Love's Unexpected Awakening Elowen's Choice novel Chapter 702

er 702 You Are the Only One

Caelan said nothing

Finished

“Her Grace said that you truly care for me. But I don’t understand why. What is there about me for you to like? I’m clearly just…” Her voice broke, and she hung her head as a fragile, muffled sob cscaped her throat.

Hearing her cry, Caelan’s heart melted completely.

All his previous disappointment and anger vanished in an instant, replaced by an overwhelming wave of tenderness and love.

You are beautiful, intelligent; proper, and attentive, Iris,” Caelan said, his brow knitting as the raw emotion broke through his defenses. “You are deeply endearing, and you deserve the absolute best the world has to offer.”

ris froze, visibly stunned. The moment she looked up at him, large, glittering tears spilled over and rolled down her cheeks.

Caefan let out a soft sigh. “Why are you crying now…?”

He desperately wanted to reach out and wipe her tears away, but he didn’t know if he had the right–or if he would pull away.

ris bit her lip, seemingly gathering every ounce of courage she possessed. “Then, Your Highness… would you still be willing to…”

She couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence, her face flushing crimson in an instant.

Caelan understood immediately.

he was asking if he was still willing to marry her.

He had seen many sides of Iris–submissive and dutiful, calm and collected, and unyielding with her spine >erfectly straight. But this was the very first time he had ever seen her like this: shy, nervous, and entirely vulnerable. His heart skipped a violent beat, a sudden rush of warmth expanding in his chest unul he telt completely consumed by it.

Completely losing control of his resolve, he nodded without a second thought “I am.”

Realizing that wasn’t enough, he quickly added, “I want nothing more than to marry you. You are the only

one I want.”

Hearing this, Iris let out a long, heavy breath, looking entirely relieved though even more tears began streaming down her cheeks.

Panic–stricken, Caelan scrambled closer to wipe her tears away, completely unbothered by the tact that he was now kneeling on one knee before her. I said yes, so why are you crying even harder now?

“I’m just relieved,” Iris sobbed, wiping at her eyes “And happy

Caelan’s heart ached with pure tenderneSS

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Chapter 792 You Are the Only One

Finished

It was only then that Iris noticed his position. Finding her courage, she caught his arm. “Your Highness, please, stand up.”

Allowing her to guide him, Caelan moved to sit down right beside her.

Then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, Iris leaned over and gently rested her head against his shoulder.

Caclan went entirely rigid. It wasn’t out of aversion or a lack of affection; it was simply the very first time in his life he had ever been this physically intimate with a girl he loved. He was so incredibly nervous he didn’t know what to do with his hands, let alone what to say.

Out of his line of sight, Iris was still crying, but the shyness and vulnerability had completely vanished from her face. Her expression was entirely blank.

Putting on a front and playing weak was easy. Giving a man what he wanted to hear was just as simple.

Iris knew he had feelings for her, so she had deliberately engineered a shift in momentum. First, she used silence to make him feel helpless, disappointed, and even angry. Then, just as his emotions peaked, she pared her vulnerability, sharing a half–true account of her miserable past. By echoing his own feelings back to him and shedding tears at the exact right moment, she maximized his pity and affection.

In the end, it took very little effort to get exactly what she wanted.

*****

Back at Duskmoor Manor, Elowen returned to the banquet after seeing Iris off.

On her way, she spotted Scarlet and Finn standing together in the shade of a tree, speaking in hushed ones. Finn’s facial expressions were particularly animated. Intrigued, Elowen took a few steps toward hem.

‘Scarlet, have you read that new novel?” Finn was saying, his voice thick with intrigue. “Only five chapters are out, but people in Vanelle are absolutely scrambling for it. I had to line up forever just to snag a copy. The prose is incredible, and the plot twists are so addictive you just can’t put it down.”

Scarlet nodded slightly. “I know it. The author writes under the pen name The Last Wayfarer

Elowen raised an eyebrow. “The Last Wayfarer? That’s an interesting name.”

Noticing Elowen’s approach, Scarlet unmediately offered a respectful bow

Finn followed suit with a quick greeting, sneaking a couple of glances at her before testing the waters “Your Grace, if I may be so bold as to ask is “The Last Wayfarer your new pseudonym?

Elowen laughed. “It really isn’t me this time I’ve been so incredibly busy lately, where would I find the time to write a novel?”

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