The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 270: A Fate From God

Chapter 270: A Fate From God

"Your Highness, please reconsider! Rafe is an important member of our knighthood. Handing over our healer to him is absolutely absurd!" Garin interjected urgently.

Kyren quickly reassured his third-in-command knight, "Don’t worry. I have no intention of surrendering him."

With widened eyes, Kiev expressed his disbelief, "What? Are you suggesting that we simply ignore this situation?" he asked.

Maintaining his calm demeanour, the grand duke responded, "Listen, Prince Kiev. Above all, Rafe is not at fault here. It would be unfair to punish him for something that is beyond his knowledge. Instead of resorting to violence or taking someone’s life, is there another option available to break this soulmate bond?"

Kyren’s question carried a genuine curiosity. He himself was in a situation where he was bound to his soulmate, the presumed dead princess of the Ro’an Empire. In his case, their bond had been forcibly forged through magic, making it even stronger and laced with a binding spell cast by the princess’s mother.

Kiev paused, his red eyes briefly glancing towards Anna before providing a decisive response.

"A soulmate bond cannot be severed by any means except death!" Kiev asserted frustratedly.

"Then, can’t we simply ignore it and pretend it never happened? After all, you’re not in Sabel Island, and none of your people would be aware of the situation," suggested Sylvia.

The other knights nodded in agreement, finding her suggestion the most practical course of action in the circumstances.

However, Kiev’s exasperation was evident as he explained further, "You don’t understand. For us, it’s not a trivial matter that can just be forgotten and let go. It’s an act of ultimate surrender to love and affection. She will be drawn to him, yearning for him, consumed by thoughts of him, and she will live in eternal despair for not having him. She won’t have any feelings for any other man, not even a hint of desire or lust!"

Deep in thought, Kyren could relate to the Mederian Prince’s words. Even without a soulmate bond, his feelings for Anna were inexplicably strong. The mere thought of living a life without her after their marriage was unbearable.

Just as the group contemplated the predicament, a woman’s voice emerged from behind the crowd, seeking their attention.

"Excuse me... umm... could you allow me to pass?"

Turning their gaze towards the source, they saw a dwarf woman holding a stool with a hesitant expression.

Eli, the nearest knight to her, inquired, "Who are you?"

"I’m the flower stall owner, Flora, the florist," the woman introduced herself.

"Flora!" Rafe exclaimed, recognising her immediately.

"Rafe!" the florist replied when she noticed the healer.

Flora then turned her eyes towards the crowd, puzzled by the gathering near her stall.

"What’s going on here? Why are you all convened before my stall? Are you here to buy some flowers?" she asked in confusion.

Kyren responded to explain the situation, "Forgive us for disturbing your business. It seems there has been an unintended dispute here."

Surprised, Flora suddenly noticed the gorgeous blue-eyed man before her.

"Aren’t you... His Highness the Grand Duke of Gerhard? Oh, dear! Please forgive my rudeness!"

She hurriedly set the stool she was holding aside and bowed respectfully.

Curious about the connection between Rafe and Flora, Anna addressed them, "It seems like you two know each other."

Rafe nodded, confirming Anna’s observation.

"She’s my friend and one of my suppliers. I came to see the rare remedies she has. We’ve been exchanging letters, and she mentioned she would be at this spot during the festival, so I came here."

Flora chimed in, adding more context, "We’ve been friends for a long time. We lived in the same vicinity when I was a child, but then my family moved away. However, we’ve kept in touch through letters, and Rafe occasionally visits me to buy herbs."

Flora’s eyes then caught sight of Callis, who was still crying. Concerned, she quickly inquired with genuine care, "What happened, Miss? Why are you crying? Has someone bullied you? Forgive me for returning late and leaving you alone. The café owner asked for my urgent help just now, so it took me a while."

Sylvia interjected, correcting the florist, "Why do you call her ’Miss’? She’s Her Highness Princess Callis Naver, a Mederian Princess."

Flora immediately realised her mistake and hastily bowed to Callis.

"Oh, my! Please forgive me for not being aware. Miss... I mean... Your Highness didn’t inform me, so I didn’t know. Please accept my apologies."

Flora then glanced up, noticing the roses adorning Callis’s hair.

"Oh, you’re finally wearing the flowers in your braid. Who helped you, Your Highness?" she asked, genuinely curious.

Before Callis could reply, Kiev interjected, "So, you must be the person who told her about the st*pid myth!"

"You are..." Flora’s words trailed off as her eyes darted between the alluring, handsome man with long silken white hair and the Mederian Princess, realising the striking resemblance between them.

"He’s my brother," Callis managed to say amidst her tears, confirming their connection.

Flora immediately bowed respectfully to the prince, acknowledging his presence.

Then, she mustered the courage to express her thoughts, "Forgive me for saying this, Your Highness, but the myth is not st*pid, as you said. I believe in it, and many Cassian maidens share the same faith, even if most men don’t. So, please show respect towards our culture. I know I’m just a commoner and shouldn’t speak this way to a Mederian royal, but I believe such derogatory words shouldn’t come from someone of your standing."

Kiev, still frustrated, retorted, "Fine! I’m sorry I said that! But you have no idea what my sister did because of the myth you told her!"

