Chapter 7 The Reception . : A 60 +10 Free Coins The attendants welcomed Meryl and Fiona into the Zonfrillo Estate . They passed through a small garden where the air was alive with color - flowering shrubs and blossoms crowded both sides of the path , filling the air with a fragrance so sweet and refreshing it lifted the spirit . Further in , they reached Serenity Grove , and there Fiona caught sight of Penelope . Beside her sat Winnifred , the wife of Alexander's younger brother and mother to Callum . Penelope , though now in her forties , had chosen the simplest of dresses , almost austere . Yet her striking features radiated a beauty that time had not dulled . Soren's handsome face and bearing were clearly her legacy . Her sharp gaze lingered on Fiona . Half a year had passed since their last meeting , and the timid little girl Penelope once recalled had transformed . Fiona had bloomed like a rose at dawn , graceful and luminous . Her figure , delicate and willowy , carried the promise of elegance yet to fully unfold . In another two years , she would be a vision that could unsettle courts and cities . But Penelope's thoughts were shaded with caution . A woman who was too radiant was not always blessed . She herself had been dearly loved , yet Alexander's desire for her had once driven him astray from his duties . That sweetness had come with a bitter price , and she had no wish to see her son Soren fall into such snares . " Fiona has grown lovelier than ever , " Penelope said with a small , practiced smile . " You flatter her , Duchess Zonfrillo , " Meryl replied , though she could not hide the glint of pride in her eyes . In the past life Fiona remembered , her mother - in - law had softened toward her , perhaps out of guilt for Soren's indifference . Still , Penelope had never treated her cruelly . Fiona bowed and added warmly , " I heard you were unwell not long ago , Duchess Zonfrillo . Have you recovered fully ? " Penelope's expression remained even , her voice steady . " I'm much better now . But tell me , Fiona , how did you hear of my illness ? " Fiona had anticipated such a question . " When Dr. Whittle came to check on me , he mentioned he had just rushed over from here . I asked a little more , and that's how I learned of it ." Penelope let the matter drop , turning instead to polite talk with Meryl . Winnifred offered kindly , " If you're growing bored , why not enjoy a stroll with the maids , Ms. Fiona ? " 1/3 14:36 Fri , Oct 10 Chapter 7 The Reception : " Solana , take Ms. Fiona around , " Penelope instructed . Fiona curtsied in thanks and followed Solana toward the rear courtyard . 60 +10 Free Coins The Zonfrillo Estate was renowned for its vast and varied gardens . Even the imperial palace could not boast such an abundance of flora . Autumn had stripped the city bare , but within these walls , life thrived as though it were still spring . Fiona , having spent three years of her past life here , found little wonder in it now . Yet when she passed the Radiant Lodge , her old residence , she slowed . Her gaze lingered , heavy with memory . " That's Lord Soren's quarters ," Solana explained cheerfully . " He doesn't particularly like quiet places , but he chose this secluded lodge himself . Duchess Zonfrillo often jokes that he must've picked it for his future wife . " Fiona's smile was faint . She had never liked the Radiant Lodge ; it had always felt foreign to her . It seemed more fitting for someone like Roxanne . Neither Penelope nor Soren could have foreseen that it would be Fiona , not Roxanne , who ultimately lived there . " Would you like to climb the rockery , Ms. Fiona ? " Solana asked brightly . Fiona froze for a heartbeat . The jagged stone hill loomed before her , so familiar it tightened her chest . It was there that her life had once taken a dark turn . A wave of sorrow threatened to rise , but she swallowed it down . " Ms. Fiona ? " Solana prompted gently , seeing her dazed expression . Fiona shook her head and curved her lips into a soft smile . " No , I'd rather not . I once fell from a height , and ever since , I can't quite bear the thought . I suppose I've kept a shadow in my heart . " Not everyone was given a second chance at life . She would not squander hers . Atop the rockery nearby , Soren and Callum were seated at a stone table , playing a game of chess . The position gave them a clear view of Fiona's retreating figure . " Was Ms. Fiona looking sorrowful just now ? " Callum asked curiously . Soren placed a white piece on the board with deliberate calm before answering , " What puzzles me is how she seems so familiar with the paths of our estate ." Callum , too , remembered how Fiona had walked ahead of her guide , never faltering , as if she had lived there herself . His brow furrowed . 2/3 14:36 Fri , Oct 10 Chapter 7 The Reception map 60 +10 Free Coins Long ago , when Soren was not yet of age , an ambitious girl had bribed servants to obtain a of the estate . She had used a banquet as a pretext to sneak into his chambers , hoping to trap him into a scandal and force a marriage . The scheme had been uncovered just in time , averting disgrace . " It looks to me as if the Niven family is determined to push one of their daughters onto you ," Callum said . " Rita wasn't enough , and now they bring Fiona forward ." Soren's eyes flicked briefly toward him . " This estate holds more than one son ." Callum straightened , affronted . He had never once been lured by a woman , nor cared to be . To him , blades gleamed more brightly than beauty . He replied solemnly , " I've no interest in women . But you should be wary . Don't let yourself be trapped . " Zachary had already fallen out of His Majesty's favor and was tied to the Fourth Prince's faction . The court waited only for a chance to strike him down . The Zonfrillo family must not be dragged into his troubles . He paused , then added , " Besides , what sense does it make ? Rita , at least , was Duke Niven's eldest daughter . Fiona , though ... she's of the second branch , and her learning is not even on par with her cousin's . You refused Rita , so how could you possibly consider Fiona ? "