The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 416: A Respectable Second-In-Command Knight

Chapter 416: A Respectable Second-In-Command Knight

Emily couldn’t contain her excitement as she rose from her seat, clapping joyously and streaming tears of happiness down her cheeks.

Overwhelmed by the duel’s outcome, she hurried over to Noah while the other spectators looked on in surprise, expecting a lengthier battle that ended sooner than anticipated.

Showing their respect for Noah’s victory, the knights stood up and bowed slightly but refrained from clapping to avoid disheartening Eric.

Meanwhile, the second-in-command knight remained composed, quietly leaving the training ground as Damon approached to assist him in removing his armour.

Emily embraced Noah tightly, peppering his cheeks with kisses.

"I knew you would win! I knew it!" she exclaimed.

The knight, holding her, replied, "I thought I would never see you again."

Breaking off the hug, the young woman held Noah’s hand tightly and said, "How can you say that?! Didn’t I give you my lucky kiss before?"

Noah chuckled again, nodding.

"Yeah," he acknowledged with a smile.

Eli suddenly approached, disturbing the moment of celebration.

"Forgive me for interrupting your joyous moment, but His Highness summoned for you," he conveyed.

Concerned, Emily held and squeezed Noah’s hand.

"Don’t worry. He must have something to say. Let’s go together," suggested the knight.

Emily nodded, though the worry still lingered.

"Let me help you remove your armour first," Eli offered.

The knight agreed, and with the blonde knight’s help, he disarmed his armour. The couple then proceeded to see Kiev as ordered.

Gathering before the Mederian Prince, Eric was there firsthand. The second-in-command wore a solemn expression and didn’t even look at the arriving Noah and his wife. The other knights also gathered around, waiting for the words from the Mederian Prince.

Gathered before the Mederian Prince, Eric stood solemnly, avoiding eye contact with Noah and his wife. The other knights awaited the Mederian Prince’s words with anticipation.

"Congratulations, Sir Brooks!" Kiev exclaimed, acknowledging Noah’s victory. "You finally won the duel. Thus, you and your wife are now inseparable."

"Thank you, Your Highness," Noah responded with gratitude.

The Mederian Prince turned his gaze towards Eric with a look of respect.

"That was impressive, Sir Navin. Even though you didn’t win, your combat skills are truly remarkable. I paid close attention to your fight. You are indeed a true combatant," he said with a knowing smile.

"I know I still have much to learn and practice. Maybe today just wasn’t my day," Eric replied casually.

"Absolutely! There’s always more to improve," Kiev agreed with a smile. "But I still admire what you did today."

Eric understood what the Mederian Prince was trying to do. He figured Kiev, a skilled warrior with sharp senses and magical abilities, must have known about Noah’s injury. The duel suggestion was likely a way to help the knight.

Even though Eric could have felt upset about the plan, as the second-in-command knight, he learned an important lesson from Kiev. He realised that a good leader doesn’t let anger cloud their judgment. Showing kindness and empathy is part of it, and Eric made a decision he believed was right.

"Now, coming back to our previous decision on Sir Brooks, he is still required to be imposed with the lashing punishment. Tell me, for a knight disobeying his master’s order, how many strikes should he endure?" Kiev asked the gathered knights.

There was a moment of silence as they hesitated to respond. Emily and Noah, who had been happy moments before, now looked worried. Finally, Garin spoke up.

"Sir Brooks is a knight, so his punishment should be harsher. For him, it should be twenty lashes," he suggested.

Emily trembled, displaying fear, but Noah squeezed her hand to comfort her. He silently assured her that they would face whatever came together.

"Save it for another day," Eric interrupted. "I’ve already lost a duel and am not in the mood to flog anyone now."

The knights were surprised by his words, as were Noah and Emily. But the second-in-command knight seemed unaffected.

"All right then. I’ll leave the decision to you since it’s not within my authority. Elis and I will take our leave." Turning to Anna, he said, "Princess Anna, it’s best for you to return to your chamber now since this matter is already resolved."

