Chapter 511: Mending The Rift
"Open the door, Anna!"
The hard knocks rattled the pristine white door again and again, but it stayed tightly shut.
"Anna, please! I swear, it’s not what you think!" Kyren’s voice echoed through the hallway, thick with desperation.
"Get lost, Kyren! I told you, I don’t want to see you!" Anna’s furious scream came from the other side, muffled by the heavy wood, but loud enough to pierce his ears.
The grand duke let out a heavy sigh.
"Come on, please..."
’Prang!’
A vase broke against the door, creating a sharp jolt. She had thrown it—either directly at him or aiming in his direction. Fortunately, the door was shut.
Kyren flinched.
"Anna, if you don’t open this door, I swear I’ll break it down!" he warned, alarmed.
His heart raced with worry that her rage might lead to self-harm.
"Don’t you dare, you pervert! I hate you!"
That word ’pervert’ cut through him like a blade. His fists clenched at his sides. Of all things, he couldn’t tolerate being called names.
After their wedding night, when Anna had woken up and accused him of being a r*pist, it had gutted him. People could argue with him, defy him, challenge him—he could endure all those.
But not name-calling. Not like that.
He drew back his arm, preparing to strike the door with brute force. But before he could act, a large hand gripped his wrist, stopping him mid-swing.
His anger flared instantly, but when he turned around, he found three familiar faces standing near him.
"Don’t do it, Your Highness!" said Eric, the one holding him back. "You’ll only make things worse."
"She’s throwing things, Eric! She could hurt herself!" Kyren shot back, tense.
"I know. But she’s not in a state to listen to anything right now. She’s not ready for explanations, especially not from you," the second-in-command knight said firmly, still holding his arm.
Behind him, Noah and Alex stood silently but nodded in agreement. They had heard the commotion from down the hall and had rushed toward the master suite.
Moments ago, after examining Meredith, Rafe had returned to his office to analyse the blood sample further.
While Jessy had already confirmed the pregnancy using her magic, she mentioned that the term was barely two weeks along, which explained the delay in detection.
To rule out any additional concerns, the healer felt it best to verify the results through further testing, as agreed upon by all.
Understanding Meredith’s need for rest—particularly after becoming drowsy from the blood withdrawal—Jessy stayed by her side, while Callis and Kiev excused themselves.
The Mederian Prince returned to his wife, and at the same time, his sister chose to wander and pass the time alone, not wanting to distract her husband from his work.
Alex used this opportunity to seek out Eric, hoping to discuss the need for additional support to care for his newly pregnant wife. Kiev, Callis, Jessy, and Rafe had agreed that additional female attendants would be best suited for the task.
Meanwhile, after learning from Sylvia that his daughter had taken ill, Lord Grey had rushed to the married couple’s quarters.
On the way, he encountered Alex, who informed him of Meredith’s pregnancy. Overjoyed, the minister nearly leapt in excitement.
The knight gently reminded him that Meredith was resting following the blood test. However, he allowed him to visit briefly before excusing himself to meet with the second-in-command knight to pursue his original purpose.
When Alex and Noah arrived at the parlour, the news of the pregnancies was formally shared with Eric and the others.
The heads and representative of the Four Pillar Families, along with the other knights and Sylvia, who had joined the gathering, reacted with great joy at the unexpected but delightful surprise; Emily was confirmed to be over a month along, while Meredith was roughly two weeks pregnant.
Following the announcements, the two knights made the same request—to appoint trusted female attendants to support their wives. However, Eric hesitated to accept the proposal.
Given how Anna had reacted even towards Athillia, the second-in-command knight was concerned that bringing more unfamiliar women into the mansion might worsen her perception or lead to further conflict.
The representatives of the Four Pillar Families agreed with his concern. With Kyren’s striking appearance and charisma, the appointment of those women could easily arouse jealousy or misunderstandings—especially now that tensions had already been observed during the welcoming reception.
Kiev, too, was an alluring and handsome presence in the mansion. Since both men were married, there was a risk of emotional entanglements, rivalry, or unnecessary drama if the new female attendants developed feelings or attachments toward either prince.
Kyren had long endured numerous attempts at seduction from former maids and female servants, which had only fueled damaging rumours and tainted his reputation.
One of the worst incidents occurred when a maid spiked his drink with an aphrodisiac and tried to sneak into his bed, intending to trap him into marriage.
Fortunately, Rosalie discovered the scheme just in time and put a stop to it. That event solidified her place as the only female servant still trusted to serve the Grand Duke.
But the scandal didn’t end there.
Several women had gone so far as to falsely claim they were pregnant with his child, hoping to manipulate or extort him.
These deceitful claims had wreaked havoc on the Grand Duke’s public image, causing gossip to spiral wildly and tarnish the good name he had worked so hard to uphold. In response, he made a sweeping decision to dismiss all female servants except Rosalie.
Eric was well aware of Kyren’s history and understood the caution behind his choices. Still, he also empathised with Noah and Alex’s requests.
As a husband himself, he took similar measures when Rachel became pregnant—increasing the number of maids and attendants around her to ensure her needs were attended to.
His duties as second-in-command often kept him away, but he felt at ease knowing she was well looked after.
Later, when Rachel went to stay with her sister Beatrice, that peace grew stronger, especially since his sister-in-law, meticulous by nature, had taken the initiative to hire more trusted maids and helpers.
