The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 434: A Much Needed Help

Chapter 434: A Much Needed Help

Rafe dashed toward the treatment room, Armel following closely behind him.

A serious expression painted his face, and his hurried steps echoed through the hallway. Rhen, the little puppy, was no longer in sight; the teenager had tied him up at the doghouse before fetching the healer.

"Everything’s going to be all right, Elis! Hang on!" Kiev said, his tone striving to contain the panic rising within him.

He laid her gently on the bed and sat at its edge, holding her hands after tucking her in. The Mederian Prince’s face had paled, and Elis could feel his hands trembling. It seemed he needed the reassurance of her safety more than her.

"I’m all right, Kiev. The pain is bearable," she told him.

"You’re bleeding! Do you know how dangerous that is?" the Mederian Prince responded worriedly.

Elis pressed her lips together. If she tried to console him further, she feared it would only heighten his anxiety. It was best not to trigger his emotions.

The treatment room door burst open, and Rafe stormed in hastily. Kiev stood up immediately at his arrival.

"Wait outside!" the healer ordered, directing Armel to retreat.

The teenager quickly stepped back, closing the door behind him.

"What happened here?" Rafe asked seriously, standing by the bedside and assessing Elis.

"Elis is bleeding," Kiev said, his voice tense.

"I know. Armel briefed me on the way." Rafe turned to Elis, seeking clarification. "Where are you bleeding?"

Elis felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment, struggling to respond.

"I believe it’s from her private area," Kiev interjected. "Her skirt is already soaked at the back."

Rafe furrowed his brow. At first, he considered that Elis might have gotten her menses, but he quickly dismissed the thought.

Having treated her since their first encounter, he knew she had been rendered barren due to the overdoses of Purple Krista.

"Turn to the side and let me see," he ordered.

Elis leaned to the left, assisted by Kiev, allowing Rafe to examine her condition. The healer observed the crimson liquid soaking her skirt at the back. The amount of blood was significant but not immediately life-threatening.

However, it was difficult to determine the origin of the bleeding since she was wearing multiple layers of clothing. Thankfully, Kiev had placed layers of linen on the bed to protect the mattress from being soiled.

"Lay back again," the healer instructed.

Elis turned and laid down as before, aided by Kiev.

"Are you sure it’s coming from down there?" Rafe asked her.

"Yes. I can feel it. It’s not continuous, but at times, it flows and wets my inner attire. I also feel some internal pain now and then," Elis replied, her voice strained.

"Are you injured there? Was Kiev being rough with you last night?" the healer asked bluntly.

"What??" Kiev interjected, looking at the healer in astonishment at the accusation. "What do you mean by ’rough’?"

"I’m talking about intimacy. Were you having s*xual intercourse last night? Rough s*x can lead to bleeding. I’ve treated such cases before," Rafe said, recalling a time when he attended to Anna at the camp after a particularly passionate night she had with Kyren.

Kiev’s cheeks flushed crimson.

"I would never force her into that! What kind of man do you think I am? A savage?! Elis and I have never engaged in s*xual intercourse!" he shouted, a mix of anger and embarrassment filling his voice.

Rafe looked at the couple with widened eyes.

"You both... never did it?" he asked, pointing alternately at them with his forefinger. "But you’ve shared a chamber together ever since you won the duel with His Majesty the King!"

"Yes, we shared a chamber and slept on the same bed! But living together doesn’t mean we’re doing the deed! You, on the other hand, haven’t touched my sister until now! It’s common knowledge that you haven’t consummated your marriage!" Kiev reprimanded.

"What does that have to do with this situation? I’m trying to find out the reason for Elis’s bleeding!" Rafe shot back.

"You commented on our affairs first!" the Mederian Prince countered.

"Please! Both of you, stop it!" Elis exclaimed, her voice shaky.

The two men turned to her, noticing that her complexion had turned paler than before.

"I’m sorry, Elis. I got carried away and forgot about your state," Kiev apologised.

His expression shifted to one of remorse mixed with worry for her well-being.

Rafe cleared his throat and stated, "I must check her further to see where the bleeding starts. I need to examine... that part of her body."

There was hesitation on Rafe’s face; he had never treated a woman in such a sensitive area, not even Anna. He specialised in battle injuries—broken bones, open wounds, surgeries for ruptured organs—anything but women’s health.

"Over my dead body! I will not allow you to see her there!" Kiev exclaimed in rage as he stood up.

"Do you think I want this? I’m not comfortable with it either! But do we have any choice here? Unless you plan to do it yourself!" Rafe shouted back.

"No!" Elis suddenly voiced, her face flushing at the suggestion.

Although Kiev had seen her body when he healed her, having him see her most intimate parts in this situation was the last thing she wanted.

"Then I’ll do it, said Kiev to Rafe, determined. "It would be better for me to do it rather than him. You’re my woman, Elis. There’s nothing to be ashamed of," Kiev said, his voice softening as he spoke to Elis.

"Please! I... I don’t feel comfortable with this!" she said, refusing.

She understood his concern, but embarrassment and nervousness overwhelmed her.