Agreeing, the princess stood up and disembarked with Jessy’s help. After he ensured she was safely escorted by Meredith and Sylvia, the Mederian Prince and his woman departed. The others, too, dispersed and went their ways.

Noah held Emily close, feeling relieved. As they separated, the young woman began to speak her mind.

"What’s your next plan?" she inquired.

Noah pondered momentarily.

"From now on, we should be staying together. There is a quarter set aside for a married couple in this mansion. I’ll ask Mr. Foster to prepare it for us," Noah explained.

"We’re staying here?" Emily blinked in surprise.

"I’m still serving His Highness the Grand Duke. Besides, Lady Raychard is still unwell. I need to be close by for her," Noah replied.

"You’re right. I should stay too to assist Dame Clara. Even though she’s getting better, she still needs my help whenever necessary," Emily agreed.

Noah smiled warmly.

"You’re so kind. It feels like the right place to be, especially since they both need us. Dame Verns has been by your side since you were at Ardel and now requires our support during her recovery. I hope she won’t be too disheartened when she learns about her condition," Noah expressed.

"What do you mean? Isn’t she making good progress? It’s been a while, but she already can stand and walk short distances with crutches," Emily remarked.

A look of sadness crossed Noah’s face. He spoke softly, "Dame Verns has a long road to full recovery... and even then, she won’t be able to resume her duties as a knightess like before."

"Oh, my!" Emily gasped, her hand covering her mouth in shock. Then, she continued, "She’ll be devastated when she finds out! From the look of it, I bet she doesn’t know. Why hasn’t anyone told her yet?"

"Mr. Amares said he would handle it personally. I think he’s waiting to break the news to her at the right time to avoid hindering her healing. Stress could also impact her health," Noah explained.

"I see. Considering everything going on, Mr. Amares may not be ready to disclose the truth just yet," Emily agreed.

"Indeed. It will be difficult for Dame Verns to accept, given her pride in her accomplishments and dedication to Lady Raychard. We must stand by her, no matter what," Noah added.

Emily nodded in agreement.

"Let’s head inside now. You should also get some rest. It’s been a tough day for you," she suggested.

Noah paused, observing that the others had already departed.

"Before that... we should see Sir Navin first. He usually is in his office at this time," he suggested.

"Why?" Emily asked. Why should we see that arrogant knight?" A surge of anger grew inside her upon Noah’s mention of Eric.

"Emily..."

The knight looked into his wife’s eyes; a sense of guilt coloured his face.

"Please don’t speak of him like that. He’s a good man."

"A good man?" the young woman exclaimed. "He tried to punish you and almost drove us apart! I can never respect someone who abuses their power like that!"

"You’ve misunderstood! He deserves respect for what he did! The truth is, he quietly let me win," Noah confessed.

"What? You must be kidding! I saw how you defeated him!"

"I’m serious. I was on the brink of losing the duel, and he knew it, too. Suddenly, he yielded and guided me to bring him down using rehearsed moves," the knight explained.

"But why?" Emily’s brown eyes widened in surprise.

"I’m not sure. But I owe my victory to him. Not only that, he even postponed my punishment today. I believe he noticed my injury and took pity on me," Noah revealed.

"You... you’re injured? Where?" Emily asked, bewildered.

Her hands fumbled across his body, searching for the injury. Upon touching Noah’s right shoulder, he winced.

"Oh my! You’re really hurt! Did he do this to you?" she asked with concern.

"No, he didn’t!" Noah gently removed Emily’s hand from his shoulder and held her. "It happened from the fall I had the other day."

"But... but... you said you were fine!"

"I didn’t want to bother anyone, so I kept it to myself. Please don’t blame Mr. Norman for this, too! He treated me well and scolded me for not seeking follow-up treatments. I specifically asked him not to mention this to anyone since it wasn’t something of importance," Noah explained.

"Why do you think your well-being isn’t important? You didn’t even let me know you were injured!" Emily said, turning away from him, visibly upset.