With the current altercation between Kyren and Anna simmering fiercely, Eric knew this decision wasn’t his to make. The situation was too delicate.
And so, with no other option, the three knights—Eric, Alex, and Noah—marched toward the master suite to seek permission directly from the Grand Duke. The timing was indeed poor, but the matter required immediate resolution.
Outside the master suite, Kyren’s voice could be heard, laced with frustration.
"Anna’s being irrational! How could she accuse me of having an affair with Athillia? This is madness!"
Eric glanced at the others and responded dryly, "Nothing makes sense when a woman gets pregnant, Your Highness."
The comment drew a sharp look from Kyren, and also caught the attention of Alex and Noah, who blinked in surprise.
The second-in-command knight paused, then corrected himself with a smirk.
"Actually... I said that wrong. Nothing ever makes sense to them, pregnant or not."
Alex raised a brow.
"Are you sure about that, Sir Navin? Meredith seems perfectly rational to me. She’s meticulous, thoughtful and always calm. I don’t think she fits that description."
Eric chuckled under his breath.
"Just wait. It hasn’t started yet. You’ll see soon enough."
Noah remained silent. He didn’t disagree. Eric had been through Rachel’s pregnancy twice. If anyone had earned the right to make that statement, it was definitely him. Clearly, this was something worth taking note of.
Then Kyren let out a frustrated huff, crossing his arms tightly over his chest.
"So, what now? You expect me just to walk away? If I leave now, she might never speak to me again!"
The edge in his voice made it clear. This wasn’t just about Anna’s tantrum. He was desperate, afraid of losing her trust for good.
"Give her some time. We’ll come back in an hour or two. I need you to calm down for everyone’s sake," said Eric.
Kyren grunted but didn’t argue as the second-in-command’s words sank in. Being the ’Love Coach’, Eric had always been skilled at navigating emotional minefields.
Until now, he had always successfully unravelled even the most complicated emotional issues, thanks to his keen intuition and social skills. Therefore, it would be wise to follow his advice.
"Fine."
At last, Kyren stepped back from the master suite’s door. The three knights released a quiet breath of relief and moved closer to their lord.
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Kyren asked, changing the topic.
"Aha... you already know," Eric replied with a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck.
"You’ve been my right-hand man long enough. How could I not tell? It’s written all over your face. This has to do with them, doesn’t it?"
The grand duke’s gaze shifted to Alex and Noah, whose silence confirmed his suspicion.
Eric nodded slightly.
"Exactly. Perhaps, we should talk somewhere more private," he suggested. "This hallway isn’t the place."
Kyren paused for a moment, then nodded.
"Come to my private library then. I don’t want to go far," he said, still uneasy about leaving Anna for too long.
Though connected to the master suite, the private library was quiet and secluded—ideal for confidential discussions and close enough for Kyren to reach his wife should anything occur.
"Understood, Your Highness," Eric replied.
Without another word, the four men turned and made their way there, the matter clearly more urgent than casual hallway talk could accommodate.
***
"I don’t want to go!" Athillia shook her head firmly.
Armel shot her a stern look, planting his hands on his waist.
"What do you mean you don’t want to?"
"Didn’t you see how mad she was at me? She’ll probably slap me like she did to Lord Kyren!" Athillia cried in alarm. "Besides, if I tell her the truth, she’ll definitely hate me!"
"You’re already on her bad side. If you don’t come clean, she’ll grow more suspicious of you," Armel argued. "You said you cared for His Highness like a brother. Don’t you want to help him?"
"But would Anna even believe me? She already thinks I’m having an affair with her husband!" Athillia protested.
She shook her head again, stubbornly refusing to accept the idea of facing Anna.
"I can’t do this. Never!"
Armel sighed and let his arms fall to his sides.
"Look... if you keep bottling this up, nothing will resolve. His Highness won’t be able to clear your name with Lord Silas either. Then how will you ever gain His Lordship’s acceptance? You’re making things harder for yourself and for everyone else."
Athillia looked down, clearly torn.
But... she’s intimidating. Lord Kyren mentioned that Anna is gentle, but when I just met her, she was furious. She even threatened to hurt me..."
"I’m sure she didn’t mean it," Armel reassured her. "I’ve never seen her that angry either. It’s probably because she’s pregnant and couldn’t control her emotions."
Athillia’s head snapped up.
"Anna is pregnant?!"
"You didn’t know?" Armel blinked.
"No! No one told me!" Athillia exclaimed. "Oh dear... no wonder she looked so upset. This is really bad! I have to fix this!"
A flicker of relief passed over Armel’s face.
"Now we’re talking. Before things get worse, let’s go talk to her together. Don’t worry. She’s a good friend of mine. I’ll make sure she listens."
Athillia nodded determinedly. Spurred into purpose, the two turned and began making their way out of the garden. But a knightly figure stepped into their path just as they reached the exit.
"Where do you think you’re taking her?" Eli’s stern voice stopped them cold.
"Goodness, Sir Henderson!" Armel clutched his chest in shock. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"
"Seems like you’ve already forgotten about me," the knight replied sourly. "Answer me first."
"We’re going to see Lady Raychard," Armel explained.
"What for?" asked a new voice, echoing the same question the knight was about to utter.
However, unlike his, the voice was elegant, calm, and unmistakably female.
The three turned to see a stunning figure standing not far behind them, her mesmerising crimson eyes locked on them.
It was none other than the beautiful Mederian Princess—Callis.