Awakening Love: Reborn to Be His Duchess Chapter 555: No Middle Ground

Piers hadn't expected anything different.

He knew his uncle too well.

Gareth had built his reputation over years in the Royal Censorate, known for discipline, restraint, and a mind sharpened by study. But there was one habit he had never shaken.

He stayed out of factions, and more importantly, he avoided making enemies, especially powerful ones.

He moved through court like a careful negotiator, never committing too hard, never closing a door. He greeted everyone with the same measured warmth, always leaving himself an exit.

That balancing act was exactly why he had held his post for over a decade, in a position where most men burned out quickly.

Piers had come tonight because he knew this was how the conversation would go.

His uncle saw too many angles. Piers didn't.

He had never been the kind of man to swallow injustice, and this time, the Crown Prince had pushed things too far.

He had made his wife cry.

Piers' voice dropped, steady but cold. "Uncle, I know why you're holding back. You don't want to cross the Crown Prince. You go back a long way with Lord Colton, and you don't want trouble with the Baker family. And if the Crown Prince takes the throne someday, you don't want him remembering this."

Gareth's smile flickered for a split second before settling again. "You're overthinking things. A man in office answers to principle, not personal ties."

Piers didn't react. "That worked before. It won't work now."

He stepped forward slightly, his tone sharpening.

"The court's shifting. Power's moving. No one gets to stay neutral anymore. The Crown Prince is getting bolder, leaning on Nordia's influence like it's his shield. The Duke of Duskmoor might be taking hits right now, but his standing in the army and his support at court aren't going anywhere. And the other princes? You really think they're just sitting quietly?"

His gaze locked onto Gareth.

"You think you can keep playing both sides. That's not going to hold."

He let that settle, then added, quieter but more pointed, "And there's something else you're not factoring in. I'm married into the Duke's family. We're close with him and his duchess. And tomorrow morning, I'm speaking up in court. I'm taking this straight to His Majesty."

A beat.

"With me standing where I do, how exactly do you expect the Crown Prince to treat you kindly? How do you stay untouched after that?"

"Enough!" the Duke of Falconcrest snapped. "You're too young to understand how any of this works."

Piers didn't back down. "I understand enough. We serve the Crown. We're paid by His Majesty and supported by the people. That means we don't stay quiet when something's wrong."

His voice carried, firm and unwavering.

"The Crown Prince crossed a line. He called in the top candidates under the excuse of helping His Majesty. But His Majesty is in good health. He doesn't need someone stepping in for him. And if that excuse holds, then explain this to me."

His expression hardened.

"Forcing the Duchess of Duskmoor into the Crown Prince's Wing. Was that 'helping' too?"

Silence pressed in.

"She's carrying royal blood. What he did ignored basic decency and family bonds."

The Duke opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

Piers didn't let up.

"Being careful matters. Thinking things through matters. But being careful isn't the same as being afraid, and thinking things through doesn't mean you throw out your principles."

His words landed clean and hard.

"What the Crown Prince did today was wrong. If the Royal Censorate looks the other way, that's failure. Plain and simple."

The room fell quiet.

The Duke of Falconcrest and Gareth exchanged a look, both letting out a low breath.

...

At Hale Manor, the mood was unusually light.

Elowen had been in a rare good mood and decided to cook herself, something she hadn't done in a long time. Fresh pastries came out of the ovens, warm and fragrant. Mira got a plate, and Cassian got two.

She had just finished cleaning up when Anson came in with news that Marissa Mercer had arrived.

The Mercer family lived out in the countryside, a fair distance from the manor. Nikki had mentioned before that her mother's health had been declining for years, nowhere near what it used to be. Elowen had sent word ahead, telling them not to rush the journey.

Even so, the carriage had taken its time getting here.

After adjusting her dress, Elowen stepped out to meet her.

At first, she thought she wouldn't recognize Marissa at all.

But the moment she saw her standing beneath the covered stone walkway, something clicked.

A memory surfaced.

There had been a time when Marissa was young, when Patrick was still alive. Elowen had once seen her gently dabbing sweat from his brow with a cloth, dressed simply, her expression soft and steady. She had been the kind of woman people found easy to look at, calm, graceful, like something that belonged in a quiet riverside garden.

Now, time had changed her.

Her hair had gone pale at the edges, her face lined with years that hadn't been kind.

The moment she saw Elowen, Marissa began lowering herself into a deep bow.

Elowen stepped forward quickly and caught her by the arm. "Please, don't."

Marissa looked at her, eyes bright with emotion. "You've grown into such a fine lady, Your Grace. The General and his wife would be proud."

Elowen paused.

It had been a long time since anyone had spoken to her like that.

For a second, it felt like nothing had changed.

She let out a soft breath. "Yeah... they would."

She gestured toward the interior. "Come on, let's head inside."

At that moment, the sound of wheels rolled up beyond the side gate, the carriage coming to a clean stop.