The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 475: The Vanished Accused

Chapter 475: The Vanished Accused

A new dawn broke over the city of Gantz, which began its day filled with bustling activities.

Despite the cold weather, the markets and city plaza thrived, bustling with buyers and sellers. As the crowd grew, the town criers, diligently carrying out their duties, made a crucial announcement - the news of crimes committed by the Knights of Abinair, linked to the previously accused r*pe and m*rder case involving Noah, a Knight of Gerhard.

This revelation delighted the townsfolk, who celebrated the news and condemned the culprits responsible for the heinous deeds. Once again, their trust in the Grand Duke’s men was renewed, becoming as solid as before.

Yet, the atmosphere within the palace was far less optimistic.

The royal court, usually a place for measured discussion on judicial measures between the King and his ministers, was already full of attendees, where the nobles had gathered from the early hours.

Some ministers even remained there overnight after the futile attempt to meet with the king to convey their petition regarding the case of Anna and Kiev.

In just one night, news of the accusations had ravaged like a storm, reaching every corner of the palace. Despite the monarchy’s retainers’ attempts to contain the situation, the rumours continued to spread beyond the palace walls.

The Grand Duke’s silence, who hadn’t emerged from his chambers since the incident the day before, only fueled the gossip that infidelity had indeed occurred between the Mederian Prince and his betrothed.

"I’m so sorry, Your Majesty, that it has come to this," Charles said as he accompanied King Kyden towards the royal court.

The chamberlain mirrored the solemn mood that had befallen the King. King Kyden’s eyes were sunken, betraying a sleepless night of distress.

"It’s not your fault, Charles," he said, his voice heavy with remorse. "None of this would have happened if it weren’t for me. If there’s anyone to blame, it should be me."

Charles averted his gaze. The king’s spirit appeared to be low. He had not even wished for his guards to accompany him today.

"Perhaps... if you are not ready to face them, I could postpone the proceedings-" Charles suggested tentatively.

"Don’t! It would only embarrass me further if I kept stalling," King Kyden cut off in a firm voice. "Lord James would be more than happy to use this case against me. He’s always been waiting for this young, newly ascended king to make a mistake and exploit it."

"He and his supporters are always wary of you, despite showing their sovereignty," Charles observed. "They haven’t dared to provoke you because of His Highness the Grand Duke’s shrewd backing. But since this matter involves him, they’re sure to be aggressive. What will you do, Your Majesty?"

King Kyden paused in his tracks.

"What would you do if you were in my place, Charles?" he asked back the same question as he turned to his chamberlain.

Charles paused momentarily, lost in thought.

"I’m not sure... Perhaps, investigate further?" he ventured.

"There’s not much left to investigate. I already know the whole situation and have spoken with those involved," the King said, shaking his head. "You know I can’t let Anna go because of her unique abilities... and sentencing Prince Kiev is out of the question, as it could lead to war with the Mederians. They’re a powerful clan with strong magical capabilities, and their royals are connected to the Ro’an Emperors. Fighting them would only bring catastrophe to Cassian."

"Then... what will you do?" Charles asked, his voice filled with concern.

King Kyden sighed deeply.

"Honestly, I don’t know," he admitted. "But I’m trying to salvage whatever I can from this mess." He paused, then added, "At least I’m sure she’s safe now."

"I beg your pardon?" Charles asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Never mind," the King said, waving his hand dismissively. "Let’s move on."

They continued their walk until they reached the threshold of the royal court. The guards at the main door bowed in respect as the king approached.

The doors swung open, and King Kyden, with his regal bearing, walked inside, followed closely by his chamberlain.

The murmurs inside the court abruptly ceased as King Kyden entered. As the leading minister, Lord James greeted the King with the customary ’Greetings, the Sun of Cassian,’ followed by a deep bow, and the other nobles followed suit.

As the King settled onto his seat on the dais, Lord James wasted no time in bringing up the day’s main agenda.

"Your Majesty, we are gathered here today to seek your judgment on an urgent matter brought forth by Lady Sarah James, the chief lady-in-waiting, one of the key witnesses in the scandal case of Lady Anna Raychard and His Highness Prince Kiev Naver," Lord James announced, handing a rolled petition towards the king.

From amongst the seated nobles, Sarah James watched with a carefully crafted solemn expression, masking the joy that surged through her heart. She believed her ambition was finally within reach.

King Kyden raised his hand, halting the petition from being handed over.

"I’m already aware of the details," he said firmly. "I don’t need to read your lengthy report."

Lord James was about to protest, assuming the king was trying to avoid the matter, but King Kyden’s following command took him by surprise.

"Let’s move forward and get to the bottom of this," the king declared, his gaze sweeping across the court. "Bring in the accused! Both of them!"

At the king’s order, royal knights were dispatched.

Soon, one group returned, escorting the Mederian Prince into the court with his hands bound. Murmurs rippled through the room as Kiev, having a grim expression, was forced to kneel before the king.

King Kyden ignored Kiev’s defiant posture.

Instead, he asked, "Where is Lady Raychard? What is taking so long to bring her here?"

His eyes darted towards the entrance, waiting for the arrival of the next accused.

"Please be patient, Your Majesty," Lord James said, feigning concern. "I’m sure they will arrive as soon as possible."

However, he was delighted inwardly, believing that his daughter’s path to power had again aligned perfectly.

Sarah, too, was genuinely pleased by this. Now it was time for her to rejoice and savour her triumph. Everything would be in her grasp in mere moments – so she thought.