"Don’t do it! She’s not comfortable!" Rafe interjected.

He knew that after everything Elis had been through, it wouldn’t be easy for her to allow any man to touch her, especially in that area. He worried that her fear might resurface, leading to a relapse of her trauma.

"Then how are we going to treat her?" Kiev asked frustratedly.

Rafe’s brow creased in thought. Then, a bright idea struck him. "We’ll get Callis to do it!" he suggested.

"That’s a good idea!" Kiev exclaimed.

Calling for Armel, who was waiting outside, the healer issued an order.

"Get my wife here this instant! She’s in the parlour! We need a woman to help examine Elis!"

"Yes, Mr Amares!" the teenager replied.

Without wasting a moment, Armel turned on his heel and hurried down the hallway. As he neared a junction and turned to the right, he accidentally bumped his head into a figure.

’Thud!’

"Ouch!" Armel exclaimed, rubbing his forehead, stinging from the collision. The high pile of clothes in the basket that he had slammed into tumbled to the ground and scattered everywhere.

"Oh, my goodness!" Mary exclaimed in surprise.

"I’m so sorry! Really sorry! I have urgent matters and need to get Mrs. Amares immediately!" Armel said, bowing several times in apology as he realised the situation.

He started to rush off again, but Mary called out just in time.

"Wait! Mrs Amares already went out!" she exclaimed, causing him to halt and turn around.

"She went out? When?" he asked as he furrowed his brow.

"Quite some time ago, with Madam Collins. Lady Raychard mentioned wanting to eat something, so they went out together to buy it," she explained.

"Why would they go by themselves? Why didn’t they ask the servants to get it for her?"

"I’m not sure. Mrs Amares said she would go and get it herself, and Madam Collins decided to follow her," Mary replied. "They specifically instructed me not to tell the mansion’s servants about it."

"But you told me..." Armel started.

"You’re not a servant of the mansion. You serve His Highness Prince Kiev, don’t you?" the maid reminded him.

"Ah! That’s right!" he said, recalling his status.

Then, concern for his initial task consumed him.

"Oh dear! It’ll take a while for them to come back! We can’t just wait for her. What should I do?" he muttered to himself.

Mary knelt on the ground, gathering the scattered clothes and placing them back into the basket.

"Fortunately, these are all dirty laundry. Lady Lynn would throw a fit if these were clean," she said, sighing in relief.

Instead of reprimanding the teenager for the collision, Mary chose to put the matter aside. After all, it hadn’t impacted her much. She understood that urgency sometimes led to mishaps. Furthermore, Armel had already apologised.

The teenager was deeply thinking about the current situation. With Callis and Jessy gone, no one from the Mederians would be available to check on Elis.

Few women remained in the mansion, and while he could consider Emily, Meredith, or Rosalie for assistance, finding them in this vast space would take time.

His gaze fell on Mary, diligently picking up the clothes. Though she was new to the mansion, it was clear that she and Scarlett, the two royal maids sent by the queen, were highly competent and well-mannered, earning them a warm acceptance among the mansion’s occupants—unlike their obnoxious supervisor, Bridgette Lynn.

’Mr Amares did mention that he needed a woman’s help,’ Armel thought inwardly.

An idea struck him, and he quickly approached Mary, kneeling beside her.

"Miss Mason, I’m in need of a huge favour! Can you come with me and help?" he asked, his eyes glimmering with hope.

"What help do you need? I can spare some time, but not the whole day, as I need to get back to Lady Raychard. Only Scarlett is with her right now," she replied.

"Someone is in a dire situation, and I need you to assist us!" Armel urged earnestly.

"Oh my!" Mary’s eyes widened in surprise.

Desperately, he pulled her arm and insisted, "Come with me now, Miss Mason! I promise I’ll make it up to you later!"

Caught off guard by his urgency, Mary was pulled to stand and dragged by the teenager.

She glanced back at the scattered clothes and exclaimed, "Wait! The laundry!" But Armel kept pulling her along.

"Don’t worry about it! I’ll help you with it later. I’ll scrub each piece of the clothes with my bare hands until they’re sparkling clean! I swear it!" he promised.

Mary no longer hesitated. Seeing how desperate Armel was, she sensed that something more than met the eyes required her help, so she let him lead the way.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to them, a pair of scornful eyes had noticed their hasty departure, leaving the laundry behind. Bridgette Lynn, ready to reprimand Mary for the incident, stomped toward the scene.

But as the maid and the teenager turned a corner in the hallway, the noble lady stopped short. That path was one of the areas she was forbidden to enter in the mansion.

She could have shouted to stop Mary from fleeing with Armel, but doing so would draw attention from the mansion’s occupants and embarrass her, as it was unseemly for a lady-in-waiting to raise her voice in public. She still had a reputation to uphold, so she suppressed the urge.

Bridgette grunted in annoyance, crossing her arms over her chest as she glanced back at the pile of scattered laundry.

"I knew she would slack off eventually! I knew it!" she muttered to herself.

Her eyes narrowed as she looked back down the empty hallway where Armel and Mary had disappeared.

"Wait until I get my hands on you! I’ll teach you a good lesson!"