The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 92: [Bonus - ] A Traitor’s Descendant

Chapter 92: [Bonus Chapter] A Traitor’s Descendant

Anna’s heart raced whenever she thought of Kyren. A particular desire emerged within her, one that she couldn’t ignore. A solid and deep feeling consumed her thoughts whenever she was with him.

But despite her growing feelings for him, Anna couldn’t bring herself to tell Kyren how she felt as she knew their marriage was founded on a sense of duty rather than love, causing her to fear rejection and the loss of his attention.

Consequently, she concealed her desire deep within her heart, hoping that Kyren would also feel the same way someday.

As Rafe noticed Anna was lost in thought, he shifted the conversation to a different topic.

"The cruel ruler you talked about with the shipmaster and the old seaman, who you were referring to?" he asked with genuine curiosity.

"Ah... that," Anna said, returning her focus to Rafe. She paused momentarily, contemplating whether it was appropriate to confide in the healer.

The shipmaster and Seadog Grimm had abruptly stopped talking about the legend when he approached, fearing the matter would reach Kyren’s ears.

"If I tell you, could you keep it a secret from Kyren?" she asked tentatively.

Rafe’s lips curved up into a reassuring smile.

"As long as it’s harmless, there shouldn’t be a problem," he said, sensing her unease.

She took a deep breath and divulged, " We were talking about the legend of the first Ro’an Emperor."

Rafe’s eyes lit up with recognition. "Ah, the Legend of the Emerald Eyes!" he exclaimed.

"You know about it?" she asked, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Of course I do!" Rafe replied with a grin. "All of us found out about it the night after the commotion. Eric told us everything."

Anna’s eyes grew in astonishment. "Then, you must also know about the last emperor, don’t you?" she asked eagerly.

"Definitely! Cassian is known as the blessed land. Why wouldn’t we know about him?" Rafe replied enthusiastically, responding to Anna’s earlier question.

Confused, the princess asked, "What do you mean by ’blessed land’?"

"Don’t you know, my lady?" questioned Rafe. "Cassian is the sole kingdom that remained loyal to the Ro’an Empire even after its collapse. It is the only one that received the blessings of Her Imperial Majesty, the last empress."

Afterwards, the healer recounted the history of the empire’s demise, causing Anna to furrow her brows in thought.

"This is totally different from what I know. According to the book in the library, the last emperor was a ruthless ruler who killed many people, including his own wife!" she exclaimed, confused and uncertain.

Rafe’s expression turned solemn.

"It seems you had been influenced by the propaganda written by the four lords and their subordinates. I saw that book too when I studied in Engarth. Therefore, I won’t blame you for the misunderstanding," said Rafe. "This is also why Cassian didn’t have much political relationship with the other kingdoms. We’ve just opened up a bit after Ardel helped us during the outbreak."

"It is crucial for Ardel to distribute the cure to all kingdoms to prevent a resurgence of the plague. Otherwise, it would suffer the backlash," Anna stated.

"I agree with your reasoning, my lady," the healer concurred.

"Then, if the truth about the downfall had been extorted, why didn’t Cassian take action on it from the beginning?" she asked.

Rafe told her about the prohibition to attack ordered by the last empress. He also mentioned her casted barrier that faded when the curse of the last emperor began.

"What was the curse all about?" Anna asked inquisitively.

"When the kingdoms established by the four lords attained their zenith of success, a dreadful plague would afflict the entire continent, and the southern land would decline and become uninhabitable. Just like everyone else, Cassian was not an exception."

"Why was the only blessed land also affected?" the princess posed the question with curiosity.

"The curse was raised when His Imperial Majesty was on the verge of his death. That time, he already ordered the admiral of his army to save the pregnant empress and help her escape. Although she had magic, it was not powerful enough to overcome his dreadful curse."

He then told the princess about the admiral ascension as the first King of Cassian at the request of the last empress to protect the northern land.

Anna’s face registered shock as she processed the new information provided by the healer. The conflicting accounts of the Ro’an Empire’s downfall left her confused and unsure what to believe.

She had always thought that the cruel demeanour of the last emperor had caused the empire’s collapse, but Rafe’s version of the stories painted a different picture.

As she grappled with this revelation, her attention was drawn to the mention of the curse that the healer had alluded to. The story of the deteriorating southern land resonated with her.

The healer’s words confirmed what Anna had suspected all along—that something was amiss in Barges. The sudden deterioration of the land, the infertile soil, and the withering crops devastated the kingdom and left its people in despair.

As the habitable spaces dwindled, Barges started attacking Ardel, citing territorial disputes and breaching borders. To resolve the issue, Ardel’s former regent, Kaizer Ronan, went to the kingdom for an armistice.

Unfortunately, he betrayed his kingdom by joining forces with the Bargesian warrior leader, Brone Morro, to overthrow Ardel’s dynasty for his own gain.

Then, a sudden thought ran through Anna’s mind.

"If the four lords were the traitors of the empire, that means... Ardel’s dynasty was one of them!" Her voice shook, and her eyes were wide awake in shock.

"That’s... an undeniable fact, my lady," Rafe carefully uttered his words.

He deliberately shared with Anna the history of the empire and the betrayal of the four lords, intending to prepare her for what lay ahead in Gantz, which they would reach in a few days.

