The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 339: Callis And The Knights’ Training Plan

Chapter 339: Callis And The Knights’ Training Plan

"Callis... Callis!" The sound of her name shattered her wandering thoughts, pulling her back to reality.

"Huh?"

Startled, the Mederian Princess’ eyes darted to Rafe, the one who had called her.

"Are you all right?" he asked, concern etched on his face as he held her shoulders carefully.

"I... I’m fine!" she replied, shaking off the memories of their kiss and his words during the altercation with Sarah.

Callis glanced around, scanning the area.

"Where did that arrogant lady go?" she inquired.

"She left already. Didn’t you notice?" Rafe responded.

"Sorry, I didn’t. I was lost in thought," she admitted, appearing disoriented.

The healer’s gaze remained fixed on his wife’s features.

"Are you sure you’re all right? Your face flushed red just now. Do you have a fever?" he asked, reaching up to place his palm gently against her forehead.

Callis’s cheeks reddened further at his touch. Rafe’s tender gesture and caring demeanour made her feel bashful.

After assessing her body temperature, he concluded, "Hmm... you’re slightly warm, but it’s within the normal range."

Meanwhile, in the distance, the knights observed the couple, finding amusement in their interaction.

Luke whispered, "How can he be so oblivious to his wife’s feelings? It’s quite evident that her love for him has deepened even further after what he said."

"You’re right. I wonder how he plans to make her conceive a child... or perhaps those words were simply meant to protect his pride," Damon speculated.

"Let’s not worry about our healer. His wife will ensure that happens. She’s bold and determined. But just in case Rafael needs some assistance, the Love Coach is here, ready to lend a hand," Eric chimed in, joining the group as he patted his chest proudly.

Noah shook his head and clicked his tongue.

"Tskk... tsk... Your friend there definitely needs some help. I’m still curious as to how he managed to resist living together with such a beautiful wife. Most men wouldn’t last that long. I wonder if he would have been better suited as a monk rather than a healer," he remarked to the second-in-command knight.

News of Rafe and Callis living separately due to his agreement with Kiev had become a hot topic among the group, thanks to Eric, who was known for his gossipy nature.

The second-in-command knight turned to Noah, his expression stern.

"Though I don’t particularly like you, I couldn’t agree more with what you just said. Rafael is..." he paused, turning his head to glance at the couple once more.

He noticed Callis’s eyes sparkling with love as she looked at Rafe, but the oblivious healer was too preoccupied with discussing health precautions and remedies, unheeding to her affectionate gaze.

Eric continued his sentence in a defeated tone, "...blunt in his words, but blur with his eyes."

The knights collectively sighed, shaking their heads in disappointment at the sight.

Meanwhile, Rafe turned to his wife and spoke, "I need to check on Elis. It’s been a while, and I want to know the outcome. You go ahead and rest. I’ll see you later and examine you again. Is that all right?"

"Go ahead. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine," she replied, smiling.

The healer returned her smile.

"Thank you for your understanding. See you soon."

He turned on his heel and headed towards the hallway leading to the treatment room.

Spotting Ayden standing nearby, he raised his voice and called out, "Ayden! Come with me!"

"Yes, Mr Amares!" the assistant healer quickly responded, rushing to join his superior.

The two men hurriedly left the grand hall, disappearing from view.

Callis stood there, grinning from ear to ear. She playfully pinched her chin with her left hand and lightly shook her shoulders, dancing joyfully.

"He loves me! He kissed me! He wants a baby with me!" she sang to herself, her face brightened with happiness.

"Congratulations on that, Mrs Amares," Eric’s hoarse voice came from behind.

"Oh, my lord!" startled, Callis exclaimed and almost jumped.

She swiftly turned around to see the Knights of Gerhard standing there, all struggling to contain their smiles. Anryr, who stood at a distance, also covered his mouth, trying to hold back his laughter.

Trying to regain her composure, Callis cleared her throat and put on a severe face.

"What were you doing sneaking up on me from behind?"

"Oh, no! We’re not! We’ve been here in the grand hall since you argued with Lady James. Sir Navin here wants to speak with you," Eli explained, raising his hand to gesture towards Eric.

"Ah, yes! Um... I want to invite you to a briefing on tomorrow’s activities. Would you care to join us in the meeting room now?" Eric politely extended the invitation.

"Me?" Callis asked, confused.

"Yes. I initially thought of calling His Highness Prince Kiev since he insisted on monitoring the training, but I don’t see him around," Eric explained.

Understanding his intention, Callis’s expression changed.

"Ah... My brother is currently attending Elis. That’s why he’s not here. He’s in the treatment room," she clarified.

The second-in-command knight raised an eyebrow.

"He’s treating Miss Canton?"

"Well... there’s a situation that required his intervention. Rafe needed his help, so my brother is assisting him," she quickly responded, covering for her brother.

Callis hadn’t fully grasped Kiev’s involvement in tending to the maid, as her previous conversation with Rafe had been interrupted by Sarah’s arrival. So, she resorted to providing a plausible excuse.

"I see... Then it would be best for you to attend on his behalf, wouldn’t it?" Eric suggested.

"Yes, you’re right," she agreed.

"Thank you. Please come this way," said the second-in-command knight, gesturing for the Mederian Princess to follow him.

"Mr Foster, please join us as well. Your service is required," he ordered.

"As you wish, Sir Navin," Anryr replied with a slight bow. He quickened his pace to catch up with the group as they left the grand hall.

***

"You did what?!" Anryr cried out in alarm, rising from his seat and banging the table upon hearing the revelation of the training that Anna would undergo the following day.

