Conquering His Cold Heart

384 Reporting

“So…” Regulus sat down on the chair of his brother’s study with his legs crossed. And he looked down at the bowing Lorenzo to ask, “Since you took more time than you took yesterday to come back, I presume that you got the opportunity to meet the King today.”

Lorenzo lifted his head and answered his new master, “Yes, Milord. Apparently, the King had left a pass for me at the gate which ensured my access to the castle today. And I got to have some chat with him as well.”

“Then what are you waiting for?” Regulus began shaking his foot and slightly tilted his head, expecting Lorenzo to report everything to him.

Lorenzo held his arms behind his back and stood in an attentive position. Then he began narrating what had happened at the castle.

He told most of the things that he didn’t need to hide, careful not to say anything that would put an even greater suspicion on the King.

After carefully listening to everything that Lorenzo reported back to him, Regulus glared at the young man and asked, “So, you didn’t get any useful answer at all then? Didn’t you find out where he was when my brother was killed?”

“Respectfully, Milord,” Lorenzo slightly bowed his head and said with confidence, “I have to be careful while asking such questions so that my cover as his friend won’t be discovered. It will take some time to rebuild the trust, you know, after my sudden disappearance. And it will take some time for us to get back to the previous comfort level as friends.”

“Hmm…” Regulus hummed as he rested his chin on his palm. “Then what are you suggesting? You need how many days exactly?”

Lorenzo inhaled somewhat noisily and, although unsure, he gave Regulus a reasonable answer, “Two days shall suffice, Milord. Since I have acquired the pass, I shall be granted access to the castle without any restriction. I shall visit the castle tomorrow as well as the day after tomorrow, and I shall get you the answer that you desire.”

.....

“Hmm…” Regulus slightly raised his brows and grunted again. If Lorenzo hadn’t spoken to him that confidently, he wouldn’t have believed the promise that Lorenzo just made. However, since Lorenzo could get past the gate so easily unlike his other men, he had some hopes.

“Alright then. I shall grant you two more days.” Regulus then waved his hand gesturing for Lorenzo to leave the room.

The moment Lorenzo stepped out of that room and was certain that no one was seeing him, he heaved a deep sigh of relief. He didn’t know if Regulus would like him speaking like that and making demands about the ultimatum.

Thus, he was very glad when everything went well, meaning he didn’t get threatened or punished for making demands.

And although there were still a few hours left for the night to arrive, Lorenzo thought that he deserved the rest after being under such pressure just now. ‘I should get some rest when I can,’ he thought to himself.

Right after entering his room though, he was disturbed by a knock on the door. He rolled his eyes and thought, ‘Ugh! I hate the sound of knocking. I, most certainly, don’t have pleasant experiences coming after hearing this particular sound.’

He was recalling how he had gotten attacked not once but twice after hearing such knocks. First, from Romulus, and later, from Cillian.

“Who is it?” he decided to ask this time so that he could be prepared for what was about to come.

To his relief though, he heard Ruby answering from outside the door.

“It’s me, Mr. Lorenzo. Ruby.”

Lorenzo quickly opened the door and let Ruby enter his room before anyone spotted them. “Miss Ruby!” He smiled and commented while looking at her face, “You seem rather restless.”

And although he was certain why she came to see him, he still asked, “May I be of any assistance, Miss Ruby?”

Ruby crossed her palms together and asked while giving a pleading gaze to Lorenzo, “Did you perhaps get the chance to ask His Majesty about the whereabouts of my parents?”

“I did.” Lorenzo nodded and looked away. He then gestured at the chair and asked, “Would you care to take a seat?”

“No, it’s alright.” Ruby had been fretting the whole day and she didn’t care anything more than getting the information right away. “Will you tell me what you found? Are they perhaps in the castle?”

Lorenzo clasped his hands and looked at Ruby. Then he answered her without sugarcoating things so as not to give her hope.

“The spies that His Majesty sent to Sorvando haven’t yet arrived which only means one thing, unfortunately. That the mission failed. They were unable to retrieve your parents from that Kingdom.”

Ruby’s anxious face was instantly filled with immense disappointment. “Ah!” She swallowed dryly and asked in a whisper, “So, my parents are still stuck there, huh?”

Lorenzo pursed his lips and gave a nod. “I’m afraid, yes, Miss Ruby. I am really sorry.”

Ruby pulled a smile through her pain and gently bowed to Lorenzo for his help nonetheless. “Thank you for finding it out for me, Mr. Lorenzo. I am really grateful to have received your help.”

“Not at all, Miss Ruby. I just asked a question to His Majesty, that’s all.” Lorenzo gave a slight smile.

The two of them awkwardly kept on standing there while facing each other.

And to counter that awkwardness, Lorenzo said to Ruby, “And in case you were wondering about His Majesty, he is doing really well than when I saw him the last time. I think all the responsibilities on his shoulders are, after all, a good thing for His Majesty to keep his mind off of certain things.”

Although Ruby didn’t ask it out rightly, she was glad that Lorenzo said that to her. Her heart was somewhat at ease after hearing that the King was doing better than before. “Then I have nothing to worry about.”

She then immediately turned on her heels and stepped out of the room.