The Grand Duke's Soulmate

A soft smile appeared on Elis’s face.

"They look happy."

Rafe folded his arms and smiled faintly as well.

"They do."

"If they don’t get engaged by next year... I really don’t know what to say," Armel muttered as he watched the pair disappear into the crowd.

Rafe chuckled.

"Do you think His Lordship, the Marquess of Roland, would allow it easily?" he asked. "I’m quite sure he would interrogate Eli down to the last detail before agreeing to anything. That man is known for his strictness."

The teenager smirked.

"Well... everyone here is fighting for their love, aren’t they? So if he’s truly sincere, then he should fight for her no matter what."

Rafe looked ahead quietly.

"We’ll see how it goes..."

"Lanterns! Lanterns! Light a lantern and find your love! Release your wishes and let fate guide your heart!"

Their conversation was interrupted by the lively voice of an elderly street vendor nearby.

The three turned and saw an old man beside a wooden cart decorated with rows of beautifully crafted lanterns near the edge of the canal. Some were shaped like flowers, others like boats and stars.

People gathered around him, choosing the merchandise and writing small wishes before releasing them into the canal.

Elis’s eyes lingered on the sight.

The warm glow of the lanterns drifting across the water, serving as the backdrop of the cart, somehow drew her in.

"...Can we try that?" she asked quietly.

Rafe looked at her.

"You want to light one?"

"Well... we’re not doing anything anyway. Why not join the crowd?" she replied as she turned back to him.

The healer looked at the canal lined with floating lights before nodding.

"Fine. Let’s go."

The group made their way towards the cart.

By the time they arrived, the other buyers had dispersed, leaving the old vendor free to attend to them.

His face immediately brightened.

"Welcome! Would you like a lantern for luck?" he asked cheerfully before lowering his voice playfully. "Or perhaps... one for love?"

Elis paused at the question. Her eyes lowered briefly before she smiled.

"...A wish." She looked at the rows of lanterns at the stall. "Can it be for that?"

The old man’s smile widened.

"Of course!"

He nodded knowingly and carefully selected a delicate lantern shaped like a blooming flower before placing it gently into Elis’s hands.

"Lanterns are for whatever the heart seeks," he said warmly. "Luck, love, family... or what your heart longs for."

His wrinkled eyes softened as he looked at the lantern.

"This one suits you the most, madam."

Then he lowered his voice slightly, as if sharing a secret.

"If you place a lucky charm inside, they say the blessing grows stronger, and your wish may come true sooner."

Rafe let out a quiet chuckle.

"You must be making quite a living with words like that."

The old vendor laughed heartily.

"Enough to keep food on the table, my friend."

He gestured towards the lively streets around them.

"Festival seasons are when people spend more freely. But more than that..." He smiled and looked at those carrying the lanterns. "People come carrying all sorts of burdens. If a little light and a few good words can make them smile for a night, then why not share that happiness and leave our worries behind for a while?"

Rafe looked at the glowing canal. His expression turned calm, as though the lively festival had momentarily eased the weight he had been carrying.

"I agree."

His eyes carried a faint melancholy beneath the lantern lights.

"No matter how difficult things become... moments like this make people want to keep moving forward, don’t they?"

The old vendor looked at him for a moment before suddenly reaching for another lantern.

"Then perhaps one for you too, Sir."

He handed it over with a smile.

"For whatever obstacle weighs on your heart... light it, let the water carry it away."

His weathered face softened.

"And may you find what you’re searching for."

"How much would that be for the two lanterns?" Rafe asked, already reaching into his robe and taking out a pouch.

The old vendor immediately waved both hands.

"No, no. It’s on the house."

His eyes curved warmly.

"I’m delighted to have such a lovely couple stopping by. And seeing your wife expecting..." He smiled kindly at Elis. "I wish all three of you happiness and good fortune ahead."

Elis’s eyes widened.

"Oh, we’re not a cou— ah!"

Before she could finish, a group of excited youngsters suddenly rushed towards the cart.

The crowd jostled forward, unintentionally pushing the three aside.

