Awakening Love: Reborn to Be His Duchess Chapter 505: The Visit

Outside Stillwater Court, Alaric stood beneath the carved estate crest, hands clasped behind his back as he stared up at it, his expression dark and unreadable.

The name was refined, almost poetic, but what truly grated on him was what it implied. A shared home. A shared life. Something intimate, something deliberate.

They really went and made this official, didn't they?

He let out a cold, silent laugh.

It suggested affection and devotion, the kind that looked effortless on the surface but was carefully held in place underneath.

If he ever took full control of Avenlor, the first thing he would do would be to have that crest taken down. No, not destroyed, that would be too simple. He would have it replaced, rewritten into something that reflected what this place should have been from the start.

Something that bore his name.

Alaric's gaze turned colder before he finally looked away and strode forward.

The two guards stationed at the entrance immediately tensed when they saw him. As he approached, they stepped forward in unison, blocking his path with clear caution.

"Your Highness," one of them said carefully.

"If you have urgent business, we can announce you first."

Alaric's voice dropped, sharp and controlled. "You do remember that I'm the Crown Prince, right? Everything in Vanelle answers to the Crown. Is there anywhere I'm not allowed to walk into?"

The guards exchanged a quick glance.

He took another step closer, his tone growing more cutting. "And let's not pretend things are what they used to be. There's no Duskmoor Manor anymore. The man you once answered to doesn't hold that title now. So if you decide to stand in my way, tell me, who exactly is going to back you up?"

The two men looked at each other again.

The lady of the house wasn't inside. Only Cassian.

If Alaric insisted on entering, stopping him would only cause trouble, and there was little risk in letting him through.

They stepped aside.

Alaric didn't spare them another glance as he walked in, his posture calm but laced with arrogance.

Behind him, Iris spoke up at the right moment. "Your Highness, I'll wait outside."

She had no interest in getting involved in whatever this turned into.

Alaric didn't look at her, only gave a quiet, indifferent response. "Mm."

Iris remained where she was, relieved.

Alaric walked straight toward the main residence. The estate was busy today, servants moving about with tasks, and no one paid him much attention.

He circled the main hall once and found no one. A faint crease formed between his brows.

Ella is likely in the study.

He had been here before. He knew where it was. As he drew closer, he heard the soft, clear sound of porcelain touching wood.

A cup being set down.

His expression softened slightly, a trace of anticipation slipping in.

She's there.

"Ella," he called gently as he stepped through the doorway, his voice lowering, "it's your birthday today, I—"

The words stopped halfway.

The smile vanished from his face.

A chessboard sat on the table, the game clearly unfinished. Across from Cassian, a cup of coffee still gave off heat, untouched for only a short while. Whoever had been sitting there had just left.

Cassian had just taken a sip himself. He set the cup down slowly, unhurried, then lifted his gaze toward the door.

Alaric stood there, meeting his eyes.

There had been a time when that gaze alone would have unsettled him, a kind of instinctive fear that ran deep.

Now, that feeling had faded.

Cassian no longer held power. No longer stood above everyone else. He's just another man. Nothing more.

Then Cassian spoke, "Dropped by to pay your respects to your aunt?"

Alaric went silent.

...Not entirely ordinary.

At least not that mouth.

Alaric let out a soft scoff. "I used to call her that out of respect. But what happens next is still up in the air. There's a good chance that by this time next year, Ella will be standing beside me as Crown Princess."

Cassian lifted a brow slightly. "You do know my leg's fully healed, right?"

Alaric frowned faintly. "I know. What of it?"

Cassian rested his chin lightly against his hand, a faint smile at his lips. "It means if you keep talking like that and I decide to put you in your place, don't go running to your parents about it."

Alaric stiffened.

Cassian's tone remained calm, almost lazy. "You can try, of course. But once your father hears why, you'll probably end up confined again. At this point, you're already setting records. Most disciplinary orders any Crown Prince in Avenlor has ever received. If things go poorly, even losing your position would still leave you remembered."

Alaric clenched his teeth, anger rising, but for a moment, he found no words to counter.

Then something occurred to him, and he let out a short, mocking laugh.

"Say whatever you want. It won't change a thing. Once I prove myself in the upcoming court qualification trials, I'll earn real authority again. From there, everything follows. Power, succession, the throne. And when that happens, Ella will return to me. She will be mine, my Crown Princess, my Queen."

Cassian's eyes dimmed slightly.

He had been about to stand, but his gaze flicked briefly past Alaric, and instead, he settled back into his seat again.

His voice turned even. "Ella knows her own mind. After what you did, she won't choose you."

Alaric gave a small shrug. "That was the past. I know I was wrong. And today is her birthday. I prepared something for her. Once she sees it, she'll like it. She'll forgive me. She'll fall for me again."

Cassian replied calmly, "You're underestimating her. And more importantly, she's my wife."

Alaric looked at him, a trace of ridicule in his gaze. "I still call you uncle out of respect. But if we're being honest, you don't hold a title anymore. This isn't Duskmoor Manor. It's Hale Manor now. You're living here because of Ella."