Saved By The Mad Duke
Chapter 138: A Wild Animal

Chapter 138: A Wild Animal

Aideen struggled to open her eyes or move; the mind-numbing headache was unbearable, and she found it painful to even blink. Once she could finally regain control of her senses, she focused her vision and saw Bella sitting next to her bed, her head nodding and her quiet snoring filling the room like the strange buzzing of a bug.

"Bella?"

Leaning forward, the princess carefully touched the maid on her shoulder, prompting her to exit her slumbering state.

"Oh, My Lady! You are finally awake! How are you feeling? Do you need anything?"

The woman stood up and helped her lady adjust her position in the bed while covering her with the soft blanket. Aideen shook her head, rejecting the maid’s concern, and asked,

"What happened? Ahspid and I were outside, but now I am back here..."

"Ugh, what misfortune! That horrible mage should be punished already!" Bella began her lament. "You were attacked by bandits, Your Highness!"

"Bandits? Then why are we back here?"

"They brought you here, My Lady."

Aideen was only getting more confused.

"But why? For money? Did His Grace have to pay them?!"

Bella released a weary sigh and shook her head.

"If only they did, it would have been a lot simpler... The bandit who brought you here was Khala. She... used to live here with His Grace before."

"...Used to live here? How? Why?"

The princess’s frustration was becoming overwhelming, and the maid had no choice but to attempt to explain whatever she could.

"Well, you see... Khala is an orphan. She used to live in the village by the lake before it was abandoned, and its people moved to the bigger village next to the chapel. As you know, His Grace provides financial aid to people who remain in The North because they have nowhere else to go, so the villagers all do what they can to be useful to him as well. Some cut wood, some hunt or raise cattle, some fish... Khala was one of them––she used to fish to earn her keep."

Aideen raised her eyebrows in confusion once again.

"She used to fish? But all the lakes are frozen here!"

Bella nodded understandingly.

"Khala was a daredevil just like the Duke himself. She was not scared of anything when it came to proving her worth. She used to break the ice with an axe, dive inside the water, and catch the fish with her bare hands!"

"Oh my!"

The lady brought both hands to her mouth, shocked by the story told by the maid. She found it both sad and horrifying––a young girl, left all alone in such harsh circumstances to survive however she could and prove that she was not useless. The princess found it admirable and incredibly brave.

Noticing Aideen’s distressed expression, Bella decided to continue Khala’s story.

"The villagers were scared that she could die and took pity on her. When young Duke Tillian came to them to give them food and money for trading, they begged him to take Khala with him to the castle and give her some work there. They were both barely fifteen back then... Well, His Grace, though already stern and decisive, still had a generous heart and was ready to offer a helping hand to those in need, especially the young ones.

And thus, that girl came to the castle...

She was like a wild animal! She never refused to do what she was ordered to do and was never scared of any kind of work, even the dirtiest, most tiring work, but her manners and behavior were those of a barbarian!"

The maid clasped her hands, her face darkening with a pained expression as she went on again.

"She barely talked to anyone, and when she did, she was either rude or angry. Even the dogs were not as antisocial as she was! And all the trouble she caused! Goodness! All the fighting... I was on the verge of suggesting His Grace put her in a cage!"

It was Sir Stanis who managed to make somewhat a proper person of her. He noticed her strength and her talent in handling a knife and a sword, so with His Grace’s permission, he started training her as well, and it truly helped a lot. She became more obedient and more disciplined, and although her tongue was still soaked with venom, at least after Sir Stanis’s lessons, that girl learned when to bite her tongue."

"Wow... She still sounds like an amazing woman..."

Bella sighed but still had to agree with Aideen’s remark.

"She was, in a way... She wanted to become a mercenary and join the Black Flame Guild, but Sir Nygard rejected her and ordered his men to never accept her if she were to come to the Capital."

"He did? Why?"

"Truthfully..." The maid paused for a moment as if not sure how to continue, "it was His Grace’s suggestion. Though he knew Khala was a talented warrior, she was still a loner, someone who could not work with others or follow their lead. And more importantly... No matter how strong the woman is, when she is this short-tempered, it is only a matter of time before she finds her end at the man’s hand."

"I see..."

The princess lowered her eyes and nodded. Unfortunately, she knew firsthand that even women free of the confines of their status had little freedom to be whatever they wanted to be. And it pained her to admit that even those gifted with innate strength and courage still had to be limited by the bounds of shared prejudice and ridiculous traditions.

Bella released another weary sigh, still unsure how to proceed before finally giving up and concluding,

"The biggest trouble, however, came when Khala fell in love with His Grace and confessed her feelings to him."

Widening her eyes, Aideen almost shouted,

"She fell in love with him?!"

"She did, that poor soul. Duke Tillian rejected her feelings, and she... Ugh, the foolish girl nearly burned the castle down!"