The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 423: An Unwanted Company

Chapter 423: An Unwanted Company

The mansion remained peaceful after Kiev and the five knights’ meeting. As agreed, their plan was kept secret from the others. They continued their daily duties, pretending as if the previous meeting had never happened while discreetly aligning their strategy.

To Emily, Noah only mentioned that the Mederian Prince had met with him regarding a prior incident, demanding an apology and that they had reconciled.

Given the dangerous nature of their task, he didn’t want his wife to worry or inadvertently reveal their plans to others.

One fine morning, as everyone was going about their tasks, two carriages bearing the royal emblem of the firebird arrived.

When they stopped in the courtyard before the front entrance, Anryr and Rosalie, alerted by the servants, descended the stairs of the main entrance to welcome them.

As the doors of the carriages opened, they were surprised to see a lady stepping out in a luxurious dress, exuding a noble aura. From the other carriage, two women in humble royal maid uniforms also emerged.

"You must be Mr. Anryr Foster, the steward of this mansion," said the lady-in-waiting as the noble lady approached him.

"Yes, my lady. This is my wife, Mrs. Rosalie Foster, the chief maid here," Anryr introduced his wife by his side.

"I didn’t ask," said the lady-in-waiting as she took out her fan and began to wave it back and forth.

Rosalie raised an eyebrow at the obnoxious visitor. She opened her mouth to reply, but Anryr wisely held her hand, signalling her to remain calm.

They had yet to learn the identity of this noble lady, and being disrespectful wasn’t a good way of greeting her despite her spiteful remark.

The two royal maids who had come down from the carriage stood behind the noble lady, hands placed on their stomachs and heads bowed—the professional etiquette of their station.

"I see you arrived in carriages bearing the royal emblem. You must be from the palace. May I know who you are and the purpose of your visit?" Anryr inquired.

The noble lady frowned with a bothered look.

"Could you summon the person in charge of the mansion?" she asked, annoyance dripping from her tone.

Maintaining his professionalism, Anryr replied calmly, "Pardon me, my lady, but as the steward of this mansion, I am in charge. You may speak to me."

Dismayed by the noble lady’s snobbish behaviour, Rosalie felt a surge of anger. Although she and her husband were merely workers in the mansion, they had earned respect from everyone, including the Knights of Gerhard.

Even the grand duke held them in high regard. Yet here was this woman, who had just arrived and not even introduced herself, already acting as if she were superior.

"I’m referring to the representative of His Highness the Grand Duke, Sir Eric Navin. Tell him that Her Majesty the Queen’s lady-in-waiting, Lady Bridgette Lynn, is here to convey a direct order from Her Majesty," the noble lady said in a dismissive tone.

"A direct order from Her Majesty?" Anryr widened his eyes in surprise.

"Yes! This is important! What are you waiting for?" the lady-in-waiting glared at the steward. "Are you going to keep me waiting here all day?"

Anryr bowed, suppressing his irritation. Though he disliked her tone, he knew showing emotion would be unprofessional.

"Very well. I’ll go and get him myself," he replied, turning to call for Eric and left the scene.

"Tell the servants to bring down my luggage from the carriage and prepare some refreshments while I wait in the parlour," Bridgette ordered Rosalie as she ascended the stairs.

However, her progress was abruptly halted by the chief maid.

"I’m afraid I can’t do that, my lady. Until Sir Navin gives the order, you are not allowed to enter. The mansion has restricted visitors, as Lady Raychard, who is unwell, requires undisturbed rest," Rosalie stated firmly.

"How audacious! You, a mere maid, trying to stop me?! Didn’t you hear who I am?" Bridgette scolded.

"I’m sorry, but I do not take orders from anyone except my lord and lady, as well as those in charge of Gerhard’s mansion. If you insist, I will have to call the guards to escort you out. Please understand, I’m only doing my duty," Rosalie replied sternly.

The noble lady huffed, but as she noticed the other servants gathering behind the chief maid, she hesitated to make a scene. All of them, except Rosalie, were male, and their presence intimidated her, though she maintained her arrogant façade to mask her fear.

It was just as Naise had briefed her; the mansion’s workers were predominantly men, with Rosalie as the chief maid and Elis, who was no longer a maid but still resided there accompanying Kiev after she was bestowed to him by the king.

"Fine! I’ll wait!" she relented, casting Rosalie a discontented glance. "You’ll be sorry for not greeting me properly."

"Thank you, my lady," Rosalie replied with a bow.

The chief maid was unfazed by the lady-in-waiting’s rudeness. Had Bridgette pressed the issue further, Rosalie would have stood her ground. Working in an environment filled with men had taught her how to manage conflicts and rough fights among them. A noble, delicate lady wouldn’t be challenging for her to handle.

As the surroundings fell silent, Rosalie took a moment to scan the visitors.

The noble lady who claimed to be the queen’s lady-in-waiting wasn’t particularly attractive. She had large eyes, and her brown hair was styled in a high, fashionable bun.

