Awakening Love Reborn to Be His Duchess (Elowen Hale) novel Chapter 312

Chapter 312 The Heavy Price Of Truth

Back at Duskmoor Manor, Hugh had returned from the inn and was reporting everything to Elowen.

As he described Lydia’s symptoms, Elowen paused, caught off guard. In her previous life, her aunt’s poisoning had looked much the same–except her aunt had been in far worse shape. Lydia’s case looked almost like a normal illness.

Wait, was Lydia the one who poisoned Aunt in my last life?

But too much had changed in this lifetime. Her aunt had insisted on separating from Alistair, and Lydia had ended up using the poison on herself instead…

“What kind of poison is it?” Cassian asked, intrigued. “Why can’t ordinary doctors detect it?”

Before answering, Hugh glanced at Elowen. She was too deep in thought to notice.

He pulled a small ceramic bottle from his pocket. “This is it. In a small dose, it barely shows any symptoms. Most doctors would call it exhaustion, maybe stress. Only a large amount makes it obvious. It’s colorless and tasteless too. Unless someone knew to look for it, they’d never suspect it. The strange part is, Lydia didn’t use all of it. I have no idea where she got it.”

The second Elowen saw the bottle, her eyes lit up. “That’s my grandfather’s.”

Cassian raised a brow. “Your grandfather’s?”

Elowen nodded and pointed. “Look at the bottom. There’s a twinleaf emblem. Everything Grandfather owned carried that mark. It was his personal crest. The plant was his favorite herb, so he adopted it as his sigil.”

“Twinleaf is a medicinal plant,” Elowen added thoughtfully. “Apothecaries say it’s useful for treating fevers and cleansing the blood.”

It was one of the first things she had memorized as a child. She’d never forgotten it.

Without a word, Hugh handed the bottle to Cassian.

Cassian turned it over. Sure enough, a carved twinleaf marked the base.

He studied it, then passed it to Elowen. “If it was your grandfather’s, then it belongs to you.”

Elowen checked the bottom and suddenly stopped, blinking fast.

Beside the carved twinleaf was a tiny mark–an accidental fingerprint.

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19:58 Tue, May 12

Komputer at The Healy Frice of Truth

Memory rushed back. Years ago, her grandfather had been sketching the crest, and she, still a little girl, had poked the paper and left a smudge. She’d assumed he would throw it out and make a perfect new one. Instead, he had kept it—and added her tiny print to everything he owned.

That had been his way of loving her, in his strict and orderly world.

“Doctor Dray…” Elowen tightened her hands around the bottle, her voice trembling. “Where did you get this?”

Hugh answered plainly. “It was with Lydia.”

Elowen stared at him. “Lydia? But… how?”

How does Lydia even get something that belongs to grandfather? And when does that happen?

Cassian’s low voice broke through her thoughts. “We’ll bring her in and get answers soon enough.”

Elowen tightened her grip on the bottle and nodded.

Later, as afternoon waned, Elspeth arrived wearing her usual grin. “Ella, come out with me for a bit.”

Elowen gave her a wary look. “Where? If this is another shopping trip for me, I’m not going.”

Elspeth had more money than sense. She was always spoiling her, always trying to heap gifts on her.

But Elowen felt the manor already had more than it could ever use. Buying more would only be wasteful.

Elspeth laughed. “Please. As if you’d let me buy you anything.

Elowen pressed a hand to her chest and sighed dramatically. “Thank goodness.”

Elspeth smiled and shook her head. “No, really. I need you to come with me to the estate in town.”

“The one inside Vanelle?” Elowen asked.

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