Awakening Love Reborn to Be His Duchess (Elowen Hale) novel Chapter 820

Chapter 820 Setting the Bait

Bran recounted everything he had overheard that day.

His account came in hesitant stutters, lacking detail-a common slip of memory.

Listening to him, Elowen couldn’t help thinking of Scarlet.

How I miss those days.

Yet Bran was nothing if not thorough, allowing Elowen to piece together the full picture.

Kingsport churned with chatter, many claiming the Duchess of Duskmoor was the Oracle’s true heir. Most however, sneered at the idea.

They insisted she was a pawn, a scheme between the Khan and Avenlor to hijack the divine throne and crush the local lords.

Long before the Rite of the Oracle, unrest gripped the city. Whispers rippled through taverns and confectioneries alike.

“A woman from Avenlor, claiming to be our Oracle?”

“Sure, she holds a token, but who’s to say it isn’t counterfeit?”

“Oracle Peak has been dead for decades, choked by mass graves. Reinstating the role now is just the court using foreign lapdogs against Archduke Malkor.”

Hearing this, Elowen saw right through the play.

Bran looked over, asking, “My Lady, what’s our move?”

Elowen smiled faintly, “Simple. Leak word that Duke Cassian’s old battle wounds flared up and he requires heavy medicine daily.

“We won’t even need to say a word. Just toss the dregs outside where eyes are watching. They’ll spread the story for us.”

Nearby, Noah raised an eyebrow, “You certainly know how to set a hook, girl.”

Elowen chuckled, “Malkor fears Cassian above all else. Once he thinks Cassian is bedridden, his guard drops, and his hand will be forced.”

Noah caught on, “You’re baiting him into a trap?”

“Precisely.”

Elowen added, “Malkor’s already making moves, though he’s still treading lightly. Believing Cassian is out of the fight makes him overconfident. That’s when men make fatal missteps.”

She offered Noah a cheeky smile, “A lesson I picked up over the years-mostly from Cassian.”

Sure enough, word of Cassian’s failing health spread fast. It started with servants gossiping outside the

15:18 Sat, Aug

Chapter 820 Setting the Bait

apothecary, whispering that the Duke of Duskmoor hadn’t woken all night.

By afternoon, the rumors grew wilder.

Some swore he’d spat blood the moment he left the banquet, having merely put on a show.

Others claimed his past victories over Nordia left him broken inside, that his grand entrance authe gate was a bluff, and he couldn’t even lift a blade now.

A few even claimed the mansion was brewing desperate tinctures while ordering a coffin in secret, hiding, his death to save face.

The wild stories soon reached Elowen’s ears.

Bra inced. “My Lady, this is getting ridiculous. Have these Nordians lost their minds

out a laugh, “Sensational lies travel fastest. The wilder it gets, the better it serves us.”

sk, Anson returned with fresh intelligence on House Harrow.

Archduke Malkor dispatched three teams today: one to the Crimson Lantern, one to the noble and another to fan rumors in the taverns. The slander about you being a fake heir is escalating.”

nodded calmly.

on continued, “His scouts are also probing Princess Valessa’s guards, clearly planning to break Ronan

lowen tapped her fingers against the table. “The Archduke certainly treasures his boy.”

She rested her chin in her hand, turning a smile toward Thomas, “If he knew his legitimate son was standing right here, imagine how much more he’d dote on you.”

Thomas paused before answering flatly, “I care nothing for his affection.”

Yet the veins on the back of his hands throbbed beneath the skin.

Deep down, he still yearned for a father’s warmth.

Elowen noticed, choosing not to call him out.

Turning back to Anson, she asked, “How many days until the Rite of the Oracle?”

“Three days.”

Elowen pondered for a beat, “We visit Princess Valessa first thing tomorrow. Thomas comes along.

Thomas bowed his head, “Understood.”

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