Love's Unexpected Awakening Elowen's Choice novel Chapter 223

Chapter 223 A Voice of Her Own

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Sylvia snapped out of her thoughts, startled, her gaze lifting in a hurry, only to meet Aveline’s sharp, assessing eyes head-on.

Aveline’s lips curved faintly, her tone smooth but impossible to ignore. “I saw how absorbed you were just now, Sylvia. You must have been quite moved. Care to share your thoughts?”

There was no real room to evade.

Sylvia instinctively glanced toward Yvonne, who sat at the head of the room.

Yvonne simply held her cup, her expression calm and unreadable. She offered no hint, no guidance, not even the slightest signal.

Sylvia’s heart sank.

Not surprising. Yvonne had never liked her. Why would she step in now? She pressed her lips together, thoughts turning over in her mind.

The safest choice would be to go along with the crowd, to echo what everyone else had said. That way, nothing could go wrong.

But she just could not bring herself to say something she did not believe.

Elowen’s voice echoed in her mind, gentle yet steady, as if it had been spoken only moments

ago.

“You don’t need to be nervous, and you don’t need to try to please anyone. When the time comes, just carry yourself with confidence. Say what you truly think. Be natural.”

That quiet strength lingered, grounding her.

“Did you not hear me?” Aveline prompted again, a trace of impatience slipping into her expression.

All eyes in the room turned toward Sylvia, filled with curiosity and scrutiny.

Sylvia drew in a slow breath, as if settling something within herself.

Then she lifted her gaze.

Her voice was soft, but clear. “This is just my personal view, but while the writing is certainly elaborate, it feels overly polished, almost forced. It loses something of its natural charm because of that. It doesn’t come close to the effortless flow of Tales of Luminara. And the ideas it tries to reach for feel a bit too distant, too abstract, like something you can admire

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Chapter 223 A Voice of Her Own

but never truly connect with.”

The moment her words fell, the room went still

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Yvonne paused slightly, her fingers tightening just a fraction around her cup. She looked up, a flicker of surprise crossing her eyes as she gave Sylvia a rare, measured once-over.

Because of Marwen, she had never thought much of the girl.

But she had even less patience for the overly dressed-up nonsense on that page.

Yvonne had grown up in a family steeped in scholarship, surrounded by learned minds. She had no taste for pretentious writing like this.

Listening to the others praise it had been unbearable.

She had assumed Sylvia would follow along. She had not expected her to speak with such clarity.

Outside the hall, Elowen tilted her head slightly her gaze falling on Piers, who stood beside her, visibly tense. A hint of amusement colored her voice as she repeated his earlier words, “Alone, was she? Being bullied?”

Piers had gone completely still. Then, as the shock faded, a smile slowly spread across his face, something softer, deeper settling in his eyes.

He had never imagined that the shy, gentle girl He knew could show this kind of quiet strength.

This side of her… He likes it far more than he expected

Inside, Aveline’s expression darkened. This was the first time someone had openly contradicted her, and she did not take it well.

She let out a cold scoff. “Abstract? It stands above the vulgar tastes of the crowd. Do you really think someone like you could understand it? You’re judging something far beyond you.”

The words landed sharp and cutting.

Sylvia’s face paled, her gaze dropping.

“That’s not quite fair.”

Elowen’s voice came at just the right moment as she stepped into the hall, her tone gentle, yet carrying an undeniable steadiness. “No matter how well something is written, once it’s out in the world, some people will love it and others won’t. Even the works of Duchess Yvonne’s great-grandfather were not universally praised. That’s simply how it is.”

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