The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 199: A Mansion Under Attack

Chapter 199: A Mansion Under Attack

The carriage engraved with the Grey family’s emblem continued its journey, the sound of the rolling tyres creating a rhythmic backdrop for the three women inside.

Growing restless and anxious, Meredith let out another sigh, the weight of the situation pressing upon her.

"Let’s just hope they’re still there and haven’t yet returned to the duchy," she voiced concern, her gaze turning to Sylvia, her friend.

Sensing the tension in the air, Rania tried to comfort them.

"I’m sure they’re still there, my lady. It takes time to make preparations for a long journey. So they might haven’t departed yet," she offered a glimmer of hope in her words.

Meredith’s frustration overflowed, and she directed her glare at Sylvia, her anger palpable.

"I swear, if they did leave, I’m going to smack your head and give you a good beating for three days straight!" she scolded, her voice laced with both irritation and concern.

Sylvia, the count’s daughter, wore a remorseful expression, realising the consequences of her actions.

She quickly interjected, "I’m sorry! I was just so angry because she kept her identity from us, not because of who she is!"

Her words carried her regret, acknowledging the complex emotions that had fueled her outburst last night.

As the carriage neared its destination, the women braced themselves for the meeting with Anna, unsure of what lay ahead. The mansion loomed closer, its grand facade appearing on sight.

Meredith’s frustration and disappointment were palpable as she confronted Sylvia, expressing her grievances. The event of last night had left a bitter taste in her mouth.

"Compared to her, though she didn’t reveal who she was to us, you’re even worse!" Meredith exclaimed, her words laced with a mix of anger and hurt. "You made it as if we no longer want to be her friends and abandoned her at the most crucial moment! Even though she’s the traitor’s descendant, she has never betrayed us!"

Sylvia, unable to meet Meredith’s gaze, kept her eyes fixed on the floor. The weight of her actions lumped heavily on her conscience, and she struggled to find the right words to express her remorse.

"I’m sorry, Mer! I was so angry at that time and lost my judgment," Sylvia finally admitted with regret.

Meredith let out a sigh again, her frustration momentarily subsiding. She understood that a mix of disappointment and anger had driven Sylvia’s actions, but the consequences had been far-reaching and had strained their friendship with Anna.

"We owe her an apology," Meredith stated. "God... if she’s no longer there... I will ask my father’s permission to go to the duchy and beg forgiveness from her."

Sylvia’s eyes widened in surprise at Meredith’s declaration. She knew how much the duchy was a foreign and distant place for her friend, who had never ventured beyond the confines of Gantz before.

"Mer... do you really want to go there?" Sylvia asked, her concern evident in her expression. "It’s far from Gantz, and you’ve never left this place before."

Meredith’s resolve remained unshaken as she responded with determination, "If I have to, why not? She saved my life, cleared up my name, restored my reputation, and made His Majesty spare all the club members from severe punishment. And after all that, she still wants to be my friend! I would kiss her feet for that! You don’t know how much I owed her!"

Sylvia listened to Meredith’s impassioned words, her heart swelling with guilt. She had been Meredith’s friend for so many years, but even she wasn’t daring enough to do what Anna did.

Although the princess held a privileged position as a member of the royal family, it was widely known that the king was always resolute with his orders.

To confront and challenge his authority, one would require sound reasoning, evidence, and judgment. The king’s ability to manipulate decisions in his favour made it challenging to change his rulings.

Sylva pursed her lips guiltily. This early morning, at Meredith’s urge, they had gone to the palace to meet Anna again. However, upon arrival, Charles informed them that the grand duke and his wife had returned to their mansion last night.

As such, they hurriedly turned their way to Gerhard’s mansion to meet Anna and apologise for abandoning her last night.

Meredith vehemently opposed the idea of leaving the banquet, but due to the circumstances, her father, Lord Grey, persuaded her and the count’s daughter to return home. Once they arrived, a tense confrontation unfolded between Meredith and her father.

Initially, Lord Grey had aligned himself with Lord James and most of the Cassian’s nobles, who had a negative perception of the Adhemars and the other betraying lords, particularly the lord from Barges.

However, despite Anna’s lineage, Meredith firmly expressed her unwavering support for the princess. She reminded her father of the lack of assistance she received from the other nobles during her ordeal.

