The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 208: The Bargesians’ Intrigue

Chapter 208: The Bargesians’ Intrigue

The entourage continued their journey, descending the hill and cantering along the isolated road. They had already left behind the outskirts of the City of Gantz. The crisp autumn breeze brushed against their faces, a reminder of the changing season.

Brone, the leader of the Bargesian group, exchanged a secret signal with Mikhal, prompting the latter to come closer. His suspicions had been confirmed—they had been under discreet surveillance by two men since they departed from Cassian’s palace. It was evident that these individuals were spies, covertly trailing their movements.

"They’re still following us," Mikhal reported, his gaze fixed ahead.

Following Brone’s instructions, they had chosen to feign ignorance of the spies’ presence. The entourage carried on with their journey, displaying no signs of suspicion and maintaining a leisurely pace.

Brone’s assistant voiced his concerns again, seeking confirmation, "Are we going to continue allowing them to follow us?"

The Bargesian leader took a moment to contemplate the situation before nodding in agreement with his assistant’s question.

"This road may appear deserted, but we must remain cautious. Cassian patrols are likely in the vicinity. For now, let’s refrain from taking any action and continue deeper into the woods," Brone advised.

Mikhal promptly responded, "Yes, my lord."

Derek, who had remained silent until now, broke his silence and posed a question, "Who do you think is tailing us?"

Brone, riding alongside the mage, confidently replied, "Who else? It’s undoubtedly the grand duke’s people. I suspect the wh*re may have reported to him, or he discovered about us through other means."

"I see..."

Derek gave a slight nod. He had heard about the unexpected occurrence that took place the previous night, when the Bargesians attending the banquet discovered that Anna, the princess of Ardel, was not deceased but had become the grand duke’s new concubine.

The situation had indeed surprised the Bargesians. The very princess who was believed to have perished in the barracks’ inferno had somehow managed to escape her supposed fate unscratched and resurface in Cassian.

Mikhal interrupted Brone, "But didn’t she submit to your orders and comply last night?"

"She did and played her part convincingly," The Bargesian leader acknowledged. "However, we cannot be certain of her true intentions. It’s crucial to remain suspicious."

Mikhal pressed further, asking, "Are you suggesting she betrayed you?"

"Not yet, it seems. Otherwise, the King of Cassian would have taken action. Nonetheless, we still hold the advantage. Who would believe the tale of a runaway princess with no witnesses?" Brone responded.

"You’re right," Mikhal agreed. "Considering the treatment we received when we left the palace, there haven’t been any indications that they are aware of who we are."

"She wouldn’t dare tell the king, but she might have informed the grand duke," Brone speculated. "There was something about how he looked at me and protected her that rubbed me the wrong way. I don’t like him one bit."

His assistant chimed in, "He seems smitten with her. So, he probably believes what she said."

Brone shrugged dismissively.

"So what if he does? What can he do? Sever the alliance? As you’ve witnessed, even the nobles of Cassian were not on his side."

Mikhal then added his insights out of concern, "But the king is his brother. From the stories I heard, the grand duke was the original heir to the throne, but he relinquished it to the current king and proclaimed himself celibate three years ago."

Brone raised an eyebrow, intrigued by his assistant’s knowledge. "You seem to be well informed. When did you become so immersed in gossip?"

"Forgive me, my lord," his assistant apologised. "We were conducting investigations based on your orders, and the gossip just happened to come our way. It seems to revolve mainly around the grand duke."

Brone couldn’t help but chuckle. "I can’t deny that he’s quite good-looking. So, it’s no surprise that gossip follows him."

At that moment, Derek interjected with a mischievous smile, "You haven’t seen the people I’ve encountered. Your jaws would surely drop at their mesmerising looks."

Curiosity piqued, Mikhal directed his question to the mage. "Who are you referring to, Mr Hayes?"

Derek’s smile widened, leaving the man intrigued and eager to hear more.

"The Ro’an descendants. I found them!"

Brone’s surprise was evident as he turned to Derek and questioned, "You’re not making this up, are you?"

The mage responded earnestly, his excitement palpable, "Of course I’m not! I saw them with my own eyes during yesterday’s proclamation event. They had long, white, silken hair, fair complexions, and strikingly red-ruby eyes. Their beauty was ethereal, like that of an angel. I even had the opportunity to touch one of them, and I could sense the immense mana within him. He is undeniably powerful."

Brone, still taken aback, asked, "You went to the proclamation event?"

Derek nodded.

"Yes. I sensed their presence after we left the inn. I followed them and witnessed their interest in the event. There were two of them, a man and a young woman. They bore a striking resemblance, so I assume they are siblings."

