The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 328: The Disgruntled Prince

Chapter 328: The Disgruntled Prince

The carriage finally arrived at the palace compound, its rolling tyres coming to a halt near the tower’s entrance where they resided.

Armel, who sat alongside the carriage driver, hurriedly descended and moved to open the door. The escorts dismounted from their horses, weary from the long and exhausting journey back from Rivendelle to Gantz.

Elis obediently stepped out as ordered as the door swung open, promptly positioning herself to the side. Her hands rested firmly on her stomach, and she slightly lowered her back forward as a sign of respect for the Mederian royal siblings, who alighted from the carriage followed by Rafe.

"You must all be tired from the journey. Take some time to rest," Kiev addressed his escorts, who gratefully bowed in respect to the Mederian Prince before moving forward to lead the horses to the stable.

Turning his attention to the silent Elis, who bowed to him without meeting his gaze, the Mederian Prince called in a soft voice.

"Elis..."

"Your Highness, if there’s no further instruction, I would like to go upstairs and pack my belongings to return to the mansion immediately," the maid interjected before Kiev could continue.

Their two-day journey had been sombre. Elis had maintained silence and avoided conversation as much as possible, deliberately keeping her distance from the Mederian Prince.

Kiev, too, remained quiet throughout, his face laced with a solemn expression that only grew more pronounced as they reached their destination.

"Don’t leave just yet, Elis," pleaded Callis, standing beside her brother. "We’ve just arrived, and you must be tired too. Rest for the day first. Also... would it be possible for you to extend your service for another week?"

"May I know the purpose?" asked the maid inquisitively.

"I won’t have an assistant to help me adjust my sling, so I’m hoping you could stay and teach Jessy how to do it," the Mederian Princess requested.

"Your Highness..." Elis calmly responded, addressing her by her royal title.

"It’s Mrs Naver-Amares. Now that I think of it, it’s quite long. We used that in Rivendelle to avoid confusion, but here we can shorten it to Mrs Amares, right Rafe?" Callis suggested.

"Sure, if His Highness Prince Kiev doesn’t mind," Rafe replied, his gaze shifting towards the Mederian Prince.

Kiev remained silent, his face clouded with gloom. He seemed lost in his thoughts and unfazed by the discussion of titles.

Observing the Mederian Prince’s lack of objection, Elis continued, "Then, Mrs Amares, I believe it’s unnecessary since your husband, Mr Amares, is by your side."

"He will soon be occupied with his duties, and I will only have Jessy around. I still need someone to attend to me," Callis pleaded.

"Mr Amares can certainly teach Jessy," Elis suggested.

"That won’t be the same! You have been taking care of me all this time, and Jessy would feel much more comfortable learning from you. Moreover, my clothes from Madam Carson’s boutique should be ready by now. I could ask another maid to retrieve them, but it would be a hassle since they are unaware of the details. You’re the only one who knows the specifics and can ensure they were made according to my requirements. Please!" the Mederian Princess pleaded again.

"No need to beg her!" Kiev suddenly broke his silence with a stern voice. "She has already made it clear that she’s unwilling to stay, so stop forcing her. Coercing someone to do things they don’t want to only breeds discontent. Just let her go as she wishes," he continued with a defeated tone, not even bothering to look at the maid.

It felt as if an unspoken battle was taking place between them. Seeing the Mederian Prince’s resentment toward her, the maid finally surrendered.

"All right, Your Highness," Elis said to the Mederian Princess, her voice steady.

Callis, who had been watching her brother, turned to the maid, her eyes filled with anticipation.

"So, you’re staying?" she asked eagerly.

"I will stay for today so I can teach Jessy right away. I’ll retrieve the dresses for you tomorrow and then return to the mansion. I believe two days would be sufficient," Elis replied, her tone resolute.

She then turned her gaze towards the Mederian Prince, addressing him directly.

"Also, Your Highness Prince Kiev..."

Elis paused, waiting for his attention. Kiev glanced momentarily at her.

"Please don’t mistake me for hating my job, as I do not feel that way. It has been a great honour to serve you and Mrs Amares. I will always cherish our precious encounter in my memory," she said sincerely.

"You don’t need to remember someone you don’t want to. Just forget everything and leave as you wish. It’s not worth remembering a person you despise," Kiev retorted bitterly.

"I don’t despise you, Your Highness," Elis replied earnestly.

"You don’t need to explain anything! I don’t wish to converse with you anymore. You can do whatever you want. It’s your life anyway! Don’t even bid farewell when you leave."

Kiev turned abruptly and left the group, entering the tower. Elis looked down, struggling to hold back her emotions.

The words from the Mederian Prince pierced her heart like an arrow shot right to its target. She didn’t want their encounter to end this way, but she knew she couldn’t change what had transpired.

Now, the maid had to accept the bitterness that arose from her own actions. The heavy atmosphere enveloped them all.

Taking a moment to calm herself, Elis silently reassured her inner self that she had made the right decision. Deep within, she found the strength to carry on.

"Are you all right, Elis?" asked Callis, concern evident in her eyes as she looked at the silent maid.

"I’m all right," she replied, mustering a small smile.

