Fated Hearts: Reborn to be His Duchess

Chapter 109: Chapter 109: A Reckoning in Bloom

Elysia stared at the note in her hand.

The date.

The place.

She could never forget either.

Merlinspire Manor was famed throughout Caelvyr for its magnificent water-lily pond, where rare and costly varieties bloomed in abundance each summer.

The Duke and Duchess were renowned for their hospitality, and whenever the lilies reached their peak, invitations would be sent throughout the capital, drawing the kingdom’s most distinguished families to admire them.

In her previous life, when everyone had assumed she would eventually marry Vaelen, Elysia had accompanied him to one of those gatherings.

She had nearly died there.

Someone had pushed her into the pond.

She remembered the cold shock of the water closing over her head, the frantic struggle to keep herself afloat as she swallowed mouthful after mouthful.

Elysia knew how to swim.

But her knees had been hurting badly that day, making it difficult to kick properly, and every attempt to pull herself towards the bank ended in failure.

Then, through the water and the blur of her panic, she had seen Vaelen.

He was standing on the distant bank.

Watching.

He had not moved.

Not even once.

The sight of him standing there so calmly while she struggled for her life had chilled her more deeply than the water ever could.

Then someone had plunged into the pond.

Reeve.

He had reached her before she lost consciousness and dragged her back to shore.

By the time they emerged from the water, she was soaked through. Her hair clung to her face, her clothes were heavy with water, and the eyes of every guest drawn by the commotion seemed to be fixed upon her.

Humiliation overwhelmed her.

Once again, it had been Reeve who offered her what little dignity he could.

He had removed his cloak and wrapped it around her trembling shoulders, shielding her from the stares.

She had been hurt.

Embarrassed.

And, above all, bewildered.

On the journey home, she had secretly hoped Vaelen would at least offer a word of comfort.

Instead, he had looked at her with cold displeasure.

"How is it that no one else fell into the pond, yet you did?"

His voice had been devoid of concern.

"And you even had to be rescued by another man. Do you have any idea how utterly you’ve disgraced me?"

Elysia had stared at him in silence.

For several breaths, she had been unable to comprehend what she was hearing.

What had she done wrong?

She had been the one who was pushed.

The one who nearly drowned.

If Reeve had not gone into the water after her, she might not have survived.

Yet somehow, Vaelen cared more about another man’s hands having touched her than the fact that she had nearly lost her life.

Was her so-called purity truly worth more than her life?

That question had remained with her long after his words faded.

She had sat in the carriage in a daze, tears silently spilling down her cheeks all the way back to Hartwell Manor.

Vaelen had offered no comfort.

When a small, broken sob eventually escaped her, he had merely frowned towards the window and made an impatient sound, as though even her grief were an inconvenience.

The memory returned with painful clarity.

Elysia lowered the note.

Her brow furrowed.

She felt a deep ache for the girl she had once been—and an even sharper disgust towards the man who had treated her so cruelly.

"Your Grace?"

Bertha’s gentle voice drew her back.

"Do you not wish to go?"

Elysia looked down at the invitation once more.

Then a small smile touched her lips.

"I’ll go."

She folded the note neatly.

"Why wouldn’t I?"

There was another reason, too.

In her previous life, she had already formed a strong suspicion about who had pushed her into that pond.

Now she had another chance to find out whether that person would make the same attempt again.

And if they did...

Her eyes cooled.

It would be an excellent opportunity to settle an old score.

Perhaps more than one.

She set Ismeria’s note aside and reached for a fresh sheet of parchment.

Her quill had barely touched the page when Bran entered, carrying another envelope.

"Your Grace, an invitation has just arrived from Merlinspire Manor."

Elysia looked up.

That was hardly surprising.

She accepted it and opened the envelope.

The contents described the very same gathering Ismeria had mentioned.

Still, something about it struck her as unusual.

According to proper protocol, invitations for an event of this scale were supposed to be distributed according to rank and precedence.

Draevenor Manor should have received its invitation before most of the other noble households.

Yet Ismeria had received hers first.

Was Duchess Yvette still displeased over what had happened with Melissa?

Elysia could not say for certain.

After reading the invitation carefully, she handed it back.

"You may return to your duties. I’ll call for you once I’ve prepared the reply."

"Yes, Your Grace."

Bran bowed and withdrew.

Elysia waited until the door closed before rising.

She wanted to discuss the invitation with Cassiel.

The wording suggested that the Duke and Duchess of Merlinspire expected the two of them to attend together. Whether Cassiel actually wished to go, however, was another matter.

She crossed into the inner chamber.

A few steps from the bed, she slowed.

The memory of the last time she had approached him without warning surfaced immediately.

Cassiel had mistaken her for an attacker.

His reflexes had nearly closed around her throat before he realised who she was.

Elysia had no intention of repeating the experience.

She stopped a short distance from the bed.

"My lord..."

"Come in."

His lazy voice came from behind the curtains.

Elysia acknowledged him and approached, carefully drawing the curtains aside before taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

Cassiel pushed himself upright.

"I nearly hurt you last time."

His expression remained calm.

"It won’t happen again. I can tell the difference between you and an assassin now."

Elysia nodded.

"I understand."

She held up the invitation.

"Mrs. Rennor sent me a letter this morning."

Cassiel’s eyes moved to the paper.

"What did she write about? Her nephew?"

Elysia shook her head.

"It had nothing to do with Evren."

A faintly curious look crossed her face.

"You seem unusually interested in him."

Cassiel said nothing.

"You mention him almost every time he comes up."

Still no response.

Elysia thought about it for a moment, then reached her own conclusion.

"Evren is the son of a lady of the blood. His maternal grandfather was a prince."

Her eyes brightened slightly as the pieces fell into place.

"That prince must be one of your brothers."

She looked at Cassiel.

"So you and Evren are related. And rather closely."

She did not dwell on the matter.

Instead, she unfolded the formal invitation.

"Merlinspire Manor is inviting the nobility of Caelvyr to view their water lilies."

She held it out to him.

"They’ve invited both of us."

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