Curiosity piqued, Flora turned to Kiev and inquired, "What happened?"

The Mederian Prince, filled with shame, remained silent, unable to answer. Flora then shifted her attention to Rafe, who stood by the side of the Grand Duke. The healer proceeded to explain the situation to her.

"Oh, my! Then, this is definitely God’s will! You shouldn’t be rejecting her!" Flora exclaimed excitedly.

"This is a mistake, Flora! It shouldn’t have happened! Her Highness must not have been thinking clearly when she asked me to adorn her hair with the flowers!" countered Rafe.

"I’m very clear with what I feel, Mr Amares! It’s just... I couldn’t tell you that I really love you!" Callis’s brave confession caused the healer’s face to turn red. Her daring remarks also took the rest of the knights aback.

"Don’t you see that this is meant to be, Rafe? She came here as fated, wished for her true love, and you appeared. Then, you adorned her hair and became her soulmate!" Flora chimed in.

"It can’t be that simple! Love and affection require time to build. It can’t happen in the blink of an eye," said Rafe.

Flora countered, her voice filled with conviction, "It can. God’s power is beyond our imagination. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be, even if it doesn’t make any sense."

"I disagree with this! Even though my sister made such a huge mistake, I can’t let her live in agony for the rest of her life!" Kiev interjected and then requested Kyren. "Grand duke, you have a debt to pay to me. Give me your healer so that I can sort out this problem!"

Confused by the statement, Anna turned to Noah and whispered, "What is he talking about?"

"His Highness Prince Kiev joined the pursuit to capture some beasts with us the other day. During the task, he saved His Highness the Grand Duke twice from getting hurt. That’s why he said His Highness owes him," the knight explained quietly for Kiev’s claim.

Anna’s hand instinctively went to her chest in surprise. Kyren hadn’t mentioned anything about it, likely to spare her anxiety.

"No wonder he, too, was gone the other day!" she said in a whispering voice.

Realising that arguing further amid the festival was unfitting, Kyren suggested, "I don’t think it’s appropriate for us to keep having a dispute in this place. The florist lady has a business to run, and your shouting attracts attention from passersby. Let’s go back to the palace and discuss this further there."

"You’re just making excuses so that you can protect your healer!" Kiev retorted.

The grand duke’s voice remained firm as he responded, "I’m not making excuses! If we continue like this, the entire crowd of festival visitors will be looking at us! Both you and your sister will be embarrassed, don’t you think?"

Kiev paused, looked around, and realised that, apart from their group, the customers of the neighbouring café were also observing them through the glass windows. The public attention made him reconsider his actions.

"If you’re worried that I would be unjust, then we can refer this matter to His Majesty," added the Grand Duke, reassuring the Mederian Prince.

"Fine! But if you ever attempt to hide your healer from this, I won’t forgive you!" Kiev warned.

"I won’t. You have my word. Now, everyone, let’s go back to the palace and sort this out," ordered Kyren.

"Yes, Your Highness!" his men responded in unison.

Feeling strongly concerned about Rafe, Anna whispered to Meredith and Sylvia, "Let’s follow suit. Rafe is my friend, and I can’t just let this slide. I need to know what happens next."

They both agreed to her suggestion, and soon, the crowd departed from the scene.

As Anna passed by the path near the fountain in the middle of the plaza, her steps halted, and she turned around in confusion. A figure that just now passed by attracted her attention among the people.

"What is it, Anna?" Meredith asked, concerned.

The Princess’s eyes darted around, scanning the area. However, the bustling crowd made it difficult for her to search for the figure she thought she had seen.

"I’m not sure," Anna replied. "I thought I saw someone I knew... but it doesn’t make any sense," she muttered to herself.

"What do you mean?" Sylvia inquired.

"I thought I saw my deceased nanny just now," Anna confessed hesitantly.

Sylvia’s disbelief was evident. "You’ve got to be kidding! How can a dead person come back to life?" she exclaimed.

Anna sighed, trying to calm her thoughts.

"You’re right. I must’ve made a mistake. Perhaps it was someone who looked nearly like her," she reasoned.

"Forget about it. Now, you’ll ride with me to the palace. If you get onto the carriage with His Highness the Grand Duke, His Highness Prince Kiev will see and probably cause another scene," Sylvia suggested.

"Yes, that’s a good idea, Sylvia. Let’s not raise any more commotion for now," agreed Meredith. "I’ll ride with Alex and follow behind."

Having taken one last glance at the fountain area, Anna noticed the familiar faces of Kiev and Callis among the crowd, as if they were waiting for someone. Deciding that there was nothing more to see and feeling pressed for time, she turned back to her friends and urged them, "Let’s go!"

Just as she redirected her attention, a middle-aged woman, accompanied by a teenager, emerged from the passersby near the fountain.

"Come on, Jessy and Armel. We need to return to the palace immediately. There’s an urgent matter," the Mederian Prince called out.

The two exchanged glances, their eyes brimming with curiosity, as they pondered the reason behind the unexpected urgency. Little did they know that a profound destiny awaited the Mederian Princess, Callis — a fate neither of them could have anticipated.