Awakening Love: Reborn to Be His Duchess Chapter 502: The Approach

Rowena's expression shifted slightly.

"...In that case, Elara wasn't wrong."

A soft laugh slipped from Elowen.

Sylvia, however, spoke with measured caution. "Even so, Wendy is Edmund's granddaughter. This happened here, in your residence, during your birthday gathering, and she's clearly been hurt. Edmund is widely respected and well connected. If this isn't handled carefully, it could leave room for criticism or resentment from the Myers family."

Elowen's smile remained calm. "I was planning to speak with Edmund anyway. I had been considering how to approach him. It seems Maerwyn and Elara have given me a reason."

She turned slightly toward them. "Why don't you both sit and have some coffee. I'll go speak with him."

They both nodded.

Elowen didn't head straight toward the front courtyard.

Near the study wing, she slowed and looked to Mira. "Did you check the front? Has the Baker family arrived?"

Mira nodded quickly. "I saw them clearly. All branches are here, especially the fourth and fifth. I've seen those two sons before when I accompanied you. I'm certain."

Elowen gave a small nod. "Good."

She stepped closer to the study entrance and called, "Josh."

Inside, Josh was speaking with Nikki. He looked up immediately. "I'm here."

Elowen smiled faintly. "I'm heading to the front to speak with Edmund. You studied under him, didn't you? Come with me."

Josh didn't hesitate. "Of course."

The front courtyard was filled with warm daylight.

Under the covered corridor, a high-backed chair had already been set in place as instructed.

Edmund sat there, composed, dressed in a simple blue robe, his white hair and beard lending him a quiet authority.

He had begun his studies at a very young age and rose quickly, earning top honors early in life. Later, he served in prominent academic roles and once taught within the Crown Prince's Wing.

After stepping away from official duties, he remained in Vanelle, occasionally taking on a handful of students.

It was widely noted that those who studied under him often performed exceptionally well in the court qualification trials.

Some had even counted that in recent years, nearly a third of successful candidates had attended his lectures.

With the emperor placing increasing importance on scholarship, families, especially those of status, were eager for their sons to succeed through the examinations.

Even without an official position, Edmund's influence remained substantial.

In recent years, however, he had grown more selective, rarely appearing in public and taking on fewer students.

Many sought him out, but few found a way in.

So his presence at Hale Manor today had taken many by surprise.

The moment he appeared, he was quickly surrounded.

Questions about studies, invitations to lecture, attempts to make an impression, all pressed in at once until there was barely space around him.

Edmund handled it with ease, answering patiently, his demeanor relaxed.

As Elowen approached, a faint crying sound reached her ears. She glanced over.

Wendy stood before Edmund, her face visibly swollen, the marks on her cheeks still stark.

"Grandfather..." she said softly, her voice trembling.

A ripple of sympathy moved through the crowd.

Edmund's expression darkened as he took in her condition. "What happened? Who did this?"

Wendy's voice caught. "It was Maerwyn..."

His brows drew together.

He had spent a lifetime teaching countless students, yet his own family line had been thin.

His eldest son had died young. His second son was frail.

Only this granddaughter had remained close to him, bright and promising, the one he cherished most.

He had personally overseen her education from the very beginning, teaching her how to read, write, and think, guiding her through history, philosophy, and the kind of works most girls were never given access to. He had never once held anything back simply because she was a daughter and not a son.

In his eyes, Wendy might have a bit of a temper, but her intelligence and talent stood on equal footing with any young man. And honestly, who didn't have a streak of stubbornness now and then?

Over the years, she had become his greatest comfort.

More than that, she was family. His own flesh and blood.

So when he saw the state she was in, heard that she had been struck, anger rose in him almost instinctively.

Even if the one who had done it was the most favored princess in the court.

His tone turned firm. "Even a princess should not act without restraint."

Wendy nodded quickly, her voice tightening again. "I don't even know what I did wrong. She just... struck me like that. Grandfather, you have to stand up for me."

At that moment, Gerda's voice rang out clearly from Elowen's side.

"Lady of the First Rank, Lady of Grace and Virtue, has arrived."

All eyes turned at once. Elowen stepped forward, her smile poised and flawless.

For a brief moment, Elowen found herself thinking of Isla.

In both her past life and this one, every time she had seen her, Isla had worn that same kind of smile, perfectly composed, never slipping.

Elowen hadn't liked her much for a long time, always thinking that smile felt forced, like something carefully put on rather than real.