Love's Unexpected Awakening Elowen's Choice novel Chapter 730

Chapter 730 Could You Mention Her Name

Marissa quickly waved her hands. “No, no, thank you. This is a government office, and we are just common women; it wouldn’t be right for us to enter. If it’s not too much trouble, could you just tell Josh we’re out here waiting for him?” She quickly added, “Please only tell him after he finistres his work. We wouldn’t want to disrupt anything important.

The scholar smiled and agreed. “Very well.” With that, he turned and went back inside.

He didn’t return for quite some time, and there was still no sign of Josh.

As the sun began to set, Marissa realized that standing outside the gates of the Royal Scholarium with a young girl made them stick out like a sore thumb. She didn’t want people thinking they were involved in some sort of legal trouble, so she led Nikki to a small diner just down the street. It was a good place to wait for Josh and grab some warm soup to take the chill off.

The mother and daughter had just sat down and ordered a bowl of chicken soup and two roasted rolls when a man and a woman walked through the door. The man was middle-aged, with a plump, oily face and a silk robe. The woman, who looked to be in her forties, was draped in fine silks and adorned with solid gold hairpieces and flashy jewelry, exuding an air of newfound wealth.

The moment the woman stepped inside, her eyes locked onto Marissa. Her face lit up, and she hurried over, her voice sharp and piercing. “Well, if it isn’t Mrs. Mercer! It’s been ages. How have you been?”

Marissa looked up, blinking in confusion for a moment before recognizing her. It was Tammy Parker, a woman from her old village. Her husband, Gary Parker, ran a small business that had eventually taken off; allowing them to move to Vaneile. Though they hadn’t lived far apart, the two families had never really associated with each other.

Marissa stood up and offered a polite smile. “Mrs. Parker, it has been a long time. Are you here for some Soup as well?”

Tammy sat down across from Marissa and eyed her from head to toe. Her gaze lingered for a second on Marissa’s faded, overwashed dress, and her lips twitched in a subtle grimace of disdain. But whatever thought crossed her mind next quickly smoothed over her expression, and she forced a warm, overly familiar smile. “Mrs. Mercer, I heard you’re staying at Duskmoor Manor these days. Why are you still dressing so plainly? You’re bound to make a laughingstock of yourself out in public like this.”

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Marissa remained perfectly composed. “I am merely a guest at Duskmoor Manor for a few days,” she replied, neither proud nor humbled. “It is not as if we have suddenly become the Duke and Duchess. We dress according to who we are, and there is nothing shameful about that.”

“Yes, of course, you always did have a way with words, Mrs. Mercer,” Tammy said with a nod. “No wonder you managed to raise such a brilliant scholar. Tell me, I heard you and Lady Elowen are quite close?’

Marissa felt a prickle of discomfort but kept her face neutral, offering only a faint smile. “I wouldn’t say we are close. Her Grace is simply kindhearted and allowed my children and me to stay for a short while.”

Mrs. Parker’s smile widened. She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “But surely you have Her Grace’s ear? I have a niece who just turned sixteen-a beautiful girl, very bright. She’s looking for work, and I heard the Silverloom Exchange is hiring. Could you perhaps mention her name to Her Grace?”

Chapter

Marissa shook her head. “I have no influence with Her Grace. In fact, I rarely even see her on a regular day. Mrs. Parker, if you are truly interested, it would be best to go to the Silverloom Exchange and inquire yourself.”

Tammy’s smile froze for a fraction of a second. Just as she was about to press further, a middle-aged man named Doug, who was eating chicken soup at the next table, looked up and interjected.

“There’s no point in going to the Silverloom Exchange to ask right now anyway,” Doug said. “Haven’t you heard? The Duke and Duchess are leaving Vanell Who knows what’ll happen to the Exchange after that? Normal people are keeping their distance, yet here you are trying to force your way in.”

Tammy blinked in surprise and turned back to Marissa, her eyes filled with scrutiny. “Mrs. Mercer, are the Duke and Duchess really leaving?”

Before Marissa could answer, Doug chimed in again. “Is there anyone in Vanelle who doesn’t know they’re leaving? Sure, the official story is that His Majesty is sending Duke Cassian to Nordia as an envoy, but it’s incredibly sudden. Word on the street is that now that Caelan has been made Crown Prince, His Majesty is driving Cassian out to clear the path for his own son!”

He let out a soft snort. “Think back to how powerful Duke Cassian used to be. Most of the world thought he’d inherit the throne, but then Caelan appeared out of nowhere. Now that Caelan is the man of the hour, Cassian is finished. Half the city can’t distance itself from Duskmoor Manor fast enough. You’re a foolish woman to go looking for favors there right now; aren’t you afraid of bringing trouble down on your own head? And as for that Silverloom Exchange-it’s just a bunch of women running around with a woman in charge. What kind of future could it possibly have? Once Her Grace leaves, it’ll end up shutting down sooner or later.”

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