Fated Hearts: Reborn to be His Duchess

Chapter 97: Chapter 97: Baked with Care

Elysia was genuinely surprised.

She quickly bent down and helped Lillian to her feet before asking gently, "Get up first."

Only after Lillian was standing again did Elysia continue, "Who is he? When did this begin?"

A rosy blush spread across Lillian’s cheeks.

"It’s... the gentleman I met on the hillside that day. His name is Riven. Although he’s the son of a merchant, he’s courteous and kind. He treats me with great respect."

Understanding dawned on Elysia.

No wonder Lillian had seemed so unusually cheerful after returning from the hillside that day.

A thought suddenly crossed her mind.

"And you went out this morning to see him, didn’t you?"

Lillian’s face instantly turned scarlet.

"We... we didn’t do anything improper! We only sat together and talked for a while. Nothing else! We didn’t even touch hands!"

Elysia couldn’t help laughing.

"Relax. I’m not such an old-fashioned person."

Lillian lowered her head in embarrassment, her cheeks growing even redder.

Still smiling, Elysia gently changed her tone.

"However..."

"There is one thing I should remind you."

Lillian looked up attentively.

Elysia spoke with quiet patience.

"Mr. Evren Soren serves in the Royal Archives. Riven comes from a merchant family. In our kingdom, an official’s household will always stand above one engaged in trade. When considering marriage, affection alone isn’t enough..."

"You must also think about the years ahead. What sort of life will you lead? What opportunities will your future children have? These are all things worth considering carefully."

Lillian nodded earnestly.

"I understand."

Yet Elysia could tell from the young woman’s eyes that she didn’t truly grasp the weight of those words.

She was still young.

Love was all she could see for now.

As someone who had lived through one disastrous marriage already, Elysia understood all too well that affection alone could not sustain a lifetime.

Still...

She had already offered her advice.

The decision ultimately belonged to Lillian.

If she insisted too strongly now, and Lillian regretted her choice years later, resentment would surely follow.

After a brief silence, Elysia smiled.

"As long as you’ve thought about it."

Lillian hesitated before speaking again.

"But..."

"My mother will never agree."

Her shoulders slumped.

"She insists that I marry into a prominent noble family. She would never allow me to marry the son of a merchant."

Elysia considered the matter for a moment.

Then an idea occurred to her.

"In that case..."

"Have Riven come to Draevenor Manor the day after tomorrow as well."

Lillian’s eyes widened.

"Really?"

Elysia nodded.

"You should both meet properly. If everyone sits down together, perhaps we’ll discover another solution."

Joy instantly lit Lillian’s face.

"Thank you, Your Grace!"

She curtsied deeply before hurrying away, her steps noticeably lighter than when she had arrived.

Watching her leave, Elysia couldn’t help smiling herself.

She even found herself humming softly beneath her breath.

"Lillian is right. Lady Melissa will never agree to let her daughter marry the son of a merchant. She’ll make quite a scene. And when that happens..."

"You’ll likely bear the brunt of it."

Cassiel’s calm voice sounded from the doorway.

Elysia looked up in surprise.

"My lord? When did you get here?"

"I arrived just in time."

He wheeled himself farther inside.

"How do you know the outcome already, my lord?"

He lifted one brow.

"Call it..."

"An old man’s intuition."

Elysia blinked.

Then she burst into laughter.

"What’s with this ’old man’ business all of a sudden?"

Cassiel’s gaze drifted almost imperceptibly toward the portrait of Evren Soren still resting on the table.

Young.

Handsome.

Those words were still echoing unpleasantly in his mind.

Unfortunately...

Elysia had no idea what he was brooding over.

She simply walked over to him, her skirts swaying softly.

"My lord. You said Lady Melissa would blame me. But..."

"I’m the Duchess. Would she truly show me so little respect?"

Cassiel answered without hesitation.

"She would."

Elysia stared.

Before she could respond, Bran spoke up from behind the wheelchair.

"Your Grace, you haven’t witnessed Lady Melissa at work. When Lady Roxana’s marriage was being arranged, the manor was thrown into chaos for months."

Bran huffed.

"If one family had several sons, Lady Melissa complained the inheritance would be divided too many ways..."

"If another family lacked a noble title, she declared their status beneath hers..."

"And she said all of this directly to the prospective families’ faces."

Elysia blinked.

Bran continued with remarkable seriousness.

"His Grace reprimanded her more than once. But the moment he did..."

"She collapsed onto the floor crying and wailing. Pounding her chest. Making a scene. She kept saying how pitiful General Asheford was... How pitiful her children were..."

"Then she’d threaten to throw herself from the roof and join the General in his grave."

Elysia could picture the entire scene far too vividly.

Just imagining it made her scalp tingle.

Yet...

She had already promised Lillian.

Riven would be coming.

So would Ismeria Rennor and her nephew, Evren.

If Lady Melissa truly chose that day to create a spectacle...

As the hostess of Draevenor Manor, Elysia would lose all face.

She slowly closed her eyes.

This sort of person...

Was the hardest to deal with.

Reason couldn’t persuade someone who had already decided to abandon all dignity.

Just then, Cassiel spoke.

"Need my help?"

Elysia opened her eyes immediately.

Hope sparkled within them.

"Really?"

A faint smile curved Cassiel’s lips.

"Really."

"But... There’s a condition."

"What condition?"

He looked directly at her.

"Make me happy."

Elysia fell silent.

She thought about it with utmost seriousness.

How could she make Cassiel happy?

Perhaps...

If she voluntarily asked for a divorce one day...

Returned the title of Duchess to the woman he truly loved...

Wouldn’t that make him happier than anything?

Watching the changing expressions on her face, Cassiel suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of danger.

Whatever she was thinking...

It probably wasn’t what he wanted to hear.

Before she could speak, he calmly interrupted.

"I’m hungry."

The dangerous train of thought instantly disappeared.

Elysia’s eyes brightened.

"I’ll make something special! Just for you!!"

Cassiel’s gaze deepened.

"Oh?"

She enthusiastically began describing her plan.

"I’ll knead the oat-and-wheat dough until it’s tender and flaky. I’ll mix rosemary into the crust. Then I’ll prepare a filling with caramelized onions and sautéed mushrooms. Right before it finishes baking, I’ll crack a fresh egg over the top so the yolk stays beautifully runny... It’ll be a fragrant herb-crusted savory tart."

She looked at him expectantly.

"Will that do?"

Cassiel was silent for a long moment.

Then, the corners of his lips slowly lifted.

"...It will."

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