Noah smiled, understanding her anger at being kept in the dark. He embraced her from behind, trying to calm her.

"I didn’t want you to worry. And besides..." he whispered in her ear, "...you wouldn’t let me have my way with you if you knew I wasn’t well."

Emily blushed. She squirmed in his grasp, trying to break free. Noah chuckled at her antics and let her go, allowing his wife to face her.

"Promise me you’ll get treated after this, all right? If you don’t, I won’t even let you near the bed!" she threatened.

The knight smiled. "All right, I will."

"Now, let’s go and see Sir Navin as you suggested. Since he spared us, it seems he’s already accepted us. We should express our gratitude properly," said Emily.

Noah nodded in agreement, and the couple walked together towards the office of the second-in-command knight, feeling at ease in their hearts.

***

A subtle knock came to the door, and Eric granted entry, only to be surprised by the arrival of Emily and Noah.

"What do you want?" he asked sternly as the couple approached his desk.

"We would like to express our gratitude for what you did today. Noah filled me in on everything," Emily began.

"I did nothing," Eric replied nonchalantly, his attention fixed on the documents on his desk, seemingly ignoring them. "Shouldn’t he be boasting about his victory now?" he teased.

"I wouldn’t dare!" Noah countered.

The second-in-command didn’t push further, feigning busyness with the reports.

"I understand you must be occupied, and we don’t want to disturb you unnecessarily. But I can’t shake this off my mind. So, if it’s not inconvenient, may I ask you a few questions?" Emily inquired.

Eric paused his reading and raised his head. Turning towards the young woman, Noah also gazed at her, curious about her intentions.

"What is it?" asked the second-in-command knight.

"Why did you let my husband win? Initially, you insisted on keeping us apart and refused to acknowledge our marriage. You even intended to punish him, but you postponed it. Was it because you knew he was injured?" she questioned.

Eric leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest, as he studied the couple before him with a severe expression.

"Why do you assume this is about him?" he countered.

Emily hesitated.

"I don’t understand," she admitted. Then, a thought struck her. "Or...are you doing this for me?"

Eric’s lips curved into a slight smile.

"You’re quite perceptive, Lady Brooks."

Emily’s cheeks flushed with colour, and Noah’s heart swelled with happiness. The second-in-command’s acknowledgement of her as ’Lady Brooks’ indicated his acceptance of their marriage.

"But why?" Emily probed further.

Eric fixed a piercing gaze on the young woman.

"Didn’t your husband inform you of what he requested from me before our duel began?"

The young woman turned to Noah, her eyes filled with confusion. Before he could respond, Eric continued.

"He asked me that if he were to lose the duel, I should look after you as if you were my own kin and, if you were to conceive, to be the child’s guardian," he disclosed.

"You said that?" Emily asked Noah, taken aback.

"It was out of concern, Emily. I didn’t imply that I would lose the duel. I just wanted to ensure your safety... and any future child we might have," the knight admitted.

"In that light, he demonstrated responsibility by making such requests. So, I pledged to treat you like a sister. Tell me, which brother would wish for his sister to face divorce? Even His Highness Prince Kiev, known for his temper, allowed Rafael to remain as his sister’s husband. Shouldn’t I do the same?" Eric reasoned.

"But you let him win, so you’re not bound by the promise," Emily pointed out.

"When Noah made those requests, I had already committed to treating you as my sister. It would be dishonourable to retract that. A knight must uphold and honour his word," Eric stated.

Overwhelmed with gratefulness, Noah expressed, "Thank you, Sir Navin! You have no idea how much this means to me!"

"Now, now! Don’t be happy too soon! You still have to face your punishment. However, I won’t enforce it immediately. Get yourself treated first, and once you’ve recovered, we’ll address it. You must be prepared to accept the punishment since I cannot rescind it. However, I will lessen it within my authority to a more lenient sentence, understood?" Eric explained.

