The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 49: The Little One

Chapter 49: The Little One

The adorable-looking puppy with round black eyes and shaggy white hair whined with a trembling body. Its feet were filthy and soaked in mud.

"Oh, dear! Where did this little one come from?"

Anna approached Eli to get a closer look.

"He’s a bit dirty, my lady," said the young knight when she held out her hand to touch it.

"He? Is it a boy? Did he get hurt?" she asked him. Her round eyes kept staring at the puppy.

"He is a boy. He doesn’t seem to be hurt. But he’s a bit skinny," said Eli.

"Poor little thing. He must be hungry. Look at him. He’s all wet and shaking," she pitifully stared at the puppy.

"I’ll go check and see whether its mother is around," suggested Damon.

Both of them agreed with the knight’s suggestion.

"Do we have anything we can feed him?" asked Anna of Eli.

"Well... I have some beef jerky in my pocket and a water bottle too," he replied.

"Oh, you do? That’s great!" she exclaimed.

"Yes... We always kept some food and water with us at all times. Just in case we got separated from the team during the duty or mission," he explained.

Anna nodded lightly.

"Luckily, I haven’t changed my attire yet after returning today. So, I still carry them around," he added.

Anna glanced at the knight from head to toe. Guilt was written all over her face as she spoke up, "You must be exhausted from the duty. I’m sorry for troubling you and Sir McQuinn."

"Please don’t apologise! I don’t feel tired at all. The duty this time was more like a casual trip, as nothing severe happened. It’s all thanks to my lady’s fast action!" Eli quickly responded when he saw her dismal face.

"But Ayden fainted..." she countered.

"Ah... don’t mind him. He’s not used to strenuous activities. Of course, we skipped a few nights’ sleep to expedite the mission. But none of the knights were affected by it. Even Mr Amares is accustomed to our tasks. That’s why Mr Norman always stays at the camp," Eli explained.

"I see..."

The young knight lowered the puppy to the ground to take out the food and water. Seeing that, Anna quickly stretched out her arms.

"Let me hold him for you," she urged.

"His feet are dirty. He’ll stain your dress," said Eli reluctantly.

"It’s fine. I can change my dress later. If you don’t mind, can I use your handkerchief to clean him a bit?" she requested.

"No problem at all. The handkerchief is yours already. I’ve given it to you." Eli smiled.

Anna held the puppy in her arms. The docile little one did not even try to resist. She slowly patted its head and wiped its face.

The knight began feeding the puppy food and water. It then started to bite the beef jerky ravenously.

"He’s starving. He must’ve been lost for days."

Anna put the puppy down to allow it to eat and drink freely.

Not long after, Damon returned. His face crumpled at the futile effort. The knight shook his head in disappointment when they both looked at him.

"There’s no sign of other dogs. Someone must’ve thrown him near the forest. He must’ve wandered here," he guessed.

"I think so too. He’s tame and not biting. He must’ve been used to humans," added Eli.

"That’s cruel! How could someone abandon a puppy as cute as him?" Anna complained as her eyes darted at the puppy dearly.

"Let’s take him back with us. We can properly clean and feed him later. The beef jerky doesn’t seem enough," suggested the young knight as he knelt and stroked the puppy.

Damon agreed with him. However, the princess had a second thought.

"I don’t want to take him to the camp. God knows what Kyren will do to him." She shook her head fervently.

"The commander won’t harm the little puppy. He’s not the kind of person who tramples on the weak," Eli, who greatly admired Kyren, defended him.

Anna stood up and embraced the puppy in her arms.

"He crushed my innocent flowers! You saw it yourself, didn’t you?" Anna squinted her eyes at the young knight.

"That’s different. It was all a misunderstanding," said Damon.

"Doesn’t seem so, Sir McQuinn. I’m not that stupid to understand the whole situation. He could at least advise me accordingly rather than behaving like that." The anger mottled in her tone as she spoke.

Both men clamped their mouths, knowing the princess was still annoyed with her husband. They glanced at each other and raised their eyebrows.

"I won’t take the risk. We can’t bring him to the camp," she decided.

"If you’re worried about his safety, we could hide and care for him secretly," said Damon.

Anna shook her head at the idea.

"Nothing escapes Kyren’s knowledge regarding the matters happening in the camp. He’ll surely know about it soon," the princess responded.

