The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 317: An Approach For Reconciliation

Chapter 317: An Approach For Reconciliation

Ayden sighed heavily, closing the book with a sad look on his face.

"Is this about Dame Verns?" Rosalie guessed, her keen perception cutting through the veil of Ayden’s emotions.

The assistant healer looked at the chief maid, his black eyes wide with surprise.

"How do you know?"

Rosalie’s smile widened.

"It’s rather obvious. I believe everyone in this mansion is aware that you’ve developed feelings for the knightess. You’ve even started calling her by her first name, which signifies a closer connection."

A hint of shyness tinged the assistant healer’s features, but his countenance quickly turned sombre as Clara’s name was mentioned.

"She’s been avoiding me lately. I don’t know why," Ayden confessed in a low tone. "At first, I thought she was simply tired and needed some rest. But it became apparent that she was deliberately avoiding me. We used to be so close, spending time together, sharing meals... I don’t know when things went wrong."

Rosalie listened empathetically. "Have you tried talking to her about it?"

Ayden shook his head.

"I didn’t get the chance. I asked to see her, but every time, she would refuse, saying she wanted to rest," Ayden explained with a sense of frustration.

"Well... from what you’ve told me, something is obviously going on. You need to talk about it to her," Rosalie advised.

"How can I when she doesn’t want to see me? She didn’t even look me in the eyes," Ayden replied with a hopeless tone.

"In that case... let me help you get a chance to talk to her," Rosalie offered.

"You would? But how?" Ayden asked, a flicker of hope lighting up his black eyes.

"Don’t worry. I have my ways. You just need to appear when I signal you," Rosalie assured him, a confident smile grazing her lips.

"Oh, thank you so much, Mrs Foster!" Ayden’s eyes lit up with anticipation.

"You’re welcome. I hope you’ll be able to sort out your differences with her. I already miss the good old Mr Norman and wish for his return soon," teased Rosalie.

A small laugh escaped Ayden’s lips.

"Ah... there he is!" Rosalie exclaimed upon seeing the change in his mood. "Let’s not wait. I’ll go and see Dame Verns now and take her to the garden. Remember what I said. Come out when I signal you."

"All right, Mrs Foster! Oh, what do I do without you," Ayden replied gratefully.

"Well... those years of marriage experience full of sulking and coaxing are surely handy now!" Rosalie quipped, a playful tone lacing her words.

They both shared a genuine laugh, their spirits lifted by the prospect of resolving the tension between Ayden and Clara.

***

Rosalie wheeled Clara to the garden, where a gentle breeze carried the fresh scent of autumn flowers blooming all around. The vibrant colours and peaceful atmosphere brought a sense of tranquillity.

"See... I told you the scenery would be better if viewed from here," Rosalie remarked, a contented smile gracing her lips.

Clara smiled appreciatively, taking in the beauty of the garden. Emily had left to spend time with Noah, who had returned from the palace, leaving Clara alone in her chamber.

Usually, it would have been Ayden accompanying her, but she had been avoiding him since the night of the fireworks show. Rosalie’s unexpected visit and offer to take her out were a welcome change of pace.

The chief maid carefully positioned the wheelchair under the shade of a tree.

’Thudd!’

Suddenly, a branch broke and fell from above, causing Rosalie to cry in alarm, fearing it would hit Clara. However, with lightning-fast reflexes, the knightess’ deftly caught the falling branch with her bare hand.

"Are you all right? Oh dear, I’m so sorry!" Rosalie exclaimed. Her eyes widened with concern.

"I’m fine, Mrs Foster. It’s just a small, old branch," Clara reassured her as she threw it away.

"Your hand was so fast in catching it. I thought it was going to hit you!" Rosalie said, a mixture of relief and astonishment in her tone.

Clara laughed lightly.

"I’ve had my fair share of training and fights. Quick reflexes are important to a knight when in battle. I may not be able to walk, but my hands are still strong."

Rosalie nodded, impressed.

"They sure are. I’ll have the gardener trim the tree later. Let’s sit over there. It would be much safer," Rosalie suggested, pointing to a spot near the fountain.

The knightess nodded, and they made their way to the designated place. As they settled in, Clara took a deep breath and broke the silence.

"You have something to talk to me, right?"

Rosalie let out a wry smile, appreciating Clara’s directness.

"Yes, I have. Firstly, I must admit that when the other knights told me you are a knightess, I was quite surprised as I’ve never met one before. However, seeing your skill just now showed that you are a skilled knight. Furthermore, you quickly sensed that I have something to discuss."

"A knight must have good observation skills. Otherwise, it would be difficult to survive in battle or when facing a predicament."

"You’re right," the chief maid agreed. "I’ve seen how the Knights of Gerhard trained, and I must admit, it wasn’t easy. They are considered the best in Cassian."

Clara’s eyes flickered with pride.

