Chapter 75: A Rare Poison
In the study, Ivan gazed at the names of slave establishments he had refused to let his little lamb see. He was going to leave with Abdiel tomorrow to check out the amount of damage the tower had incurred after the tragic incident, and the guards will conduct a thorough search to see what had started the fire. He felt disheartened after knowing no one survived the fire, not even the slaves, and as cruel as fate can be, the burnt down tower happened to be the same slave establishment where his little Lamb’s brother was held in.
"How many more games until it’s satisfied?" Ivan wondered out loud, already crumpling the parchment under the anger of his palm, and then he stopped before exhaling tiredly.
Folding the parchment, Ivan could recall why he had said those things last night, he knew she loved her brother immensely, she literally yelled at him for his sake which was something she’s never done before. Revealing the truth to her would shatter her desire to keep living, he shouldn’t be bothered, but he was, almost like he was afraid to witness that side of her.
She doesn’t deserve this tragedy, neither does she deserve being treated the way he treated her. But he was starting to get too infatuated with her presence, he couldn’t even think of it.
"The stress..." he habitually uttered, throwing his head back and closing his eyes.
A knock on the study room door jolted him back to reality, and he heard a voice speak. "Lord Ivan, the royal physician requests your presence privately." Albert, the butler politely informed from outside, and Ivan’s eyelids snapped open upon hearing the Physician’s name being mentioned.
"Let him in."
Ivan granted Albert the permission to bring the Physician to him. When the royal physician stepped inside the study room, Ivan’s crimson eyes signaled Herbert who stood outside, his gaze emphasizing the word ’let no one in.’ which Herbert nodded firmly to after getting the message. When the door closed shut, Ivan’s steely gaze moved to the royal physician who stepped forward with his head bowed in greetings.
"May you have a good reign My Lordship." The royal physician wished him well, but Ivan clearly wasn’t up for that and quietly gestured to the royal Physician to take his seat on the vacant chair facing him. "I heard your brothers will be returning in a week’s time, it has been many years since they left to watch over the first Kingdom with Queen Carina, is his Lordship not anxious of their return?"
"If it is about the throne then I won’t mind a life-threatening challenge." Ivan retorted before tapping the surface of the polished dark-oak desk, as if demanding for something. Getting the message behind his little tapping, the Physician nodded his head once and went through his sack bag, carefully bringing out the preliminary result of the Queen Mother’s autopsy test.
He placed it on the table, and Ivan quickly grasped it, turning it to his side and flipping through the pages. Diagrams and certain notes were made on the parchment he was presently flipping through. With a serious expression, the royal physician proceeded to say.
"After conducting series of test, it has been confirmed through the preliminary report that the Queen Mother never committed suicide." The physician revealed in a whisper, and Ivan’s gaze snapped up questioningly to meet the physician who nodded his head in affirmation.