Awakening Love: Reborn to Be His Duchess Chapter 517: Firelight and Distance

A soft warmth settled deep in Elowen's chest.

The arrangement had been handled perfectly. It fulfilled her wishes without sacrificing a fine horse for nothing.

That was exactly the kind of man Cassian was.

Across the courtyard, long after the last flare of fireworks had faded and the sparks dissolved into drifting smoke, Albert still stood there, head tilted up toward the sky, slow to come back to himself.

Liam nudged him, impatience creeping in. "The show's over. You planning to stand there all night? Go say goodbye to the Princess Consort. We should head out, we've got plans with the He family at the Silken Veil Atelier."

Albert blinked, delayed, then gave a dull, "Oh."

From where he stood, with torchlight and iron braziers casting a steady glow across the estate, he caught sight of Elowen and Cassian at a glance.

They stood not far off, surrounded like the center of gravity in the room.

Elowen had turned slightly, smiling as she spoke with the Duke of Falconcrest and Duchess of Falconcrest.

She had always been beautiful, but tonight that beauty felt almost unreal. Her skin seemed to hold the light, smooth and luminous, the warm glow from the firelight softening her features until she looked almost untouchable, like something carved from pale stone and brought to life.

Her hair was swept up in an elegant style, a delicate ornament set into it, strands of pearls swaying faintly with her movement, catching the light in quiet, shimmering flashes.

She didn't need to do anything. Just standing there with that calm, effortless smile, she drew every eye.

Cassian stood at her side, tall and composed, his presence only sharpening the sense of distance around her. Together, they looked like something placed on a high altar, admired, but far beyond reach.

A hollow ache opened in Albert's chest.

It felt like something had been taken out of him, leaving behind an empty space that the cold night air rushed into.

He and Julian could be called old acquaintances.

Back then, after losing a drinking match to Julian, he had felt irritated, unwilling to accept it. So he thought he would get even in some small way, maybe by picking on the sister Julian treasured most.

But whether it was racing horses or shooting at the training grounds, he lost.

Every time, he lost to Elowen.

Back then, he used to watch her from a distance, thinking she looked like the glow of sunrise on the horizon, vivid, breathtaking, but impossible to hold onto, like something that would vanish the moment you reached for it.

There had been a time when he envied Alaric.

Even resented him.

What kind of luck was that, to marry someone like Elowen?

Then everything changed. Hale Manor collapsed piece by piece, loss after loss. Elowen lost the protection of her father and brother.

The next time he saw her, she had grown thinner. The brightness in her expression had faded, yet somehow she had become even more refined, more striking.

Back then, Alaric had privately told their relatives that the Hale family was finished, and Elowen had become dull and uninteresting, no longer worth his attention.

Albert had turned that thought over in his mind more than once.

If he stepped in and proposed, with the standing of the Baker family, wouldn't it be almost guaranteed?

After all, the Hale family was no longer what it had been. Elowen was alone, vulnerable.

If he appeared before her, wouldn't she see him as someone who had come to save her?

That thought rose again and again.

And each time, he put it off.

He was afraid of being mocked for taking what Alaric had cast aside. Afraid his family would not approve. Afraid Elowen herself might refuse.

So he delayed.

And delayed.

Until the royal marriage banquet, until Elowen stood before the king and chose to marry Cassian.

When he heard the news, he had been drinking at the Velvet Lantern.

He remembered slurring to a courtesan beside him, "She's lost her mind. Elowen's completely lost her mind. Throwing herself away like that."

After that, he heard her name from time to time. People talked about how Cassian treated her, about what she had done.

But it never stayed with him.

There was always another distraction, another drink, another warm body close at hand.

Until now.

Albert stood there, breathing in the faint trace of smoke left in the air.

And suddenly, it struck him.

The girl he had once pitied had, without him noticing, returned to a place far beyond his reach.

So what if Cassian had fallen from power? She was still the Lady of Grace and Virtue.

Even this estate still stood because of her. And him?

Still the same man, living off his family, drowning in wine and indulgence. "Tonight was rather lively. If anything fell short, I hope you'll forgive us."

The soft, steady voice pulled him back.

Albert lifted his head abruptly and met Elowen's eyes.

For a brief moment, he froze.

There was warmth there, and composure, and something distant that he could not cross.

His chest tightened, and he lowered his gaze immediately, unable to hold it. For a moment, he could not even find his voice.

Liam stepped forward half a step and bowed. "You're too kind. It was your celebration today. The food, the wine, even the performances were exceptional. There's nothing lacking."

"You're being generous," Elowen said with a light smile. "I've heard that the two of you will be sitting for the court qualification trials this year?"

Liam nodded with a smile. "We'll do our best."

The smile on her lips deepened slightly. "The Baker family has a strong academic tradition. With your knowledge and the guidance of your elders, passing should come easily. Let me congratulate you in advance."

She paused briefly, her gaze brushing over Albert, who stood silent with his head lowered.

Her voice softened further. "Of course, examinations can be unpredictable. Even if things don't go as planned, given your family's standing and favor with the king, securing a respectable post through royal patronage would not be difficult. You are both young, accomplished, and well-born. Your futures are bright."