It was only Anna, an acquaintance, who stepped forward without hesitation to help her. Meredith pointed out that those who claimed to be friends and families had turned a blind eye to her plight. The impassioned argument ultimately ended with Lord Grey relenting and agreeing to his daughter’s perspective.

Meredith remained resolute in her decision to reconcile with Anna. Along the way, she hailed Sylvia, who had previously conveyed the perception that they no longer wished to befriend the princess, to offer their sincere apologies.

However, the carriage suddenly came to an abrupt halt. Piquing Meredith’s curiosity, she pushed the curtain aside and realised they were still some distance from the mansion’s gate, nearing its vicinity. The unexpected delay raised her concern.

Meredith’s confusion grew as the carriage came to a halt. She couldn’t comprehend why they had stopped at this particular spot.

Seeking an explanation, she turned to Rania and asked, "Why are we stopping here? Is there something wrong with the carriage?"

Rania offered to investigate. "Let me go and ask the driver, my lady."

She opened the carriage door and descended, making her way towards the driver to inquire about the situation.

Sylvia and Meredith exchanged worried glances, wondering what could have caused their sudden stop.

Moments later, the maid hurried back to the coach, her face etched with worry. She wasted no time in relaying the shocking news.

"Something is happening at the mansion!" she exclaimed in urgency. "We saw the guards and gatekeepers sprawled unconsciously on the ground!"

Meredith’s surprise was evident as she processed the information.

"What happened?" she asked in bewilderment.

"I don’t know, my lady," Rania replied, her own anxiety palpable. "But it appears that the mansion has been attacked or something of that nature. We should turn back immediately! This situation could be dangerous!"

A deep sense of worry and fear gripped Meredith’s heart, her expression reflecting the weight of her concern. The mere thought of Anna being in danger sent a wave of anxiety crashing over her. Moreover, the realisation that Alex, someone she held dear, could also be harmed if the mansion had been attacked intensified her distress.

"Oh, no!" Meredith exclaimed, her voice trembling with unease.

Her heart pounded heavily in her chest, and her hands shook nervously. Her mind became clouded with thoughts of the potential harm that may have befallen her loved ones.

Driven by her deep-seated fear and desperate to ensure the safety of those she cared about, Meredith rushed towards the carriage door, her actions fueled by a sense of urgency. She pushed past Rania, disregarding her surprised expression, and hastily lifted her skirt as she began to run.

"My lady! Where are you going?" Rania called out in alarm. She quickly followed after Meredith, struggling to keep up with the determined noblewoman.

"Go get help!" Meredith shouted without looking back.

Sylvia, too, descended from the carriage, her feet planted firmly on the ground. However, a paralysing worry gripped her, causing her to hesitate. The thought that something even more sinister might unfold at the mansion froze her in place, her mind filled with apprehension and dread.

The driver, taken aback by the sudden turn of events, looked to Sylvia for guidance.

"My lady, what should we do?" he asked, his tone reflecting his shaken state.

Sylvia immediately ordered the driver, "Let’s go and report this to the authorities immediately!"

***

A stunned silence fell over the mansion’s occupant as Kiev’s declaration hung in the air. Kyren, unable to comprehend the truth of the situation, muttered in disbelief, "It can’t be! You’re lying!"

Fueled by determination, Kiev vehemently protested against the accusations.

"I am not lying! I have undeniable proof!" he asserted with conviction.

The grand duke, seeking confirmation and clarity, turned to his wife and asked, "This cannot be right! He cannot be your betrothed, can he?"

Anna’s mind raced, trying to make sense of the unfolding revelation. She faltered momentarily, realising the uncanny resemblance between Kiev’s ring and her lost one during the shipwreck.

"The ring... it does look similar to my engagement ring," Anna said in a low tone.

"It could have been a mere coincidence!" Kyren interjected, desperately grasping at any plausible explanation to refute the claim.

Frustration and impatience seeped into Kiev’s voice as he retorted, "It is not a coincidence! The ring bears the distinct marking of the first alphabet of both our names on the back. I have never taken it off. If you wish to confirm its authenticity, I can hand it to you for examination."

Anna paused, realising the gravity of the situation. Clarity and certainty were essential before any conclusions could be drawn. She looked at Kyren, her urgency evident in her eyes, and made a heartfelt request. "I need to verify this myself. Please, allow me to see the ring."

