Love's Unexpected Awakening Elowen's Choice novel Chapter 645

Chapter 645 The Fear She Carried

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Elowen turned slightly toward the servant waiting nearby and gave a quiet instruction, “Anson, walk Commander Hall out.”

Draven immediately waved the offer away before Anson could even move. “Your Grace is too kind, but there’s really no need. It’s not far, and I know the roads back well enough.”

After speaking, he clasped a fist over his chest in farewell, then strode out of the Great Hall without lingering.

The moment he left, the hopeful energy Elowen had been holding onto seemed to disappear with him.

at there for a while staring down at the untouched winebeside her, disappointed enough that she nly had no appetite for it anymore. Even so, the fresh scent still drifted warmly through the room. uld not bear to waste it. In the end, she reluctantly picked up the cup and drank another few fuls anyway.

en, Cassian had already risen to his feet.

two of them left the Great Hall together and slowly made their way back toward the main residence ough the stone corridors of Duskmoor Manor.

lowen’s expression remained troubled the entire walk back. “I truly thought it would work,” she admitted with a sigh. “Draven seems reliable, and it’s obvious he cares about Scarlet. I kept thinking that if the two of them married, it really would’ve turned into something wonderful.”

Cassian glanced at her sideways, amusement flickering through his eyes. “When it comes to arranging marriages, nobody in the world can compete with my imperial brother.”

The remark instantly reminded Elowen of Theodric’s increasingly ridiculous title, the Emperor of Arranged Marriages, and despite her disappointment, she burst out laughing.

The laughter cleared her thoughts considerably.

As she replayed Scarlet’s behavior from earlier in her mind, Elowen slowly began realizing something important. Scarlet’s reaction had not looked like rejection at all. The deliberate distance, the careful avoidance, the way she kept forcing herself to stay detached… none of that felt like dislike.

It felt like hiding.

She’s not avoiding him because she doesn’t care. She’s afraid of something.

Perhaps Scarlet still felt too indebted to Elowen for rescuing her years ago and could not bring herself to leave Duskmoor Manor yet.

Whatever the reason, Elowen decided she needed to ask her directly.

Cassian headed off to see the children while Elowen turned instead toward the study.

Inside, Scarlet

her toes wh

the tall bookshelves with her back facing the doorway, stretching onto

avy volumes onto one of the upper shelves.

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Chapter 645 The Fear She Carried

She seemed completely distracted by her own thoughts because she never even noticed Elowen enter the

room.

Elowen crossed quietly toward the writing desk before sitting down in the chair beside it. Then she called gently, “Scarlet.”

Scarlet startled hard enough that the books nearly slipped from her hands.

The moment she turned and saw Elowen sitting there, she froze briefly before quickly lowering her gaze again. “Does Your Grace need the ledgers? I can bring them right away.”

“There’s no hurry about the ledgers today,” Elowen said softly. “I actually wanted to talk to you.”

let pressed her lips together before obediently setting the books aside and walking over.

she stopped in front of Elowen, however, she lowered her head and remained completely silent.

ven studied her quietly for a moment before finally asking, “You don’t like Commander Hall?”

om where she sat, she could clearly see Scarlet’s lashes trembling.

Along silence passed before Scarlet answered in a subdued voice. “It’s not that I dislike him. Commander Hall is… a very good man. He’s respected, capable, well-born, and trusted by His Majesty himself. He commands the King’s Guard, and everyone knows he has a brilliant future ahead of him.”

Elowen continued gently, “Then why turn him away? Scarlet, surely you understand why he came today. He brought gifts, spoke openly about his household, and made his intentions very clear. From what I saw, he genuinely wants to marry you properly.”

It should have been happy news.

Yet the moment Elowen said it aloud, Scarlet only lowered her head further.

Elowen’s voice softened with sincere affection. “Scarlet, you’re a wonderful girl. Truly. I honestly believe you deserve a good marriage like this. You’ve stayed beside me for years now, and I care about you deeply. If you choose to marry one day, you won’t need to worry about anything at all because I’ll prepare your dowry personally and make certain you leave this manor with every bit of dignity you deserve.” Her tone grew even gentler after that. “And if one day the Hall family mistreats you, or if Draven changes his heart, then you come back to me immediately. His Grace and I will stand behind you no matter what.”

Only then did Scarlet finally raise her head.

Her eyes had already gone red from holding back tears for so long, moisture trembling visibly along her lashes despite how desperately she tried to endure it.

The gratitude and emotion in her expression were unmistakable.

So wa

forced out the words in a strained whisper. “But.. Your Grace… I’m not

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Chapter 645 The Fear She Carried

Elowen blinked. “What do you mean?”

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The next instant, Scarlet abruptly lowered herself to the floor before her, shoulders shaking as years of suppressed pain finally broke apart all at once.

“Your Grace… Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably now, her voice treinbling harder with every word. “Back then… I worked in a tavern entertaining noblemen and wealthy guests. I poured wine for them, played music for them, smiled when they wanted smiling, and sat beside them while they drank themselves senseless…” Her breathing hitched painfully. “I was nothing more than something they paid to look at and enjoy.”

Elowen’s brows slowly drew together.

Of course she knew.

After all, she herself had brought Scarlet out of that place years ago.

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But because Elowen had never once cared about Scarlet’s background, she had unknowingly overlooked how deeply Scarlet herself still suffered because of it.

Scarlet remained lowered before her, tears falling steadily across the stone floor while her voice shook more violently with every sentence.

“How could someone like me ever deserve a man like Commander Hall? He commands the King’s Guard. He serves beside His Majesty himself. Everyone at court admires him.” Her hands clenched tightly in her skirts. “If he ever learned the truth about my past, he’d be disgusted. Even if he somehow didn’t care…” She swallowed hard before continuing. “What about his family? No respectable household would ever willingly welcome a woman like me into their name. I’d bring shame onto them. People would gossip behind their backs forever.”

She wiped at her tears helplessly. “And besides… many of Commander Hall’s fellow officers may have seen me before. Some of them were guests at that tavern back then. They know exactly what kind of place it was. If they found out he married me…” Her voice finally began breaking apart completely. “What would they say about him afterward? They’d mock him for the rest of his life, and I…” She shook her head weakly through tears. “I couldn’t bear that.”

The further she spoke, the quieter her voice became.

By the end, only broken sobs remained.

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