"Then, what should we do? We can’t just leave him here. Besides, we don’t even know anyone around here who can care for him," asked Eli, looking at the puppy sympathetically.

Ana hummed with a brooding expression. Her face suddenly brightened when a thought crossed her mind.

"Armel said he came from Mistdale. How far is it from here?" she asked the knights.

"Not that far. If we rode a horse, we could arrive there fast. It’s just at the edge of the forest."

"Wait... Are you planning to give this puppy to the young lad, my lady?" Eli shot his round blue eyes at her.

"Armel owes me a favour. He promised to return it someday. If I ask him, I believe he will surely help me care for this little guy," Anna responded confidently.

"Then, let me go and hand the puppy to him. I’ll ask him on your behalf. You and Eli may return to the camp first," suggested Damon.

"Yeah... The commander won’t allow it if you come along. Furthermore, it’s getting late. If Sir MacQuinn leaves now, he’ll barely return to the camp before dark," supported Eli.

"You’re right. I can never leave this place. I wish I could explain why I accepted the bouquet from Armel. I don’t want him to harbour ill feelings towards me." She sighed, bowing her head.

"What’s there to explain? Didn’t you tell him you’re married?" asked Eli cluelessly.

"I did after I received the flowers. He must’ve thought I liked him too. Actually, I don’t have such feelings for him. He was more like a sibling to me because he resembled my late brother," she told them.

"My lady has a brother? You’ve never informed us!" asked Damon in surprise.

"He passed away two years ago. That’s why I do not speak of him." Anna’s voice dwindled as her eyelids drooped, remembering her late brother.

The two men stood in silence for a moment. Only the sound of the little puppy whining for more food was heard.

Tilting his head, the tanned-skinned knight finally said, "I guess we can take my lady there just for a while. Have you ever ridden a horse before?"

Anna’s face shone like a glowing ember in one’s soul.

"You... you’re going to take me? Well... I used to take a riding lesson, though not an expert!" she quickly admitted.

However, the truth was that she struggled through the training she received in Ardel’s castle and failed miserably. The princess could hardly ride herself.

"Then, you’ll ride with me. Eli, get the horses. We need to leave now to come back before sunset," Damon ordered Eli.

’Yes! Armel left not too long ago. If we’re quick, we can catch him on the way!" The princess’s eyes twinkled as her cheeks rose from the smile.

"What? Wait a minute! Sir MacQuinn, can I have a word with you for a moment?" Uncertain about the sudden decision, Eli requested Damon.

Excusing themselves from the lady, the two knights moved to a distance.

"Are you out of your mind?! Why are you suggesting taking her out? The commander will surely lose his temper again!" warned Eli in a whisper, turning his back on the commander’s wife.

"You saw how upset she was, didn’t you? I only want her to smile again. I mean, look at her... She gleamed brightly when I said we’d bring her with us. Don’t you pity her at all? She has been trapped in the camp like a bird in a cage for so long."

"I know what you mean. I feel sorry about that, too. But if we do this, we are going against the commander. That’s a serious offence!" Eli said to Damon.

"The commander never said she could not leave this place! He permitted us to take her for a walk near the camp, didn’t he? How can it be an offence?" Damon questioned him back.

"I still don’t feel good about this. The commander is already in a bad mood. He’ll surely kill us once he knows we took his wife to Mistdale," the young knight said with a trembling voice.

"Fine. Then, go ahead. Tell her she can’t go. Take her back to the camp. I won’t stop you. Who cares about the lady’s feelings, anyway!" Damon threw sarcastic words at him.

The young knight let out a sigh. His hand tapped on the hilt of his swords a few times before glancing at the commander’s wife. When his blue eyes caught her figure, he could see the radiant smile on her face as she hugged the little puppy.

Anna’s mood lifted after Damon invited her to join them for a trip to Armel’s village. Seeing this, the young knight did not have the heart to kill the excitement on her face.

"Urgh... I hate it when you put me at a crossroads like this. You knew I admire both the lady and the commander!" Eli grunted.

"So, what do you say?" Damon stood, squaring his shoulders and gestured with his chin.

"Fine! I’ll get the horses. Just pray that God has mercy on our souls when the commander finds out!"

The young knight stomped his feet in annoyance but still moved quickly to get their ride.

A smile spread on Damon’s thin lips as he watched the young knight leave.

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