The Slave Queen - Chapter 97: Chapter 97

Meanwhile, Shawn and Raelynn maintained an arm's length distance between them as they walked back to Lunebloom Hollow together.
Sienna lagged behind at the very end.
As they reached the entrance to Lunebloom Hollow, Raelynn came to a halt.
Raelynn looked Shawn in the eye, her expression earnest as she expressed her sincere gratitude. "Thank you for your timely assistance today, Lord Shawn."
Shawn smiled faintly and replied, "It was nothing."
His lips curved into a faint smile as he watched Raelynn extend the hand warmer toward him.
She said, "And thank you for the hand warmer, Lord Shawn. It kept me wonderfully warm."
Raelynn flashed him a sly smile, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
It was clear she'd seen right through his flimsy excuse.
Shawn couldn't help but chuckle as he took back the still-warm hand warmer from Raelynn.
Yet for reasons he couldn't quite explain, Shawn felt the hand warmer still seemed to carry traces of Raelynn's hand cream. It was soft to the touch and delicately fragrant.
Shawn paused, drew a slow breath, and then asked, "Are there plum blossoms in your courtyard?"
Raelynn nodded gently. "Yes, there are."
Raelynn had intended to urge Shawn to leave, but his question made her wonder if she should invite him into the courtyard to take a look.
She thought, 'He does seem pretty interested in the flowers here. Otherwise, why would he be looking for an excuse to stay longer?'
Ever perceptive, Sienna suddenly stepped forward and said to Raelynn, "My lady, since we returned quite late today, Mrs. Lennox must be waiting for news at Embergrace House. I'll go inform her."
With that, she turned to leave.
But Raelynn called out to stop her, "Wait, you silly girl. It's so late. Grandmother must already be asleep. Wouldn't you be disturbing her rest by going now? I'll go visit her first thing tomorrow morning instead."
Sienna smiled and said, "Don't worry, my lady. If Mrs. Lennox is already asleep, I'll let Esther know. That way, if Mrs. Lennox wakes up in the night and asks about you, at least she'll be reassured, won't she?"
Raelynn thought it over and felt that Sienna had a point.
Raelynn didn't refuse again. She nodded and gently told Sienna, "Go ahead, but make it quick."
Sienna nodded and took her leave.
Once again, only Raelynn and Shawn remained at the entrance to Lunebloom Hollow.
Even on this snowy night, a bright moon hung high, casting their shadows long across the ground.
The crisp air, laced with the fresh scent of plum blossoms, lent the scene a quiet, unique charm.
Raelynn cleared her throat softly.
Seeing that Shawn showed no intention of leaving, Raelynn tentatively suggested, "Lord Shawn, you seem quite interested in those plum blossoms. Why not come in and have a look? It's chilly tonight. I could ask Elaine to make some warm drink..."
It was merely a polite remark, meant to hint that he should take his leave.
To her surprise, Shawn nodded with mock solemnity.
He said, "Alright then, I'll take you up on your offer, Raelynn."
His voice that was rich and deep like fine wine made Raelynn's heart skip a beat.
Raelynn wondered, 'Why's he calling me like that all of a sudden?
'No, actually, he's been calling me affectionately like that all day long.
'But earlier today, or just now when Shawn confronted Gabriel, I thought he called me that way to stand up for me.
'Now, we are the only ones here.
'Why is he still calling me in that tone?'
An impossible thought suddenly surfaced in Raelynn's mind, making her cheeks flush inexplicably.
Before Raelynn could react, Shawn had already stepped into Lunebloom Hollow.
Snapping out of her reverie, Raelynn scrambled after him into the courtyard.
The plum blossoms in the corner were in full bloom, their vibrant crimson and gold hues intertwining in a striking display, perfuming the air with an intoxicating fragrance.
Anyone with a true fondness for plum blossoms would surely have found them utterly enchanting.
For Raelynn, though, it was all the same whether her residence had flowers or not. Either way, life would go on just the same.
Shawn suddenly stopped and turned to face her. "Do you like plum blossoms?"
Before she knew it, Raelynn bumped straight into Shawn's firm chest.
Raelynn hurriedly apologized, "I'm so sorry, Lord Shawn. I didn't mean to bump into you."
Raelynn instinctively pressed a hand to her stinging nose and quickly lowered her head in apology.
Shawn reached out and gently brushed the back of her hand. "Are you alright? My apologies, it's my fault for stopping so abruptly."
Raelynn lowered her hand and offered a smile. "I'm fine, really."
Shawn could still feel the lingering warmth on the back of his hand, where it had just brushed against Raelynn's.
But her hands were nothing like the soft, delicate ones of most noblewomen.
Though he'd never held another woman's hand, he still remembered that his mother used to hold his hand when he was a child.
His mother's hands were meticulously cared for, so they were undoubtedly soft and dry.
Yet Raelynn's hands were surprisingly rough and calloused. They were nothing like the delicate hands of a noblewoman.
A shadow crossed Shawn's eyes.
In that moment, Shawn recalled Raelynn's days of servitude in the Aether Sanctum.
Shawn thought to himself, 'These calluses on her hands must be the marks left from her years of servitude in the Aether Sanctum.'
For some reason, a sudden ache gripped Shawn's heart.
Along with it came a wave of deep remorse.
He thought, 'If only I had discovered Hugo's deception earlier, would Raelynn's life have been any less bitter?
'But it's too late for regrets now.'
He quietly composed himself.
He murmured, "We're going to get married in the summer of next year. There's no need for such formalities between us. Just call me Shawn."
"What?" Raelynn hadn't expected him to switch gears so suddenly.