The Grand Duke's Soulmate

Kiev walked alone along the cobblestone path leading away from the manor.

The cool night air greeted him as he stepped into the garden. Moonlight filtered through the trees, casting faint silver hues across the stone walkways and neatly trimmed hedges.

Aside from the distant sounds of the Lantern Festival and the occasional calls of nocturnal creatures, the estate remained shrouded in silence.

From the outside, the tranquillity seemed enough to soothe any troubled mind. And perhaps, to anyone watching, Kiev appeared no different—calm, composed and unaffected as he usually did.

But the moment the Mederian Prince was away from prying eyes, the façade began to crack.

The restraint he maintained before others gradually slipped away, revealing the turmoil he had kept buried beneath duty and responsibility. The silence around him only made it harder to ignore.

Tonight, for reasons he could not explain, the emptiness felt heavier than usual.

Kiev’s shoulders drooped as he lowered his gaze.

Reaching the waterway, he leaned against the broad trunk of an old oak tree that stood along the bank. The gentle current flowed past him, cutting through the garden before continuing towards the sea.

The waterway was one of Sabel’s most remarkable features. Fed directly from the surrounding waters, it had been carefully engineered to weave through the island and branch into countless canals.

Beyond serving as a transportation route, it had become the lifeblood of the capital—supporting trade, connecting communities, and drawing visitors from afar.

It was both a symbol of the island’s prosperity and a source of immense pride for its people.

Yet, Kiev paid little attention to the view.

His eyes remained fixed on the flowing water, his thoughts elsewhere. The weight he had been carrying felt heavier in the solitude of the night, with no one around to distract him from it.

"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."

The words resurfaced once more.

Again...

And again.

Whenever he was alone, it would invade his mind. No one knew how deeply they had cut into him.

When he left Cassian, he had appeared furious at Elis’s decision. To everyone around him, it seemed as though anger and pride were what drove him away.

But that had never been the only thing he carried. Beneath it lay something far more painful - hurt and regret. Above all, it was the crushing ache of losing the woman he loved.

Those final words had haunted every sleepless night he had since then. Not a single day passed without him remembering them.

Sometimes he heard them in the silence before dawn. Sometimes they returned in the middle of his duties, uninvited and relentless.

And sometimes, when exhaustion finally forced him to close his eyes, they appeared in his dreams, accompanied by her tear-stained face.

The people closest to him had noticed the change.

Callis had. His parents also had. Even the knights who served under him had.

They saw how withdrawn he had become, how little he spoke beyond what was necessary, and how the light that once existed in him seemed to have dimmed.

Yet none dared pry. Because the Kiev they knew would never speak of it. He would never reveal what burdened his heart.

Instead, he endured it alone. Just as he always did. Perhaps that was why the loneliness felt especially unbearable tonight.

To Anna and many others, he was strict, domineering, and demanding—a man who insisted on having things done his way. But the truth was, behind that stern face was a man slowly falling apart.

After all this time, Kiev had thought the pain would lessen. Or so he thought.

Yet tonight, it returned with unexpected force.

A conversation he once had with Elis resurfaced.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival in Gantz, when Callis had been indulging in yet another shopping spree, he had been busy reprimanding his sister for purchasing things she neither needed nor would likely use.

In the midst of that exchange, the topic of Mederian festivals had come up.

The Lantern Festival. The Thankful Festival. And the Love Festival. Of the three, the Love Festival was always held shortly after the Lantern Festival.

Back then, Elis had not even been his woman.

Yet she had listened attentively, her curiosity piqued by the unfamiliar celebrations. He could still remember her asking about the Love Festival.

At the time, he had answered more curtly than kindly. Looking back now, he could not even remember his exact words. What he remembered instead was her expression.

Those bright blue eyes were filled with curiosity. The way she listened despite his indifference. The way she seemed genuinely interested in the things he spoke about.

Now, as the Lantern Festival began beyond the manor walls, the memory resurfaced with painful clarity. Because the festival she had once been curious about would arrive after this.

Yet Elis was no longer by his side to see it.

