The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 415: Forsaking Honourably

Chapter 415: Forsaking Honourably

The first engagement began with an attack from both sides. Their blades clashed.

’Shing!’

A ringing tone vibrated from the swords. The force of their strikes made both combatants recoil, creating space for another series of attacks.

Eric launched a faster strike, thrusting his sword forward, but Noah met it with a powerful parry. The second-in-command knight used his shield to push against Noah’s weapon, positioning himself to bring the knight’s blade down.

However, Noah, who had been holding back, anticipated Eric’s move. In close quarters, he leveraged a kick toward Eric’s hip. The second-in-command knight noticed just in time, swirling to avoid the strike.

He danced back a pace, allowing Noah to charge at him. Eric subdued the incoming strike with his shield again, producing a loud bang.

"Urgh!!"

A groan escaped Noah’s lips as the force of the shield struck his blade. But he quickly steadied himself and lunged again, aiming for Eric’s waist. The second-in-command knight parried the blow precisely, deflecting Noah’s feint just in time.

The knight’s quick movements kept Eric alert to his strategy. He bounced back, then charged forward, slicing through the air violently.

Noah blocked the attack with his shield, lunging forward and spinning to close the distance. Eric became vulnerable at close range as Noah’s blade scraped against his armour, producing a visceral metallic sound.

Dirt from the ground smeared their sollerets as their aggressive movements intensified.

Emily’s heart pounded as she watched the love of her life engage in the fierce duel. Each time Eric’s blade came close to Noah, she turned her head away, fearing the worst.

Noticing her anxiety, Sylvia held her hand.

"Perhaps you shouldn’t be here," the noble lady suggested. "Would you like to wait somewhere else?"

Emily shook her head, taking a deep breath to compose herself. "No! I must be here for my husband! Noah needs me!" she insisted, her resolve clear.

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Understanding her emotions, Sylvia gently patted the young woman’s hand.

"It’ll be all right. He’ll come back victorious for you. Be confident," she said, then bunching her other hand, giving a fist pump as she smiled to comfort Emily.

"Do you really believe that? Are you on our side?" the young woman asked, her eyes hopeful.

Sylvia nodded.

"He’s on par with Sir Navin, and his performance so far has been impressive. Personally, I don’t particularly like him for what he did, but this time, I’m rooting for him. Getting you separated from him just doesn’t make sense since you’re already married. Besides..." Sylvia leaned closer, whispering, "I find it romantic that he eloped with you. It’s just like something out of a romance novel! You both were so daring, and I’m sure he loves you dearly!"

Emily felt a blush rise at the praise. She remembered how Noah held her the previous night, whispering his love for her.

Despite the intensity of their wedding night, he had been gentle and caring. When exhaustion finally overtook her, Noah had carefully cleaned her up, dressed her in her nightgown, and embraced her, letting her rest without waking her early as they had planned. It felt like a blessing to have such a wonderful husband.

Their brief happiness before returning to the mansion was a cherished memory. They could have run away together, but Noah refused, insisting that it would bring him shame.

The knight preferred to face the consequences rather than escape; his loyalty to the Grand Duke was firm in his decision to return. Now, even though their good time together had been short, Emily knew she never wanted to leave him.

"Hiargh!!" Eric yelled as he raised his blade, charging toward Noah. Both combatants had dropped their shields and were now wielding only their swords.

Eric broke right, swinging his weapon at Noah, who swerved away just in time. The sword narrowly missed Noah’s shoulder, but the tip sliced his pauldron, leaving a long scratch on the steel.

The second-in-command closed the distance, delivering a punch with his free hand that struck Noah between the guard brace and the breastplate on his right side.

"Heukk!!" A groan escaped Noah’s lips as he stumbled from the blow. It was the first hit that pierced through their fierce exchange.

A loud gasp rose from the crowd. Reclining in her seat under Kiev’s orders, Anna sat upright, anxious. Meanwhile, Kiev remained calm and composed, his grip on Elis’s hand firm.

"Kiev, will Sir Brooks be all right?" Elis asked worriedly, her eyes darting between the combatants.

Still focused on the duel, the Mederian Prince returned her question with one of his own.

"Why are you worrying about him? You shouldn’t be thinking of another man. After all, he’s married," he said, his response far from what she expected.

"I’m just..." Elis paused, looking down.

Kiev turned to her, her unfinished words capturing his attention.

"Just what?" he asked, his gaze penetrating hers, devoid of anger, only curiosity.

"Emily is a kind person. I don’t want her to be sad and lose her husband. She deserves to be happy with the person she loves," Elis stated.