His initial anger towards the knights was quickly tempered as he realised they were not alone in the meeting room. The beautiful lady with mesmerising red-ruby eyes gazed at him with a peculiar look on her face.

The steward cleared his throat, his hands returning to his stomach as he regained his composure, although his face remained clouded.

"Forgive me, Mrs. Amares. I was not pre-informed of this matter," he responded in a controlled tone this time.

Callis nodded, understanding his reaction.

"Please... sit down first, Mr Foster. I knew you would react this way, which is why I didn’t inform you earlier. Let me explain why we agreed to Lady Raychard’s request," Eric interjected, attempting to calm the steward.

He proceeded to recount the details of the situation to Anryr, providing a comprehensive explanation.

The steward let out a heavy sigh.

"No wonder Miss Rania Miller, who brought the armour for repair the other day, looked anxious and careful with her words! Turns out, she was keeping silent about this matter from me! Lady Grey also fooled me! Oh, how could I have overlooked this?" Anryr exclaimed, patting his forehead in remorse.

"It was my order, Mr Foster," Eric confessed, taking responsibility for the decision.

"Please don’t be too concerned, Anryr. My brother and I are here to ensure her safety," Callis said, coaxing the steward.

"We all have the same objective. Above all, we want her to withdraw voluntarily as soon as possible. That would alleviate our worries about her," Eric added.

Curious, Callis questioned him, "How confident are you in your plan? I’ve heard that you failed to persuade her to withdraw the first time."

"I didn’t resist her request much since she used His Highness the Grand Duke’s note as her mandate. Although it indicated that we should attend and comply with her wishes, I’m certain the training was not part of His Highness’ intention when he wrote it," Eric explained.

"We can’t subject her to harsh training to force her to give up, considering her fragility. That could be dangerous," Callis voiced her concern. "How about making her uncomfortable during the training?" she suddenly suggested.

Eric’s interest peaked, and he inquired further, "Such as?"

"Arrange a group training with all of you. She might feel uncomfortable being in that situation since she’s a woman and all of you are men," she proposed.

"But she has a close relationship with us. We used to live together in the camp. I can say she’s quite comfortable with us," Damon pointed out.

"How close? Do you all sleep together in a group? Bathe together?" Callis teased.

"Not to that extent! She’s His Highness’s wife! How absurd would it be if she did! Most of what we did was eat together with her or accompany her on walks. Nevertheless, His Highness would always be by her side when he was around," Eli clarified.

Callis smirked.

"I was only teasing you! Don’t mind me!" she laughed lightly.

After a moment of thought, she suggested, "How about having all of you train with her shirtless? Wouldn’t that make her anxious?"

Eric raised his eyebrows in excitement.

"Interesting! How did I not think of that? It could be quite effective!"

"Of course you don’t. You’re a man. A woman would know best what makes her feel uncomfortable with men. After all, I’ve been through that," Callis asserted.

"You did?" Anryr asked incredulously, surprised by her revelation.

"I was trained in combat, and there were no women in my group, only men. They purposely flaunted their half-n*ked, muscled, and sculpted bodies to attract me, but it wasn’t successful," Callis explained.

"You weren’t attracted at all?" Noah inquired, seemingly curious about her experience.

"They may have had the great, astounding figure of a warrior, but their attitude was like that of a monkey. I would rather pass. Not my taste," Callis replied dismissively.

"Oh, we surely know what your taste is by now," Luke chimed in, making a playful remark.

Callis glared at the red-haired knight, causing him to abruptly close his mouth and turn away, avoiding eye contact.

"I think Mrs Amares has a good idea. This would minimise the risk of injury to our lady. We should proceed with it," Eric agreed, supporting Callis’s suggestion.

"But... it’s past mid-autumn now and approaching winter!" Eli exclaimed, concerned about the cold weather.

"So?" Eric looked at the young knight, expecting an explanation.

Eli looked down, realising his objection might not hold much weight.

"Nothing..." he muttered quietly to himself, pouting slightly.

"All right! Then we’ll go with this idea first. If it doesn’t work, I’ll devise another plan. Three days, and she will back down!" Eric declared confidently.

"In that case, I’ll think of the menus that will increase Lady Raychard’s energy and prepare what’s needed. She’ll need it for the training," Anryr offered.

"Oh, Lady Grey mentioned that our lady hasn’t had much of an appetite lately. So please be careful with her menus," Eli cautioned, recalling Anna’s recent lack of interest in food.

"Ah, yes! She doesn’t seem to favour poultry these days," Eric added, recalling the day when Anna vomited after having brunch with the Queen.

"How about preparing a fish dish for her? I remember how she loved my grilled trout," Luke suggested.

"That’s a good idea! When she was sick on the ship, she ate the fish dish and recovered quickly," Damon recalled.

"I know a fishwife who can supply fresh fish daily. Her husband is a fisherman who captures fish not far from Port Braska. We could get good supplies from her," Anryr offered as a solution to source fresh fish for Anna’s meals.

"Great! Please proceed then," said Eric, approving of the idea.

"I’ll go and have the servant contact her straight away. Otherwise, we won’t have the fish for tomorrow. Please excuse me, gentlemen," Anryr said as he rose from his chair and bowed to Callis, Eric, and the rest of the knights. He swiftly left the meeting room to make the necessary arrangements.

"If there’s nothing else, then I would like to excuse myself as well," said Callis, preparing to leave.

"A moment, please, Mrs Amares," requested Eric, stopping her before she could depart.

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