The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 442: Callis’s Unintended Blast

Chapter 442: Callis’s Unintended Blast

Rafe ran as fast as he could towards the training ground. As he approached, he could see grey smoke rising high into the sky from the explosion.

"Oh, God! Please help us!" the healer prayed, fearing they might have been attacked.

However, instead of the alarm signalling danger, the bell rang in a specific pattern, indicating there was no immediate threat. This signal was meant for various harmless activities such as training, testing weapons, or drills.

"Huh?"

Rafe slowed his pace, recognising the signal well, but the explosion had been so loud and forceful that he struggled to believe it was innocuous. He paused for a moment.

Yes, the signal was loud and clear. The anxious servants calmed immediately upon hearing it, as did the guards.

Only the royal guards from the palace looked reluctant to relax. They eased only when their leader, the chief of the royal guards, assured them everything was fine and instructed them to disperse.

Rafe approached the chief to gather information.

"What happened?" he asked. "I heard an explosion just now."

"Ahh... nothing. Something malfunctioned near the training ground. Sir Navin has confirmed that there is no danger," the chief replied.

"Malfunction? Any casualties?" Rafe asked in concern.

"None. I was told it happened unexpectedly and didn’t harm anyone," the chief of the royal guard reassured him.

Rafe frowned in thought. Although he was told the situation was harmless, he remained curious.

What could have caused such a loud explosion? Even if something had broken as reported, it wouldn’t typically result in such an incident, would it?

"Still, I feel obligated to investigate. Thank you for the information," Rafe said.

The chief nodded and returned to his position while the healer continued towards the training ground.

As he arrived, a surprising sight caught his attention.

"How dare you! I’m going to kill you today!" Callis shouted, her voice echoing with fury.

It wasn’t just her yelling and anger that astonished him, but her appearance as well.

His beautiful and charming wife was covered in soot, her long silken hair a dishevelled mess, and her attire looked as if she had just emerged from a mine.

What on earth had happened?

***

[A while ago...]

"Fire!!" Luke shouted as flames erupted from the barbecue pit, flaring up like a wild beast and engulfing the entire cooking station.

"Put it out!" Eric yelled, and the knights scrambled to their feet, frantically searching for anything to extinguish the blaze.

Rising in panic, Callis, who was nearest to the cooking station, did her best to contain the fire using her magic. She had previously used it to speed up cooking by transforming the barbecue pit into a pressure cooker.

Beads of sweat began to trickle down her face as the flames surged higher. Her trembling hands struggled to control the inferno.

"Move aside, Mrs Amares!" Garin shouted, grabbing a pile of snow and throwing it at the cooking station.

The other knights quickly followed suit.

However, the magic she had cast formed a dome barrier over the barbecue pit, making it impenetrable to the poured slush. The intense heat melted the snow almost instantly, creating a cloud of steam.

"What the h*ll?!" Eli exclaimed, bewildered by the outcome.

"Mrs. Amares! Stop your magic! We can’t extinguish the fire if you don’t!" Alex shouted at Callis.

"I can’t! The force is getting stronger because of the flames! I can’t turn it off, and I can’t move!" she yelled back, desperation creeping into her voice.

"Oh, shit!" Luke cursed.

The fire continued to grow, reaching for the magical shield that fed its flames. The initial magic, meant to ignite and provide energy, caused the blaze to intensify, while the protective magic, sensing the danger, reacted to contain it. This resulted in a bizarre clash of forces, each amplifying the other.

Callis struggled to regain control, but with each attempt, the blaze only became fiercer. The flames reflected in Damon’s eyes as they reached their peak, and he immediately sensed the impending explosion.

"Run for your life!!" he screamed.

Eric leapt to save Callis, but then—

’Dumm!!!’

A powerful force erupted from the barbecue pit, sending the second-in-command knight sprawling to the snowy ground.

The knights crouched on the ground, reeling from the impact of the explosion. Their eardrums rang from the loud bang, a numbness settling in.

Debris flew through the air, mingling with charred smoke and dust, painting a scene of destruction around the barbecue pit. The acrid fumes burned their eyes and dried their throats, forcing them to cough and struggle to breathe.

Suddenly, a black lump fell from the sky, landing with a thud in the snow. Then, followed by the clanging sound of an iron pot that had once held it, it crashed onto a nearby rock.

Eric raised his head, shaking off the disorientation as he lay helplessly on the ground. Dizziness clouded his vision momentarily, but he eventually managed to compose himself. Gaining his strength, he stood up and scanned the area.

It seemed nothing else had been affected by the explosion except the barbecue pit, now a shattered mess. Its once sturdy metal was twisted and mangled; the blast had ripped through it, scattering charred fragments like morbid confetti.

"Is everyone safe?" Eric asked, concern lacing his voice.

