Saved By The Mad Duke
Chapter 178: The Tragedy

Chapter 178: The Tragedy

Although his heart was beating like a galloping horse and his hands trembling, Tillian knew that he had to do it; he had to see Bella’s face one last time. One last time, before her image would become permanent history.

Thus, mustering all the courage he had inside his heart, he finally folded the corner of the black cloth, his narrowed red eyes sliding carefully over the maid’s white face.

He looked at her silently, absorbing every single feature of her face, etching every tiny wrinkle, every curl of the eyelashes, and every highlight of her hair into his memory while his heart was suffocating as if being clutched in a tight fist.

At last, he closed his eyes, allowing himself a moment to compose his emotions, and moved to the body of Lord Wiggles who rested lifelessly, draped in the same ominous black cloth. Unveiling his head, the duke gently placed his hand over the dog’s pointy ears and patted lightly and affectionately, silently expressing his endless gratitude for being such a brave and loyal warrior.

As he moved to Lord Giggles, whose sincere eyes were fixed on the man this whole time, Tillian stretched his lips into a subtle, bitter smile and patted him on the head as well, the latter responding to his owner’s kindness with a quiet whimper of regret.

Pressing his forehead against Lord Giggles’s, the duke whispered,

"Great job, Lord Giggles. Thank you for being alive."

Safie released a suppressed howl like a wounded animal and finally approached Bella’s body too, wrapping her hands around her lifeless friend, her head resting on the maid’s chest as she continued to shed silent tears on top of the black cloth.

"Tillian?"

The sound of his name instantly jolted everyone back to the harsh reality of the moment. Mortified, the man slowly turned around and saw Aideen standing on the staircase, her shaking hands clutching at the corners of a robe wrapped closely around her shoulders.

"Tillian?" she repeated quietly, "I smell blood... What is going on? Was someone wounded?"

"Aideen, you... I..." Tillian had no idea what to do. At that moment, he was glad that the princess was blind. If even he was not strong enough to witness the deaths of such important members of his family, he could not even begin to imagine how painful it would be for someone as fragile as Aideen.

Refusing to wait while her husband tried to come up with a safe explanation, the woman came down the stairs and approached Stanis, guided by both the sound of his breathing and the quiet whining of Safie.

’Winter flowers and blood... Bella...’

As her heart gave in under the unbearable pangs of realization, Aideen turned her face towards Tillian and asked, her lips trembling, a single tear running down her pale face,

"What happened? Why... Is it really Bella? Tillian?"

Duke Valentine approached his wife and carefully placed his hands on top of her shoulders, his voice quiet as he answered,

"Yes... It’s Bella."

"Why... What happened to her?"

"She went to the chapel yesterday morning and was attacked by the beasts on her way back."

Aideen felt her heart sink. She finally put her hands on top of the woman’s body still held in Stanis’s arms and whispered,

"I don’t understand... Why did she do it? Was she alone?"

Tillian released a long sigh.

"No, she was with the dogs. Lord Wiggles... Died protecting her."

The princess took a loud, short inhale as if she had forgotten how to breathe for a short moment. Suddenly, it all began to make sense to her—the way Bella didn’t come to see her for so long, not checking up on her, for the maid was worse than anything as she was so attached to Aideen; the way Safie was so elusive when the princess tried to ask whether everything was fine; the way even Tillian was so careful and tried to avoid bothering her with anything as if scared that his wife would fall apart once more.

But the worst realization came last.

"She went to the chapel... Because of me..."

The moment she whispered those words, Aideen’s body gave up. She fell on her knees and covered her face with both hands, wailing hard, her shoulders shaking each time her chest let out a loud cry.

"I am so sorry, Bella... I’m truly sorry... What can be done now? What can be done?"

Safie covered her mouth with her hands once again, hot tears streaming down her face and falling off her chin.

"Goodness, My Lady..."

Tillian knelt before his wife and offered her his embrace. The princess fell into his arms, her wet face buried in his chest. Over and over, she kept repeating how sorry she was and how it was her fault, choking on her tears and gasping for air every time she wanted to say a word.

She was right. Nothing could be done anymore, neither about the tragedy that fell upon their family nor about any possible way they could cope with the ache and suffering it caused.

***

In the solemn embrace of the greenhouse created by Ahspid, the air hung heavy with grief as mourners gathered to bid farewell to Bella and her faithful friend, Lord Wiggles. The atmosphere was thick with sorrow, an unspoken weight pressing down on every heart.

Aideen and Tillian stood at the forefront, their eyes shimmering with unshed tears. The black wooden caskets lay side by side, draped in dark veils of mourning, as if the very heavens wept for their loss.

There was no representative of the church present and the task of leading the service fell on Sir Stanis. As he uttered prayers of solace and remembrance, memories of Bella’s warm smile and Lord Wiggles’ unwavering loyalty and bravery flooded the minds of everyone present. Each word spoken felt like a dagger to the soul, carving deep wounds of anguish that seemed to echo throughout the greenhouse.

With trembling hands and heavy hearts, loved ones stepped forward to pay their final respects. Peony and winter flowers were laid upon the caskets, a small token of the love and affection that would forever bloom in their absence. Aideen’s tears fell freely as she whispered her last goodbyes, her voice choked with emotion.

And then, with solemn reverence, Bella and Lord Wiggles were laid to rest beside Aideen’s mother. The earth welcomed them back into its embrace, offering solace in its eternal comfort. The mourners stood in silent vigil, their grief mingling with the gentle rustle of petals and leaves.

The Valentine family lost two precious members. Forever.