Awakening Love: Reborn to Be His Duchess Chapter 465: The Girl Who Never Forgets

Mira stood in front of the towering bookcases with a troubled look on her face, scanning row after row.

"There are just way too many books here..."

She murmured the title Tales of the Fox Spirit under her breath as she searched, her fingers brushing along the spines.

Not this shelf.

And not that one either...

A flicker of anxiety crept into her voice. "Where on earth did it go? I'm sure I saw it last night..."

"Mira."

A gentle voice came from nearby.

"What does the book Her Grace is looking for look like?"

It was Scarlet.

Mira answered without turning around, still focused on the shelves. "It's bound in indigo leather, no title stamped on the spine." Then she paused and glanced over her shoulder. "Why?"

Scarlet lifted a hand and pointed toward a case further inside the room. "Then it should be over there. Second shelf up, fifth from the left. Indigo binding, blank spine."

Mira hesitated, clearly unsure, but she walked over anyway and pulled the book free.

The moment she saw the cover, her eyes widened.

It really was Tales of the Fox Spirit.

"It actually is!" she said, both surprised and delighted, hugging the book as she turned back. "Scarlet, how do you remember something like that so clearly? You only just arrived, and you can't even read."

Scarlet lowered her gaze, her voice soft and steady. "That's why I asked what it looked like. I wiped down these shelves earlier, so I remembered where everything was placed."

"You're seriously underselling yourself."

Mira laughed as she carried the book over to Elowen. "Your Grace, Scarlet's memory is unbelievable. She only cleaned the shelves once, and she already knows where everything is."

Elowen lifted a brow, clearly intrigued. "Does she now?"

Mira's smile turned playful. "Why not put her to the test?"

Elowen did not hesitate.

She called Scarlet closer, dipped her pen into ink, and wrote three words on a sheet of parchment. "Take a good look at these. Remember what they look like."

Scarlet studied them carefully, then gave a small nod.

Elowen counted silently to three, then covered the writing with her hand. "All right. Now go find the book that matches what you just saw."

Scarlet answered softly and walked toward the shelves.

Elowen and Mira watched without blinking, their attention fixed on her.

Scarlet did not wander or hesitate. She went straight to one of the cases, reached for the third shelf, and pulled out a single volume with quiet certainty.

Elowen took it, opened it, and found it was exactly the one she had in mind.

Still not satisfied, and now genuinely entertained, she tested Scarlet again.

And again.

Four times in total.

Each time, Scarlet found the correct book quickly, without a trace of doubt.

Elowen and Mira exchanged a glance, both seeing the same thing reflected in the other's eyes.

Astonishment, and something close to awe.

Is this what it means to remember everything at a glance?

"Scarlet, that's incredible," Elowen said, her tone warm and sincere. "With a mind like yours, if you'd been born a man, you'd have taken top honors in the court qualification trials without question."

A faint flush rose to Scarlet's cheeks.

No one had ever said something like that to her before.

There had been praise in her past, but it had always come wrapped in something unpleasant, something that made her skin crawl.

Elowen looked at her thoughtfully. "Scarlet, would you like to learn to read?"

Scarlet froze, clearly caught off guard.

Elowen's voice softened. "You've got a gift for remembering things. Letters, meanings, patterns, you'd pick them up faster than most. If you're willing, I can teach you a handful each day. Give it a little time, and you'll be reading on your own. It's actually quite enjoyable."

"Your Grace, His Grace has returned."

Anson stepped in to deliver the message.

Elowen's attention shifted at once. She turned quickly to Scarlet. "Then it's settled. I'll start you with a few simple words, and you can go over them whenever you have time. I'm going to see Cassian first. I've been wondering how things went today."

She stepped out of the study, and the moment she lifted her eyes, she saw him.

Cassian was being guided across the courtyard, seated in his wheeled chair as Bran pushed from behind.

The afternoon light filtered through the branches overhead, casting shifting patterns across him.

He looked at ease, almost languid, though the stillness in his expression gave him a distant, unapproachable air.

Then he heard her footsteps and looked up.

Their eyes met.

Elowen's face lit up at once, her smile bright and unguarded. "Cassian, what are you doing here?"

The sharpness in his features softened immediately. "You were still asleep when I left this morning, and I didn't want to wake you. I've been tied up all day, but you kept crossing my mind. The moment I had a break, I came back. Figured I'd find you here."

Her smile deepened.

She stepped over to Bran and took hold of the handles. "I've got it from here. Go take a break."

Bran released his grip without hesitation and stepped back with a respectful bow.

Elowen turned the chair smoothly and guided it inside, the wooden wheels rolling softly over the threshold as she handled the movement with practiced ease, careful enough that there wasn't the slightest jolt.

Once inside, she moved to his side and leaned lightly against the writing desk. "So, how did it go today? You met with Alaric about the peace talks, right? Everything go smoothly?"

She paused, then leaned in a little closer, lowering her voice. "Do you want me to have everyone step out?"