Awakening Love: Reborn to Be His Duchess Chapter 491: The Thread She Almost Missed

Elowen felt the tension ease from her expression, her features softening as the thought settled more clearly in her mind.

She had never become who she was on her own.

There were traces of others in her, woven in so deeply they could no longer be separated.

Her mother. Her sister-in-law. Cassian.

The people she loved, and who had shaped her in return.

Everything they had given her had quietly taken root, becoming part of her without her even noticing when it happened.

They stayed a while longer, asking carefully after her condition, offering small but earnest reminders, each one grounded in concern rather than formality.

When it grew late, Elowen rose to leave.

Her aunt walked her all the way out to the front of the confectioner's shop, holding her hand as if reluctant to let go. "Ella, once you're back, you need to slow down and take care of yourself. You're not just looking after your own health anymore. Whatever is happening outside, let the men handle it, and trust His Majesty to make the call. Don't carry all of it on your own. Your husband has weathered worse than this. He'll come through."

Elowen nodded, already about to reassure her.

But just as the words formed, something shifted sharply in her thoughts.

Cassian would be fine. That part, she did not doubt. But everything leading up to this felt too deliberate.

Would Alaric and Iris really go this far just to see him reprimanded?

That kind of effort for such a small outcome made no sense.

No. There's something else. There has to be.

She simply had not seen it yet.

When she returned to Duskmoor Manor, she went straight to the study without stopping.

The air in the estate still carried a quiet weight, but after her instructions earlier that day, everything was running as it should. Servants moved with purpose, no one lingering, no one daring to fall behind.

She sat and began drafting orders, laying out in careful detail how the arrowhead was to be traced, where to look, who to contact, and how to keep it from drawing attention.

Once finished, she summoned two of the most trusted leaders among Cassian's shadow guards and gave her instructions in a low, controlled voice, making it clear that speed and secrecy mattered equally.

They accepted without hesitation and disappeared as quietly as they had come.

The room settled into stillness again.

Elowen leaned back slightly, her thoughts already shifting.

The arrowhead was one thread.

Dominic was another.

And unlike the arrow, Dominic was not an object that could be hidden away.

He was a man who moved, spoke, spent coin, and made mistakes.

That meant he could be followed.

At that moment, Scarlet stepped in with a freshly prepared herbal infusion meant to steady the nerves, and Nikki followed close behind, almost glued to her side.

Neither of them looked at ease.

Scarlet set the cup down carefully. "Your Grace, I went over everything again. There's something else I remembered about Dominic. When he drinks, he talks more than he should. More than once, he mentioned gambling houses in the southern quarter. One along Whitecloud Street, and another near Sixspire Tower called Greenwood Hall. If he's that deep into it, there's a good chance someone there knows who he deals with, or where his money comes from. I thought it might help."

Elowen wrapped her hands around the cup, letting the warmth settle into her fingers before she looked up.

"It does help," she said. "You notice things most people miss."

And once again, she felt certain she had made the right choice bringing Scarlet back from the Stargazer Pavilion.

With this, Dominic would be far easier to track.

Nikki, who had been watching quietly, suddenly spoke up, her voice small but determined. "Your Grace, I don't want my wages this month."

Elowen let out a soft laugh. "You've been worried about money in this house again, haven't you?"

Nikki nodded, completely serious. "Of course I have. The boy who runs errands at the court told me that once someone's locked up, you have to spend a lot of coin to get them out. And His Grace isn't just anyone, so it must take even more. You can use mine first."

Her reasoning was simple, but her sincerity left no room for doubt.

Elowen's expression softened. "That's kind of you. Truly. But your brother is sitting for the court qualification trials this year, isn't he? He'll need that money."

Nikki tilted her head, thinking it through with great effort, then shook it firmly. "If he doesn't pass this year, he can try again next year. He's still got time. But His Grace can't just stay locked up that long. Getting him out matters more."

Elowen was still smiling when the realization struck.

It didn't creep in slowly or take shape over time.

It hit her all at once, clean and sharp, like a lock clicking open.

The court qualification trials.

How did I miss something that obvious?

Every year, the court qualification trials in Vanelle had been overseen by Cassian. His reputation alone was enough to keep anyone from attempting anything underhanded, and his judgment had always been trusted.

Because of that, scholars across the realm, especially those without powerful backing, had come to respect him deeply.

But now, with him held in the palace and unable to act, that responsibility would fall to someone else.

And that meant opportunity.