Awakening Love Reborn to Be His Duchess (Elowen Hale) novel Chapter 411

Elowen tilted her head slightly, her voice calm but thoughtful. "So Isla carries herself like someone who never has to second-guess anything. Steady, composed. It doesn't matter who she's dealing with, whether she likes them or not, she always gives them that same warm, polished smile."

Because from where she stood, everyone else was... smaller.

Some were pitiable. Some were laughable. None of them was worth losing control over. Not when dignity was part of the crown she wore.

Cassian let out a quiet chuckle. "Exactly. You see right through it."

Then his tone shifted, just a touch more measured. "Still, her life isn't as perfect as it looks."

Elowen glanced at him. "What do you mean?"

Cassian leaned back slightly, his gaze steady. "Theodric didn't marry her for love. It was a strategy and an alliance. He respects her, gives her everything that comes with being Isla, but that's where it ends."

He paused, as if choosing his words carefully.

"Maybe she tells herself that love doesn't matter when power is on the table. Maybe she even believes it most days. But that kind of absence doesn't just disappear. It lingers. Like something you can ignore until it suddenly isn't ignorable anymore."

Elowen listened quietly.

"And then there's the Baker family," Cassian added, his expression turning faintly amused.

"That bad?" she asked.

"Oh, worse than it looks," he said. "Their reputation still holds. Old name, long history, plenty of scholars in the family tree. From the outside, they still look like they belong at the center of everything."

He gave a short, knowing smile.

"But inside, it's a mess. Every branch of the family is at each other's throat, constantly undercutting one another. And the younger generation..." He shook his head slightly. "Most of them have been raised with too much comfort and not nearly enough discipline."

Elowen raised a brow.

"They hand off their studies to attendants, spend their nights chasing entertainment, and treat responsibility like something optional. If Isla wants to keep her family relevant, she has to push them into positions of power."

He let out a soft breath. "Problem is, they're just not up to it. And Theodric doesn't reward lineage. He rewards competence. That leaves Isla stuck, trying to hold up a structure that's already cracking."

He glanced at Elowen. "When I was out of the picture before, she tried to place her nephew in my role. Thought it would secure her influence."

Elowen leaned forward slightly. "And?"

Cassian let out a low laugh. "And he nearly ran the whole thing into the ground. Poor decisions, no control, one disaster after another. I had to come back and fix it myself. Theodric hasn't forgotten."

Elowen nodded slowly, piecing it all together.

Cassian's voice turned quieter, but sharper. "Isla cares deeply about how she's seen. If someone embarrasses her, she doesn't let it slide. She'll return the favor, and she'll make sure it lands harder."

Elowen's eyes brightened instantly.

"So when I used Azure's name before and made Daphne look ridiculous... and dragged the Crown Prince's Wing into it..." She leaned in slightly. "Now that she knows I'm the one behind the stories, she's going to come after me the same way. Publicly."

Cassian's gaze softened with approval. "Exactly."

He studied her for a moment, then smiled. "You know, with a mind like that, you must've been excellent in your lessons growing up."

Elowen made a face. "Not even close. I used to dodge lessons whenever I could. And if I did show up, I was half asleep. My tutors were ready to give up on me."

Cassian didn't hesitate. "Then they were the problem."

She blinked. "Excuse me?"

He can't be serious... no, he definitely is.

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