The Grand Duke's Soulmate-Chapter 567: A Heartbreaking Choice

The wind stirred softly as pale snow drifted down, settling upon the ground in muted silence. It traced a solemn path behind the departing entourage as they left the mansion and set out for Port Braska.

Though the distance was not great by measure, the journey felt unbearably long... longer than any road they had ever taken.

Every gaze was downcast. Every heart carried a quiet sense of doom. And yet, they rode on.

This was their final duty—an escort borne not only of obligation, but of loyalty and gratitude.

Although Kiev initially declined the offer, he ultimately agreed after King Kyden formally requested it. Full courtesy and royal respect had been shown, and the king’s firm insistence left no option but to accept.

The escort comprised both the Knights of Gerhard, led by their second-in-command, and the royal knights, personally overseen by the king himself.

Meredith and Emily were absent. Still weakened by the aftereffects of the fire incident, they had been ordered to remain in bed rest.

Alex and Noah had quietly asked Anryr to inform them of Anna’s return to Semeta only at the appropriate time, knowing the news would hit them hard, especially Meredith. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Within Anna’s circle, only Clara, Sylvia, and Athillia joined the entourage.

As for the Knights of Gerhard, Garin chose to remain behind, steadfastly at Damon’s side together with Helen.

Drystan, however, rode on with the rest. Rafe, Ayden, and Armel were also present, each bearing his own unspoken thoughts as the port came into view.

By the time the procession reached Port Braska, the harbour lay veiled in winter’s breath. Waiting at the docks were Admiral James and the chief of the royal knights.

The royal winter vessel belonging to the king himself moored at the pier. Its towering hull cut an imposing silhouette against the grey sea, the firebird emblem emblazoned upon its side in bold crimson and gold.

The ship stood fully equipped and ready for departure, its decks cleared, its rigging taut, and its crew standing at attention.

"Everything is ready for departure, Your Majesty," Adam reported as King Kyden and the entourage arrived at the dock.

The king nodded slowly, then turned his gaze toward the line of carriages. One of them, which carried the Mederian Prince and his consort, remained sealed. Its wheels had long since come to a halt, yet neither Kiev nor Elis had descended.

"Your Majesty..."

A Mederian escort stepped forward, bowing first to the king, then to the admiral. Straightening, he spoke with measured firmness.

"We request permission to get on the vessel now. Kindly arrange for the dock labourers to transfer our luggage and provisions onboard."

King Kyden did not respond immediately. His eyes lingered on the closed carriage door.

"Prince Kiev has not yet come out," he said at last, deliberately stalling.

"His Highness has issued the order before we departed the mansion, Your Majesty," the escort replied without wavering. "The voyage shall not be delayed."

Nearby, Eric stood within earshot.

One by one, the rest of the escorting knights, ladies-in-waiting and knightess dismounted or stepped down from their carriages, forming a silent line along the dock.

They remained still, hands clasped or resting at their sides, showing the respect the king had demanded of them.

None of them interfered. However, their clear displeasure was obvious and hidden behind it was an even deeper grief.

After a moment, King Kyden exhaled and gave a short nod.

"Very well," he said at last, turning to Adam. "Proceed."

The admiral bowed crisply and moved at once to issue commands.

The docks stirred to life as the dock labourers rushed to move trunks, chests, and sealed crates onto their shoulders, crossing the gangplanks in a steady stream amidst creaking ropes and the sound of stamping boots.

At the same time, the Mederian escorts moved, splitting into two groups. Two advanced towards the carriage carrying Anna, who was accompanied by Athillia and Sylvia, already standing outside as if reluctant to part. At the same time, the remaining escorts turned toward the second carriage, ridden by Jessy, Clara, and Callis.

The ladies and the knightess had been granted one final journey together—the last chance to remain at Anna and Callis’s side during the ride. It was a small concession, offered by Kiev in recognition of the bond they had forged and the time they had shared.

Soon after, the unconscious Khasif and the Mederian princess were lifted carefully and borne toward the waiting vessels, followed by Jessy. The ladies-in-waiting and the knightess stood motionless, watching in heavy silence as the distance between them slowly widened.

Rafe remained apart, unable to draw closer. The Mederian Prince had forbidden him from approaching. His hands curled tightly at his sides, helplessness constricting his chest as he watched from afar.

Ayden stepped nearer and placed a steady hand on Rafe’s shoulder, offering what little comfort he could, while Armel observed in sombre quiet.

