Saved By The Mad Duke
Chapter 135: When It Rains, It Pours

Chapter 135: When It Rains, It Pours

The black caravan halted just outside the gates of the Duke’s castle. The woman leading the way dismounted her black horse and adjusted her long black cloak, ensuring that her short hair was securely tucked beneath its wide hood.

Taking hold of her horse’s reins, she turned to the men trailing behind her and issued a command,

"Take them out of the caravan and bring them to the gates. This time, we are getting in the right way, fellas."

The men nodded and set about carrying out her instructions while the woman turned her attention back to the castle, approaching its tall gates with measured steps. Her golden eyes swept over the tall stone walls before her.

’Now, this brings back memories... How long has it been since I left this place? Eight years? Tillian must be the same age as me right now. I wonder if he has changed much.’

Once the men approached her, carrying the unconscious bodies of two captives, the woman gestured for them to follow her and walked up to the front gates, where a tall knight dressed in all black stood guard.

"Good afternoon!"

The knight gripped the handle of his sword and responded in rather cold tone,

"Who are you? What is this about?"

The woman scrutinized the knight’s appearance before pulling down the black mask from her face and grinning,

"Hi there. Long time no see. Remember me?"

"Khala?!"

The knight widened his eyes in utter shock, as if he had just seen the ghost of someone long dead and gone. Enjoying the man’s bewilderment, Khala burst into laughter, unable to contain her emotions.

"What a surprise! I can’t believe you still remember my name!"

The man shook his head, his face turning darker as memories of the past flooded back to him,

"How could I forget, especially after the mess you left when you were kicked out of here? You have always been gutsy, but coming back here is beyond audacious."

The woman laughed again, wiping tears from her eyes with her gloved hands.

"Such pettiness for a knight! Let bygones be bygones. I am a different person now, do you believe me?"

The knight smirked and insisted once more,

"Believe? Sure. So, what brings you here after all these years? Finally ready to ask for forgiveness?"

"Who, me?" Khala almost burst into another fit of laughter. Then, she gestured to the men standing behind her and explained, "I have something for your lord. But I refuse to hand them over unless I am invited inside. It’s a bad omen to receive gifts outside one’s home, you see."

The knight looked over the woman’s shoulder and nearly dropped his jaw to the frozen snowy ground as he finally realized who the unconscious people held by Khala’s minions were. Pushing the woman away, he rushed to the tall men in black cloaks, almost yelling,

"Are you out of your minds?! This is the Duchess! Duke Valentine’s wife! His Grace will kill you!"

"Kill me? We’ll see about that!"

Ignoring her words, the knight signaled for the other two guards to come outside their station and take the bodies, his glare burning with rage as he addressed Khala once again,

"You’re still just as insane. I can’t allow His Grace’s wife to be treated like a sack of potatoes! You can come in, but your men will have to either wait here and freeze to death or go back where you brought them from."

Releasing a long sigh, Khala turned back to her men and commanded,

"Go back, fellas. The man is right; waiting for me here will simply turn you into a couple of icicles."

"Fine. Whatever you say, commander."

The men offered the knights somewhat suspicious looks before finally returning to their black caravan and leaving. The knight watched as they moved away, his disappointed words lost in the howling wind as he whispered,

"I can’t believe it... This is our stolen caravan!"

"So? Are we going inside or not? These two potato sacks are going to freeze too, you know."

Responding to Khala’s mocking grin with furrowed eyebrows, the knight sighed as well and nodded,

"Let’s go. I can already see His Grace’s furious face when he finds out what happened here."

As they stepped inside the castle, the woman could not help but notice how different everything was. She remembered this place as a cold and lonely sanctuary for abandoned and lost souls, yet now, it was filled with comforting warmth and coziness.

’What a surprise... Is it thanks to her that this place is now filled with so much life? How annoying. I hate it.’

"Hester? What are you all doing inside? Too cold? Want me to send Safie with hot wine outside?"

Bella rushed towards the entrance the moment she noticed the knights, only to freeze on the spot upon seeing the unconscious bodies they carried.

"Goodness gracious! My Lady! Ahspid! What in the world happened to them, Hester?!"

"Something unprecedented happened, Bella," Hester gestured for the other knights to carry the duchess and the mage to their respective bedrooms as he continued, "I will take the horse to the chapel in the village and bring the doctor here before His Grace returns. I don’t think they are in a bad condition, but it’s better to be safe than sorry."

"Of course, of course, go this instant! Oh, my poor heart, why does it always have to be trouble when the two of them are left alone?!"

The maid turned around to watch the other knights move to the second floor and was already prepared to follow them when she suddenly heard someone clear their throat behind her. Startled, she turned back, then widened her eyes and clasped her hands together, her lamenting voice filled with both disappointment and slight fear as she exclaimed,

"Woe is me! When it rains, it pours!"

Khala stretched her lips into a wide, somewhat arrogant smile and nodded,

"And hello to you too, Bella."