Chapter 365 - Three Hundred And Sixty Four

Chapter 365: Chapter Three Hundred And Sixty Four

The quiet calm atmosphere of the household was suddenly broken by a series of sharp, firm knocks pounding against the front door.

A young housemaid, who had been carefully dusting the legs of a side table near the foyer, set down her polishing cloth and hurried across the wide marble floor. She reached out with both hands, lifted the latch, and pulled the door inward.

Standing outside on the wide stone porch was Lieutenant Kade.

His military uniform was clean and properly fitted, but his entire posture carried the weight of extreme emotional exhaustion and long, sleepless nights. Dark shadows hung low beneath his tired eyes, and his jaw was clamped tight as if he were bracing his body to receive the same news of Damon still being unconscious. Without waiting to be formally invited inside, Kade crossed the stone threshold, his leather riding boots clicking loudly against the polished floorboards.

As he stepped fully into the foyer, Kade caught sight of Camilla standing near the bottom landing of the grand staircase. She was dressed in her long, elegant silk robe, holding a sealed letter in her left hand. Her expression was calm, but her eyes were sharp and watchful.

Without a moment of hesitation, Kade moved toward her. He stopped a few paces away and dropped immediately onto one knee on the floor. He kept his posture straight, keeping his right leg bent and his back rigid. He placed his right fist flat over his heart and bowed his head respectfully toward her.

"Good morning, my lady," Kade greeted, his voice carrying a strained, gravelly edge.

Camilla looked down at the young officer. She immediately noticed the lingering tension knotting his broad shoulders. A soft, gentle smile touched her lips, easing the cold lines of her face.

"Good morning to you too, Lieutenant Kade," Camilla spoke gently, her warm voice echoing softly through the spacious entryway. "If you have any official reports to deliver, your general is upstairs."

Kade froze where he knelt.

He did not stand up immediately. Instead, he blinked his eyes slowly, his exhausted mind struggling to process the extraordinary words that had just left her mouth. His eyebrows pulled tightly together in profound confusion. He thought his ears must be deceiving him, or that his sleep-deprived mind was playing a cruel trick on him after days of endless dread and despair.

He slowly raised his head, staring up at Camilla’s face with wide, disbelieving eyes. He searched her gaze frantically, hunting for any trace of a cruel joke, a mistake, or false hope. His breath caught sharply in his throat, and his lips parted in utter shock.

"Th...the general is...is awake?" Kade stammered out, the strict discipline in his voice completely shattering under the sudden, immense weight of disbelief.

Camilla nodded her head firmly, her gentle smile widening just a fraction to confirm the unshakeable truth of her statement.

"Yes, Lieutenant," Camilla answered softly. "He woke up last night."

Kade’s chest heaved as a massive wave of

overpowering emotion crashed over his entire frame. He tried his absolute best to maintain his military composure, but his eyelids began to glisten with hot tears that threatened to spill over his dark lashes. The commander he had followed through brutal cold, bloody mud, and terrifying battles—the great general they all thought they had lost to the cold, silent hands of death—was finally awake.

Kade swallowed hard, pressing his trembling lips tightly together to keep an emotional sob from escaping his throat. He pushed himself up off the floorboards, standing tall once again. He offered Camilla a deep, formal bow of overwhelming gratitude, his physical movements stiff as he fought with all his might to keep his composure.

Without another word, he turned on his heel toward the wide curved staircase. His boots moved with quick, frantic purpose toward the upper floor, though he deliberately forced his legs not to break into an unseemly run through the grand hallway.

Camilla stood near the bottom landing, watching his retreating back until he disappeared around the upper landing. She then looked down at the paper envelope held tightly in her fingers.

The soft, welcoming smile that had rested on her lips vanished instantly, replaced by a cold, sharp, and calculating expression. Her eyes hardened as her thumb broke the thick red wax seal. She unfolded the sheet of parchment and began to carefully read Uncle Murry’s written words:

My lady,

I discovered something dreadful. The old Duke’s medication never reached him and was substituted with something else, but I discovered it on time with some help. I collected another vial from the doctor and I’m overseeing everything concerning the old duke. Nothing goes in or out without my knowledge. And, Duke Collin is coming home today. You will soon be summoned to the old estate. I am telling you beforehand so that you will be prepared. I wish you a fast recovery and I pray the general wakes up soon.

Uncle Murry.

Camilla stared intently at the black ink on the parchment, reading each line over and over again until every single word was burned permanently into her memory. A slow, dangerous smile crept back onto her face—not a warm smile of joy, but the cold smile of an experienced predator realizing that its true target was finally stepping out into the open light.

She folded the letter with care, pressing the sharp creases flat between her fingers. She held the parchment tightly against her side and murmured quietly to the empty hallway, her low voice filled with anticipation.

"Duke Collin," Camilla whispered to herself, her eyes narrowing into dangerous slits, "the villain I have been waiting for."

Meanwhile, Kade walked down the wide, sunlit corridor until he stopped in front of the door of the master bedroom.

His heart was hammering violently against his ribs, sounding like a wild war drum inside his own ears. He swallowed the dry lump in his throat, raised his right fist, and knocked twice against the wood. It sounded like a firm, controlled knock that betrayed a hint of hesitation.

From inside the quiet bedroom, a deep, unmistakable voice echoed through the wooden panel.

"Come in."