The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 440: Declining The Dish

Chapter 440: Declining The Dish

A knock came at the door, and Scarlett headed over to find a servant with a tray of food.

"What is this?" the maid asked.

"It’s a dish prepared by Sir Parker for Lady Raychard, Miss Holt," the servant replied.

Scarlett raised an eyebrow, unsure; she didn’t recall placing an order.

Sensing her hesitance, the servant added, "Mrs. Amares told me this is the dish that Lady Raychard has been craving."

"Oh!" Scarlett remembered Anna’s request to Callis. "Yes, yes! Please come in," she ordered.

The maid felt relieved that the Mederian Princess had finally figured out what their lady wanted. They had all been racking their brains to discover her cravings.

Recently, Anna had repeatedly refused most meals, which heightened their concern for her health. Without proper sustenance, she would be less energetic and tire easily.

The tray was pushed inside, and the meal was quickly arranged at the table. Once ready, the servant left promptly and waited outside.

Male servants were not typically allowed into the lord and lady’s chamber without a chaperone, except for Anryr.

Since Scarlett or Mary often accompanied Anna, they were permitted to enter and complete their tasks while the two maids remained observant.

"My lady, it’s time for brunch," Mary said as she entered Anna’s bedroom after receiving permission.

"I don’t want anything, Mary. I don’t feel like eating," the princess replied in a tired tone.

Her body felt weary despite the long rest in bed.

"You’ve got to eat something, my lady. You refused breakfast, and last night, you only had a few spoonfuls of porridge," the maid urged, approaching Anna.

"It’s not that I’m doing it on purpose. I really don’t have much appetite," the princess sighed.

"Don’t worry. Scarlett said this time, it’s not a meal from the kitchen. It’s a special dish prepared by Sir Parker, your favourite!" Mary said, hoping this would rekindle Anna’s appetite.

"My favourite?" the princess asked, knitting her brows in curiosity.

Mary smiled. "It’s grilled seabass with lemon sauce. You like it, don’t you?"

Anna’s eyes lit up at the mention of the dish. She recalled having it on the cog ship when she was also quite ill from her trauma at sea.

With Kyren, Rafe, and Ayden’s constant attention and the knights’ warm support, Anna gradually recovered. The same dish had sparked her appetite and helped her feel better.

"I do! Oh, I can’t wait to taste it again!" Anna exclaimed in excitement.

Mary assisted the eager princess to the table, where the food was already served. Scarlett, standing by the side, was waiting for their arrival.

"Have a seat, my lady. I hope you enjoy the meal," she said gently, helping Anna into the chair and placing the napkin on her lap.

"Thank you, Scarlett!" the princess replied, beaming with anticipation.

Scarlett swiftly lifted the cover, and a delicious aroma wafted through the air. The maids inhaled the savoury scent, letting out soft moans of approval, convinced that the dish would be delightful.

However, Anna’s expression suddenly changed. The fish dish that everyone thought would satisfy her cravings released a pungent, fishy odour that filled her nostrils.

"Uwekk!!"

A sudden wave of nausea hit her, and she vomited onto the floor, bile juice splattering onto her dress. Her chest heaved as more of the contents of her stomach were expelled.

"Oh my God!" Scarlett exclaimed in shock. "Get the towel, Mary! Hurry!" she urged, rushing to Anna’s side to rub her back as the princess continued to vomit.

Mary worked quickly, and soon, the maids were assisting Anna as best they could.

"Put that thing away, please! I can’t stand the smell!" the princess gasped between heaves.

Mary complied, covering the fish dish and swiftly removing it from the chamber.

As the awful smell faded, a sense of relief washed over Anna, allowing her to breathe more easily. Her chest rose and fell rapidly until she gradually regained her regular breathing.

Beads of sweat formed on her temples as she faced another episode of her usual morning sickness, of which she was still unaware.

"Rinse your mouth and spit into this basin, my lady," Scarlett urged, holding out the item that Mary had brought.

Anna obeyed, rinsing her mouth and then taking several gulps of water to calm herself.

"I’m so sorry, my lady! I didn’t know you couldn’t stomach the smell of the dish!" Scarlett apologised with concern.

Here’s a refined version of your text for clarity and emotional depth:

"It’s not your fault," Anna said softly. "It’s mine. I don’t know why my body is reacting like this."

The princess’s face fell. Callis and Jessy had repeatedly mentioned that her symptoms were due to the lingering effects of dark magic. Her weakened state meant that healing took longer, yet.

Anna felt her sickness worsening, and her health showed little improvement. There were times when she felt somewhat acceptable, but most days, she struggled with drowsiness and lethargy.

"Let’s get you cleaned up and changed into something new. Then you can lie on the bed and have some dried fruits," suggested Scarlett.

Dried fruits were the only food Anna didn’t hesitate to eat. It had become a daily habit, and the servants, knowing this, had prepared them in advance and placed them on the side table by her bed.

