Fated Hearts: Reborn to be His Duchess

Chapter 111: Chapter 111: Cure Concealed in Sweetness

Melissa gave a dismissive snort.

"His monthly salary? How much do you imagine that amounted to? And yes, he received rewards, but those had to be saved. What if something happened to my family? I needed money to help them."

"But, Mother..."

Lillian’s voice caught.

"Did you ever think about Father?"

Her eyes grew wet.

"When I was little, he took me to the market.

I saw a sweet pastry and asked him for one. He reached into his pockets and couldn’t find a single coin."

The memory remained painfully vivid.

"Fortunately, the vendor recognised him and gave it to me for free. I can still remember Father’s face. He was so embarrassed."

Lillian swallowed hard.

"For years, I blamed myself. I thought I had been greedy. Why had I asked for that pastry? Why couldn’t I have been satisfied with what we had?"

A tear slipped down her cheek.

"But later, I realised it wasn’t only my fault. You were part of the reason too."

Melissa’s expression darkened.

"You always thought our life was difficult because Father had no title. You look at my sister now and think she made the better marriage because she married into an Earl’s household."

Lillian shook her head.

"But is she happy?"

Her voice strengthened.

"Does anyone in that family truly like her? They treat her as though she’s an outsider. Even her own husband is cold towards her."

She let out a shaky breath.

"The only reason she still has a place there is because our cousin commands their respect, and the Earl’s family cannot afford to offend him."

Melissa opened her mouth, but Lillian pressed on.

"You’ve spent your whole life looking upwards, Mother. You see a title and imagine happiness behind it. You see wealth and assume the people who possess it must have better lives."

Her fingers tightened around the embroidery in her lap.

"But that’s not how the world works."

For the first time, there was no hesitation in her voice.

"I was right not to listen to you."

Melissa’s face flushed crimson.

"It’s not because I’m ungrateful..."

"It’s because I finally understand the difference between gratitude and obedience."

The words struck harder than any accusation.

Melissa trembled with fury.

Unable to think of a response, she raised her hand.

This time, Lillian didn’t recoil.

She met her mother’s gaze without blinking.

"Go on, Mother. Hit me."

Her chin lifted.

"Better yet, ruin my face so thoroughly that no one will ever want to marry me. Perhaps then you’ll finally be satisfied."

Melissa’s hand remained suspended in the air.

For several heartbeats, neither moved.

Then her arm slowly fell.

She turned away and collapsed into a nearby chair, the fury giving way to loud, anguished wailing.

"So you’ve grown up now, have you? You don’t need your mother anymore. You don’t need your brother either!"

Her voice rose.

"How could I have given birth to such an ungrateful little viper?"

Lillian stood silently.

There was no satisfaction in seeing her mother reduced to tears. Only an old, familiar ache.

She looked at Melissa more closely.

Her mother was crying loudly, yet not a single tear touched her cheeks.

Lillian had endured enough.

"If you say I’m a viper, then perhaps I am."

She picked up her unfinished embroidery.

"I have nothing more to say."

Without waiting for a response, she walked out.

The curses followed her down the corridor, growing louder and more vicious with every step.

Lillian kept walking.

Her expression remained composed until she reached the small room that had always been hers.

She shut the door behind her and leaned against it.

Only then did her strength give way.

Her shoulders began to shake as silent sobs escaped her. She pressed a hand over her mouth, trying to keep the sound from carrying beyond the room.

It took a long time for the storm inside her to settle.

Eventually, Lillian wiped her face and pushed herself upright.

Something on the table caught her eye.

A small cluster of lotus seed pods lay there, still fresh enough that tiny beads of moisture clung to their surfaces.

Beneath them was a folded note.

Lillian picked it up and opened it.

Three words were written across the page in a familiar hand.

No more bitterness.

Her breath caught.

Reeve.

He had somehow managed to send them to her.

Lillian picked up one of the seed pods and examined it more closely.

The seeds had clearly been removed, cleaned and carefully placed back in their original positions. She took one out and split it open.

The tiny green core—the bitter heart inside—had already been removed.

He had done it himself.

Lillian placed the seed on her tongue.

As the faint sweetness spread through her mouth, a tear slipped down her cheek.

This time, however, it was accompanied by a small, genuine smile.

---

The day of the Merlinspire lily-viewing arrived as planned.

At breakfast, Cassiel set down his cup.

"There’s something I need to attend to at the army camp today. I’ll have to stop there first..."

Elysia looked up from her meal.

"Please don’t let me keep you. I’m going to Merlinspire Manor with Mrs. Rennor anyway. We’ll have plenty of company between the two of us."

Cassiel regarded her for a moment before finishing his thought.

"Once I’m done, I’ll come to Merlinspire Manor and find you."

Elysia blinked.

"You still intend to come?"

"Why wouldn’t I?"

"I only thought..." She lowered her eyes, suddenly feeling a little guilty. "You might be too busy to make the journey."

Cassiel gave a quiet chuckle.

"I’ll make time."

"All right."

Elysia nodded.

Well, there goes my leisurely conversation with Mrs. Rennor.

Cassiel left shortly after breakfast.

Elysia spent the next few hours dealing with a handful of household matters. By the time everything was settled, it was nearly time for her to depart.

Just before stepping into her carriage, she glanced towards the entrance.

"What is it, Your Grace?" Miriam asked.

"I thought Lady Melissa might come."

Given Melissa’s temperament, Elysia had expected her to find some way to force Lillian into attending. After all, Melissa had already schemed her eldest daughter into an Earl’s household. There was no way she would willingly let an opportunity involving the heir of Merlinspire pass her by.

Bertha stepped forward with a reassuring smile.

"You needn’t worry about that, Your Grace. His Grace gave specific instructions before leaving this morning."

Elysia turned towards her.

"Lady Melissa has been confined to Rose Hall. She is not to leave without permission."

Bertha’s smile widened.

"That should ensure there are no unpleasant surprises today."

Elysia stared at her for a moment.

Then, unexpectedly, warmth spread through her chest.

Being cared for like this...

It had been a very long time since anyone had made her feel protected.

Cassiel was truly good to her.

In her previous life, she had been pushed into that pond at Merlinspire Manor. She had spent years wondering who had done it and had intended to settle the score today.

But things were different now.

For Cassiel’s sake, she decided that if no one sought trouble with her, she would let the old grievance rest.

The carriage reached Merlinspire Manor while the morning sun was still gentle.

As Elysia stepped down, she lowered her head and reached for the silk ribbon at her waist, adjusting it before proceeding into the manor.

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