Her pale face was layered with thick makeup, and the crimson rogue on her lips matched the blush on her cheeks. While she might believe her heavy makeup enhanced her beauty, it only made her look foolish.

In contrast, the royal maids were quite attractive without any touch-ups. One had cute, chubby cheeks, while the other appeared more mature and composed.

Rosalie noticed the male servants were already stealing glances at the two maids, as it was a rare occasion for female workers to be around.

Take Elis, for example; she had once been the centre of attention, and thankfully, Garin’s burly and stern demeanour had kept the male servants away from bothering her.

Before long, Eric arrived with Meredith, followed closely by Anryr. They were discussing matters of the mansion when the steward approached to convey the message of the queen’s lady-in-waiting’s arrival.

"Ah! Sir Eric Navin! Good morning!" Bridgette’s tone shifted from rude to polite upon seeing the knight.

She folded her fan and snapped it against her palm. Her bright demeanour dimmed slightly when she met Meredith’s gaze.

"I see Lady Jarr is also here," she remarked.

"Of course I would be here. Where else do you expect me to be? Am I not Lady Raychard’s official lady-in-waiting?" Meredith replied.

"I thought you were still on your marriage leave. Didn’t you just get married a few days ago?" Bridgette said.

Meredith forced a smile. She was already annoyed by the presence of one of the queen’s ladies-in-waiting, knowing how they had treated Anna at the palace.

"I did get married the other day, but whether I am on leave or not is none of your concern," Meredith said. Their eyes locked, and those around them could feel the tension from their gazes.

"Ladies... shall we return to the main agenda?" Eric interjected, aiming to diffuse the brewing coldness between the two noble ladies. "I was informed that you, Lady Bridgette Lynn, are here to convey a direct order from Her Majesty, the Queen. Please state it."

Bridgette’s lips crept into a smile as she shifted her gaze to Eric. The brunette knight, with his manly figure, was undoubtedly her type—unfortunately, he was already taken.

"Of course."

She retrieved a container from within her robe containing a rolled parchment and handed it to Eric. The second-in-command knight opened the container and unrolled the parchment inside. His grey eyes scanned the lines of text.

"What does it say, Sir Navin?" asked Meredith, standing a step away.

"It’s a letter from Her Majesty regarding Lady Raychard. I believe this falls within your jurisdiction, Lady Jarr," Eric replied, handing the parchment to her.

"Me?" Meredith asked, surprised.

She took the letter and read through it quickly.

"Oh, Her Majesty is sending assistants to help with Lady Raychard’s care! How benevolent of our queen!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, Her Majesty has personally selected the royal maids to attend to Lady Raychard. She noticed that the concubine of His Highness the Grand Duke seemed unwell during your wedding, so she decided to lend a hand, especially since Lady Raychard has no female servants around her," Bridgette explained. "These two maids will temporarily serve her in this mansion until His Highness the Grand Duke returns."

A cacophony erupted from the gathered male servants at this news. Their eyes gleamed with excitement at the prospect of having two new female colleagues.

Rosalie cleared her throat, silencing the crowd.

Meredith lifted her gaze to the two royal maids standing behind Bridgette, who was bowing their heads. She hadn’t realised who they were until now.

"Why... it’s Mary and Scarlett! I didn’t notice you!" Meredith exclaimed.

The two royal maids curtsied respectfully.

"Good day, Lady Jarr," Mary greeted politely. "We meet again."

"We heard you got married recently. Congratulations, my lady," Scarlett added.

Meredith beamed at their presence and nodded in acknowledgement.

"Thank you! It’s wonderful to see you both again."

"Her Majesty conveys her regards to Lady Raychard and you. She instructed us to serve Lady Raychard to the best of our abilities and to help whenever necessary. We hope you will accept our service," Scarlett said.

"What do you think, Lady Jarr?" Eric asked. "Do you feel their assistance is required?"

There was a hint of hesitation in his eyes, but he understood that the matter of Anna’s care fell squarely within Meredith’s authority. Her opinion and decision were what truly mattered.

"They came here under Her Majesty the Queen’s orders. It would be impolite to refuse. Furthermore, they used to serve Lady Raychard at the palace, and she was comfortable with them. I would gladly accept their assistance," Meredith declared.

"Great! Now, can you arrange for my accommodation and let me in?" Bridgette ordered arrogantly to Rosalie.

Meredith raised an eyebrow at the lady-in-waiting.

"What do you mean by your accommodation? Are you saying you’re going to stay here too?" she asked, surprised.

"Definitely! I need to ensure that they provide the best service to Lady Raychard, as ordered by Her Majesty. Without a superior around, they might slack off!" Bridgette replied.

Mary and Scarlett looked down, their expressions solemn. They were excited to serve Anna again, but the lady-in-waiting’s negative remarks made them seem as though they were maids with bad attitudes, dampening their spirits.

"I’m sure they won’t. I know them well. They had served Lady Raychard before. If they weren’t excellent, they wouldn’t have been selected for this task. Didn’t you say Her Majesty picked them personally?" Meredith countered.