"Please don’t take to heart what my brother said to you. He’s always like that. I’m sure he didn’t mean what he said just now," the Mederian Princess reassured her.

Elis continued her wistful smile as Rafe glanced at her with a pitiful expression.

"I won’t. I owe His Highness Prince Kiev so much. Even if he’s angry with me, I won’t mind at all. Besides, I’m just a mere maid," she replied.

"Don’t say that! My brother and I value your presence in our lives. You’re a good person. My brother isn’t someone who easily opens up to people. Truthfully, I was shocked when he decided to marry you," Callis insisted.

"Please, Mrs Amares, let’s not mention the matter in Rivendelle anymore. I don’t wish to draw attention from the people here. If they knew about it, they would look at me differently and misunderstand me," the maid sincerely requested.

"I understand. Forgive me for bringing up the past," Callis apologised.

Elis expressed her gratitude to the Mederian Princess. Just then, a middle-aged woman descended the stairs at the entrance.

"Oh, my princess! I missed you!" Jessy exclaimed excitedly, rushing towards Callis.

Rhen, who had been left behind with the nanny, joyfully ran to Armel and barked. The young teenager beamed upon seeing his puppy and scooped it up in his arms, hugging it tightly.

"Hey, little one! How have you been? Did you behave while I was gone?" the teenager asked, kissing the puppy on the head.

"He’s been a good boy. We usually spend time in the garden. You know, Her Highness Princess Laura and Lilith, the daughters of His Majesty, are so fond of him. We met once, and they asked to play with Rhen. So, I let them. They usually come every day in the afternoon to play with him. I hope you don’t mind," Jessy explained.

"Ah, I’m glad Their Highnesses love him. I don’t mind at all," Armel replied, affectionately rubbing Rhen’s head.

With the teenager happily reunited with his puppy, Jessy’s attention returned to Callis and Rafe.

"Please forgive me, my princess and Mr Amares, for not properly greeting you. How was your journey?"

The nanny bowed respectfully as she addressed them.

"I came immediately after encountering His Highness Prince Kiev in the hallway."

"It was great, Jessy. You should start calling me Mrs Amares now," Callis replied, smiling shyly.

Jessy returned her smile, relieved to see the delighted grin on the Mederian Princess’s face, indicating that she had enjoyed her time at Rivendelle.

"Oh, is that so? Very well then, Mrs Amares," Jessy responded.

"Stop it! I was only joking! You don’t need to call me that! Just address me as usual. You’ll always be the only one who calls me ’my princess’ other than my parents," Callis insisted.

Jessy chuckled softly.

"I would prefer that too. I’ve been calling you that since you were born. I hope Mr Amares doesn’t mind."

"It’s fine. You’ve known her longer than me, so it would be awkward to change how you address her," Rafe said to the nanny.

"By the way, is everything all right?" Jessy inquired. "I came across His Highness Prince Kiev just now, and he didn’t appear to be in good spirits. It seems like something is bothering him."

"That..." the Mederian Princess turned her eyes to her husband, contemplating the situation.

Callis understood the healer’s silent gesture, which signalled her to keep the incident involving Kiev and Elis a secret, as requested by the maid. It was necessary to protect her honour.

"Elis has decided to quit. She will return to the mansion tomorrow after picking up the dresses from Madam Carson’s boutique," the Mederian Princess gave a plausible answer.

"What? But why? Wasn’t you supposed to serve her during your stay here?" the nanny asked the maid, confused.

"I have some personal matters to attend to, so I must conclude my service to Mrs Amares. Please forgive me for that," Elis explained.

"Oh, what a pity! I had become quite comfortable with having you around. It’s not every day you come across such a good and diligent young maid," the nanny expressed her regret.

"Please excuse my shortcomings. However, it is best for me to return. Therefore, as requested by Mrs Amares, I will teach you how to prop and manage the sling for her shoulder today. I hope you can find some time for it," the maid offered.

"I have no problem with that. However, my princess, I must inform you that His Majesty anticipated your return today and has invited you and His Highness Prince Kiev to have lunch with him, the ministers, and high-ranking officers at the royal dining hall tomorrow. Her Majesty the Queen’s assistant asked me to convey the message as soon as you arrived," the nanny informed Callis.

"A lunch with the ministers and high-ranking officers?" Callis asked, surprised by the invitation.

"Yes, I’ve just informed your brother about it, and he mentioned that he would be attending. Furthermore, Mr Amares must also be present as your spouse," the nanny confirmed.

"I see... Since we are guests at the palace and owe His Majesty our gratitude for accommodating us, we shouldn’t decline the invitation," the Mederian Princess remarked.

"You’re right. As a subject of His Majesty, I cannot refuse the invitation either. Please inform His Majesty’s assistant that we will attend," Rafe responded.

"I’ll convey the message immediately, Mr Amares," Jessy assured them.

Turning her attention to Armel, Callis instructed, "Summon the palace servants and ask them to assist with the luggage. You can also take some rest for the day."

Then, her gaze shifted to the solemn-faced Elis.

"Let’s go inside and rest now," Callis said.

"Thank you, Mrs Amares," the maid expressed her gratitude.

They all made their way inside the palace, ready to find some reprieve and rest.