Cassiel was momentarily speechless.
Ah.
She was talking.
Just talking.
For a moment, he had thought she intended something else entirely.
"Oh!"
Elysia suddenly brightened.
An idea seemed to strike her.
Rolling onto her stomach, she propped her chin on both hands atop the pillow and looked toward him.
"My lord, I’m going to talk to you for a while."
Her eyes curved slightly.
"You’re unconscious anyway, so it’s not like you’ll hear any of it."
That conclusion clearly reassured her.
Once convinced of it, she relaxed completely.
Her legs swayed lazily behind her as she spoke.
Comfortable and carefree, entirely unaware that every word was reaching its intended audience.
"I spent the entire day sorting through account books."
Her tone carried a trace of pride.
"I finished reviewing the household expenses for the past year and even checked all the costs from our wedding."
She paused thoughtfully.
"Next, I’m planning to inventory everything in the manor."
"The servants, the guards, the horses...everything."
Cassiel listened quietly.
Her father truly had raised her well.
Though young, she already possessed the patience and diligence required to manage a household.
Then Elysia’s expression shifted.
"Oh, right! I met a strange boy today."
Cassiel immediately paid closer attention.
"He has eyes that look exactly like Vaelen’s. He claimed he broke one of Lucien’s writing brushes and nearly got beaten to death because of it."
She tilted her head.
"Then he said he wanted to serve me."
A faint frown appeared between her brows.
"He even said he could make me very comfortable."
Cassiel’s expression darkened.
Elysia, however, looked genuinely puzzled.
"But Miriam, Bran, and Clara already take excellent care of me. I don’t need any more attendants."
Cassiel sighed mentally.
Perhaps her upbringing had been slightly incomplete after all.
"I didn’t let them beat him."
Her voice softened.
"I sent him to the stables instead."
She paused briefly.
"I did feel a little sorry for him."
Something tightened unexpectedly inside Cassiel’s chest.
So her sympathy had been stirred because the boy resembled Vaelen.
The thought was unpleasant.
Then Elysia grinned.
A mischievous grin.
"Mostly, though, I just wanted to see what Vaelen would look like feeding horses."
Cassiel raised an eyebrow.
"He always acts so arrogant. Looks down on everyone, throws temper tantrums whenever things don’t go his way."
The more she spoke, the more amused she seemed.
"Now that I think about it... He’s actually quite annoying."
Cassiel’s mood improved considerably.
A moment later, however, her voice began growing quieter and quieter.
Until it faded entirely.
Elysia had fallen asleep.
For several peaceful days, Draevenor Manor remained unusually calm.
Rose Hall, however, was another matter entirely.
Melissa was reaching the limits of her patience.
"You told me everything was arranged."
She slammed her teacup onto the table.
"You guaranteed it would work. It’s been days. Where are the results?"
Across from her, Roxana remained perfectly composed.
She continued sipping tea as though discussing the weather.
"Mother, relax."
Melissa nearly exploded.
"Relax? You expected me to relax?"
Roxana finally set down her cup.
"Elysia spent years chasing after Crown Prince Vaelen."
Her lips curved slightly.
"She wanted nothing more than to marry him. But she couldn’t. So she accepted the royal decree and married Cassiel instead."
She leaned back.
"Now imagine a young woman still carrying feelings for one man. Then imagine placing another man before her who looks remarkably similar. How long do you think she’ll resist?"
Melissa frowned.
"If that’s true, why haven’t we heard anything? No messages, no rumors, no mistakes."
For the first time, uncertainty flickered across Roxana’s face.
"Perhaps she’s being cautious... or perhaps she has already hidden him somewhere."
Before Melissa could respond, hurried footsteps sounded outside.
A maid rushed into the room.
"My lady!"
The girl was practically breathless.
"That boy from the Duke’s courtyard finally left!"
Melissa sat upright.
"Where is he going?"
"The stables."
"The stables?"
The maid nodded vigorously.
Roxana’s eyes narrowed.
Then she laughed.
A slow, knowing laugh.
"Interesting."
Melissa looked confused.
Roxana’s smile widened.
"Our Duchess is more careful than I expected. Keeping him hidden in the stables during the day. Meeting him privately after dark."
The sky outside had already turned black.
Perfect timing.
Melissa’s eyes lit up.
"Then let’s go catch them."
She rose immediately.
But Roxana grabbed her wrist.
"Not yet."
Melissa frowned.
"Why not?"
Roxana’s smile became positively wicked.
"If we arrive too early, there won’t be anything worth seeing. Wait a little longer. Half an hour should do."
By then, if Elysia truly intended anything improper, there would be no possibility of denial.
No escape.
No excuses.
Melissa immediately understood.
A delighted grin spread across her face.
That same evening, Elysia arrived at the stables accompanied only by Miriam.
She was there for a routine inspection.
Specifically, the horses.
Unfortunately, a problem quickly surfaced.
The records didn’t match.
One horse was missing.
At first, everyone assumed it had been borrowed.
Then someone suggested a counting error.
Eventually, the truth emerged.
The horse had not been borrowed.
Nor miscounted.
It had died.
Earlier that very day.
Fed to death.
By the same boy.
As Elysia approached, she heard shouting long before she reached the stable yard.
"What exactly is inside that skull of yours?"
A stable master was roaring at full volume.
"Hay? Dirt? Empty air?"
"Out of respect for Her Grace, I spared you hard labor."
"All you had to do was feed the horses!"
"Water! Hay! That’s it!"
"And somehow you’ve managed to kill one!"
The shouting continued.
Elysia rounded the corner and immediately spotted the culprit.
The boy stood silently with his hands behind his back.
Dressed in coarse stable clothes.
Covered in dust.
Receiving a merciless scolding.
The resemblance to Vaelen remained striking.
And for some reason, watching someone point a finger at a face that looked so much like the Crown Prince’s was deeply satisfying.
Elysia lingered for a moment.
Quite enjoying herself.
Only then did she step forward.
The boy noticed her immediately.
His eyes brightened.
A smile spread across his face.
"Your Grace."
His voice was soft.
Warm.
Drawn out just enough to sound almost intimate.
Like a lover whispering a secret.