She recalled how the vivacious Emily had always comforted sick Clara and lent a helping hand whenever needed. Her jokes and banter had often lifted Elis’s spirits when she felt low.

Emily had been the beacon of cheerfulness, yet here she was, tears streaming down her face, wearing a sombre expression that mirrored Elis’s sense of dismay.

Kiev turned back to the ongoing duel with a subtle grin playing on his lips.

"You know... Sometimes, winning a duel requires more than just strength and strategy," he mused.

Elis arched an eyebrow as she regarded the Mederian Prince.

"What do you mean? I don’t understand."

Kiev leaned back, his expression calm as ever.

"We’ll see if Sir Navin notices and has a change of heart... if he truly possesses empathy," he hinted.

"Notice what? I don’t follow," Elis responded.

The Mederian Prince smiled enigmatically, withholding a direct answer.

"You’ll see. For now, just watch."

Elis’s blue eyes returned to the unfolding spectacle. Despite her observation, she couldn’t grasp Kiev’s insinuations. Eventually, she relented and continued to watch anxiously.

The duel raged on. Both combatants showcased exceptional skill in swordsmanship and defence. When Eric struck Noah with a swift blow, the knight evaded with remarkable speed.

Similarly, the second-in-command knight skillfully dodged Noah’s counter-attack smoothly. It became evident that both fighters possessed equal prowess in combat.

After more than an hour of relentless combat, Garin, with eyes as sharp as a hawk’s, noticed a discrepancy. He squinted, focusing intently on the duel to affirm his suspicion.

Alex, beside him, sensed the third-on-command knight’s uneasiness and inquired, "What’s troubling you, Sir Skyler?"

"I’m not sure," Garin replied. "I have a feeling Sir Brooks’s footing is unsteady. He also seems slow to react on his right side."

"Is that so?" Alex turned to observe the ferocious battle on the training ground. "He appears fine to me. His movements are swift, although he has taken a few hits from Sir Navin. Overall, he has countered effectively with strong strikes."

"I remember when he was training me the other day. His stance then was much better than today," Garin recalled about the training session where he sparred with Noah.

"It’s hard to discern from this distance. It could just be a feeling," Alex responded.

"I hope so," Garin replied, though his nagging doubt fueled his curiosity about the knight’s well-being.

It was known to all that Noah had sustained a minor injury from falling off his horse during the day of Anna’s possession when he and Drystan were tracking the Bargesians. Despite this, the knight displayed no signs of discomfort and insisted he was fine.

Suddenly, a thought struck Garin, prompting him to rise abruptly and stride towards Ayden, seated beside Clara.

"Where are you off to, Sir Skyler?" Luke inquired.

"I need to check on something," the third-in-command knight explained as he hurried forward.

Ayden and Clara noticed Garin approaching, prompting the assistant healer to stand in respect.

"Is something the matter, Sir Skyler?" Ayden questioned, observing the serious demeanour of the third-in-command knight.

"Back when Sir Brooks fell from his horse, did you attend to him?" Garin inquired.

Ayden appeared taken aback by the question but responded hesitantly, "Yes, I did. Didn’t you see that he recovered?"

"Really? Then why the hesitation?" Garin probed, sensing Ayden’s reluctance.

"I reset his dislocated shoulder and administered dwale to manage the pain. I did everything necessary. He was supposed to return for follow-up treatment, but he never did!" Ayden explained, his tone tinged with frustration as if being accused of neglect.

"Follow-up? Does this mean his injury was more serious than he let on?" Garin pressed further.

Ayden sighed.

"His ligament was affected. He needed rest and to avoid strain for several weeks. But he insisted he was fine and refused further treatment. What more could I do? I couldn’t force him to seek care!" he defended.

Clara’s expression revealed a surprise.

"Why keep this from us and let him continue?" she questioned.

"He requested discretion. It’s a patient’s right, and I must honour it," Ayden justified.

"No wonder," Garin concluded, his instincts proving correct all along. "Sir Brooks is more injured than he appeared to be. His internal injuries are affecting his movements. If this continues, he will surely lose to Sir Navin!" he remarked.

"Oh, no!" Clara exclaimed. "What can we do?"

"There’s nothing we can do about it. He made his decision. By agreeing to this duel, he should’ve known the consequences," Ayden replied with a tinge of sadness in his voice.

While not deeply invested in Noah, he knew the impact on Emily, who was close to him. Turning her into a divorcee would be devastating, yet perhaps better than the alternative of her husband breaking her heart later on.

