Chapter 4

"My Lady! My Lady! The Duke and Duchess are here!"

Amy ran in frantically, jolting me out of my memories.

I took a deep breath, forcing the hatred back down into the depths of my eyes.

When my parents walked in, their faces were etched with worry and exhaustion.

In my past life, after I eloped, my father's political rivals used the scandal to ruthlessly attack him, mocking him for being unable to govern his own household.

The mounting public and political pressure eventually forced him to resign from his royal duties.

My mother, who already had underlying health issues, was so devastated by the blow that she became bedridden and passed away shortly after.

For a time, the Ashbourne family was the laughingstock of the capital's high society.

And back then, I had been so entirely consumed by Rowan that I knew almost nothing of what was happening at home.

It wasn't until news of my father's death reached me that I violently realized I no longer had a home to return to.

My mother hurried over and grabbed my hands.

"Evelyn, are you alright? I heard someone was harassing you at the back gate..."

"I'm fine," I said softly. "The guards have already chased him away."

I looked up at them, my eyes growing hot with tears.

"Father, Mother... I'm sorry for making you worry."

Standing before them, for the first time, I made no excuses for my impulsiveness.

My father's expression softened slightly. "Take your time. Explain."

I shook my head. "This time, I want to tell you everything, from beginning to end."

As I spoke, my parents' faces grew paler and paler.

My mother's voice trembled. "Elope? Evelyn, you have a publicly recognized engagement!"

I lowered my head in a solemn apology.

"I was a fool."

My father stared at me. "Have you truly thought this through?"

I raised my head, my gaze unwavering.

"I have."

"As for the Cavendish family, I want to meet Julian again. We can have an honest conversation before deciding whether or not to proceed with the marriage."

"I'm done letting spite dictate my life."

My mother pulled me into a fierce hug and began to cry.

"My child... as long as you've truly thought it through, that's enough. You cannot gamble your entire life on a whim."

Just then, a commotion erupted outside. An estate guard rushed into the room.

"Your Grace, that man came back! He's causing a scene outside the main gates, demanding to see Lady Evelyn!"

My father erupted in fury. "Insolent! Drag him in here!"

When Rowan was hauled into the room, his clothes were disheveled, and he was still struggling wildly against the guards.

"Evelyn! Why didn't you come?!"

I stood up and walked toward him. The moment he saw me, his eyes lit up.

"Evelyn, are you okay? Did they force you to do this? Don't be afraid, I'll take you away!"

"I saved your life, Rowan, and I was once stupid enough to entertain the idea of us," I cut him off, my voice like ice.

"But I never promised to leave with you tonight. Are you trying to cause a scene to force my hand?"

He froze.

"What kind of game is this? Have you forgotten everything we've been through?"

"I remember every second of it." I stared down at him. "And that is exactly why I will never choose you."

I didn't shrink back. Instead, I took a step closer to my father.

"Father, I have already told you everything about him. If he ever trespasses on the estate to harass me again, please treat it directly as a criminal intrusion."

Rowan stared at me, his eyes burning with the kind of deep-seated resentment that only belonged to a man who had weathered years of bitter hardship.

Suddenly, it clicked. He had been reborn too.

"You... you remember...?"

His lips trembled, his voice barely a whisper.

I raised an eyebrow, cutting him off with absolute clarity before he could finish the thought.

"Don't. Don't think you can use some twisted sense of destiny to force my hand."

"You being a gamekeeper was never the problem, Rowan. You are the problem."

Rowan's head snapped up, staring at me in absolute disbelief.