The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 295: A Best Friend’s Advice

Chapter 295: A Best Friend’s Advice

As Eric and Rafe walked side by side along the hallway, the knight couldn’t contain his curiosity. He was thrilled to hear about the healer’s wedding night and eagerly asked, "So, how was it?"

The second-in-command knight was initially surprised when Rafe sought him out. He quickly followed when he learned their lady summoned him to her chamber. Eric was excited about his best friend’s marriage and couldn’t wait to hear all the details.

"How was what?" Rafe asked in return, not fully catching onto the knight’s line of questioning.

Eric grinned mischievously.

"You know... Your wedding night. Is it good? Did you have a memorable time?"

Rafe maintained an unbothered expression, knowing that Eric would pester him with numerous questions about it.

"Nothing happened," he replied subtly.

"Nothing?" Eric exclaimed, surprised. "You didn’t do anything on your wedding night?"

Rafe sighed, recalling the events.

"I fainted, remember? The royal healer gave me a calming medicine, so I ended up sleeping the whole night until morning."

"What a waste!" Eric exclaimed frustratedly. "Then, what about in the morning? Don’t tell me you woke up screaming in bed when you saw her next to you."

Rafe rolled his eyes.

"Get out of my head!"

"You did! Oh, Rafael! I knew it! I knew you would behave in such a way!"

As Rafe grew increasingly annoyed with the knight’s teasing, the usually calm and composed healer couldn’t help but snap back.

"Stop it! I was unconscious before. Of course, I would be surprised when I woke up embracing a woman on my bed! I didn’t recall what happened at that time!"

Rafe’s voice carried a tinge of anger.

Undeterred by his best friend’s reaction, Eric continued teasing him.

"Ha ha ha... You hugged her all through the night, it seemed! Still saying nothing happened, eaayy?"

The healer’s face turned red with embarrassment.

"It wasn’t intentional! I thought she was a pillow!"

The knight chuckled and replied, "She can be your huggable pillow every night after this! You’re so lucky, Rafael!"

Rafe’s embarrassment deepened, and he pleaded, "Stop it!"

Eric laughed again but soon composed himself, shaking his head.

"I never anticipated that you would get married in such a way. In fact, I doubted that you would ever marry anyone, given how focused you are on your work and your general indifference towards women. When Sir Henderson told me what happened, I was so intrigued. I thought of coming to see you right away."

"Then, why didn’t you come? You’re not the type that would miss such a scene," asked Rafe sceptically.

"You were unconscious and accompanied by your wife. So, it wouldn’t be nice to interfere in your private moment. Besides, Rachel and Ethan wanted to see the fireworks show last night. Anyway, congratulations, my friend, and welcome to the world of the marrieds!"

Rafe’s irritation lingered as he sneered, "Are you sincerely congratulating me, or are you just imposing this as a joke?"

Eric’s expression lightened, and he replied earnestly, "Of course it’s a sincere congratulation from me! My best friend finally got married, albeit unconventionally, and to make it even more remarkable, he married a beautiful and alluring Mederian Princess who was silently in love with him! I heard she fell head over heels for you and daringly declared you her soulmate. To top it all off, she confessed her feelings for you in front of everyone. You have such a brave wife!"

"It’s a fate determined by God. She’s now my responsibility, and I will take care of her," said Rafe calmly.

As the healer reiterated his acceptance of his new wife, Eric couldn’t help but persist in questioning.

"It’s good to hear you’re accepting the marriage already, but how do you feel about her?"

Rafe’s response remained detached and superficial, "She’s beautiful and perfect in every way. So, I should be happy."

Unsatisfied with the healer’s seemingly rehearsed answer, Eric halted their steps, causing Rafe to question the reason for the sudden pause.

"Why are you stopping? Lady Raychard is waiting for us."

The knight stared deeply into the healer’s grey eyes, a determined look on his face.

"Before we continue," Eric began, his voice serious, "I want to ask you something."

The healer waited anxiously, curious about what the knight wanted to know.

"What is it?"

Eric’s gaze never wavered as he asked, "Seriously, how do you feel about her, your new wife?"

Silence fell upon Rafe, his lips sealed and his expression guarded. Eric sensed that there was more beneath the surface, and he wasn’t willing to let the healer evade the question.

"You can hide from others, but not from me," Eric asserted, his voice filled with genuine concern. "Speak up your mind, Rafael. Tell me how you truly feel."

The healer sighed heavily, his eyes downcast to the floor.

"She’s a Mederian Princess, Eric... and I’m... I’m a nobody. We’re too far apart in almost every way... status, wealth, looks, you name it."

