Awakening Love: Reborn to Be His Duchess Chapter 467: A Quiet Confession

"Lord Dominic comes to the Stargazer Pavilion all the time. Whenever he does, he usually asks for me to sit with him," Scarlet said, her voice tight, a flicker of unease slipping through despite her attempt to stay composed.

Elowen remained still, listening without interruption, her expression calm and giving nothing away.

Scarlet drew a breath and continued, "On the second day of March last year, he came again. That night he seemed in a terrible state. He drank alone, cup after cup, until he was deep in his cups. Once he was drunk, he started talking, rambling really. Complaining about how his career was going nowhere, how his superiors kept him on a short leash. Then he said something I couldn't forget. He said, 'If I'd known better, I never would have tied myself to the Jones family. The Bakers treat people far better. When they heard I'd lost a hundred dollars at the gaming tables, they sent the money over without a second thought and told me not to worry about it.'"

Elowen's gaze sharpened slightly.

Dominic was known to be tied to the Jones family, publicly aligned with Elira.

Yet if Scarlet's account was accurate, he had already taken favors from the Baker family, Queen Isla's kin, and might well have shifted his loyalties behind closed doors.

A hundred dollars was no small matter for a court official, especially tied to gambling. That kind of debt could bind a man just as easily as it could ruin him.

The air around Elowen seemed to grow heavier as her expression turned fully serious.

Scarlet let out a shaky breath once she finished, as though the effort had drained her. Her shoulders slumped slightly. "I know I've spoken out of turn, discussing a man of rank like this. And maybe what I heard means nothing. But I felt you should know, Your Grace. If I've overstepped, I'll accept whatever punishment you think is fair."

Elowen's voice softened. "Why would this be something to punish? Scarlet, if anything, I should be thanking you."

Scarlet flinched, her head lifting in surprise.

Elowen met her eyes, her tone steady and sincere. "Whether it proves true or not, what you've told me matters. It gives me reason to look more closely, and I will. You did the right thing."

Scarlet stared at her, caught off guard, her eyes reddening before she could stop it.

She had grown up at the bottom of the world, where people like her were decorations at best and disposable at worst. The noble and the powerful smiled when it suited them and looked straight through her the rest of the time. No one had ever listened like this, as though her words carried weight, as though she herself mattered.

A sting rose in her nose, and her vision blurred.

"It's getting late," Elowen said gently. "You should get some rest."

Then she added, almost as an afterthought but with quiet care, "And make sure you put salve on that burn."

Scarlet nodded quickly.

When she stepped out of the study, the night air had turned cool and still, iron sconces along the corridor casting a dim, steady glow.

She walked toward the servants' quarters, and only then did the tears finally spill over, slipping down her cheeks in a steady stream and soaking into the front of her dress.

She understood the distance between them. No matter how kindly the Duchess treated her, no matter that she had been taken out of the Stargazer Pavilion and given respectable work, their stations were worlds apart.

That was why, earlier that day when she heard Dominic's name and remembered everything, she had hesitated.

What right did she have to speak of a court official? What if she was rebuked for overstepping?

But the Duchess had saved her, had given her a place where she could stand with dignity.

Keeping silent had felt wrong.

So she forced herself to speak. And the Duchess had believed her.

She had said thank you. She had said you did well. She had even remembered the burn on her hand.

A warmth spread through Scarlet's chest, something unfamiliar and overwhelming.

She cried without a sound, yet a small smile curved her lips.

So this was what it felt like. To be trusted. To be treated like a person.

Soft moonlight spilled across her tear-streaked face, leaving it bright and clear despite the tears.

The arrangements for the peace talks were steadily falling into place, and the appointed day was drawing near.

Elowen's pregnancy had progressed enough that it could no longer be hidden. As the weather in Vanelle warmed and her gowns grew lighter, the gentle swell beneath her bodice became more noticeable with each passing day.

Her body had begun to protest in small ways. Her feet swelled by evening, and some nights sleep simply would not come.

At the same time, with the negotiations approaching, Cassian had been occupied from dawn until late into the night, rarely able to stay by her side.

It crossed her mind, almost absently, that it had been half a month since he last stepped into the kitchens for her.

When Hugh came to take her pulse, he glanced at her and said, "Your Grace, you seem a little out of sorts lately."

Elowen blinked, then shook her head. "I'm fine."

"Your pulse tells a different story." Hugh lifted a brow. "Let me guess. His Grace has been too busy to keep you company?"

She hesitated for a moment, then let out a quiet sigh. "I do miss him, that's true. But he's dealing with important matters. If I start complaining over something like that, I'd only make things harder for him."

Hugh gave a small, knowing nod. "The talks are almost here. Once they're over, he'll be at your side day and night. You might end up wishing he'd give you a little space."

That finally drew a faint smile from her.

Hugh studied her for a moment, then said, "When you smile like that, you remind me of your grandfather. Especially around the eyes."

Elowen's interest piqued. "Cassian mentioned you trained under him."

Hugh inclined his head. "I did. It's a long story, if you care to hear it."