Kyren, resistant and unwilling to accept the possibility, questioned the purpose of such verification. "Why bother? Even if it is the right ring, it could have been stolen!"

Kiev responded with a grunt of exasperation, his patience wearing thin, "It is not stolen! I have the official letter, signed and stamped by the king under the Ardel’s emblem, providing irrefutable proof of our betrothal!"

"So what if you really are? You abandoned her! Do you think you have the right to take her after all this time? After all that she had been through alone? You never cared about her!" Kyren lashed out.

The accusation was tremendous, and Callis felt the need to defend her brother’s honour.

Callis couldn’t bear to hear such accusations against her brother. She shouted with a glaring look, "That’s not true! My brother never abandoned her. In fact, he—"

"Callis!"

Before she could finish her sentence, Kiev’s stern gaze and shout silenced her. His eyes warned her not to reveal the truth behind his absence and reasons for not coming for Anna.

The princess closed her mouth, her expression sombre. It was clear that Kiev had his own plan.

"He what? Forgotten that he had a betrothed in Ardel? Too busy with his life or other women?" sneered Kyren, his tone dripping with disdain.

"My brother went to war! That’s why he couldn’t get to her!" Unsatisfied and feeling the need to defend her brother, Callis wove a reliable excuse, hoping to deflect the accusation and shed light on Kiev’s circumstances.

The grand duke’s gaze locked with the prince’s, his eyes filled with scepticism. "You’re lying! You’re just making an excuse!"

"She’s not!"

Realising the gravity of the situation, Kiev had no choice but to support his sister’s words and continue the charade. The truth about Anna’s lineage and her importance as the last remaining descendant of the Ro’an Emperor had to remain hidden for now, for revealing it could endanger her life.

Kiev spoke with determined eyes, taking a deep breath to steady himself, "Two years ago, I went to war and lost all contact with Ardel. It happened right after I attended the funeral. I had to rush back to defend my kingdom. When I returned, I immediately went to Ardel to retrieve her, only to be told by the new king that she had passed away. I couldn’t accept his words at face value, so I conducted my own investigation, and that’s when I discovered she was here."

"How did you find out? All the people who supported the previous monarch in Ardel had been eliminated, and the lady ran away in the middle of the night! There’s no way you could’ve tracked her here!" Noah exclaimed in disbelief.

Callis quickly interjected, "We have our ways to find out. How would you know that all of them had died? There must be some who remain in hiding!"

Eric chimed in, adding, "Still, it doesn’t make any sense that you easily found out she’s here!"

Anna felt the need to regain control of the situation. The dispute would definitely bring a bad outcome if left to them.

She raised her voice, capturing everyone’s attention, "Everyone, please! Calm down! This is a matter pertaining to me. Don’t I have the right to decide on this?"

Garin voiced out, "My lady, we can’t simply believe what he said. How can somebody come barging in and make such a claim? It’s just too good to be true!"

"I didn’t barge in initially! I asked for permission many times but was denied! It was your guards and gatekeepers who struck at me first! I told you the same, but all of you were so stubborn and blindly attacked me! Ask your servant! He saw the whole thing!" Kiev retorted to the knight’s accusation, nudging his chin towards Anryr.

Kyren turned to the steward and demanded an explanation, "Is what he said true?"

Anryr hesitated momentarily, then responded, "Yes, Your Highness... they did attack him first. But... we were just following your orders! You said to heighten security and not let any suspicious person in."

The grand duke grunted as he turned back to the prince.

"I don’t care whether you are her true betrothed or not! Leave! Anna is my wife, and you have no right to claim her!" Kyren declared with determination, his tone filled with possessiveness.

Kiev’s eyes blazed with defiance as he shouted, "You’re wrong! She’s only your concubine, not an official wife! I saw you yesterday at the event and heard your king’s proclamation! Now, I have every right to take her because she’s officially engaged to me!"

Unable to bear the escalating tension any longer, Anna pleaded, "Please! Stop fighting!"

Just then, a figure came running to the scene from the main gate, followed by another woman.

"Anna!" Meredith shouted, dashing with her might.

"My lady, wait!" yelled Rania from the back.

Anna’s eyes widened as she recognised the women coming for her.

"Mer? Rania?"

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