The knights stood, nodding in acknowledgement, but their expressions were bewildered. Their eyes were fixed on something in shock.

Turning to follow their gaze, Eric’s face paled in surprise.

"Ahh!!"

A scream burst from his mouth as he saw a figure, black soot covering her face and attire, parts of her hair frizzy from the explosion.

"Mrs... Amares?" Eric asked, scanning her from head to toe. "Are you all right?"

Callis stood in astonishment, her mind still affected by the incident. With her blackened face and fiery red eyes, she looked like a hellhound.

"I-I’m all right," she stammered, regaining her senses.

The Mederian Princess’ eyes darted around, landing on an object lying in the snow. Disheartened, she gazed at what was once meant to be a meal.

The knights followed her gaze, now seeing the charred remains that no longer resembled poultry but instead looked like a lump of black coal.

Eric assessed the surroundings, relieved to confirm that everyone was fine and there was no further risk of explosion. The flames from the earlier fire had been completely extinguished.

Damon and Eli quickly moved to alert the mansion’s guards to ring the bell, signalling to all occupants that they were safe and informing Anryr of the incident.

This was crucial to prevent anyone from mistakenly believing they were under attack. However, Eric instructed the knights to simply relay that the cooking station was damaged, omitting the real cause behind it.

The chief of the royal guards came running, flanked by several of his men; anxiety filled their expressions. Spotting them, Eric swiftly positioned himself in front of Callis to obscure the royal guards from seeing her in such a state.

"Sir Navin! What’s going on?" he asked.

The second-in-command knight hesitated momentarily but quickly resolved to cover up the incident. Callis and the others were unharmed, with the barbecue pit being the only innocent victim of the explosion.

If they saw the Mederian Princess in this condition and learned what had happened, she would indeed become a laughingstock. So, he needed to protect her dignity.

"Nothing! Just a malfunction with the barbecue pit," he replied.

"Malfunction?" the chief of the royal guards asked, glancing at the wreckage that now resembled a crater, with cinders and smoke tendrils curling upwards.

"Did anyone get hurt?"

"No. Everything is fine," Eric assured him. "It happened abruptly. The cooking station hasn’t been used in a while, and it caught fire quickly after ignition. Before we knew it, the cooking station exploded."

"Really? That explosion was too loud. It even shook the ground. This doesn’t look like a minor incident," the chief of the royal guards remarked.

"It was my fault!" Noah suddenly interjected, eager to help cover up the incident. Knowing Eric wanted to save Callis’s reputation and owing much to her brother, he decided to play his part. "I mistakenly used coal coke instead of charcoal to ignite the fire. My bad!"

"But coal coke wouldn’t cause an explosion. I’ve never heard of such a case," the chief replied sceptically.

"It just happened unexpectedly. We didn’t anticipate it. There must have been other remnants in the barbecue pit that contributed to the explosion that we overlooked. As Sir Navin said, the cooking station hasn’t been used for a while," Garin added, stepping up to support Eric.

"I see... Since you say so, I suppose there’s no need for alarm," the chief of the royal guards said, nodding. "I’ll take my leave now."

The surroundings fell silent again. A whimper from the Mederian Princess suddenly broke the eerie stillness. The whimper escalated into cries, which soon turned into full-blown sobs.

"My chicken dish!" she wailed.

Callis glared at Luke, her frustration mounting.

"It’s all your fault! You caused this!" she yelled.

"Me??" Luke exclaimed, wide-eyed. He scoffed and added, "I told you repeatedly not to use that weird technique, but you insisted on proceeding with your magic!"

"It would’ve turned out fine if you hadn’t interfered!" she shot back. "It was supposed to expedite the cooking time!"

"Look here, Mrs Amares! Don’t you dare blame me when this whole incident is solely your doing! Who in their right mind cooks a chicken like that? A pressure cooker, you say? I’ve never heard of such a bloody thing in my entire life!" Luke spat out.

"That’s because you only know the conventional way! I’ve seen my friend use it in her lab to brew medicine rapidly, and it worked! The method is sound! But you kept nagging and yelling while I was trying to focus! If not for your distractions, my magic would have been seamless!" Callis retorted.

"Magic, my foot! You burned the barbecue pit and caused an explosion that nearly killed everyone!" Luke reprimanded, his voice rising. "That’s it! I will never teach you anything again! The way you chopped the chicken and the ingredients... Oh, God! I couldn’t tell if you’re cutting or destroying! The poultry might have prayed to be sent to hell rather than be treated like that! You’re a total disaster in the kitchen! An id*ot!"

"How dare you! I’m going to kill you today!" Callis shouted, rage filling her as Luke’s insult echoed in front of everyone.

Standing a few paces away, Alex shook his head, unamused by the altercation. Just then, a voice startled him from behind.

"What’s going on here?" Rafe appeared, bewildered by the scene unfolding before him.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.