Fated Hearts: Reborn to be His Duchess

Chapter 123: Chapter 123: The Duke’s Unwelcome Detour

It wasn’t just Elysia standing there.

The Duke of Merlinspire was there too.

And, to Barek’s horror, so was his own father.

Barek went completely blank.

His legs gave way beneath him, and he collapsed onto the ground with a heavy thud.

"So it really is Lord Barek..."

"Who would have thought he’d do something like this in broad daylight, and in the open air..."

Whispers spread through the crowd.

Elysia’s voice soon cut through them, calm and perfectly clear.

"Lord Gideon, we’re all guests here. How could Lord Barek be so unrestrained as to carry on a secret tryst in someone else’s garden in broad daylight?"

She had simply turned his own words back on him.

Gideon’s face darkened instantly.

But Elysia wasn’t finished.

"Let’s only hope word doesn’t spread in a few days that Lord Barek has taken a beautiful concubine..."

Gideon wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole.

He had been certain that the person inside the grotto was Duke Cassiel. Seeing an opportunity to humiliate Elysia, he had deliberately fanned the flames, making one mocking remark after another.

Never in his wildest imagination had he expected the man in the grotto to be his own son.

Worse, his son’s scandalous encounter had been exposed in front of so many of his colleagues.

And Elysia had calmly repeated his own words back to him, every single one.

The humiliation was unbearable.

Since distancing himself from the Hartwells, Gideon’s career had flourished. He had risen steadily and had not suffered such a public disgrace in years.

Yet now, faced with undeniable evidence, he couldn’t even find a proper retort.

His jaw clenched.

Without saying another word, he strode towards his son.

Barek immediately started pleading, "Father, I was wrong. I—"

Smack!

A heavy slap sent his head snapping to the side.

"Shameless!"

Gideon’s voice was low and venomous, every word forced through clenched teeth.

"Come with me. I’ll break your legs myself!"

Elysia watched coldly as the furious Gideon seized his dishevelled son and dragged him away.

There was no sympathy in her eyes.

In her previous life, she had heard about this little scandal at Merlinspire Manor only much later.

Back then, Barek had not been caught in the act.

The matter had remained hidden long enough for him to marry the woman involved. They had eventually had a pair of healthy children.

This time, however, fate had handed Elysia an unexpected opportunity.

She had nearly forgotten about the incident until she stumbled upon it today.

So she had decided to settle an old score while she had the chance.

With Gideon having caught them red-handed, there was little chance of Barek marrying that woman now.

And if that marriage never happened, neither would the two children who had once been born from it.

Years ago, Barek had deliberately schemed against her sister-in-law, causing her to lose a child.

This was nothing more than an eye for an eye.

"Your Grace," the Duke of Merlinspire asked, "how did you recognise Lord Barek’s voice?"

Elysia glanced at him.

"I didn’t."

The Duke looked surprised.

"I simply remember Duke Cassiel’s voice. I know it well enough that I wouldn’t mistake it for someone else’s."

After all, Cassiel was, for the moment, her husband.

There was no reason she wouldn’t recognise his voice.

She paused before looking towards the west wing.

"By the way, Your Lordship, how many rooms are there in the west wing?"

"Perhaps ten or so."

Elysia nodded.

"Have someone search them. Duke Cassiel should be in one of them."

She glanced towards the corridor.

"Searching every room myself would take too long."

"Of course."

The Duke immediately instructed several servants to search the west wing.

They hurried away.

It wasn’t long before one of them returned.

He approached Elysia and bowed deeply.

"Your Grace, we’ve checked the west wing. Only one room is locked from the inside."

He lowered his head further.

"We didn’t dare disturb it without permission."

If the person inside truly was the Duke of Draevenor, forcing the door open without reason could have serious consequences.

Elysia understood.

"Take me there."

She followed the servant towards the main chamber.

The door stood firmly shut.

Elysia stopped outside.

For the first time, uncertainty crept into her thoughts.

What exactly had happened inside?

A faint, peculiar scent drifted through the gap beneath the door.

Elysia frowned.

Something about it made her uneasy.

The Duke of Merlinspire glanced at her, then at the closed door.

After a moment, he drew a breath and called out respectfully.

"Duke Cassiel? Are you within?"

Silence.

There was no answer from inside.

Not even the slightest movement.

The Duke tried a couple more times.

Still nothing.

He turned towards Elysia, his expression uncertain.

Elysia’s brows drew together.

"Are you certain this is the only locked room?"

Before the servant behind her could respond, a low, languid voice drifted through the door.

"Has my wife arrived?"

Elysia blinked.

The Duke of Merlinspire was equally stunned.

So you heard none of my calls, but somehow heard her question?

He didn’t dare voice the thought though.

He simply answered,

"Yes."

A moment later, the unmistakable sound of wooden wheels rolling across the floorboards came from inside.

The door opened.

Cassiel sat in his wheelchair, his handsome features striking even in the dim light.

His expression, however, was utterly devoid of warmth.

Cool.

Detached.

Impenetrable.

The Duke of Merlinspire and the others hurriedly bowed.

"Greetings, Your Grace."

Once the formalities were complete, the Duke carefully ventured, "Might I ask why you’re here alone, Your Grace?"

Cassiel’s gaze shifted towards him, his eyes cold.

"I was about to ask you the same question."

The Duke stiffened.

Cassiel continued evenly, "Why did you have someone bring me here? They claimed my wife was waiting for me here."

His gaze lowered briefly towards the wheels of his chair.

"Once I entered, the door was shut behind me without explanation. My legs have not yet fully recovered, which made leaving on my own rather difficult."

His eyes returned to the Duke.

"So I’ve been stranded here all alone."

Cassiel’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"Duke of Merlinspire, was this your way of giving me the cold shoulder?"