Rafe instinctively caught Elis by the shoulders before she lost her footing.

"Are you all right?" he asked immediately.

The princess consort blinked before nodding.

She then turned her head, only realising that they had been separated from the lantern cart by the sudden surge of customers.

"I’m fine."

Armel frowned at the group.

"That was rude! Wait here. I’m going to give them an earful!" he snapped.

"No need, Armel," the princess consort stopped him.

She looked back towards the lantern stall. The cart had become crowded again, and the old vendor was already occupied attending to the eager customers.

"The old man is making a living," she said softly. "And those youngsters are only excited. Let it be."

Armel huffed and shot another dissatisfied look towards the group.

His feet shifted as though he still wanted to march over and say something, but after a moment, he clicked his tongue quietly and stepped back.

"...Fine."

Though the irritation remained written across his face, he relented.

Beside him, Rafe also withdrew his gaze from the youngsters.

Truthfully, he did not approve of their behaviour either. But there was little point in making a scene over something unintentional.

After all, the three of them were merely visitors here, not locals. There was no reason to spoil the festival’s lively atmosphere over a minor incident. They decided to move away from the crowd and walked further along the canal, where the flow of people was calmer.

Lantern lights drifted quietly across the water, accompanied by laughter and chatter.

As they stopped near the stone railing, Elis opened the small pouch she carried and carefully tucked it inside her lantern.

Rafe glanced at it and asked, "What’s that?"

"It’s a wish pouch, from the mother of your first patient."

"Ah... that one. So are you going to do what the vendor said? Putting it onto your lantern?" he probed further.

Elis looked at the flower lantern in her hands.

"I suppose... it wouldn’t hurt to believe in it tonight."

Then she looked around.

"Does anyone have a charcoal pencil?"

Armel reached into his coat and searched briefly before pulling one out.

"I do."

He handed it over.

Elis accepted it with a small smile and carefully lowered herself, balancing the lantern gently in her other hand.

Using careful strokes, she drew a snowdrop onto one of the lantern’s paper petals.

Rafe quietly watched. Beneath the flower, she wrote a few small words. The healer did not ask what they said, out of respect for her.

When she finished, the princess consort moved closer to the canal’s edge and lit her lantern using one of the torches lining the waterway. The healer followed suit.

The soft glow bloomed within the paper petals.

Then, holding the lantern, she began lowering herself to kneel.

Immediately, Armel stepped forward to assist her.

"Please be careful," he said, reaching out instinctively. "Perhaps you should hand the lantern to me instead. I can release it for you."

Elis looked at him and smiled softly.

"No, thank you." She adjusted her hold on the glowing lantern. "I’d like to do it myself."

Her gaze lowered to the flower-shaped light in her hands.

"It’s my wish after all."

"Then hold on to me, Elis. We don’t want you to fall," said Rafe.

The princess consort nodded and lightly held onto his forearm for support. Together, they lowered their lanterns onto the water.

The steady current caught them gently.

For a while, the two lanterns floated side by side, drifting beneath a sea of glowing lights released by countless others into the canal.

Elis watched quietly.

The flower-shaped lantern moved along the water, its warm glow flickering softly beneath the night.

Then, it passed beneath a stone bridge and disappeared from sight.

At the canal intersection, the current gradually pulled it away from Rafe’s lantern.

His lantern continued drifting with the others, carried towards the brighter part of the celebration. But Elis’s turned slowly and entered a narrower waterway.

Away from the laughter.

Away from the music.

Further and further it went, until the lights of the festival no longer reached. Only darkness remained.

There, along an isolated canal path untouched by the celebration, the lone lantern drifted quietly before coming to a stop at the stone edge.

For a brief moment, it remained still.

Then, a figure silently emerged from the shadows.

Under the pale moonlight, a pale hand reached down and picked up the lantern.

***

[Some time earlier...]

"You said we could go. Please!"

Anna looked up at Kiev with pleading emerald eyes.

Outside, the Lantern Festival had already begun. Faint music drifted through the night air, accompanied by cheers, laughter, and the occasional burst of applause. Even from the secluded manor, the rhythm of the celebration could still be heard.

