The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 481: Through The Admiral’s Eyes

Chapter 481: Through The Admiral’s Eyes

Time passed, and an hour later, the door creaked open as Adam stepped out. Sitting on a log on the ground, Helen rose to her feet, while Damon, standing vigilantly, turned to the admiral.

"She has awakened and is calling for you. Come in," Adam said to the governess.

Helen rushed forward, and the admiral stepped aside to let her enter.

Damon followed, requesting, "Can I come in too? She must be startled to see you upon waking and might become afraid. I need to ensure she’s all right."

Adam nodded in acknowledgement. As Damon had assumed, Anna was indeed shocked to find the admiral in the room when she regained consciousness.

Luckily, he managed to reassure her that he wouldn’t harm her before she could scream, and when she demanded Helen, he quickly acquiesced to the lady’s request.

Inside, the governess was already at Anna’s bedside, calming her. As soon as the princess saw Adam again, her trembling intensified, and fear was evident in her eyes.

Though she had never met the admiral in person, she had seen him at Port Braska when Kyren departed for his mission to Agathe Islands.

"Admiral James, please! Don’t hurt me or my baby!" Anna pleaded as the admiral approached her.

"I’m right here, my lady. I won’t allow anyone to harm you," Damon reassured her, standing close to Anna.

"I told you already, I’m not here to hurt anyone," Adam replied. "You need to calm down."

Seeing how terrified she was, the admiral stopped in his tracks and sat back down in the chair he had occupied earlier.

With Damon and Helen beside her, Anna felt somewhat safer than when she first woke up. The admiral’s sudden presence had been alarming, but the admiral quickly controlled the situation.

"Ar-aren’t you here to arrest me?" Anna gripped Helen’s hands as she asked in fear.

"I am supposed to, according to the order," Adam admitted.

"You said you wouldn’t harm her! Now you’re saying this? You know what will happen if you take her back to the palace!" Damon’s voice rose in anger.

"I haven’t finished," the admiral replied. "And don’t raise your voice at me, Sir McQuinn. You know the difference between our ranks well. Confronting me won’t do you any good."

Damon bit his lower lip. Though he wanted to express his anger, he knew that would only heighten Anna’s anxiety. So, he needed to remain steady.

"Now, allow me to speak," Adam continued. "I know you have animosity towards me for who I am, but please hear me out."

Helen and Anna exchanged glances. The fear in Anna’s emerald eyes was still evident, but the governess seemed more convinced.

She nodded, signalling Anna to give the admiral a chance to explain. Damon, though sulking from Adam’s earlier warning, stayed silent.

"Please, go on," Helen said, encouraged by the princess and the knight’s lack of refusal.

"As you may know, I have just returned from my mission with His Highness the Grand Duke. I’m sure you have received the letter regarding the events at the islands and how it escalated into a larger conflict in Ardel," the admiral began.

"Yes. Sir Navin showed me the letter. Kyren said he would return soon," Anna said, tears glistening in her eyes.

The letter mentioned Kyren’s desire to make her his official wife, elevating her to the status of Grand Duchess of Gerhard. But it wasn’t the title she craved; it was her husband’s presence.

The news of his imminent return was the only thing soothing her longing for him. She had missed him dearly since their separation.

However, their first reunion had turned into a dark Chapter of their lives when she was accused of carrying another man’s child, leading Kyren to believe in her infidelity and betrayal.

"Yes, but I didn’t expect such bad tidings to greet us after our return," Adam said.

"I didn’t betray him, Admiral James! I never did!" Anna cried out.

Damon and Helen remained silent, expecting a reprimand from the admiral. They anticipated he would side with Sarah and the others, but his following words surprised them.

"I know you don’t," Adam replied calmly.

Damon’s eyes widened in disbelief. It was as though the admiral had a different perspective on Anna, one that exceeded their expectations.

"You believe in her? You must be joking!"

"I’m not joking!" Adam insisted. "A woman who cried and called her husband’s name even in her sleep... How could that not convince me of her sincere love for him?"

"What do you mean?" Helen asked, confused.

Anna and Damon shared the same puzzled expression.

"While you were sleeping, Sir McQuinn arrived and made a fuss. Not wanting to disturb you, Miss Reed urged him to step outside. I was here alone with you while you slept. You kept chanting His Highness’s name and shedding tears. With my skills, I can discern those who pretend to sleep and those who don’t, and I know you were not," Adam explained to Anna.

He rose from his seat and approached the princess, who now seemed less afraid of him.

"I’ve heard many stories about you from His Highness. Tales of how you cleverly outwitted the pirates, the sacrifice of your own blood for those affected by the Laradie plague at the border, even your refusal of lavish dresses at the camp... These stories were shared with me throughout my journey home."

"His Highness told you that?!" Damon asked, surprised.

Adam smirked as he continued looking at the princess.

"On our way to Agathe Islands, he was quiet. But I noticed he often isolated himself when idle from his tasks. Sometimes I saw him staring at the endless sea, sometimes cursing under his breath. I couldn’t decipher his thoughts, as I had never seen him like that. He exhibited the same behaviour on the way back, so I confronted him and forced him to talk. That was when it began... and the stories kept flowing until we arrived. His eyes lit up whenever he spoke your name."