His words carried a sense of resignation and self-doubt, as if he believed their differences were insurmountable. Rafe’s solemn expression reflected the weight of his insecurities.

"Who says you’re a nobody? You’re not just an important person in our knighthood but one of the most valued individuals after His Highness! If you weren’t precious, His Majesty wouldn’t have issued that royal decree to protect your life. Your wife wouldn’t have chosen you either if she didn’t see something exceptional in you, something that made her fall deeply in love with you in such a short time!" countered Eric.

"I’m just worried... What if when I opened up my feelings for her and accepted her wholeheartedly, she saw my flaws? Would she still be in love with me?" Rafe expressed deeply.

"She declared you as her soulmate! Do you understand what that means? It’s a lifelong commitment! Forget what I said earlier! Weren’t you there when she explained it? I’m curious, what part of her explanation didn’t reach your head?"

"I did understand her explanation! I’m just... scared! I’ve never been in love before and don’t know how to navigate these emotions. Right now, I’m doing my best to accept things as they are, but that doesn’t mean I’m confident that everything will turn out fine. Married life has its challenges, as you’ve often mentioned."

"Yes, there will be challenges, but you can overcome them together. Start opening your heart to her. Based on our encounters with your wife, I can see that she’s quite a stubborn woman. How she confronted her brother and defended you speaks volumes about her character. She’s also brave, determined, and loving, considering the lengths she went to pursue her heart’s desire," advised the knight.

"I know..."

"I’m aware that it’s too soon for you to have a deep feeling for her. But, tell me sincerely... Do you like her? Do you at least have a little spark in your heart over her?" asked the knight determinedly.

"I..."

Rafe hesitated, unsure of how to answer Eric’s question. He recalled the recent incident when he held Callis in his arms while she had a fever. It was an intimate moment, and he couldn’t deny feeling a certain warmth and fondness for her. Her scared expression when she was told to drink her medicine struck a chord with him, and he found it amusing.

Furthermore, her willingness to adhere to their agreement by drinking the medicine together left an impression on him; she wasn’t as stubborn as she seemed. His cheeks reddened as he reminisced about the moment.

"Hmm... that flustered face of yours speak up already," Eric grinned knowingly.

Rafe finally admitted, "The thing is... I do like her... But I’m worried now. I don’t want to end up disappointing her."

The healer had been honest about his feelings for his new wife, as he had previously stated the same concern to Callis.

"You won’t. You’re a great person, and so is she. You’re both meant for each other. Just be true to yourself, and everything will work out."

"Do you really believe that? What if her parents didn’t recognise me like her brother?" doubted the healer.

"They will. Once they get to know the real you, I’m confident they’ll come to acknowledge and appreciate you. Trust me, my friend," said Eric confidently.

"Thank you. I know I can rely on your intuition on this since this is your expertise. It’s quite a relief, actually... I just... I don’t want people spreading malicious gossip about me, accusing me of taking advantage of my wife or anything like that," said Rafe.

"Come on! She was the one who pursued you relentlessly!" Eric smiled.

"People might still accuse me of giving her a love potion, though."

"You? Giving a love potion to women? Pfft!" The knight chuckled, tears of amusement in his eyes. "You’re so shy and behave awkwardly around women that it’s hard for you to talk to them casually other than related to your work, let alone give them a love potion. How can you give it to anyone? Besides, people thought you were the secret lover of His Highness, remember?"

"Stop it! I don’t want the malicious gossip about me to reach my wife’s ears! It’s inappropriate!"

Rafe wore a grumpy look when he was reminded of the baseless gossip.

"All right, let’s not talk about it anymore," Eric conceded as they continued walking, a smile on his face.

The knight couldn’t help but express his admiration for Rafe’s wife.

"Honestly, my friend, you’ve got an exceptional woman as your wife. You just need to navigate her spirited nature and tame her a bit. But I have faith that you can handle her. As for her brother..." Eric took a deep breath, his tone becoming more serious. "Gaining his approval might require more than just bravery and luck. I’ve heard that his anger reached its peak when His Majesty proclaimed you both as husband and wife."

"He was furious indeed, and I’m doing my best to earn his trust. I’ve planned to return to Rivendelle tomorrow morning to introduce my wife to my family," Rafe explained.

"Ah, yes, the tradition of meeting the parents! Your family must be overjoyed! I’m sure the news of your marriage has already reached them," Eric remarked.

"I believe so. His Majesty sent a messenger to inform them about it. One of the royal knights informed me this morning. I invited His Highness Prince Kiev to accompany us," the healer shared.

