Love's Unexpected Awakening Elowen's Choice novel Chapter 714

Chapter 714 Your Protector Has Arrived

Iris took a deep breath to suppress a sudden wave of nausea. Forcing her voice to remain steady, she said, “Your Highness, I will remember every word of your guidance. However, I have recently discovered I am pregnant, and my body is still quite weak. I ask for your understanding.”

She mentioned this to remind Elira that, in her condition, she could not withstand such prolonged lectures. The child she carried would be Caelan’s firstborn, a fact she hoped Elira would consider carefully.

But her words clearly failed to move Elira.

“How foolish of me, I almost forgot,” Elira said with a warm smile, her tone remaining gentle. “You are carrying royal blood now, which makes you precious indeed. Attendants, bring a chair for Iris. She still needs to hear the rest of what I have to say.”

A servant brought over a chair and placed it at the foot of the dais.

Left with no other choice, Iris sat down.

The chair was hard and un-cushioned. It wasn’t comfortable by any means, but it was still better than standing.

Iris sat there, keeping her eyes cast down toward her lap.

In truth, from the moment she resolved to marry Caelan as his secondary consort, she had expected her future to be full of hardships. Setting aside the reality of being a prince’s secondary consort in the palace, very few daughters-in-law anywhere in the world escaped the cruelty of a mother-in-law. Iris had endured days like this before, but she had always assumed things would improve once she became pregnant.

Clearly, she had been too optimistic.

Elira spoke again, her tone as unhurried as before. “I actually quite like you, Iris. My only worry is your humble background. You won’t be able to offer Caelan any leverage in the future. Since I have no other choice, I must instruct you thoroughly in proper etiquette. That way, even if you cannot be of help later on, at least you won’t make any mistakes. Don’t you agree?”

Iris didn’t argue.

She knew it was pointless. Elira wasn’t looking for an explanation; she wanted submission. She wanted Iris to know her place and to remember that, in this palace, she would always be inferior.

Ever since Iris had married Caelan, Elira had constantly repeated these kinds of remarks. It wasn’t that Caelan hadn’t stood up for her, or that he hadn’t argued back with Elira. But given Caelan’s position, his interference only ever made things worse.

Iris had always considered herself quite clever, but in this situation, she realized she was utterly powerless. Her only option was to endure the misery.

Just then, a maid hastened into the room to report, “Your Highness, Lady Elowen has arrived.”

Iris’s heart leaped..

Inside the hall, Elira paused slightly at the maid’s words and glanced over at Iris.

She had known all along that Elowen would come to the palace eventually. Back when Iris was still staying in the Crown Prince’s Wing, Elowen had carefully weighed Iris’s situation and her options for a retreat, even going so far as to plead with Elira to intervene. Elowen and Elira weren’t particularly close; they were merely partners. For Elira to help meant Elowen had to call in a significant favor.

Yet, Elowen had done it anyway.

Now that Iris was pregnant, there was no way Elowen wouldn’t be concerned upon hearing the news. Her visit to the palace had only ever been a matter of time. *

Elira just hadn’t expected Elowen to hurry here so quickly.

“Iris, it seems your protector has arrived,” Elira said, keeping a pleasant smile on her face and her voice perfectly amiable.

Iris kept her head bowed respectfully. “You jest, Your Highness. As His Highness’s secondary consort, I am naturally cherished by both you and His Highness. I have never been mistreated, so there is no reason for Her Grace to protect me from anything.”

Elira gave her a long, hard look but said nothing more.

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