Conquering His Cold Heart

“Then even more reason for me to talk with him directly, don’t you think?” Everard ground his teeth. He didn’t like how Lorenzo was treating him as someone who would be scared of some random man.

Lorenzo raised his head to look Everard in the eyes. He could see the displeased look in the King’s eyes, and he could guess what the King must have been thinking.

So, he tried to convince the King otherwise, “Your Majesty, I am not saying that he is dangerous for nothing. He is the brother of the late alpha! And if he is anything like the late alpha, which I think he is, then you should be really cautious. Those lots are madmen. They can do anything to anyone. They won’t hesitate at all.”

Jerome had arrived at the garden a little while ago and he was listening to the conversation between Everard and Lorenzo in silence.

But when he heard Lorenzo saying such things about his late alpha and the new alpha-to-be, he couldn’t help but wonder if Lorenzo was just spewing some nonsense.

‘The late alpha seemed like a really wonderful person. Was that not the case? Or is he making things up? But… why would he need to say such things about his own clan heads? Does he have some personal agenda?’

He gestured for one of the King’s guards to follow him and then took him a little further away so that he could question the guard.

When the two of them were alone, Jerome turned to face the guard and asked, “What is that man saying to the King? Why is he accusing Lord Romulus and Regulus to be dangerous people?”

.....

The guard wouldn’t have spilled any private conversation of the King to the others. However, since it was Jerome, he didn’t hesitate to talk. “Sir Lorenzo was warning our King how Lord Regulus sent him to gather information.”

“Information about what?” Jerome frowned.

The guard elaborated his answer, “From their talks, I am guessing that Lord Regulus suspects that his brother was murdered by our King.”

“That’s ridiculous!” Jerome exclaimed and clenched his fists in anger. But he controlled himself and asked, “And?”

“And our King was asking Sir Lorenzo to send Regulus to him. But Sir Lorenzo was warning His Majesty how they are dangerous people.”

Jerome was looking confused as well as angry as he kept on thinking about many things.

The guard looked at the acting Beta and also added, “If it helps… Sir Lorenzo was also saying how he was beaten up this morning. He was saying how Lord Regulus was forcing his hands. And umm… when he arrived here yesterday, his face was even covered with bruises. I don’t think he is lying about anything.”

Jerome gave a nod and then began to walk back toward the garden to hear the rest of the conversation between the King and Lorenzo.

It looked like Everard had chosen to believe Lorenzo for the time being. He was asking, “Okay, okay. Then tell me how I can help you. What do you want to know?”

Lorenzo finally took a deep breath in relief. He then crossed his palms together and then said in a very polite voice, “Your Majesty, I know that you don’t have anything to do with that assassination. But… just for the sake of calming Lord Regulus, I would like to ask you…”

He cleared his throat multiple times because he couldn’t bring himself to ask the King what he was going to ask.

However, even when he didn’t ask directly, Everard could easily tell what Lorenzo wanted to know. “You want to know if, by chance, I had a hand in murdering your late alpha?”

“No.” Lorenzo grimaced and mumbled, “I know you don’t have a hand in it. I just want to know where you were when the murder happened. I heard that you visited the distillery on the same day. If you could tell me where you went after that then… I would happily take my leave.”

Everard’s face suddenly turned dark after hearing that. He was forced to recall how he had gone to find Graham in his house and how he had killed that man by plucking his heart out.

“I er…” he wanted to say where he was when the murder happened but he could barely focus. He looked down at his hand that had taken a life. He clenched his jaw upon recalling that day that still haunted him.

His breathing suddenly started to get heavier because he could still feel the texture of the beating heart in his palm. And he could still feel the warm blood that gushed all over his palm when he pulled that heart out of that man’s chest.

His hand began to tremble so noticeably that he had to force himself to grab the armrest of the chair.

Fearing that Lorenzo would assume something worse after seeing the condition of the King, Jerome stepped into the scene and then answered on behalf of the King. “His Majesty had gone for fresh air that evening. He was taking a stroll through the forest that lies on the outskirts of the town.”

Lorenzo looked confused as to why Jerome just spoke on behalf of the King. And he was also confused by how the King was reacting and how he was even shaking.

Jerome looked at that confused expression on Lorenzo’s face and then further spoke as if to support what he had just said, “I was following His Majesty closely. So, Mr. Lorenzo, I hope you got your answer. His Majesty doesn’t have a hand in the misfortune that befell your late alpha. And I hope that you will convince the new Lord regarding the same.”

Lorenzo forced a smile on his face and then bowed to Jerome. “Thank you, Lord Jerome. I have been trying to convince Lord Regulus that he is mistaken if he thinks our King was the culprit. And now that I know where he was, I will try to make him refocus his energy on the others who might be the actual killers instead of fixating on His Majesty.”

“Yes, you better do that Mr. Lorenzo.” Jerome smiled back at the young man and also said, “Our King already has much bigger conflicts to solve. I don’t think it is wise for you to take His Majesty’s time either.”

He looked at the King and said as if he was trying to warn the King too, “His Majesty needs to focus his time on solving the actual problems at hand rather than entertaining you for hours.”

Lorenzo felt a bit embarrassed when he was called out like that. But he also couldn’t deny that he indeed was taking a bit too much time from the most important man in the Kingdom just so he could solve his own problems.

He quickly got up on his feet and then bowed his head in front of the King. “I would like to apologize for taking too much of your time, Your Majesty. I am also grateful for it since you answered my question even after knowing that I was forced to do so by Lord Regulus.”

Everard finally broke out of his trance when Jerome gave a gentle tap on his shoulder. “Hmm?” He saw Lorenzo bowing in front of him and asked, “You are leaving?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Lorenzo straightened his back and further said, “Also… I hope that you will keep our secret… How I revealed things about Lord Regulus.”