DUKE

"But-."

Camilla tried to stop Adela, but Adela was not stoppable. She asked Camilla, "But what? Camilla, you should tell him how you feel about him."

Camilla arched her brows uneasily, but Adela didn't seem to mind. She took Camilla along.

...

Two knights stood outside the duke's chamber door; it appeared the duke and his assistant were having an important conversation. Inside the chamber, the duke's assistant, Carson, handed him an envelope and said, "My lord, the emperor sent a letter to you."

"Letter?"

The duke spoke in an authoritative voice as he raised his head to gaze at his assistant. Hearing that the emperor had sent him a letter left him rather bewildered.

Carson put the letter on the table after saying, "Yes, it was regarding the southern part of our domain."

Duke Alfred cast a puzzled look at the envelope before tearing it open. Why would the emperor write a letter so soon when he was meeting with him tonight? He reasoned to himself.

He seemed a little nervous as he read the letter. After reading the letter, Alfred asked, "Where is Victoria?"

"Duchess was with Lady Adela, my lord," Carson replied calmly and respectfully.

"Adela? I haven't been to see her since the morning because of my hectic schedule," Alfred remarked in a drained voice.

"Don't worry, Grace. Lady is OK now and has regained her senses," Carson stated.

"What?"

Alfred sprang up as soon as he heard the news. It was disappointing that no one informed him that his daughter had recovered from her condition. But when he heard what Carson was saying about Adela, he sighed.

"Yes, I saw her sprinting outside," Carson said with a wide smile on his lips.

"Adela is awake and rushing outside?" Alfred stated sadly. Carson nodded his head.

When Alfred was done, he took his coat and hurried to see his cheeky daughter, saying, "You ought to have informed me about it before, Carson." He was worried about the letter, but Adela was his most cherished possession. He wasn't interested in doing even the most significant tasks because his daughter's health was his priority.

And there was something about which he was worried. His daughter Adela had a fever, and Adela's doctor told him that there was a core reason for it.

Adela's father's introduction.

Name: Alfred.

Duke and a skilled warrior.

Callous, brave, and vindictive personality.

Strengths: He is an excellent swordsman, but not a sorcerer. An experienced attacker, capable of handling any dangerous fights. He makes a great defender. When he is in difficulties, his wife mana always comes to his rescue.

Garden area,

Adela and Camilla moved toward the garden area. They eventually noticed Francis pacing the garden. As soon as Adela spotted Francis, she beamed and called his name.

"Francis".

Francis turned to face Adela, his lips trembling slightly with amusement. The two friends hadn't seen each other for what seemed like a lifetime, although it had just been a month. But it wasn't the case for Adela; she saw her friend die right before her eyes, and it was her fault.

Francis softly called Adela "Adela."

"Francis, What's up? The last time we met was a month ago. I'm so glad you returned from the battle unharmed and securely," Adela said, as she started asking him questions. She felt incredibly grateful that God had given her another chance. If that didn't happen, she'd never see Francis smile again.

"Adela waits," Francis said, telling her to stop approaching and bombarding him with inquiries.

"Okay, first breath. I'm replying one by one."

then he began responding to all of her questions, "I am OK. but when I heard about your situation, I came directly from the battlefield to see you."

To be continued..