and carefully slid the pin from her hair, letting it fall loose over her shoulders. The metal was cool in his hand, and for a brief second, something about the moment pulled a quiet smile from him.

"Cassian," she said softly.

She turned slightly, looking up at him. "Have you ever heard of someone named Azure?"

Cassian's expression didn't shift. "Azure... sounds familiar. Wasn't Daphne claiming that name for a while?"

Elowen gave a small, unimpressed look. "She was lying."

"Right. That became pretty obvious," he said. "So why bring it up now?"

Her fingers curled slightly in her lap.

She hesitated. Then took a breath.

"Because Azure is actually... me."

The words came out quiet, almost like she wasn't sure she should've said them at all.