Kiev slowly opened his eyes.

Something felt damp against his skin. He lifted a hand and brushed his fingers across his cheek.

A clear droplet glistened under the moonlight. His gaze lingered on it.

Tears.

A faint frown formed on his face.

Where had that come from?

He had faced battlefields stained with blood. He had endured wounds that would make lesser men collapse. He had stood before enemies without fear.

A man like him did not cry. Not from fear. Not from pain. Certainly not from weakness. Yet the tears continued to fall.

Kiev lowered his head.

And for the first time in months, he stopped trying to deny the truth.

He missed Elis. Far more than he had ever allowed himself to admit.

How was he supposed to continue living like this?

Day after day. Month after month. Knowing that the woman he loved might never stand before him again.

The thought was enough to hollow him from within.

Then—

A faint glow caught his attention.

Kiev blinked.

Something was floating along the waterway, and when it came close, it appeared to be a lantern. Its warm light drifted gently upon the current, standing out against the darkness that blanketed the garden.

His brows furrowed. No lantern had ever reached this part of the estate before.

The waterways leading to the manor branched away from the main canals. Most lanterns released during the festival would remain within the heart of the capital before eventually flowing out to sea.

Yet this one had somehow found its way here. The lantern, shaped in a flower, continued drifting along the water.

Kiev’s gaze followed it.

The small light seemed oddly persistent, remaining within his sight as it floated beside the bank.

Eventually, he stopped walking.

And the lantern stopped as well. The current carried it gently towards the edge of the canal, where it became caught between the stone embankment and a patch of reeds.

Kiev waited. Surely it would be pulled away again. But, it wasn’t. The lantern remained stubbornly in place.

After a moment, he pushed himself away from the oak tree and approached the bank.

With a quiet sigh, he crouched down.

His intention was simple - to return it to the current. Nothing more. This was a wish made by someone, so it should flow to its rightful place.

The Mederian Prince reached for the lantern. But as soon as he saw the drawing engraved on one of the lantern petals, he froze.

The charcoal lines were simple and delicate. Yet he recognised the flower instantly.

"...Snowdrop."

The word escaped him in a whisper.

His fingers trembled as they brushed against the drawing.

Immediately, a memory surfaced.

A snowdrop tucked into Elis’s dark hair. The flower that he adorned her with and completed the ritual of declaring her as his soulmate.

The writing beneath the flower had blurred from splashes of water. The words were no longer readable. Yet the snowdrop drawing remained untouched.

And somehow, that made it worse.

The lantern felt heavier in his hands.

A sharp ache spread through his chest. His hands trembled. He could see her so clearly.

Elis smiling.

Elis laughing.

Elis arguing with him.

Elis crying.

By then, his knees had given way.

Kiev sank onto the grass beside the waterway, the lantern trembling in his grasp.

"...Elis."

His voice broke.

The name felt foreign upon his lips after being buried for so long.

Then he shook his head vigorously.

No. This wasn’t right. None of this was right.

He had convinced himself that enduring the pain was the price of duty. That time would eventually dull the ache, and carrying the burden alone was what he deserved.

Yet being here now, with the snowdrop lantern in his hands, he finally realised the truth.

Nothing had changed. His love for Elis remained, and she still occupied every corner of his heart.

Tears fell more freely now.

One after another.

"I can’t do this..."

The words escaped him in a broken whisper.

Kiev’s grip loosened. Carefully, he set the lantern upon the grass beside him. Its soft glow illuminated the snowdrop drawn upon its petal.

A reminder of her and everything he had lost.

Kiev wiped his face roughly with the back of his hand. His chest tightened.

No. This couldn’t be the end of their story. He refused to accept that the woman who had become his world would simply disappear from his life.

A determination slowly rose within him. The same will that had carried him through battles and hardships.

Only this time, it was for Elis.

"I need to go back."

His voice steadied.

"I need to have you."

The decision was impulsive, yet it felt right.

Then slowly the Mederian Prince rose to his feet.

He had made up his mind. And this time, he would not walk away from Elis again. No matter what it took him.