The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 470: A Brilliant Escape By The Nieces

Chapter 470: A Brilliant Escape By The Nieces

The woman paced anxiously in the dark, quiet alley. It was a lonely old cloister path rarely used by servants and guards, as it was no longer part of their daily routine passing area. Still, she needed to be careful with her mission.

Every so often, she turned her head left and right to check her surroundings, making sure no one passed by and noticed her presence. Helen’s fingers trembled with fear, and she clasped her hands together to ease her nervousness. Yet, the worry in her heart only grew.

"Oh, God! I should have gone with them!" she said to herself, regretting her decision to stay behind as Laura had directed.

It had been some time since the princess and her sister entered the secret passage for their first important mission—to rescue Anna and bring her to safety.

Helen, summoned by the queen, had not expected to be entrusted with such a critical task, especially as a governess for the two princesses, Laura and Lilith.

However, who could refuse such a request when it came directly from Queen Emelda? The queen had changed her life, offering her a chance for a meaningful future when she had once felt hopeless.

This mission was not initially planned by the queen but was initiated by King Kyden himself. After hearing about Anna’s situation, Helen felt uneasy about why the king, who had ordered Anna’s confinement, secretly arranged for her rescue.

As the queen explained further, Helen began to understand. The king was furious that Anna was presumably pregnant by Prince Kiev, but he believed she would be in danger from the nobles and still wanted her to be safe.

As a ruler, the king couldn’t show favouritism or further relax his hold on the princess. Keeping Anna confined in a comfortable chamber was the least he could do at that moment. If he tried to protect her more, it could lead to a riot from the nobles.

Sarah’s insistence on overseeing Anna’s confinement added to his concerns. The chief lady-in-waiting resented the princess for winning Kyren’s affection, and the king feared she would plot against the princess.

However, if he refused to allow Sarah to manage Anna, he would expose the princess to even greater danger.

The James family held significant influence over the other nobles in Gantz and could seize Anna under the guise of an investigation, potentially leading to a rift between the monarch and the nobles.

This concern prompted King Kyden to agree to place her under the watch of the chief lady-in-waiting.

Moreover, Sarah’s knowledge of the events at Gerhard’s mansion suggested she was keeping a close watch on Anna. This made the king doubt his officers, the royal knights, and palace servants, fearing they might also be aligned with the James family.

On the other hand, Helen was considered an exception by the queen. Queen Emelda had hired her directly without any involvement from the nobles, and the queen believed she was the perfect person to carry out this critical task.

The nobles now closely watched the king and queen’s movements. To avoid raising suspicion, Queen Emelda assigned the mission to Helen, her children’s governess, someone no one would think would be involved in rescuing Anna.

As time passed, the surroundings grew darker. The chilling winter wind blew through the cloister path, rustling the trees in the courtyard and creating eerie sounds that sometimes resembled whistling.

Helen turned at the noise, afraid the guards or palace servants might appear and disrupt the plan. More than anything, she wanted to follow the secret passage that Laura and Lilith had taken, but both princesses insisted that she stay behind to keep watch.

Just then, Helen heard footsteps. Her panic immediately rose. She gripped her skirt tightly, her face pale, worried she might be discovered. But then a familiar voice called out to her.

"Helen! We got her! We got Aunt Anna!" Lilith exclaimed excitedly as she rushed out from a hidden path behind a cornered wall.

Helen hurried to her, knelt, and hugged the little princess. Two figures emerged from the same spot; Anna and Laura.

"Oh, thank heavens you made it!" Helen sighed in relief.

Noticing that Anna was unsteady on her feet, Helen quickly stood and moved closer to support her by holding her arm.

"My lady, are you all right?" she asked, concerned about Anna’s shaky condition.

" I-I’m fine," the princess stammered.

"I don’t think you are," Helen replied gently. "The dark passage might have frightened you. I’m so sorry for not bringing a light. I just didn’t want anyone to notice us."

Anna nodded, grateful for the governess’s concern.

She was initially completely taken aback when she spotted Laura and Lilith’s shadows in her chamber. The princess had not expected her nieces to come and rescue her from her confinement.

Although Anna was aware of the secret passage hidden in the dressing room, her previous delirium had left her immobile before she fell asleep on the floor. This forced her to bang on the door in the hope that someone would let her out, but she ultimately lost consciousness due to exhaustion.

Additionally, she couldn’t remember where the passage led, as Kyren had carried her through it before, instructing her to keep her eyes closed in the darkness. In her memory, the passage was long and gloomy, filled with twists and turns.

She feared that if she chose the wrong path, she might end up in a place where she could be seen and caught. For these reasons, the princess remained confined in her chamber.

