Awakening Love: Reborn to Be His Duchess Chapter 501: The Warning

"Your Highness, please... show mercy. I know I was out of line. I swear I won't say anything like that again."

Wendy could barely stand; her voice shook apart as she bent low to apologize desperately, tears steaming down her face.

Maerwyn didn't so much as flinch. She turned her head slightly and said, her tone crisp and final, "Someone step in. Make sure she learns exactly where the line is, and how not to cross it again."

The matron, long used to carrying out punishments like this, didn't hesitate for a second. She answered at once and stepped forward.

She moved with practiced efficiency, gripping Wendy by the arm. Her other hand locked firmly around Wendy's jaw, forcing her to face forward, her tear-streaked cheeks already trembling.

The sound came sharp and immediate.

Two sharp strikes cracked through the room in quick succession, clean and controlled, without any flourish or hesitation, just raw force.

Wendy's head snapped to the side, then back again. Her skin flushed instantly, swelling beneath the impact as the corner of her lip split open. A thin line of red surfaced, bright against her pale face.

The world blurred. A dull ringing filled her ears. Even her sobbing broke apart into shallow, uneven breaths she could barely control.

The girls nearby froze where they stood.

They had never witnessed anything like this before.

Their usual disagreements lived in quiet rooms, hidden behind polite smiles and measured words. At most, a sharp remark or a cold dismissal. Nothing like this. Nothing so direct. So public.

Now they instinctively drew closer together, faces drained of color, shoulders tense, not one of them daring to step forward or speak.

Maerwyn watched Wendy without the slightest trace of sympathy.

"Consider yourself fortunate," she said slowly. "I'm letting this end here out of respect for your grandfather, Edmund, and the reputation he carries."

Her gaze hardened.

"But if I ever hear you, or anyone else, speak a single word about Elowen behind her back..."

Her tone lowered, quiet but unmistakable. "I won't stop here next time."

The meaning landed heavier than the blows.

Wendy trembled all over, the fear settling deeper than the pain ever could. She didn't dare hesitate.

"I understand... I do..." she stammered, her voice hoarse and broken. "I won't do it again..."

Not far away, Elara finally exhaled.

Serves her right.

She had taken a risk speaking up.

She knew Maerwyn admired Azure's work, but even then, it could have gone either way.

She hadn't expected it to work this well.

It wasn't that she only cared for storybooks. She read poetry and formal works too, but they were never meant to compete. They served different purposes, spoke to different parts of a person. Raising one by tearing down the other had always felt narrow and deliberate.

And Wendy had been deliberate.

Elara wasn't going to let that pass.

Maerwyn's attention shifted to her.

The sharp edge in her expression softened just slightly. "What's your name?"

Elara straightened and gave a proper court bow. "Elara, Your Highness."

"Elara," Maerwyn repeated, as if weighing the sound. She gave a small nod. "You enjoy Azure's writing?"

At once, Elara's eyes lit up. "Yes. I came across Tales of Luminara when I was twelve, and I've loved it ever since. To be honest, I even named a white long-haired cat I raised back home after it."

Maerwyn's brows lifted, a hint of a real smile forming. "You read it at twelve as well? That's when I first found it."

"Really?" Elara leaned forward slightly, her voice bright with surprise.

Maerwyn's smile deepened. "Have you read Ode to Springlight?"

Elara nodded. "Of course. I read it the moment it was released."

"To be honest," Maerwyn said, her tone turning more relaxed, "I prefer that one."

Elara's expression grew animated. "So do I. I think it's because the male lead isn't written as heavily as in Tales of Luminara. The focus shifts more to the heroine, how she fights her way out of difficult situations, how she builds her own path and learns what she needs to survive. Watching that growth makes the story feel much more alive."

"Exactly."

Maerwyn's eyes brightened noticeably as she looked at Elara.

Finally, someone who gets it.

Without thinking, she stepped forward and took Elara lightly by the arm. "Come on, you don't need to stay here. It's too crowded, and frankly, too noisy. Let's find somewhere quieter to talk."

Elara followed without resistance. "Yes, Your Highness."

Maerwyn waved it off, smiling now with clear ease. "Don't be so formal. Just call me Maerwyn."

Elara adapted instantly, her smile widening. "Then you should call me Elara."

Maerwyn nodded without hesitation. "Alright, Elara. Let's go."

Elsewhere, Elowen had just finished speaking with Rowena and Sylvia and was walking out with them when Cora stepped forward.

She lowered her voice and reported what had happened in the garden.

She reported that Elara had gotten into a dispute with someone, it had escalated enough to draw Maerwyn's attention, and the princess had personally struck Edmund's granddaughter. At that, Elowen's steps slowed for just a brief moment.

Elowen's steps paused for the briefest moment.

Rowena frowned immediately, irritation rising. "That temper of hers again. She flares up at the slightest thing and turns it into trouble. When is she ever going to learn to hold herself back..."

Cora added carefully, "I made sure to ask around. It started because Wendy was speaking about you, Your Grace. She said today's gathering was all for appearances, that it was... dressing things up to look grand. She also dismissed your writing, said it didn't belong among serious works. Miss Wrenner likely couldn't stand hearing it any longer."