The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 62: A Quarrel of Two Escorts

Chapter 62: A Quarrel of Two Escorts

The knight stood fixed in his position as he heard the words coming from the knightess, eyes glaring at her intensely.

"What do you mean, engaged? Was she engaged with anyone before?" he asked her.

"Not was... is engaged! She’s engaged to someone from Sabel Island! She would’ve been married to him by now if it wasn’t for the incident!" Clara yelled back at him.

"What incident? It doesn’t matter anymore if she was or is engaged to anyone! It’s irrelevant now! She’s married to my lord! So, any previous engagement is automatically annulled!" he countered.

Clara was about to argue further when the screams of the eagles rendered the air once again.

"Someone’s coming. Quick! Hide!" warned the knightess as she struggled to stand up.

Seeing her hassle, Noah promptly approached, lifting her onto his shoulder and urging Emily to lead the way. The young woman’s eyes widened at the sudden action as the knightess protested.

"What the h*ll?! Put me down immediately!" Clara shouted.

"You are too slow! Lead the way fast, little girl! I need to cover the traces! Hurry up!" urged Noah to Emily.

Clara squirmed and resisted, which annoyed the knight. He then spanked her, which made her face turn red with embarrassment. Emily, on the other hand, looked puzzled.

"What are you waiting for? Let’s go!" the knight barked at her.

Startled by the shout, Emily quickly showed the way. With his wide stride, Noah carried Clara, following the path guided by the young woman.

As they arrived, he promptly instructed them to stay put. Then, he returned to their previous meeting spot to erase their tracks.

The knight finished his task just in time and returned to hide in the cave before a group of soldiers led by a Bargesian arrived.

A large man who was none other than one of Brone’s subordinates stood with his hands on his waist, scanning the area intently. The eagles that had been surrounding the vicinity abruptly dispersed.

"There’s nobody here," he informed his team, casting a searching gaze around.

"You fool! Your theory that someone had called these eagles here is nothing but a delusion!" he scolded one of the soldiers, landing a punch on his face.

The soldier fell to the ground and let out a pained grunt. He stroked his injured face with his palm to ease the flaring throb.

He explained to his superior, "I apologise, Sir. But that was what I witnessed during the barracks attack. I heard a whistle, and then a group of eagles appeared, hurling stones that burned everything."

"We’ve been tracking the perpetrators for months, and we’ve never found anything since then! You’re just making up this bird thing to gain a reward!" reprimanded the Bargesian.

"No, I’m not! I’m telling you the truth!" the soldier insisted.

"Shut up!"

"Sir, what about the traces we found around this area during our previous investigation?" inquired another soldier curiously.

"It didn’t look like human tracks, though it was suspicious. We need to search more. Once I get my hands on the person who burned the barracks, I’ll rip off their hands!" He hissed as he gritted his teeth.

"So, what is your next order?" asked the soldier.

The Bargesian grunted.

"Lord Morro is not going to be pleased. We haven’t got a clue about the culprit!"

The soldiers bowed their heads. They were visibly anxious when reminded of Brone’s short temper.

"Stop searching for today and return to the castle. I need to report to him the outcome!" ordered the Bargesian to his men.

In haste, the soldiers departed from the area, led by their superior.

***

The three of them sat quietly in the cave. Clara breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing a signal from one of the eagles from afar, indicating they were safe.

"That was close! They’ve been lurking in the area quite frequently these few days!" Emily exclaimed, closing her eyes and placing her hand on her chest.

Noah warned them, "You might’ve left some suspicious traces. The Bargesians are the conquerors of the southern land. They do have some skills in tracing."

"I am capable of covering my tracks. Are you looking down at me or something?" Clara gave the knight a hostile look.

"I’m not judging you. I’m saying your injury might have affected your ability to cover your tracks effectively," the knight replied calmly.

Clara averted her gaze, acknowledging that despite her dislike for the knight’s tone, he had a valid point.

"Never touch me again without my permission, like just now! If you do it again, I’ll kill you!" she warned him.

Noah scoffed at her reaction.

"I thought I would receive a thank you, but... never mind! It’ll be just a waste of time arguing about petty matters."

Emily looked at the knight and the knightess with a guilty expression.

"Dame Clara. Please don’t be upset. If it hadn’t been for Sir Brooks’s quick thinking, we might’ve been captured by the lord’s soldiers."

