Love's Unexpected Awakening Elowen's Choice novel Chapter 777

Awakening Love Reborn to Be His Duchess

Chapter 777 A Gilded Cage

The Princess Royale manor wasn’t far from the palace. In no time at all, the carriage rolled to a stop.

Maeve lifted the blinds and reached out to help Elower.

Stepping down the footstool, Elowen found her footing and looked up.

The manor was much larger–and much quieter–than she had expected.

The massive crimson gates were studded with bronze rivets the size of bowls, every single one polished to a mirror shine.

Inside, a wide, bluestone–paved pathway stretched straight into the heart of the estate, flanked by towering, thick walls.

“Come on, let’s head inside. I’ll give you a quick tour of my place.”

Valessa guided Elowen through the gates.

While walking, Elowen wasn’t paying much attention to the architecture. Instead, she asked curiously “What kind of man is Archduke Malkor?”

Valessa’s eyebrow twitched as a look of utter disgust crossed her face. “A massive, lecherous pig”

Elowen looked at her. “Lecherous?”

“Malkor took his twelfth concubine last month. She’s six months younger than his eldest son. He’s been spending all his time in her room lately, and rumor has it she’s already pregnant.”

Elowen’s eyes widened in shock.

Okay, that really is massively lecherous.

“A couple of years ago, he set his sights on a maid serving in the royal palace and wanted to marry her. She refused, saying she already had a husband and wouldn’t betray him. Malkor threw a massive tantrum, Not only did he have her brutally whipped, but he also threw her into the Crimson Lantern

“The Crimson Lantern?”

Elowen repeated the name out loud.

A line from an old poem flashed through Elowen’s mind: Oh, Crimson Lantern, do the innocent girds of yesteryear still weep within your walls? Stirred by the thought, she asked, “A brothel

Valessa nodded, “Yes, a brothel. House Harrow built it from the ground up back when they helil jbe Nordian throne. It was made strictly for nobles and warlords in drink and play. The Crimson Intern rakes in mountains of gold every year. You could easily say it bankrolls a massive chunk of Nordias military spending right now.

She paused for a beat. So speaking purely as a woman, I despise the place But as the Princesa Boyll and the King’s own sister. I hate ter turn a blind eye.

Chapter

Gilded Cage

Elowen stayed silent.

She understood exactly what Valessa meant

Places like that were practically institutions.

For those in power, the benefits were astronomical. It was a literal gold mine, a bottomless well for military funds, and the perfect smokescreen for countless backroom deals that could never see the light of day.

In Valessa’s position, she couldn’t make decisions based purely on her own moral compass. She hard to weigh the pros and cons, calculate the gains and losses, and dig for the least terrible outcome while stuck between a rock and a hard place.

That was the ugly price of power.

But for the poor girls dragged into the Crimson Lantern and forced to sell their bodies, the place was a crushing, inescapable hell.

Take the maid Valessa just mentioned–she had a husband, yet she was still violently thrown to the wolves

Who knew how she was doing now? Was she still suffering day in and day out in that place, or had she already been tortured beyond recognition?

No one knew, and no one cared.

That was exactly why, back in the day, Elowen had unhesitatingly tore down Stargazer Pavilion and dragged Scarlet back to her manor.

She simply had too soft a heart.

As they talked, they arrived at a private courtyard.

Feeling the topic had gotten far too heavy, Valessa swiftly shifted gears. This courtyard is right next to y main quarters. It’s just a few steps away. If you need anything at all, just pop over and find me.”

She pointed in the direction of the main quarters.

Elowen nodded. “Alright, I’ll keep that in mind.”

Stepping into the courtyard, Valessa suddenly remembered something. “Oh right, didn’t you mention you came here looking for someone?”

“Yeah. My servant’s wife, Elowen replied. “It’s a promise I made to him. I told him I’d help bin and her and I don’t break my prenises.”

Valess looked curious. “His wife? What’s her name, and where does she wor

Before Flowen could answer, rapid footsteps approached from outside the courtyard

Thomas walked in. led by a matron,

He had changed into clean clothes- dark gray linen robe cinched with a black belt is haw was really

Chapter 777 Gilded Cogn

tied back into a high tail.

The exhaustion and grinse from their long journey had been scrubbed away, revealing a strikingly handsome face, complete with cold eyes and a tight, sharp jawline.

Stepping into the yard, Thomas stood tall.

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