Anna’s lips trembled.

"Kyren... Kyren talked about me?"

"Yes, he did. I have to admit, you are indeed intriguing. Truthfully, when I first saw you during the prayers on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, I couldn’t see what was attractive about you. Not that you aren’t pretty... You are. But mere looks wouldn’t be enough to captivate a heart as hard as his."

"Then the stories changed your mind about our lady?" Damon guessed.

"Yes. I was eager to meet you in person and understand the woman who stirred him enough to reclaim the kingdom that was once yours," the admiral replied.

"What do you mean by reclaiming a kingdom that was once mine?" Anna asked.

"Ardel. King Ronan has been defeated and is now dead. The people of your kingdom know you are still alive, that you have married His Highness the Grand Duke of Gerhard, and now live in Cassian. His Highness brought Sir Ashburne, the Commander of Ardel’s battalion, home as a witness to the war crimes committed by King Ronan. The king abused his power, forcing the innocent people of Ardel to become his army for his greedy ambitions. Of course, that wasn’t His Highness’s only intention..."

"What else?" Damon asked, intrigued.

"His Highness wanted Sir Ashburne to testify to Lady Raychard’s legitimacy of Ardel’s royal bloodline and pledge allegiance to Cassian to support your title as Grand Duchess. However, Sir Ashburne disagreed with his last wish," Adam explained.

"He disagreed? But why?" Damon asked impatiently. "Shouldn’t our lady deserve that title if not for this incident?!"

The admiral turned to Damon momentarily before focusing back on Anna and Helen.

"Sir Ashburne believed it would be more fitting for Lady Raychard to return to Ardel with His Highness the Grand Duke and become the ruling monarch, as there is no direct line of Adhemar besides her. I tend to agree with him, but His Highness the Grand Duke seemed reluctant. It’s not that he doesn’t want to help. He simply doesn’t want to burden his wife with the duties of a ruler. He always says, ’My Anna is a delicate person.’ He prioritises her well-being over gaining power and wealth as a co-ruler of Ardel."

Tears rolled down Anna’s cheeks.

"Sir Ashburne! I know him! He was my escort! I never thought Kyren would go this far for me!"

"He loves you. We can all see that. He was so eager to return home that he barely slept the night before reaching Cassian’s shores," Adam said.

"Who informed you about the accusation, Admiral? Was it Lord James? Or your sister, Lady Sarah James?" Helen asked.

"Neither. When I first returned, His Highness and I took Sir Ashburne and another guest directly to the palace to meet His Majesty the King. His Highness went to request permission for the audience but never returned. Then, Sir Navin and Lord Enos came to the antechamber where we were waiting and informed us that His Majesty couldn’t meet with us, and His Highness, too, was attending to matters with Lady Raychard. We were instructed to return later, and Sir Ashburne and the guest were invited to rest at Gerhard’s mansion while awaiting the next opportunity to meet with His Majesty."

"That was right after His Highness the Grand Duke came to our lady’s chamber, and discovered the pregnancy! None of us, the knights, knew, including Lady Raychard!" Damon exclaimed.

"Weren’t you aware that you were already carrying a child?" Adam asked, feeling puzzled.

"I... I wasn’t," Anna replied, her gaze falling to the floor, disheartened.

The memory of that incident pierced her heart each time she recalled it.

"She was unconscious at the time," Damon said.

"What happened?" Adam asked, curious.

Taking a deep breath, the knight prepared to recount the events of that day. He knew it would sadden Anna to revisit the incident, but he felt it necessary to share the truth with the admiral.

Damon narrated the occurrences, starting with Kiev and some of the knights being summoned by King Kyden, and ending with Anna and the Mederian Prince’s arrest on charges of infidelity.

"I see... I wasn’t aware of this," Adam said thoughtfully.

"Then how did you find out about the accusation?" Helen probed.

"From my servant. I parted ways with Sir Ashburne and the guest after they followed Sir Navin and went straight to my home. I didn’t visit my parents’ mansion due to exhaustion and decided to rest first. I slept like a log until this morning, so I didn’t know what happened. I suppose my servants were reluctant to disturb me while I rested and kept the news until I woke," Adam explained.

"Then... how did you trace us?" the governess asked again. "We left the palace through a secret passage. I didn’t even know the way. It was Their Highnesses, Princess Laura and Princess Lilith, who took Lady Raychard out of the chamber and led us to a hidden door to leave the palace unnoticed."

"I’ve followed His Highness the Grand Duke and His Majesty King Kyden since I was young. While I may not know the exact routes of the secret passages, I am aware of their existence. It doesn’t surprise me that you, my lady, would escape from there, as they are reserved for the royal family’s escape in times of conflict. I began tracing from the chamber based on the little marks you left behind. It wasn’t easy, and I must commend Their Highnesses Princess Laura and Lilith for their cleverness in guiding you through that winding path."

"I didn’t mean to run away!" Anna protested. "I... I had to!"

She instinctively covered her stomach, her face pale as Sarah’s threat loomed in her mind. It didn’t matter to her if she was hurt, but not her child!

Adam paused, his sharp blue eyes noticing a small cut on Anna’s hand, barely noticeable.

"Were you hurt?" he asked, glancing at it.

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