King Kyden nodded to Lord James’s response, but not long after, a Knight of Neblim burst in with a pale face.

"Your Majesty! Please forgive us!" the knight pleaded, kneeling on the floor.

"Why? What happened?" the king asked, surprised.

"Lady Raychard! She has escaped!"

The statement immediately attracted the attention of the royal court, including Kiev. Gasps of shock filled the chamber as nobles turned to each other, murmuring about this unprecedented event.

"What do you mean by ’escaped’?" The king turned to Sarah, whose jaw nearly dropped in disbelief. "What caused this? I thought I placed her detainment under your responsibility?"

Sarah jumped to her feet, her hands trembling as she struggled to process the situation. How had that hopeless concubine managed to flee with so many knights surrounding her chamber? It didn’t make any sense!

"Your Majesty... I—I truly don’t know!" she exclaimed. She turned urgently to the Knight of Neblim. "Have you checked the entire chamber? She can’t just vanish into thin air! I ordered all of you to watch her closely!"

"We did, Lady James, and no one came after you entered her chamber last night! There’s not a single trace of her whereabouts. We only found a broken porridge bowl, broth splattered on the floor, and her discarded clothes. It seems she changed her attire before escaping," revealed the knight.

"Broken bowl? What happened?" King Kyden’s blue eyes narrowed at Sarah with a suspicious look. "Were you in a fight with her?"

"No, Your Majesty!" Sarah quickly denied. "I came to serve her food as the Knights of Gerhard insisted! But she refused, saying the meal didn’t suit her, and threw it away!"

"And why did you wait for the Knights of Gerhard to demand that? Isn’t it common knowledge that all prisoners should be fed appropriately, regardless of their offences? Or did you plan this so you could take her away silently?" the king probed.

"No, Your Majesty!" Sarah exclaimed, fear creeping into her voice as King Kyden seemed to cast blame on her.

Kiev, meanwhile, was studying Sarah intently. Her voice and mannerisms echoed those of the mysterious woman who had visited him the night before.

"I would never do that! Why would I help her escape? She must face trial and judgment for her sins! She and that man should be punished by the law!"

Kiev’s ears perked up. Her last words mirrored the woman’s precisely. He would have recognised her sooner if not for his depleted mana. This condition had dulled his senses, rendering it more difficult for him to identify her earlier.

"It’s you! You want her dead!" Kiev yelled, struggling to rise, but the knights restrained him, preventing him from lunging at Sarah.

His weakened condition left him unable to resist, and he could only shout, but the chief lady-in-waiting denied his accusation strongly.

"Silence!" King Kyden commanded.

Despite the commotion, the king remained calm and composed.

"There must be a good explanation for this. Have you truly searched the chamber and the surrounding area?" he asked the Knight of Neblim.

"We did, Your Majesty. But we couldn’t find any trace! It was as if she just... disappeared," the knight responded.

"It can’t be! This makes no sense!" Lord James interjected. "Could His Highness, the Grand Duke, have hidden her away secretly?"

All eyes turned to Lord James, considering his suggestion, but the Knight of Neblim’s reply dismissed the notion.

"I don’t think so. His Highness is still in his chamber. He hasn’t left since yesterday, and his knights are still there. My knights and I checked this morning," the Knight of Neblim reported.

"You went to check on him?" asked the king.

"Yes, Your Majesty. There’s a report from a servant that he refused his meal since yesterday and wrecked his bedroom. He even threatened to kill anyone who entered. We heard him yelling at one of his knights when we arrived," the knight explained.

"Why would you bother to go to his chamber?" King Kyden pressed.

"Well... Lady James asked us to," the knight replied hesitantly, glancing at Sarah.

King Kyden shifted his gaze to the chief lady-in-waiting.

"I ordered you to look after Anna, but it seems your concerns were more focused on my brother," he said sharply.

"I was only worried about him! He has suffered a lot from this predicament. As his ex-betrothed, I only wish for his heart to recover! Even though we parted ways, I still care about him!" Sarah defended herself.

"That shouldn’t excuse your negligence of the responsibility I placed upon you! How do we proceed with the judgment now that the accused has fled?" the king demanded.

"It’s not my fault, Your Majesty! I never thought she would escape!" Sarah insisted.

"She wouldn’t have if you hadn’t provoked her! You came to me, declaring your vengeance against her! You must have tormented her with your vicious words and threatened her, just as you did to me!" Kiev shouted.

"She came to see you? In the dungeon?" King Kyden asked as he turned to the Mederian Prince.

"He’s lying! I never went to him! In fact, I’ve never spoken to His Highness Prince Kiev at all! You can ask anyone! There’s no witness to that!" Sarah firmly denied.

"You’re the one lying, you vile woman!" Kiev retorted.

"Enough!" King Kyden shouted as he rose from his seat.

"We will not proceed with this trial until Anna Raychard is found. Mobilise all royal knights and guards for the search!"

"Your Majesty! Since the Knights of Neblim are in charge of her detainment, let us lead the search! She escaped while under my family knights’ watch, so it’s only fair we bring her back!" Lord James interjected.

King Kyden pondered momentarily. The sharp eyes of the ministers and nobles were now fixed on him, awaiting his decision.

"Very well! Go ahead and lead the way. Since the mistake is yours, you shall bear the responsibility!" the king commanded.

Lord James bowed before swiftly turning to gather his knights, with Sarah hurrying out after him. The king’s following command dismissed the assembly, and Kiev was dragged back to the dungeon.

The situation was growing increasingly dire. What would unfold next?