Anna was surprised again when Laura and Lilith told her they had come to take her to safety at their parents’ request. She couldn’t understand why, but recalling Sarah’s threat that could endanger her baby, she didn’t hesitate to follow the princesses and leave.

"We can’t stay here for long. We need to move. Can you walk a little further?" Helen asked.

"I-I can. But... where are you taking me?" Anna replied.

"To a safer place. Their Majesties are worried about your safety and told me to take you away. They even asked Princess Laura and Lilith to help because they know the secret passage to your chamber."

"His Majesty is concerned about me? How come?" Anna asked in disbelief.

Hadn’t he been the one to question her pregnancy and accuse her of being with another man besides her husband?

Helen looked at Anna solemnly. Darkness surrounded them, but the faint light from the garden allowed her to see the princess’s troubled face.

"I know you have questions. I’ll explain everything later, but for now, we must leave before anyone notices us," she urged.

Anna hesitated. She had known Helen during her previous stay at the palace, and the governess had always been kind and respectful. Still, she worried—what if this was all a scheme?

Seeing her uncertainty, Helen spoke again.

"I understand your doubts, but please trust me! If Their Majesties had bad intentions, they wouldn’t involve Princess Laura and Lilith in this rescue mission. They are not the kind to use their own children to harm someone!"

Helen’s words began to shift Anna’s resolve. She knew how much the monarchs loved their children. They would unlikely send the little princesses into danger just to save her.

There must be a good reason behind this, and she needed to find out what it was. Moreover, returning to her chamber would only put her and her child’s lives at risk, and she couldn’t allow that.

"All right, I’ll come with you. Just hold me, Helen. I need your help," Anna agreed.

"Thank you for trusting me! I promise, I’ll explain everything once we reach our destination!"

Helen felt relieved that the princess had agreed without much resistance.

Swiftly, she turned to Laura and Lilith and asked, "Do you remember the secret way out of the palace from here?"

"We’re going out of the palace?" Anna asked, surprised.

Helen nodded in affirmation.

"Yes, we are. I’m afraid the palace is not a safe place for you. Once the knights discover you’ve left, they will start searching and combing through the entire area."

Looking a bit lost, Laura responded, "I’m not sure."

"I do! I do!" Lilith raised her hand excitedly.

"Then can you take us there? Your aunt Anna and I need to leave the palace through it," Helen said.

"All right! Follow me!" exclaimed the youngest princess as she took the lead.

"Lower your voice, Lilith! Mother said this is a big secret!" Laura warned her sister.

"Oops! Sorry!" Lilith covered her mouth and paused in her tracks.

"And go slower, please! Aunt Anna is not well! You went too fast just now!" Laura reprimanded her sister again.

"Thank you, Laura. But please don’t be mad at your sister. Lilith only meant to help," said Anna.

"I know, Aunt Anna. But she’s too loud!" Laura replied. "What if someone hears us?"

Helen smiled, grateful for the eldest princess’s maturity and concern for their safety. She wouldn’t have been able to do this without them.

Fortunately, it was the queen who suggested bringing Laura and Lilith along, as they were essential in helping Anna leave her chamber through the passage. The children were perfect for the task, as they had a close relationship with Anna and could easily persuade her to join them.

"I said I’m sorry, Laura! Come on! Let’s go now!" Lilith urged.

"She’s right. We’d better move quickly. It’s dangerous here," said Helen.

Laura nodded, understanding that getting Anna to safety was the most crucial task at hand, as her mother, the queen, had repeatedly reminded her.

Helen swiftly draped a cloak over Anna’s shoulders and secured the knot, ensuring the princess’s silhouette was not easily discernible in their movement. The group continued onward, with Lilith guiding them down a dimmer passage of the cloister.

However, just as they turned a corner, a tall, dark figure of a man appeared before them, halting their movements abruptly.

"Who are you?" the figure demanded, raising his sword, causing Helen to gasp in fear.

Lilith and Laura screamed and hid behind her, leaving the governess momentarily speechless.

"Don’t kill us! Please!" Anna begged.

The man, clad in a long cloak, froze upon hearing her voice.

"Lady Raychard?" he exclaimed in disbelief, swiftly retracting his sword as he recognised her presence.

Additionally, he inferred they were children from the two more miniature figures and their cries. Raising weapons against them was not an act of honour.

Anna felt the man’s voice seemed familiar, but she hadn’t noticed it earlier, as she was in total shock at being caught in their escape.

"Do I know you?" she asked, confused.

The man lowered his hood, revealing his familiar features. However, the dim light made it hard for Anna to recognise him.

"It’s me! Sir McQuinn!"