Kiev let out a long sigh.

"Fine. I’ll escort you."

"Why don’t I go instead?"

Callis stepped forward at once, volunteering herself.

Kiev turned towards his sister, his expression questioning.

"With that stern face of yours, no one will be able to enjoy the festival anyway," the Mederian Princess said bluntly. "Don’t spoil it. We all know you’re not in the mood for celebrations, brother."

Kiev opened his mouth to argue.

But noticing Anna and Agnes watching, he quickly composed himself.

"I’m perfectly capable of accompanying her," he replied evenly. "Besides, she is my responsibility."

His gaze shifted briefly towards Anna. "She might get lost in the crowd."

"She’s not a child," Callis countered immediately. "And Agnes will be with us too."

Agnes nodded vigorously from behind.

"I will keep a close eye on Her Imperial Highness."

Kiev remained unconvinced.

"You conspired with her and slipped out of Semeta without my knowledge. Do you really think I would trust you again after that?" he asked dryly.

Agnes immediately lowered her head. Her shoulders visibly shrank, while Callis rolled her eyes at the remark.

"You know very well who the mastermind was," she said, glancing briefly at Anna, who promptly bit her lower lip in guilt. "Tell me, brother, what court lady in her right mind would refuse an order from the Khasif?"

Kiev let out a frustrated breath.

Of course he knew.

No Mederian who knew Anna’s identity as the Ro’an Princess would dare openly defy her.

"You can impose a curfew," Anna quickly offered before the discussion drifted away from her. "I promise I’ll return before then. And... and..."

She glanced at Callis.

"I’ll stay with Callis the entire time." Then she looked back at him with hopeful eyes. "Please. I just want to see the festival up close. I’ve never attended one before."

Kiev raised a brow.

"You would rather go with my sister than me?"

Anna immediately looked away. Her reaction alone was answer enough. The princess fidgeted with her fingers, finding an excuse.

"Well..." she began hesitantly. "You don’t exactly look like someone who enjoys this sort of thing."

Her eyes darted briefly towards him before shifting away again. "Like Callis said... you seem rather uninterested." Her voice grew softer. "So... we shouldn’t trouble you with it."

Kiev stared at her for a moment. Then he let out another sigh.

At this point, it was painfully obvious that none of the ladies particularly wanted him tagging along.

"Brother, give it a rest," Callis said. "I’ll take the guards with me. I promise we’ll be careful."

Anna nodded fervently before them. The hopeful look in her emerald eyes returned immediately.

Kiev looked from Anna to Callis, then to Agnes.

One looked eager, another determined, while Agnes looked ready to faint from nervousness.

His hand settled on his waist.

After a long moment, he finally relented.

"One hour."

The three women straightened.

"One hour, and that’s all." His gaze landed on Anna. "If you fail to return after that, I will scour the entire island for you."

Then he added sternly, "And there will be consequences. Understood?"

Anna’s face immediately lit up. Her eyes sparkled as though the entire festival had already unfolded before her.

"Understood!" The answer came so swiftly that it nearly sounded rehearsed. "Thank you!"

Kiev merely nodded, his expression remaining as stern as usual despite her excitement.

"Let’s go and get ready, Agnes!" Anna exclaimed excitedly.

As they turned to leave, the Mederian Prince leaned slightly towards his sister.

"Don’t let her out of your sight." His voice lowered. "And keep her safe."

Callis’s expression remained calm. "I will, brother. Thank you."

With permission finally granted, the trio soon departed. Several Mederian knights moved into position around them while Kiev’s personal guards joined the escort.

The moment Anna climbed into the carriage, she could no longer contain herself.

"Thank goodness that killjoy isn’t coming with us!"

Agnes nearly choked on the statement. "Heavens! If His Highness Prince Kiev heard that, we’d be turning back right now."

Anna quickly covered her mouth, though the grin remained. "Good thing he didn’t."

Callis shook her head in amusement. Yet beneath her smile lingered the same faint sadness Agnes had seen before—subtle, but never truly absent.

And again, the court lady found herself wondering why...