"What?" Eric’s eyes widened. "You’re bringing that dangerous prince with you?"

"I offered him the invitation, and surprisingly, he agreed to join us. I hope that by spending time together, he will get to know me better and eventually accept our relationship," Rafe explained.

"But he tried to kill you before! What if he takes advantage of the trip and attempts to harm you along the way?" Eric expressed his concern.

"If he wanted to kill me, he would have done it already. This morning, I went to see him to seek his consent for our marriage. Initially, I had to hide behind my wife for my safety, which was quite embarrassing. But then, I gathered my courage and stepped up. I managed to convince him to come with us," Rafe reassured.

"I still can’t trust him. He may appear calm and composed on the surface, but his anger is almost as intense as His Highness when it erupts. It makes me wonder why our lady seems fated to attract love pursuers with similar temperaments," Eric pondered aloud.

"Don’t speak ill of him. He’s my brother-in-law now. He reacted that way because he loved and cared for Callis. He’s worried I might hurt his sister," the healer defended Kiev.

Eric couldn’t resist teasing Rafe when he heard him addressing the Mederian Princess.

"Ooh, our Rafael now refers to his wife by her first name! How sweet!" Eric playfully remarked. "So, when are you planning to consummate your marriage? You know it’s an important custom, right?"

"It’s not going to happen so soon. Right now, Callis has returned to stay with His Highness Prince Kiev," Rafe responded shyly.

"What? You returned your wife to her brother?" Eric exclaimed, stopping in the hallway and looking at Rafe with shock in his eyes.

The healer clarified, "I’m not returning her! I agreed with her brother that she would stay with him until I obtained his consent. According to the Mederian customs, a male guardian’s consent is required for marriage."

"You don’t need his consent! His Majesty’s proclamation is enough!" Eric argued.

"Because of that, Callis and her brother’s relationship is strained. I don’t want to start my married life with that kind of tension. It feels like I’m stealing her away from her family, and I don’t want to leave that impression. We are a family now, and family members should love and support each other. Losing a family member is painful, Eric. You know how it feels when I lost Lisa."

The knight paused, realising the weight of Rafe’s words. He remembered how devastated the healer was when his sister, Lisa, passed away, leaving a gaping hole in his heart.

The mention of the healer’s deceased sister reminded Eric of his fond memories of her. She was his first crush, and she had smitten him since childhood. Her passing had also left a void in his heart.

However, over the years, that emptiness had been filled with the presence of Rachel, a woman who managed to open his heart again for love. The woman had become a source of comfort and joy for Eric, helping him heal from the loss of his first love and bringing happiness back into his life.

"I understand. If that’s your decision, I’ll respect it. But please be cautious around her brother," Eric advised.

"Don’t worry. He has promised not to harm me. Callis has also made it clear that she will protect me," Rafe reassured.

"Your wife is undeniably strong. How she took down Sir Henderson and held her own stance against Sir Parker was impressive, and she has the combat skills of a high-ranking knight. I witnessed her fight, and she was truly remarkable. But still, her brother is stronger," the knight remarked, recalling the incident of their fight with the Mederian royal siblings at the mansion during their first met.

"She’s injured now, thanks to the fight. I need to take better care of her to ensure her speedy recovery," Rafe said.

"My knights and I owe her an apology for that. Since she’s already your wife, she’s part of Gerhard now. It would be inappropriate if we didn’t apologise to her. We’ll come and see her for that if you allow it," Eric suggested.

Rafe agreed, "I don’t mind, and I don’t think Callis harbours any resentment over the incident. We’ll arrange a proper time for that."

"Good. By the way, what about her parents? Is His Highness Prince Kiev sending any news to them about your marriage to his sister?" the knight inquired.

"No, I don’t think so. But I plan to go to Sabel Island to meet them," Rafe replied.

"Let me know if you need company. I need to make sure you return safely. And let’s hope that the temper of His Highness Prince Kiev is not inherited from his father," Eric joked.

Rafe chuckled, "I’m praying for that."

He urged Eric to hurry up, and they continued walking until they reached Anna’s chamber.

Eric greeted the princess respectfully, bowing as she sat on the settee in a robe, accompanied by Meredith.

"Greetings, my lady. I was informed that you summoned me," he said.

Anna cheerfully responded, "Greetings, Sir Navin!"

Curious about the reason for the summons, the knight asked, "So, may I know what this is all about?"

Anna stood up with a bright grin on her face.

"I want you to train me like a knight!" she declared.