Feyre returns home under the false tale of caring for Aunt Ripleigh, explaining away her absence and sudden fortune. Trunks of raw jewels and gold confirm her newfound wealth. Her father, invigorated by a free tonic from a passing healer, eagerly inventories the riches, while Elain delights in tending her garden and Nesta remains reserved and watchful.

In the garden, Elain dreams of visiting continental tulip fields and confides that the social season felt oddly unreal, with society ignoring their years of poverty. She notes that Nesta cut the season short and now refuses invitations, creating tension in the household.

Elain reveals that Nesta secretly set out to visit Feyre but returned within a week, blaming a broken carriage—prompting Feyre to suspect Tamlin’s glamour turned Nesta back. Elain observes Feyre’s changed demeanor and glow; Feyre deflects, attributing it to rest, while privately fearing the magic’s fading.

Days pass as Feyre avoids painting and instead lingers with Elain in the garden. After investing a small portion of her fortune in her father’s business, Feyre withdraws money and walks the familiar road toward their old cottage, praying for a summons from Tamlin and worrying that Amarantha may harm him.

At the cottage, Feyre reassesses her past: the once-menacing forest now seems ordinary, and the house that felt like a prison appears as a possible refuge through Elain’s hopeful eyes. Comparing Elain’s resilience to her own bitterness, Feyre admits Elain’s strength and recognizes how Prythian—and her love for Tamlin—have altered her.