Mikhal, however, remained sceptical as he asked, "How can you be so certain? We were all intoxicated from our celebrations the night before, and you were no exception. Only a few of us were sober."

"I know what I saw and sensed! There is no doubt that they’re the Ro’an descendants!"

Brone retorted, voicing his opinion, "You know what I think? I think you were drunk, stumbled upon a tree, fell unconscious, and dreamed up this whole story."

The Bargesian warriors couldn’t help but join in, their laughter echoing through the air. Derek flushed his face with embarrassment as their mocking gazes fell upon him.

"F*ck, I didn’t lie! I’m telling you the truth!" the mage exclaimed.

Unmoved by Derek’s outburst, Brone countered, "You said the same thing about your casted item that was supposed to spread the Laradie disease. Did that ever happen? No, right? So, how can I believe you now?"

The mage fell into silence. His face contorted as the men laughed. The laughter then subsided, replaced by glances and raised eyebrows.

Brone looked at the silenced mage, his expression challenging. "And what evidence do you have to support these bold claims?"

Undeterred, the mage continued to defend his observations.

"I spent the entire night watching them! They stayed at the inn we chartered for our celebration. A teenager and an old lady accompanied them, and they had several guards with them. I’m certain they’re up to something!"

As Derek’s insistence grew stronger, Brone’s patience began to wear thin. His mood shifted, and his face turned grumpy as he responded, "Your delusions are getting even worse, Derek! There’s no such thing as Ro’an descendants, according to your description! Last time, you claimed they were in Ardel Castle. How the h*ll did these descendants suddenly appear in Cassian, out of nowhere and with guards, no less?"

Derek’s frustration mounted, and his voice strained as he urged, "You have to believe me! Yes, it is bizarre and too good to be true. But, think about it, even that princess of yours also turned up from the dead!"

Brone shook his head.

"That’s different! The slave traders caught her, and the grand duke rescued her from them. She must’ve escaped from the raging fire during the chaos!"

"Agree! The situation of the Ardel Princess has a solid explanation rather than yours, Mr Hayes!" added Mikhal, frustrating the mage.

"Your story doesn’t make any sense at all, Derek! I would have known if someone fitting your description truly existed. I spent years investigating the entirety of Ardel before striking a deal with the greedy King Ronan. I’m telling you, no one, I repeat, no one matches the description you provided."

The atmosphere grew tense as the Bargesian leader’s impatience clashed with Derek’s unwavering conviction. The mage grunted in annoyance.

He had expected disbelief from Brone and his men. However, the overwhelming eagerness to share what he had discovered had caused him to slip up and reveal it to them.

"I know you’re going to say that! You’ll never believe me until you see them with your own eyes!" Derek dismissed Brone’s scepticism.

Disheartened by the continued lack of trust from the Bargesian leader, the mage fell silent once more. The weight of being ridiculed by Brone and his men crushed heavily upon him, leaving him to sulk in his thoughts.

Feeble rays of sunlight struggled to penetrate the dense canopy, casting eerie, distorted shadows on the forest floor as they went deeper into the woods.

The air hung heavy with a damp, earthy scent, tinged with a hint of decay. Moss covered the rocks, and towering trees loomed high, their gnarled branches reaching out.

Mikhal broke the silence, sensing the need to obtain demand. "We’ve reached the depths of the woods, my lord. What is your next order?"

Brone, who had been feeling annoyed and slighted, suddenly halted—a mischievous glint in his dark eyes. The entourage followed suit.

"Once we cross the border of Cassian, let us find our hiding spot in Galicia as planned and retrieve more weapons. We will proceed with our strategy to infiltrate in disguise and kidnap all the Ro’an language teachers, including the Ardel princess. We will keep them captive aboard the ship we have chartered. No one will escape our grasp."

Concerned, his assistant raised a valid point. "But won’t the Grand Duke be vigilant about his concubine’s safety now that he knows who we are? He is not one to be underestimated. The other day, we saw him leaping over the high wall of the eastern garden in the palace while carrying the princess. He surely has some skills."

A wicked grin etched across Brone’s face as he replied, determination lacing his voice, "I don’t care about his vigilance or skills. We will do whatever it takes to capture her, and she will be mine."

His assistant nodded obediently and replied. "Yes, my lord."

Brone decided to vent his frustration over the previous conversation on a different target. He spoke in a menacing tone, sending chills down the spines of his subordinates.

"For now... let me vent my anger a bit."

Mikhal’s confusion was evident as he sought clarification, "Pardon, my lord?"

Brone unsheathed his scimitar, the glint of steel reflecting his vengeful intent.

"The spies... let us eliminate them once and for all."

Sensing the shift in the atmosphere, his men readied themselves, knowing their leader’s wrath was about to be unleashed.