Chapter 40
Aurora burst into the room.
The sight before her made her stop in her tracks.
Eleanor sat beside the bed, tears streaming down her face.
And Owen Ambrose was awake.
His eyes were opened.
Confused...Exhausted...But alive.
For a moment, Aurora simply stared. She had spent days fighting to save him.
Days terrified that she would lose him again. And now he was awake.
Owen blinked slowly as he looked around the room. The last thing he remembered was the battlefield.
The pain...The darkness.
Then his gaze landed on Aurora.
His daughter stood frozen, tears already falling down her cheeks.
Confusion crossed his face. Then he frowned.
"Why are you crying?" he asked hoarsely.
A weak smile appeared on his lips, "I'm not dead yet."
That only made Eleanor cry harder.
Aurora let out a strangled laugh between her tears.
Even Julianne turned away to hide a smile.
Owen looked around the room. Everyone was crying...Everyone. His confusion only deepened.
"Did I miss something?"
That earned several watery laughs.
Aurora finally moved, "Dad!"
She rushed forward and threw her arms around him.
"Ouch!", The Duke immediately winced.
Aurora pulled away as though she had been burned, "Oh no! I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Father!"
Owen chuckled despite the pain, "It's fine."
His large hand rested gently on her head.
"I'm here now", His voice softened, "So stop crying."
That only made Aurora cry harder. For days she had been acting like the Duchess.
The healer.
The investigator.
The leader.
Now she was simply a daughter. A frightened daughter who had almost lost her father.
"I was scared," she whispered.
The words broke something inside her, "I was so scared."
Owen's expression softened.
Without caring about the pain in his body, he pulled her closer.
"I'm sorry."
Aurora buried her face against his shoulder and cried.
Not elegant tears.
Not noble tears.
Ugly tears.
The kind that came from fear and exhaustion and relief all at once.
Eleanor sniffled beside them.
"You look terrible when you cry", the duke said
Aurora looked up. Then slowly turned toward her mother.
Eleanor immediately pointed at Owen.
The room fell silent. Then everyone burst out laughing.
Eleanor looked offended, "Excuse me?"
"You heard me."
"My own husband insults me after he came back from death"
"I survived."
"That's not the point."
Eleanor crossed her arms, "You just woke up and you're already teasing me."
Owen smiled lovingly, "My love, I hate seeing you upset."
Eleanor's eyes immediately filled with fresh tears.
"Oh, now you're being sweet."
"Of course."
Owen reached for her hand, "I almost died. I'm trying to earn points."
Philip, who had just entered the room, immediately turned around.
"I'll come back later."
The room erupted into laughter again.
After several minutes, the emotions slowly settled.
Aurora wiped her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Father, let me check your wounds."
Owen raised an eyebrow, "Shouldn't you call the physician?"
Aurora placed her hands on her hips.
"But Father, I've been treating you."
The duke blinked, "You what?"
Eleanor smiled proudly, "She's been reading medical journals."
Julianne nodded.
Philip stepped forward, "She barely slept."
Owen looked shocked. Then sceptical. Very sceptical.
Aurora noticed immediately, "Father."
"Hm?"
"You don't trust me?"
"No, I trust you."
"You don't."
"I do."
"You don't."
Owen sighed.
Aurora pointed accusingly at his bandages, "Besides, whoever stitched you before looked like they were trying to sew a potato sack."
The room went silent.
Then Julianne snorted.
Philip coughed suspiciously.
Eleanor covered her mouth.
Owen looked horrified, "I was unconscious!"
"Exactly."
The room exploded with laughter.
Philip finally cleared his throat, "I shall bring tea and broth for His Grace."
"Please do."
The duke sighed dramatically, "If it's broth, I suddenly wish I'd remained unconscious."
"Father!"
"What? Broth is a punishment, not food."
Even Aurora laughed. For the first time in days, the room felt warm.
Normal.
Safe.
As they sat together, Eleanor insisted on feeding Owen herself.
The duke protested briefly, then wisely surrendered.
Everyone knew who truly ruled House Ambrose.
As Owen drank the broth, Eleanor and Philip carefully filled him in on everything that had happened.
The attack.
The theft.
The corruption.
The investigations.
The murder of the servants.
The missing funds.
The attempted cover-up.
The engagement.
Owen listened quietly.
The more he heard, the more stunned he became.
Finally, he looked toward Aurora. His little girl sat calmly discussing tax records and criminal investigations.
When had that happened?
When had she grown up?
"When did my little girl become this capable?"
The question slipped out before he could stop it.
Aurora smiled softly, "I'm still your little girl."
"No.", Owen shook his head, "You're becoming an incredible woman."
Aurora froze. The praise hit harder than any criticism ever could.
Her throat tightened.
She had spent so many years wanting her father's approval. Now she had it.
And suddenly she wanted to cry again.
Owen reached over and squeezed her hand, "I heard you treated my wounds."
Aurora nodded, "I did."
"You managed the estate."
"Only temporarily."
"You exposed corruption."
"I'm still investigating."
"You stood before the King."
Aurora looked away, "It wasn't that impressive."
The entire room stared at her.
Philip nearly laughed. The King of Sylvaris would disagree.
After a few moments, Owen became serious.
"Aurora.", His voice was gentle, "Are you truly alright with ending the engagement?"
The room grew quiet. Everyone watched her carefully.
They all knew how much she had once loved Lucian.
Aurora looked down at her hands.
Then she looked at her parents.
At the way her mother held her father's hand.
At the love they shared.
The trust.
The respect.
The partnership.
Everything she had once dreamed of.
Finally, she smiled.
A small but genuine smile.
"Father, I believe marriage is a sacred union, one that should be built upon love, respect, and unwavering trust. To bind together two people who possess none of those things is not a blessing—it is a lifelong sentence"
Owen listened carefully.
Aurora's voice softened, "I want a marriage like yours."
Eleanor's eyes widened.
Aurora looked between them, "I want to love someone who chooses me every day."
Silence filled the room.
A beautiful silence.
Then Eleanor started crying again, "Oh no."
Owen groaned dramatically, "There she goes."
"I am emotional!"
"You cry when flowers bloom."
"They're beautiful!"
"You cried when Philip bought a new teapot."
"It was a very nice teapot!"
The room erupted into laughter once more.
And for the first time since returning to the past, Aurora felt something she hadn't felt in a long time.
Peace.
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