Chapter 170 Hungry servant
Chapter 170 Hungry servant
Iris' Mansion
Not wanting to stay in the castle any longer for fear that he might bump into Freya... someone who had suddenly made him fear her... Henry took it upon himself to visit Iris' mansion and do some investigating to find out who had helped her sneak into the castle. As much as he didn't want to do this, he needed the King to feel and see that he was indeed working to catch the culprit.
Now, here he was, standing in the center of Iris' living room.
The mansion had been empty for quite some time since Iris' death and most of the furniture had either been stolen by servants or was gathering dust, untouched since she had been killed.
Henry looked around, hoping to find something that would perhaps bring some clues to light, but he saw nothing of interest. Just as he was about to leave, he heard a faint noise. It was enough to indicate that he was not alone in the mansion.
Not wanting to make it obvious that he had heard anything, Henry casually turned around and began walking away. As soon as he reached the corner, he waited patiently until the sound came again. This time, it was unmistakable... someone was rummaging through the abandoned belongings.
Using his Lycan speed, Henry quickly rounded the corner, grabbed the person by the hair and yanked them backward. The young woman let out a terrified scream as she struggled desperately to free herself from Henry's grip.
Realizing she posed no immediate threat, Henry released her. She stumbled onto the floor before scrambling toward the nearest corner, where she curled herself into a ball, trembling uncontrollably. Fear was written all over her face.
Henry finally took a proper look at her. She wore worn-out clothes that hung loosely on her frail frame. Her pale skin suggested she had gone far too long without proper nourishment, and her thin body was little more than skin and bones.
"Who are you and what are you doing in this mansion?" Henry demanded, his deep, commanding voice enough to intimidate almost anyone.
"Please... don't hurt me," the young woman pleaded through frightened sobs. "I promise I only snuck back in here to see if I could find something worth selling. I swear." Henry narrowed his eyes. Naturally suspicious, he found it difficult to believe her story.
"I do not believe a single word you say," he replied coldly. "For that, I should take you back to the castle and have you punished. Perhaps then you'll finally tell me the truth." The threat was enough to make the young woman burst into tears.
"I swear I'm not a criminal," she cried. "I used to be one of Lady Iris' servants, but after she died, none of us had a mistress to pay us anymore. Most of us ended up living on the streets, scavenging for food. That's why I came back... hoping I'd find something worth selling so I could earn enough money to buy myself some bread."
Henry remained silent. One look at her was enough for him to realize she was telling the truth. Judging by her appearance, it was painfully obvious that she hadn't eaten a proper meal in days... perhaps even weeks.
"Even so," Henry said firmly, "I should still arrest you for breaking and entering. This is no longer your home." Panic instantly filled the young woman's eyes.
"Then... what if I give you valuable information?" she asked quickly. "Information that would make letting me go worthwhile." Henry slowly raised a questioning eyebrow.
What information could possibly be valuable enough to make him change his mind?
"And what information is this, if I may ask?" he questioned her. The moment the words left his mouth, he noticed a smile slowly spread across the servant's face.
"Trust me, sir... whatever information I give you will give you the power to control everyone involved... that is, if you're ready to take on that responsibility," the servant answered confidently.
Henry remained silent for a moment as he carefully thought about her words. After a while, he finally nodded his head in agreement.
"Okay... show me this information, because only then will I let you go free."
Lord Preston's Chambers
As soon as Lord Preston stood outside his chamber door, he sensed that someone was already inside... someone he knew very well.
Without hesitation, he unlocked the door and stepped inside, only to find Henry comfortably seated in one of his chairs with his legs resting on the table as though he owned the place.
Henry slowly turned his head and the two men locked eyes. It was obvious from Lord Preston's expression that he was far from pleased to find one of his subordinates making himself at home.
"I would love to know what gives you the boldness to sit in my chair in such a position. In fact, I would also like to know what makes you think you can walk into my chambers without being invited."
"Come on, Lord Preston... is that how you greet your most trusted servant?" Henry asked with a grin as he removed his feet from the table and rose from the chair.
Studying Henry carefully, Lord Preston knew there was no way the young man would behave so boldly unless he believed he had the upper hand. Instead of attacking him immediately, Lord Preston remained silent and observed him closely.
A tense silence settled between them until Henry stepped closer, closing the distance between them.
"Don't you want to see what I've brought you?" he asked.
"Henry, I have many responsibilities as the King's advisor. Hurry this up. I don't want anyone seeing the two of us together in here."
"I got you this. Take a look inside it," Henry urged as he handed a sealed envelope to the older man.
Lord Preston immediately accepted the envelope and pulled out the letter inside. As he continued reading, his eyes widened with every passing line. The further he read, the paler his face became as the shocking revelations unfolded before him.
"Where did you get this letter?" Lord Preston demanded, his face turning red with anger. The contents alone contained enough evidence to send him behind bars for the rest of his life.
"I simply did my research, Lord Preston and this is what I discovered. I found out that you and Iris have been sending letters to each other through a servant... the very same servant I found at her mansion trying to steal anything she could so she would have money to feed herself," Henry explained.
Henry had expected Lord Preston to deny every accusation, but instead, the old man remained completely silent, his eyes drifting back to the letter once more. It was now obvious to Henry that the servant had been telling the truth all along.
"So, now that you know Iris, her grandmother and I have all been communicating with one another... what are you going to do with this discovery?" Lord Preston finally asked, lifting his gaze to meet Henry's eyes. "Are you going to tell the King?"