Clara looked solemn, wishing she could intervene to stop the duel. However, since Noah had willingly entered into it, interfering would dishonour him and hurt his pride. All they could do now was watch the fight continue in solemn silence.

As Eric lunged with his sword towards Noah’s chest, the knight adeptly sidestepped and countered. Seizing the moment, Noah unleashed his signature move—a swift and powerful jump, aiming a kick at Eric’s exposed flank.

The kick connected, but to the second-in-command knight’s surprise, it merely staggered him instead of a devastating impact.

Noah’s powerful move usually would shatter ribs, one or two at the most, even through armour.

Eric looked down at himself while Noah, who had just launched the attack, landed on the ground. The knight’s helmet fell to the ground from the backflip he made.

The placard of Eric’s armour was dented as a result of the assault. There was some pain, but he was sure he didn’t suffer much. The second-in-command knight turned to Noah only to see him panting. Now observing the knight, Eric noticed a tremor in the knight’s right hand as he quickly concealed it.

Eric’s felt peculiar. He hadn’t been able to hit Noah at that spot, so there was no way his attack caused the trembling. Why did it seem that the knight had suffered a huge blow?

The second-in-command knight recalled Noah’s recent fall from his horse. Luke mentioned how the knight had returned to the mansion to get the carriage instead of having Drystan do the task, and he decided on the swift change, emphasising his state back then.

The realisation then dawned on Eric; Noah’s ’minor’ injury was more severe than expected.

’He’s concealing a serious internal injury and still agreed to this duel! Why, Noah, why?’ Eric internally thought, noticing tears welling in Noah’s eyes, mirroring the desperation he had seen when the knight pleaded for his acceptance in marriage to Emily.

Having known Noah for years, Eric recognised him as an arrogant man who had never begged for anything. Even when the second-in-command knight sorted out his affairs, the knight remained indifferent to the consequences for the women involved. He never asked, never bothered, nor even cared for those women and continued to stay selfish.

But with Emily, Noah’s behaviour was markedly different. He not only pleaded for his marriage’s acceptance but also asked Eric to care for her and any child they might have. His unexpected display of vulnerability, including an apology, starkly contrasted his usual demeanour.

Eric understood now that Noah knew of his imminent defeat but was duelling to uphold his pride and sincerity towards Emily.

"F*ck!" Eric cursed as he pieced together all the hints.

Despite his anger towards Noah for past misdeeds, the second-in-command knight was incensed by the knight’s sacrificial act to atone for his wrongdoings. It stirred conflicting emotions within him.

Eric had always wanted to triumph over Noah, but not under these circumstances. Somehow, it didn’t feel right!

Now, he knew that the knight’s romantic kiss to his wife wasn’t a lucky kiss but a farewell gesture. If only Emily knew about it...

"D*mn you! You are just so pathetic!" Eric shouted to Noah.

His outburst startled the crowd, who misinterpreted his anger as hatred towards the knight.

Feeling challenged, Noah stood up. He knew Eric could bring him down at any moment, but he swore to fight for Emily until the last moment.

At that moment, he lunged towards Eric, giving his best shot to hit the second-in-command knight. Eric swirled, and the blade didn’t graze his body.

As he turned his back towards Noah’s opening, he could’ve bashed the knight’s right shoulder, which was the point of injury with his elbow, yet he secretly pushed Noah’s arm inward, making it appear as if the knight had him caught, with the blade stopped inches from his neck.

Noah was perplexed by the sudden movement from Eric. It was as if the second-in-command knight had deliberately made it seem he had successfully held him.

"Hold my arm with your other hand!" Eric said in a hushed tone to Noah.

"What?"

"Do it now before the others notice!"

Given no choice, Noah did as told, making the second-in-command locked in his capture.

"Now, kick the back of my knee so I will fall!" ordered Eric.

"Are you crazy?" Noah asked, realising that the second-in-command knight was giving in to him.

"Do it if you want to win! I swear to God, if you hesitate again, I’ll kick your ass and defeat you! Now do it!" he urged.

There were split seconds of hesitation, but Noah knew he couldn’t have a better opportunity. He did again as he was told, and Eric fell to the ground, kneeling.

Their movements were swift and unnoticeable. Only those with keen, observant eyes would know the defeat was staged.

Garin rushed to the training ground and approached the two combatants. By now, both of them had stood up, and Eric threw his sword to the ground, signalling his loss.

Garin, who understood the motion, raised Noah’s hand as the victor.

"Sir Brooks has won the duel!" he announced.