"I will, Sir Navin! Thank you once more!" Noah smiled, touched by Eric’s unexpected kindness and tolerance.

"Also, regarding your marriage certificate... I apologise for damaging it. I will issue a new one for you under Gerhard’s seal, so you won’t need to request a replacement from the registry office," the second-in-command knight added.

Noah and Emily felt joyous and relieved. They now understood that the second-in-command knight, while stern, possessed a merciful heart, and his emotions did not solely drive his actions.

Eric exemplified the qualities of compassion and leadership. He couldn’t bring himself to defeat Noah, who was injured. Moreover, the knight had genuinely convinced him of his dedication to his wife.

However, a stern warning followed.

"Sir Brooks, please be aware that I’ll be closely monitoring you from this moment onward. You claimed to be a changed man, so prove it to me and the other knights. Do not let me regret my decisions today."

"I won’t disappoint you!" Noah vowed.

Eric turned to Emily with a serious look on his face.

"If this man ever hurts you or makes you cry, come to me right away. I won’t hesitate to teach him a lesson," he said firmly.

"Yes, Sir Navin!" Emily replied, eyes glowing radiantly with happiness.

"Call me ’brother’ now. Didn’t I say that you’re a sister to me now?" Eric gently reminded her.

Emily blushed and shyly said, "Since you see me as your sister, you can call me Emily."

Stealing a glance at Noah, Eric responded, "If your husband doesn’t mind..."

"No, please, go ahead!" Noah quickly agreed.

Eric nodded, feeling content as he saw the couple’s happiness. He believed he had made the right choice.

"Thank you again, Sir Navin," Noah expressed her gratitude.

"Yes, thank you, brother," Emily chimed in gratefully.

Eric felt touched by the young woman’s words, addressing him as her brother.

"Don’t just thank me. You should also thank His Highness Prince Kiev," he suggested.

"Why?" Emily asked, curious.

"He’s the one who proposed the duel to help you. Even though he didn’t say it outright, his praise hinted at his plan. I think he wanted to see if I would show compassion to Sir Brooks," Eric explained.

"His Highness Prince Kiev is full of wisdom!" Emily exclaimed.

"Sir Navin is right! We should thank him," Noah agreed.

With grateful smiles, the couple bowed and excused themselves from Eric’s office to search for Kiev. On their way to the Mederian Prince’s chamber, they noticed Elis rushing towards the back garden, looking upset.

"Elis is usually with His Highness. Why is she alone and looking so sad?" Emily wondered.

"I’m not sure. Let’s go check on her," Noah suggested, concerned for the woman.

Arriving at the garden, Elis sought solace beneath a towering tree, her tears flowing freely as she grappled with her emotions. Unaware of being followed, her cries echoed in the air.

"Elis, why are you crying? Are you all right?" Emily’s voice broke the silence as the couple approached.

Startled, the woman turned to face them, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and tears streaming down her face, unable to conceal her distress.

Struggling to compose herself, Elis attempted to cover her exposed chest, her sobs punctuating her breaths. Unlike her usual high-neck attire, she wore a new, more skin-revealing gown but had forgotten to wear a covering robe in her rush.

As Elis moved to shield herself, Noah’s perceptive gaze caught sight of something familiar. This prompted him to grasp her hand abruptly, surprising both women.

"Let me go!" Elis protested in fright.

Ignoring her plea, the knight’s focus remained fixed on the object he had discovered, his grip tightening as recognition dawned upon him.

"Noah!" Emily’s alarmed voice joined the fray. "What are you doing?!"

Unperturbed by the commotion, Noah seized the wooden locket adorning Elis’s neck with his free hand, demanding, "Where did you get this?"

Confusion clouded Elis’s features, and fear crept into her heart at the knight’s sudden aggression, making her unable to answer.

"I’m asking you, where did you get this?!" Noah’s voice rose with anger, his intensity unsettling the woman.

The locket chain snapped under the strain, enclosed within Noah’s fist.

"Let go of my woman!"

An enraged voice shattered the already tense situation.