Although deeply loyal to Kiev, the teenager couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in his heart. The abrupt return to Semeta seemed wrong, and the idea of Anna and Callis being separated from their husbands felt improbable, despite the Mederian Prince’s intentions to protect them.

However, nothing could change the impending departure now.

Once both princesses were on the vessel and the goods had been transferred, the docks fell silent again.

The gangplank remained lowered, and the sails were unfurled but unmoving. Sailors waited at their posts, hands resting on rope and rail, stealing uncertain glances toward the carriage that had yet to empty.

Time went on, long enough for cold to creep into the bones and for murmurs to stir among those waiting.

Still, neither Kiev nor Elis emerged.

King Kyden’s expression hardened. He shifted his weight, eyes narrowing as his gaze fixed upon the carriage.

At last, he raised a hand and gestured subtly to the second-in-command knight. Eric stepped forward at once.

"Your Majesty..." the knight bowed.

The king beckoned to the second-in-command knight, and Eric leaned closer. He spoke in a low voice.

"Come with me."

Together, they approached the carriage, boots quietly crunching on frost-covered dock. As they drew closer, they heard a faint, muffled, strained sound — voices that emerged forced, as if there was an argument inside.

King Kyden halted. His brows knit together.

"...Do you hear that?" he murmured.

Eric nodded, frowning. The sounds were indistinct, swallowed by thick walls and heavy fabric, but the tension was apparent.

"I can’t make out what they’re saying," Eric whispered back. "But it doesn’t sound well."

The king’s jaw tightened. "Just what on earth—"

The words died in his throat when, suddenly, the carriage door flew open with a violent motion, loudly squeaking as it was pushed from the inside.

Both men recoiled in surprise.

Kiev emerged first, fury etched into every line of his face. His hand was locked around Elis’s arm, his grip harsh as he yanked her down from the carriage step.

"Enough of this!" he shouted, "You will come with me now!"

"No!" Elis shouted, eyes already reddened and tears streaking her face as she struggled against Kiev’s grip.

"Let go of me!" she cried. "I won’t go with you! Let go!"

Sailors froze. Knights stiffened. Every eye on the dock turned toward them.

"You will not shame me like this! You are my wife, and you will obey me!" the Mederian Prince yelled, eyes blazing with anger.

Before anyone could intervene—

’Pang!!’

The sound rang out, sharp and deliberate.

Elis’s hand trembled as it fell back to her side; her chest heaving, tears spilling, and emotions breaking.

Kiev’s head had snapped aside from the force of the blow; his cheek burned against the cold breeze, his expression frozen in stunned silence.

For a second, the world stood still.

The wind whispered across the port, carrying flakes of snow that drifted down between them like ash. No one spoke. No one moved.

Kiev looked at his wife with an intense glare. She was the only woman he loved, yet her defiance had hurt him the most.

Elis’s voice quivered, but it conveyed her resolve.

"I am not something you can drag across the world against my will, Kiev. Let. Me. Go."

The Mederian Prince didn’t blink, a storm raging behind his eyes—anger tangled with disbelief, pride struggling against a pain he refused to show. His jaw tightened as if holding back something that threatened to undo him.

"Must it come to this?" he asked in a low voice.

Elis lifted her chin, meeting his gaze head-on, an open challenge delivered through her broken tears.

"I asked you that question first," she replied. "And you already gave me your answer. This is mine."

She drew a shaky breath and said, "I am not coming with you to Semeta. I will not let myself be hurt again—neither in body nor in soul. If you are determined to walk your path, then go. Forget me... as if I had never existed in your life."

Her words struck like a final decree.

Kiev’s grip on her arm loosened. Elis pulled free at once, clutching herself as though shielding her heart rather than her body.

For a fleeting moment, devastation flickered across Kiev’s face; raw and unguarded.

His chest rose sharply, his hands curling into fists. But pride reasserted itself, straightening his spine and hardening his features.

"If that is what you want," he said coldly, pressing the words past the ache in his throat, "then so be it. I will not ask you to come with me again, just as I will not force you to love me."

Elis turned away. She did not look back.

Enough was enough.

The duration of their journey from the mansion to the port should have given him enough time to comprehend her feelings and to accept her refusal, regardless of how often he attempted to dismiss it.

She was unwilling to compete with Anna or become an obstacle for Kiev, who was determined to fulfil his duty. This was her only way to guard her heart from being hurt by what he considered an obligation.

Kiev turned away too, in the opposite direction, and they split.