"I’ll help clean up the floor," offered Mary.

Anna nodded weakly and rose from her seat with Scarlett’s assistance. The two headed to the bedroom adjacent to the bathroom, leaving Mary to tend to the mess. The maid diligently cleaned up the vomit and opened all the windows to air out the chamber.

Another knock came at the door, and this time, Rafe entered for his usual check-up.

"What happened in here?" he asked, noticing the lingering unpleasant smell.

"I’m so sorry, Mr. Amares. Lady Raychard just vomited after smelling Sir Parker’s dish. She said she couldn’t stand it. I couldn’t spray perfume to mask the odour since she’s also sensitive to scents, so I opened all the windows to air it out. The smell may take some time to vanish," Mary explained.

"She vomited? Again?" Rafe raised an eyebrow, concern etched on his face.

"Yes. It’s been quite frequent," Mary replied with worry.

"I need to take a look at her," Rafe said, his tone serious. "Something isn’t right."

"She’s getting cleaned up, Mr. Amares, and Scarlett is with her. Please wait a moment," said the maid.

The healer nodded. Mary moved to the wall, and her thoughts drifted to Anna’s condition. After a moment, she stepped up and spoke up out of concern.

"Forgive me for saying this, Mr Amares. I know you’ve examined Lady Raychard several times, and you have the results, but is it possible for you to check again to see if she’s pregnant?" she suggested.

"Mary, I’ve already said that isn’t the root cause," Rafe replied firmly.

"But she shows all the signs! Based on my observations, her waistline is expanding despite her lack of eating. A pregnant woman would definitely exhibit those symptoms," Mary argued.

"It’s not possible!" Rafe exclaimed, his voice rising.

"Why not?" the maid countered.

"Because His Highness the Grand Duke..." Rafe bit his lip, nearly spilling the secret out of frustration.

"What about him?" Mary pressed.

"He doesn’t want any children!" Rafe looked away as he twisted his words.

He hated having to lie but needed an excuse to deter the maid from suggesting pregnancy.

Mary fixed her gaze on the healer, surprise in her eyes. She had never heard of any royalty or nobleman who didn’t wish to have an heir.

"Don’t ask me why! It’s not our place to question His Highness the Grand Duke’s intentions. Our duty is to serve our master wholeheartedly and give our best in our service. You, as a royal maid, should know best of this," Rafe cut off solemnly.

Mary lowered her eyes, feeling remorseful.

"Forgive me, Mr Amares. I seem to have crossed the line. I’ll never do it again," she said.

The healer nodded, not wanting to be harsh, but he knew strengthening the rules was necessary. Mary retreated to her usual position against the wall, the standard stance for a maid when idle.

Scarlett appeared at the bedroom door, carrying a basket with the sullied dress.

"Oh, M. Amares, you’re here!" she exclaimed, relieved. "I was about to call for you to check on Lady Raychard. She vomited again today."

"I know. Mary already briefed me," Rafe replied. "Is our lady ready for examination?"

"Yes, she’s reclining on the bed right now. Let me pass this to Mary first and escort you in," Scarlett said.

The maid walked over to Mary and handed her the basket. She noticed the gloomy look on her face and the slight solemnity in Rafe’s expression. Swiftly, she could tell something must have occurred.

"What did you do?" she asked in a hushed tone.

"I... I told him what I thought," Mary replied. "about Lady Raychard being pregnant."

"Stop doing that, Mary! One of these days, you’ll surely get us in trouble! You almost got whipped yesterday, and you still haven’t learned your lesson?!" Scarlett reprimanded her, still speaking quietly.

"That’s different! I’m just stating what I believe!" Mary defended herself.

"Look, I understand you know a thing or two about midwifery and have helped many people with that knowledge, which I applaud. But you have to think about yourself. Getting too involved in the affairs of royalty and nobility won’t do us any good. It’s better to be mindful and keep our thoughts to ourselves. We’re just servants and should stick to our assigned duties," Scarlett reminded her.

Mary sighed, feeling defeated.

"Fine! I’ll keep my mouth shut and never bring it up again, though I dislike it! My grandmother would disapprove of what I’m doing if she were still alive!" she mumbled.

"Forget about your grandmother! She’s already passed away. Even if she were still alive, she wouldn’t be able to protect you if something happened because of your nosiness! Now, take this dress to the laundry room and tell the servants to clean it right away," Scarlett ordered firmly.

Mary nodded, her shoulders slumped as she took the basket, leaving the chamber with a darkened expression.

Scarlett then briefed Rafe on the day’s events concerning Anna, as was routine.

"Please follow me, Mr Amares," she said, ready to escort the healer into the bedroom once she was finished.

The two moved to the bedroom door, and the maid announced the healer’s arrival to Anna.

They entered upon receiving permission, and Rafe approached the princess to perform the examination.

Just as he held Anna’s wrist to measure her pulse, a voice shouted from the door, "Stop!"