She turned to Noah with gratitude and said, "Thank you for rescuing us, and please forgive my earlier behaviour. I was just being cautious. It’s been a while since we’ve encountered anyone we can trust."

He nodded in response, "You’re welcome, and the apology is accepted."

Clara chose to remain silent, although she wanted to express her thanks. Her mind was still preoccupied with the shame and anger she felt after being spanked.

"All right, I’ll let it go this time. But don’t do it again. Who knows what you’re thinking?" she warned him.

"I don’t think you need to worry about that. You’re not my type anyway. Perhaps you could learn from the lady how to show appreciation to those who help you. She, at least, sees me as someone who matters. In fact, she acknowledges me as her person," replied Noah.

Clara was surprised and sceptical.

"Are you saying she claimed you as her person after just a few days of being her escort? That’s impossible!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, it’s true. The lady tended to my injury and showed me trust, unlike the rest," he replied.

"It’s Her Highness! She’s the Princess of Ardel!" Clara adamantly stated.

"She’s Lady Anna Raychard! She has married the Grand Duke of Gerhard and is yet to be bestowed with a royal title! So, I’ll keep addressing her as the lady until it changes. Besides, she’s residing on Cassian land, not Ardel!" Noah retorted.

The knightess narrowed her eyes and examined the knight from head to toe.

"Let me guess, a powerful knight like you was bullied by others in the knighthood, right?" she hypothesised. Noah bit his lower lip.

"No one bullies me! I’m the strongest in the knighthood of Gerhard!"

Clara couldn’t help but let out a quick laugh.

"You truly were bullied, it seems. Well, well, this is certainly intriguing. Now I’m curious about the strength of the knighthood if they could apprehend you," she teased him.

"Shut up!"

As the knight and knightess argued, Emily’s stomach let out a loud growl, drawing their attention. Both turned their head and looked at the young woman.

"Sorry! I’m so hungry! We haven’t eaten anything for two days," she told them.

"The water supply has also run out. I couldn’t go out to the creek to refill it since the soldiers were investigating the place," she said as she glanced at the dry, hollowed piece of wood lying on the cave ground.

Clara sighed.

"Just be patient. The soldiers recently left. Let’s wait a little bit more. We’ll find something edible afterwards," coaxed the knightess.

"Here, take this. Both of you have this first. There’s no need to prolong the argument." Noah offered the women his food and water supply.

Emily swiftly grabbed the food while Clara remained stationary. The young woman discovered a loaf of bread and beef jerky in the supply and immediately shoved them into her mouth. Then, she took a big gulp of water to quench her thirst.

When the knight noticed Clara not eating, he asked, "What are you waiting for? Go on! It’s not poisonous. Or are you going to starve yourself?"

He looked at her sternly and added, "You need to replenish your energy. We’re going to leave this place soon," he ordered.

The two women appeared taken aback as they turned to face him.

"Leave? But where to? The lord’s army is combing this vicinity, making it too risky to venture out," Emily expressed concern.

"Did I not promise to take you to the lady?" Noah countered.

"Are you saying you’ll take us to Cassian so we can meet Her Highness?" Clara asked earnestly.

"We had a deal, didn’t we?" he reminded them.

"But Dame Clara cannot walk far. She’s injured," added the young woman.

"I’ll carry her. I know how to avoid the soldiers. Also, telling your birds to look ahead for us would be good," suggested Noah.

"How dare you propose that! I forbid you to touch me!" the knightess burst out angrily.

"So, what do you want? Rot and die here? If I don’t lift you, how can we move? If you don’t want to go, suit yourself. I’m much more relieved I don’t need to trouble myself!" the knight scoffed.

Clara was about to rant at him when Emily held her back.

"Dame Clara... we’ve been stuck here for months now. We can’t continue surviving like this. Sir Brooks has a good point. If we don’t move now, one of these days, we will surely get caught. We have no one else to rely on for help."

"Aren’t you the one who was doubtful of him at first?"

"I have already admitted my mistake and apologised. I was just frightened. Please... let’s leave this place!" the young woman begged the knightess.

Clara paused and turned to face Noah, recalling their unpleasant first encounter. Despite his suggestion, she had no other choice but to proceed.

After a moment, she finally spoke up, averting her eyes. "Hand me the bread and water," she said.

Emily’s face lit up with a smile.

Soon, autumn would arrive, ushering in a new season filled with adventure and surprises, not just for them but for others as well.

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