Saved By The Mad Duke
Chapter 177: Irreversible Certainty

Chapter 177: Irreversible Certainty

The castle was unusually silent and solemn, as if anticipating something of great importance to happen and shake its very foundation.

Everyone tried to remain calm and occupy themselves as much as possible to avoid thinking about Bella, who still hadn’t returned from her trip to the chapel. This task, however, proved to be difficult, and a shared restlessness followed every single castle dweller, no matter what they did or where they went.

Though it was the first day of the weekend and Tillian stayed home to take care of the fiefdom affairs, he, too, couldn’t help but feel worried. After several fruitless attempts to work, he finally gave up and decided to get some rest while waiting for Bella and Stanis’s return.

Safie, too, tried to remain as calm as she could, though her obvious clumsiness and distracted mind were clear signs that she was not alright. As she continued to take care of Aideen instead of her friend, the princess noticed that the maid was all over the place. No matter how many times she inquired, Safie had to lie and simply tell her that she was not feeling well.

"First Bella, now you... You shouldn’t be working if you are unwell, Safie, get some rest... I shall ask Tillian to send for a doctor... I don’t want you to be sick."

Lady Valentine’s words were filled with sincere kindness and care, which made it even more difficult for Safie to keep up the act, pretending that she wasn’t bothered by something much more distressing than mere illness.

"It’s alright, My Lady, please don’t worry about us," was the only reply Safie could come up with. She then arranged the dishes on the bedside table, urging the princess to eat some broth, and quickly left the bedroom, hoping that Aideen didn’t see through her fake facade.

Marching through the second floor hallway, the maid paused the moment she turned around the corner and leaned against the wall, pressing her free hand against her chest where her heart was beating like a drum.

’Goodness... How much longer do we have to wait? I cannot deal with this any longer...’

***

Tillian looked at the clock and sighed, getting up from his chair. The evening was about to turn into night, and seeing how Stanis still hadn’t returned, there was only one thing he could do.

Grabbing his cloak from the hanger, he hung it over his arm and left the study, walking resolutely down the stairs and towards the back entrance of the castle. There, he stumbled upon Safie who, just like the night before, was pacing back and forth, her impatience and nervousness lingering over her like a large dark cloud.

"Your Grace!" The maid nearly shouted as she noticed her lord approaching. Tillian furrowed his brows and answered rather coldly,

"You have been restless since yesterday; go get some sleep. Nothing will change if you exhaust yourself like this."

Though slightly offended, Safie shook her head and answered in a more reserved manner,

"I cannot help it, Your Grace. Are you on your way out too?"

The duke nodded.

"Yes, I will go and try to see what’s going on there. Perhaps they are being held back by something."

"Oh..."

The young woman helped Tillian with his cloak and his sword and opened the door for him, nodding courteously as he moved past her. The moment Duke Valentine stepped outside, much to his surprise, he noticed Stanis walking his horse to the waiting guardian knight, followed by the dark brown carriage that belonged to the chapel.

He realized what happened right away.

Safie, bewildered by the duke’s sudden hesitance to move forward, peeked from behind his back to check the source of his reluctance and widened her eyes, her hands involuntarily moving up to her face as she attempted to cover her mouth, preventing a loud cry from escaping her lips.

She, too, understood what had happened.

"Heavens... This cannot be!"

Shocked and stricken by grief, Safie wanted to rush towards the carriage but was skillfully caught by Tillian who wrapped his strong arm around her waist, pulling her back towards the entrance.

"Safie, don’t!" He urged her sternly. "Calm down. Let’s get inside first, alright? Keep yourself together, please."

Pushing the maid back inside the castle, Duke Valentine watched as other knights helped Stanis open the carriage and bring back those who were inside it.

Sir Nygard walked first, holding a motionless body wrapped in a large piece of black cloth, its corners tied with black rope at the body’s feet and shoulders. The other two knights that followed right behind him carried smaller bodies in their arms. One was entirely wrapped in the same black piece of cloth, while the other—in a warm knitted blanket. Tillian widened his eyes as his gaze recognized the dog inside the blanket. It was Lord Giggles, and he was alive, his loyal but sad eyes fixed firmly on his owner as he was brought closer to him.

Once everyone was back inside the castle, Stanis stood before the duke and let out a long exhale, mentally preparing himself for what he was about to say.

"They were attacked by the wolf beasts, not far from the chapel. The dogs managed to kill them, but both Bella’s and Lord Wiggles’s wounds were too severe to let them survive. Doctor Reyad patched Lord Giggles up; he said he would be fine once his wounds healed. I’m... really sorry, Your Grace."

Without saying a single word, Tillian placed his hand on top of the black cloth wrapped around Bella’s body but hesitated. Throughout his life, he had seen many dead bodies. Some were the bodies of dead monsters, while others were those who were defeated by them. Though it was never easy to look into the faces of those who were no longer there, with time, his heart grew a little colder, allowing his head to be rational during such emotional times.

However, this time, it was utterly different.

The person whose lifeless face he was about to see was much too important to him, and for the first time in years, Duke Valentine refused to look at it because he knew that once he did, Bella’s death would be an irreversible certainty.