Awakening Love: Reborn to Be His Duchess Chapter 518: The Unspoken Weight

To Albert, her words felt like a thin, piercing thorn.

Not loud, not forceful, but sharp enough to sink deep and linger.

He did not know what expression to wear. Stiffly, he brought his hands together and bowed properly.

"Thank you for your hospitality, and for your guidance. We'll take our leave."

Elowen gave a small nod. "Take care on your way back."

It was not until he had climbed into the carriage and the door shut behind him that Albert slowly let out a breath.

Liam studied him for a moment, then asked, "What's going on with you? You've been out of it all night."

"Nothing..."

Albert slumped back against the seat, tilting his head up, his voice low and heavy. "I just feel like... this time, I have to pass the court qualification trials. No matter what it takes, no matter the cost, I have to pass."

Liam frowned slightly. After a brief hesitation, he lowered his voice. "Do you still like her?"

Albert reacted like he'd been burned, snapping his head toward him. "What? No. Of course not. She's married, and she's pregnant. Why would I..."

Liam looked at him steadily. "I didn't say who."

Albert choked on his words and fell silent.

Seeing his reaction, Liam understood enough.

They were cousins, but they had grown up in the same household, close in age, closer than many brothers. They knew each other's secrets.

For instance, Albert knew about Liam's early indulgences.

And Liam knew that Albert had once harbored feelings for Elowen, had even considered marrying her.

Liam let out a quiet sigh and patted his shoulder. "Even if that's true, it doesn't matter now. She's married, and she's Cassian's wife. That's Cassian. Do you think you can compete with him? Even without his former title, he's still the king's brother. You saw those fireworks tonight. Even if our entire family emptied everything we had, we couldn't pull off something like that. So what are you competing with? What do you have?"

Albert did not respond. He leaned his head back again and closed his eyes.

After a long moment, he clenched his jaw, as if making a final decision.

"No matter what, I have to pass."

Back at Hale Manor, after the last guest had been seen off, Elowen and Cassian walked side by side beneath a covered stone passageway, their fingers intertwined as they made their way toward the main residence.

The night air was gentle. Torchlight and moonlight blended together, casting their shadows along the ground, overlapping and inseparable.

After walking for a while, Cassian spoke. "Ella, why did you say those things to the Baker brothers just now?"

Elowen curved her lips into a faint smile, her eyes catching the flicker of firelight. "Because, if I'm not mistaken, that Albert probably had a bit of a thing for me."

Cassian lifted a brow slightly. "You didn't interact much before. How would you know?"

Elowen gently swung their joined hands. "We didn't. But lately, I've been thinking back on small details. He used to sneak glances at me. Whenever we spoke, even just a little, he'd get nervous, sometimes even blush. And this time, when I sent an invitation to the Baker family, I expected Clarisse. Instead, the two of them came."

Her tone was certain. "When someone likes you, it shows. In their eyes, in the way they carry themselves. You can't really hide it. I might have been slow to notice back then, but looking back, the signs were always there."

If I want to stir real trouble for Alaric during the court qualification trials, the Baker family is the best place to start.

The master of the Baker family, the Queen's father, valued scholarship deeply.

And from what she had learned, Albert and Liam had both failed the exam more than once.

That made Albert useful.

Young, impulsive, not especially firm in resolve.

If pushed enough, he would fixate on passing, even resort to questionable means.

Cassian glanced at her with interest. "Then why didn't you notice how I felt when you first came to Duskmoor Manor?"

Elowen froze for a moment, clearly not expecting the question to turn toward her.

A flush spread across her cheeks. "That was different. I wasn't very confident back then... I didn't even dare look at you directly."

The amusement in Cassian's eyes deepened, and he pressed further. "Is that so? Then think a little more carefully about the past."

Elowen actually paused to think, following his lead.

After a long moment, she suddenly laughed out loud.