"I can see that too. Sir Brooks, in particular, demonstrated undeniably amazing skills when he saved Emily and me from Constance."

Rosalie couldn’t help but ask, her tone curious, "Do you like him?"

"Who? Sir Brooks?"

Clara’s laughter filled the air, her amusement evident when Rosalie nodded, confirming her guess. She shook her head.

"He’s just a friend. A great friend, indeed. I’m thankful to him and respect him, but there’s nothing more than that between us."

"Well... he doesn’t have the best reputation among the knights," Rosalie spoke cautiously.

"I know. We had a conversation, and he already explained what happened," Clara responded.

"He did? That’s surprising! Sir Brooks rarely opens up to others. I’ve always felt intimidated by him," Rosalie admitted.

"If you knew the real him, he’s not as scary as he appears. Though he may not smile or talk much to others, he’s a good man deep down," Clara assured.

"Well... I’m not really sure. There are all sorts of stories about him, and the other knights have always warned us not to get close to him, so I don’t know him well. But there’s one thing I know for sure," Rosalie hesitated.

"What is it?" Clara inquired.

"He’s been smiling a lot lately at Miss Baker... and that worries me," Rosalie expressed her concern.

"I understand what you’re implying, but don’t worry. Emily is a smart woman. She will make her decision once Sir Brooks informs her," Clara reassured.

"It’s not my place to comment, but I hope she makes a wise one," Rosalie added.

"She will," the knightess replied with certainty.

"So, Sir Brooks wasn’t why you’ve been feeling down lately. I thought you might have a romantic interest in him and that you were caught in the middle of their relationship," the chief maid speculated.

"Of course not! Why would you think that? Besides, I’m not feeling down. I’m just taking some time to rest and recuperate," Clara clarified.

"Really? Because Miss Baker herself told me that you’ve been behaving differently lately, especially after the fireworks night show," Rosalie pointed out.

"You don’t need to worry about it. I’m perfectly fine," the knightess insisted, though her face looked gloomy.

"Perhaps... was it because of Mr Norman?" Rosalie guessed, mentioning Ayden as she stared at the knightess’ expression.

Clara’s expression changed at the mention of Ayden. Her eyes cast downward, filled with mixed emotions about how to approach him, as Noah advised.

"So, it is because of him!" Rosalie deduced.

"It’s not what you think, Mrs Foster. Ayden did nothing wrong..." Clara defended.

"If he did nothing wrong, then it’s not fair for you to avoid him," the chief maid argued.

"Did he tell you that?" Clara inquired, surprised.

"He did! After I urged him to tell me. He was worried about you and didn’t know how to approach you since you’ve been giving excuses not to see him. Poor Mr Norman hasn’t been himself lately," Rosalie revealed.

"I didn’t mean to trouble him. It’s just..." Clara trailed off.

"You like Mr Norman, don’t you?" Rosalie stated perceptively.

Clara’s eyes widened at the remark.

"Mrs Foster... I..." Clara hesitated, unsure of how to express herself.

Her reaction affirmed the chief maid’s question.

"You see... I may not be a knightess, but I have a good sense as a maid, especially in matters like this. The way your eyes speak tells me you’re fond of him, but something is bothering you," Rosalie said determinedly.

"I don’t think we would be a good match," Clara confessed.

"Have you tried talking about it with him?" Rosalie inquired.

The knightess shook her head.

"Then why not give it a try? You never know. Communication is vital in any relationship. Keeping your thoughts to yourself only leads to misunderstandings," the chief maid advised.

"You seem to know a lot about this," Clara remarked wistfully.

"I’ve been married for a long time. Mr Foster and I have had quarrels and misunderstandings along the way. But we managed to overcome them by expressing our thoughts. Though we couldn’t always find the perfect solution, we resolved our disagreements through tolerance," Rosalie shared her experience.

"I don’t know if letting Ayden know what’s bothering me would help. I fear it will only make things worse," Clara expressed her apprehension.

"You’ll never know unless you try," Rosalie encouraged.

"Sir Brooks said almost the same thing," the knightess noted.

"Then I guess it’s the right thing to do. Why don’t you discuss it with Mr Norman now? He’s been eager to talk to you," the chief maid suggested.

"Wait! He’s here?" Clara exclaimed in surprise.

Her head turned left and right, searching for the assistant healer’s figure.

"Where is he?"

Rosalie pointed to a nearby sculpture. Clara was taken aback to see Ayden waiting anxiously behind it.

The chief maid signalled for the assistant healer to come over. Clara couldn’t help but feel nervous as he walked up to them. Both of them were silent, and the knightess averted her eyes when he stood before her.

"I’ll leave now so you can have your discussion in private. Remember, communication is the key," Rosalie said with a smile before departing.

Ayden looked at the knightess, who remained silent and had droopy eyes.

"Clara..."

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