Fated Hearts: Reborn to be His Duchess

Chapter 11: Chapter 11: An Unbidden Question

After finishing the examination, Physician Halbrecht adjusted several portions of Cassiel’s prescription before finally taking his leave.

Elysia instructed Miriam to escort him out personally.

Once the room quieted again, she stood silently nearby, watching Bran carefully tuck the blanket around Cassiel’s body.

The towering man bent awkwardly over the bed, his movements unexpectedly gentle.

After a brief moment of thought, Elysia suddenly asked:

"Bran, how long have you served beside the Duke?"

Bran looked up immediately.

"My father once served in the royal guard," he answered honestly. "Not long after I was born, I was brought into the palace as well."

He scratched his head thoughtfully.

"So for as long as I can remember, I’ve always followed His Grace."

Then he counted briefly on his fingers.

"Twenty-seven... maybe twenty-eight years by now."

Elysia’s thoughts stirred quietly.

She turned her head slightly toward Cassiel before asking:

"Then you must know many things about him."

"Of course."

Bran nodded confidently.

"There probably isn’t anyone in this world who knows His Grace better than I do."

Elysia hesitated briefly before asking softly:

"Then... do you happen to know whether the Duke ever had someone he truly loved?"

Bran froze immediately.

His expression turned visibly conflicted.

"Your Grace..."

Elysia naturally understood his hesitation.

She smiled faintly.

"You don’t need to misunderstand."

Her tone remained calm and gentle.

"I heard long ago that the Duke already carried someone in his heart."

"And since I still chose to marry into Draevenor Manor despite knowing that..."

A small smile touched her lips.

"Then naturally, I don’t mind."

Bran blinked in surprise.

Elysia continued patiently:

"I’m not asking because I wish to argue or force answers out of anyone."

Her gaze shifted quietly toward Cassiel.

"Earlier, Physician Halbrecht mentioned that intense emotional stimulation may help wake the Duke."

"I suddenly remembered hearing rumors that His Grace once cherished someone deeply."

"If we could locate that woman and bring her here..."

Her voice softened.

"Perhaps it might help him awaken sooner."

Then she looked directly at Bran.

"So you can relax."

"Everything I’m doing is for the Duke’s sake."

Meanwhile, Cassiel lay motionless on the bed.

His body still lacked strength entirely.

Even opening his eyes felt exhausting.

Only his thoughts remained sharp.

And his hearing remained perfectly clear.

So naturally—

He heard every single word.

And he also heard Bran suddenly exclaim:

"Your Grace is absolutely right!"

Cassiel nearly lost control of his expression.

So easily persuaded.

Idiot.

Elysia looked toward Bran expectantly.

"So... who is she?"

Cassiel found himself growing unexpectedly tense.

At the same time, another strange thought surfaced in his mind.

When Elysia deliberately softened her voice like this...

Even he found it difficult to resist.

Perhaps Bran truly could not be blamed entirely.

Meanwhile, Bran scratched awkwardly at the back of his head.

"To be honest..."

He looked troubled.

"I’m actually not sure."

This time, Elysia looked genuinely surprised.

"You don’t know?"

Bran shook his head helplessly.

"I truly don’t."

"Over the years, countless people attempted to arrange marriages for His Grace."

"But every single time, he refused immediately."

Bran lowered his voice slightly.

"He always claimed there was already someone in his heart."

"So no matter who came to propose marriage, His Grace rejected them all without hesitation."

Elysia listened quietly.

Bran continued:

"Later, even His Majesty personally asked who the woman was. He said he would arrange the marriage himself."

Bran spread his hands helplessly.

"That should’ve solved everything perfectly... But His Grace still refused."

A strange expression crossed Bran’s face.

"In the end, even His Majesty started suspecting there wasn’t actually any woman at all. Maybe His Grace simply didn’t wish to marry and invented the story as an excuse."

"I see..."

Elysia fell deep into thought.

Meanwhile, Cassiel himself felt somewhat surprised.

He truly hadn’t realized he concealed things that well.

Born into nobility and raised beside the throne, Cassiel never needed to hide his emotions from anyone.

When pleased, he rewarded generously.

When angered, he punished mercilessly.

He never learned to watch others carefully.

Never learned to conceal himself.

And certainly never worried about offending people.

Except in this one matter.

This was the only thing he ever hid completely.

Even Bran knew nothing.

Even his elder brother, the King, never discovered the entire truth.

At that moment, Elysia suddenly smiled again.

"It doesn’t matter."

She looked completely unconcerned.

"Even if there was no woman he loved, the Duke must still care deeply about something else."

Her tone carried quiet confidence.

"We’ll simply test things slowly, one by one."

Bran looked curious immediately.

"How exactly do we test it?"

At the same moment, Cassiel also found himself listening carefully for her answer.

But Elysia merely smiled mysteriously.

"We’ll think about it gradually."

Then she glanced toward the darkened windows.

"It’s already late."

"Tomorrow, I still need to visit Lady Melissa."

Bran nodded and finally withdrew from the room.

Meanwhile, Cassiel frowned silently.

In his opinion, there was absolutely no need for Elysia to visit Melissa personally.

She was now the Duchess of Draevenor.

Aside from the King himself—

There was no one else in this estate worthy of her lowering her head.

Then another thought suddenly surfaced.

Elysia said she planned to rest.

But where exactly would she sleep?

Very quickly, he received the answer.

Soft rustling sounds drifted through the quiet chamber.

The faint sound of fabric brushing gently against the floor gradually approached the bed.

Then—

The mattress shifted slightly.

Someone climbed onto the bed beside him.

A faint fragrance drifted into the air.

Fresh.

Light.

Carrying traces of jasmine.

It was Elysia’s scent.

Cassiel’s breathing faltered almost immediately.

She lay down directly beside him.

Very close.

Close enough that he could feel the warmth radiating faintly from her body even through the blanket between them.

Cassiel suddenly found himself completely unable to sleep.

Perhaps it was because he remained unconscious too long.

Or perhaps the fragrance surrounding him was simply too overwhelming.

Thoughts from the past surfaced uncontrollably.

Memories.

Visions.

Imagined futures.

Everything tangled together chaotically.

Then suddenly—

Something soft draped lightly across his waist.

Cassiel froze instantly.

Elysia shifted unconsciously in her sleep and rolled slightly toward him.

One slender arm rested gently across his body over the blanket.

Even through the thin layers of silk, he could still faintly feel the coolness of her skin.

Cassiel’s entire body stiffened.

His breathing stopped completely for a moment.

There was absolutely no chance he would fall asleep tonight.

—

The next morning, Elysia sat quietly before the dressing mirror.

Sunlight filtered softly through the windows.

Miriam stood behind her, carefully combing through her long dark hair.

Elysia looked calmly at her reflection before speaking:

"I’m going to see Lady Melissa today."

Then after a brief pause, she added softly:

"Arrange my hair properly."

Miriam blinked in surprise.

Then understanding immediately dawned across her face.

A faint smile appeared at the corners of her lips.

"Yes, my lady."

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!