One particular concern weighed heavily on Anna’s mind now; Would the King of Cassian approve of her marriage to Kyren once her true identity as a descendant of a traitor was revealed?

The thought of Kyren’s loyalty to the royal family and his position as the Knight Commander of Gerhard only added to her anxiety. Could he overlook her family’s past and see her for who she truly was?

The uncertainty left her feeling fearful and overwhelmed.

"Anna!"

Anna heard a shout from behind her, interrupting her thoughts. She turned her head and saw Kyren rushing towards her.

"Kyren, you’re here," she said, standing up like the healer.

Kyren put his hands on her shoulders and urged her to sit down.

"Why didn’t you wake me?" he asked as he sat beside her. After the commander took his seat, the healer also sat down.

"You were fast asleep, so I didn’t want to disturb you," Anna explained.

The commander expressed his concern to his wife, "I thought you went out for a walk alone. I was worried about you."

Rafe reassured him, saying, "The lady was with me the whole time, commander."

The commander nodded in approval, and Anna felt relieved that the healer didn’t mention her solo visit to the stern castle. Kyren then inquired about the whereabouts of the remaining members.

"They are in the dining room. I believe their lunch is likely finished by now," the healer answered.

The commander ordered Rafe to get him something to eat, and the healer complied by going to the dining room to get a tray of food. When he returned, he was joined by the knights and Ayden, who paid their respects to Kyren before greeting Anna.

"Good afternoon, my lady. How are you feeling today?" Luke asked with a smile.

"I’m fine, thank you," Anna replied, returning the smile. "Will there be a cooking class today?" she asked, trying to divert herself from thinking about the disturbing matter.

"No, my lady. It would be best if you rest for the day," the knight firmly replied. The men all agreed and expressed their concern for her well-being.

"Indeed, you put in a lot of effort yesterday. Therefore, there’s no need to engage in any strenuous activities today," Eli agreed.

The group turned their attention towards the young knight, eyeing him suspiciously as his words seemed to have a hidden meaning.

"What?" Eli asked, taken aback by their glares. "The lady worked hard. She spent considerable time cooking in the galley," he clarified.

"We all know that. There’s no need to emphasise it," Eric advised.

Kyren ignored the banter and started his meal. Anna’s face turned red with embarrassment when she realised the other meaning of her ’hard work’. The men might have noticed what happened the night before yet acted as if nothing had occurred.

Eric noticed the commander’s wife blushing in red, so he changed the topic quickly. "Commander, the shipmaster warned me that a storm is expected at three o’clock today. We should prepare ourselves," he reported.

Kyren looked up at the bright sky and wondered, "A storm? It looks fine to me."

Eric replied, "The old seaman predicted, and the shipmaster said he’s never been wrong about it."

"All right. Anna, we will head back to our cabin after this and rest. I’ll finish my meal quickly," he decided, knowing his wife was uncomfortable with the ship’s bad weather.

Anna reassured the commander, saying, "You don’t have to rush. There’s still plenty of time. Chew slowly, or you’ll get indigestion."

Kyren responded, "Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine."

"It’s all right, Kyren. I’ll wait for you."

Kyren agreed to Anna’s request. As he ate, the knights accompanying them chatted amongst themselves. The princess didn’t want to interrupt Kyren’s meal, so she asked Damon, one of her escorts.

"Excuse me, Sir McQuinn, did you all originally come from Gerhard?" Anna inquired.

"No, my lady. We are from various places before we followed the Grand Duke of Gerhard after his appointment," replied the knight confidently.

"The lord of the duchy is a grand duke? That means he is part of the immediate royal family. Can you tell me the relationship between him and His Majesty?" Anna asked while Kyren continued to eat silently.

The other knights stopped chatting and turned their attention to the princess. Damon took a moment to consider before answering.

"He’s the king’s brother," the commander cut off before the knight could answer.

"Oh, so he’s a prince," Anna muttered. Damon felt a sense of relief wash over him as Kyren quickly stepped in to answer on his behalf.

But then Anna posed another question, and the knight could feel his nerves starting to fray. "Is he a strict person?" She turned to the knight, her expression expectant.

"You seem to be interested in him? Didn’t you tell me that you disliked royal family members?" Kyren intervened again, reminding her of their conversation under the Elm tree.

"I was just... worried," Anna said slowly as she thought about her dangerous position as the Princess of Ardel.

Kyren’s expression shifted with her answer while all the men turned to her with confusion.

Ayden inquired, "What’s worrying you, my lady?"

The princess responded with concern, "I fear that he may not like me once he sees me. As you all know, I’m an Ardelian, not a local." She fidgeted her fingers with the napkin while casting a solemn expression.

Eric insisted, a grin in his eyes, "Of course not! He would be thrilled to see you. He’s a wonderful person and quite famous."

She asked, "Really? Why haven’t I heard anything about him? He must be intimidating if no one talks about him."

The question left him speechless. All the men’s eyes turned to Kyren, who had finished eating, hoping he would reply to her curiosity.

"Anna," the commander spoke softly to his wife. "Allow me to explain. The grand duke is a man of honour. He always keeps his word and is accountable."

A stunned silence shifted over the men as they waited anxiously for Kyren’s confession to Anna — about who the Grand Duke of Gerhard was.