Bridgette smiled wistfully.

"She did. But still, someone needs to supervise them properly."

"The letter from Her Majesty didn’t mention any supervisors. That’s my responsibility, and I’m sure I can handle it on your behalf," Meredith insisted.

"I don’t think so. Royal maids are under the governance of the queen’s ladies-in-waiting. Therefore, I will stay throughout their service. Additionally, I need to send full reports on Lady Raychard’s condition to Her Majesty," added Bridgette.

"I can send the report to Her Majesty. Your stay won’t be necessary," countered Meredith, but Bridgette sharply responded.

"You shall not interfere in my jurisdiction, Lady Jarr. Have you forgotten that, in the absence of His Highness the Grand Duke, Lady Raychard is under the protection and care of Their Majesties? She was supposed to stay at the palace, but respecting her wishes to remain at Gerhard Mansion, Their Majesties opted for this assistance. Please understand that I, too, am carrying out my duty here," Bridgette said, casting a sidelong glance at Meredith as if teasing her.

Meredith glared at Bridgette. She then turned to Eric and said, "Can we talk first?"

"Sure," the second-in-command knight nodded.

"Excuse us. We’ll be right back," Meredith said.

The two moved to a corner of the foyer for a discreet conversation.

"I can accept the royal maids, but I don’t like Lady Lynn! Can we just send her back?" Meredith said.

"I don’t like her either. She’s Lady James’s companion and cannot be trusted," Eric replied. "But she’s the queen’s lady-in-waiting."

Meredith sighed.

"You are right. If we refuse her stay, it will reach Their Majesties and might cause a commotion. We’ve had enough drama already, and I do not want another confrontation to arise."

"You have a point," the second-in-command knight remarked.

"It would also be impolite to reject her, and Lady James would use this to get me in trouble, claiming I’m embarrassing the queen on purpose! But letting her stay won’t do any good. She’s definitely here to annoy me!" Meredith complained.

"Hey, I don’t want her here either. Anything related to Lady James means trouble. But, ultimately, this is related to Her Majesty the Queen’s order," Eric said.

"She is not part of it! She’s just making excuses to stay! I bet she has her eyes on you! I saw how she looked at you and how her tone changed when she spoke to you," Meredith remarked.

"What?? Come on! Keep it real! I’m married with two sons! I wouldn’t be flattered to be adored by a ’parrot’!" Eric replied, referring to Bridgette’s gaudy appearance.

Meredith stifled a laugh. Bridgette had certainly earned a new nickname thanks to her excessive makeup.

"So, what is your decision? If it were me, I’d ask her to leave now and let only the royal maids stay. We’re still following Her Majesty’s orders anyway. There’s nothing wrong with that," Eric suggested.

Meredith pondered for a moment, then shook her head slowly.

"I can’t send her back, even though I want to. It would only spark a war between the ladies-in-waiting at the palace and me, and I certainly don’t want Lady Raychard to be affected. Let’s allow her to stay, and I’ll keep a close eye on her."

"Understood. I don’t want to get involved in the rivalry among the ladies-in-waiting either," Eric replied.

"Just make sure no information reaches her. We don’t want her meddling in the mansion’s affairs, especially regarding Lady Raychard," Meredith warned.

"Don’t worry. No one will discuss about it. As a precaution, we’ll restrict her movements and set rules for her. You can decide how that will work. I’ll leave it to your hand," Eric said.

Meredith smiled; having that power meant she could control Bridgette at will.

"Great! Let’s tell them!"

They both returned to the waiting crowd.

"All right, Lady Lynn. You are welcome to stay at Gerhard Mansion," Meredith announced.

"Finally! I’m sure it was Sir Navin who had the good sense to advise you," Bridgette said. "You should learn more from him."

Eric and Meredith exchanged glances, their eyes widening in understanding. Meredith held back a laugh; the ’parrot’ clearly had an interest in the second-in-command knight.

"Rosalie, have the servants bring in their luggage and prepare accommodations for them. Later, take the royal maids on a tour of the mansion to help them get acquainted and brief them on the rules," Meredith ordered.

"Yes, my lady," Rosalie replied.

Bridgette smiled, but Meredith’s following words surprised her.

"As for you, Lady Bridgette Lynn... please follow me to my office for a briefing on the rules and regulations of this mansion. You’ll also be informed about the permitted areas, the dos and don’ts," she added.

"What?? Are you saying I need to follow your rules and be restricted like the maids, too?" the lady-in-waiting asked, taken aback.

"The Gerhard Mansion operates like the palace, Lady Lynn. If you wish to stay, you must adhere to the rules. Otherwise, the front gate is always open for you to leave. We won’t force you against your will," Meredith said with a smile.

Bridgette grunted and looked to Eric for help, but the second-in-command knight only averted his gaze.

She realised that Meredith intended to control her, but she had no choice. As Sarah had ordered, she must stay to carry out her task—one that could soon lead to catastrophe for Anna.

"Lead the way!" she said, determination in her eyes.