Awakening Love: Reborn to Be His Duchess Chapter 539: Terms of Power

Josh looked genuinely surprised.

Elowen didn't rush him. She continued in an even, thoughtful tone, "And one more thing. I've been supporting your family and backing your studies, but that's not just because of your father. I've been watching you. You're disciplined, you've got real talent, and more importantly, you've got backbone. You remember who helped you and you don't take it for granted. That kind of character is rare. Someone like you, your future can go very far."

She let that settle before going on, her voice still calm but carrying weight. "If you succeed, I benefit too. The exams might be over, but that doesn't mean the road ahead will be smooth."

Josh caught the meaning beneath her words and slowly lifted his head.

Elowen smiled slightly. "The path through the court qualification trials is never easy. You're going to run into obstacles sooner or later. Without someone backing you, it's easy to get stuck before you even get started. And if I want Hale Manor to keep its standing, I'll need capable people on my side. Josh, do you understand what I'm saying?"

Everything clicked into place.

He stepped forward and bowed deeply, his voice steady. "Your Grace, I understand."

Elowen's smile softened. "Good. That's all I needed to hear. Still, Nikki hasn't been home in a while. Take her back tonight and spend some time with your mother."

Josh answered immediately, "Yes, Your Grace."

Nikki had spent the whole day thinking she would never return to Hale Manor, never see Elowen or Scarlet again. She had been holding back tears, her whole mood dim and heavy.

Now everything turned around in an instant.

Her face lit up, bright and lively again. "Yes, Your Grace!"

The two of them offered their farewells to Elowen and Cassian and stepped out.

Night was settling in, and Elowen wasn't comfortable sending them off alone, so she had a carriage prepared from Hale Manor and assigned two guards to accompany them home.

Once they climbed inside, Nikki could barely sit still.

"Josh, look at this carriage. It's incredible. It rides so smooth. Back home, even the village head probably hasn't been in something like this. Just wait until that kid next door sees it, he's going to be so jealous."

Josh nodded faintly, but his attention wasn't on the carriage.

His thoughts kept circling back to Elowen's words. "You're going to run into obstacles sooner or later."

What kind of obstacles did she mean?

By the time the carriage reached the edge of the village, the sky had dimmed into a cool, dusky blue.

Dinner was over, but no one had turned in yet.

Clusters of villagers lingered beneath a large old tree near the entrance, chatting about bits of news from Vanelle. Children ran around it in bursts of energy, chasing and laughing.

"A carriage! There's a carriage coming in!"

A chubby boy in a short tunic spotted it first, shouting at the top of his lungs.

The chatter stopped instantly.

Adults turned. Children crowded closer, curious.

The carriage rolled forward, painted a deep indigo, its wood polished smooth, the heavy drapes thick and finely made.

This was something rare.

Right on cue, Nikki lifted the curtain just enough to reveal her and Josh inside.

The boy's eyes went wide. "Nikki! Nikki! That's Nikki!"

He waved wildly and ran after it. "Hey, it's me! Your neighbor!"

Nikki turned her head as if she had just noticed him, her voice bright and composed. "Oh, it's you. Sorry, it's hard to hear from inside."

Josh watched her performance, amused, but didn't expose her.

The boy, flushed and out of breath, kept running alongside. "Nikki, where did you get this carriage? It's amazing. Where'd it come from?"

Nikki blinked her clear, lively eyes, deliberately dragging it out. "Why don't you guess?"

The boy wanted to ask if he could ride along, but the carriage had already moved deeper into the village toward their home.

He slowed to a stop, breathing hard, watching as it disappeared into the growing dark, his face full of envy.

Behind him, the crowd burst into excited chatter.

"Was that really the siblings?"

"Of course it was. Didn't Josh go to Vanelle for the exams? That carriage... could he have already passed and been sent back like that?"

"No way it's that fast. They still have to review everything. That takes at least a month."

"Then whose carriage is it? That's not something ordinary people have. Maybe some noble took a liking to him. Took him in as a student, or maybe even as a son-in-law?"

"Could be."

The chubby boy scratched the back of his head and spoke with complete sincerity. "My mom always said studying could change your life. I thought she was just saying that to get me to read. I even thought Josh was dumb for always having his nose in a book..."

He looked toward where the carriage had gone, eyes shining.

"Turns out she wasn't lying. You really can make something of yourself. You really can ride in something like that."