Chapter 26

RENZO'S POV

A knock on the door made my head snap up from the piles of documents I was working on.

I slowly pushed the files towards the centre of the table and let out a breath. "Come in," I muttered to whoever was standing outside.

The door creaked open, and Kyran stepped into my office.

"Your Majesty," he greeted, walking further into the room.

A low grunt rumbled through my chest. I removed the oversized glasses perched low on the bridge of my nose and stared at the man before me.

"Yes, Kyran?" I sighed, dropping my glasses on top of the report I had been working on.

Kyran stopped, his eyes fixed on the files.

"Everything is ready," he announced with a grin, walking over to the couch to pick up my coat.

My gaze followed his every move, watching with keen interest as he picked up my coat and approached me.

"But there's a problem."

I stood up from my seat and walked towards him. I stretched out my arms as he helped me into my coat.

"What is the problem?"

Turning around, I grabbed my dagger and slid it into my coat. Kyran stepped in front of me and began buttoning my shirt. When he was done, he let out a shaky breath and stepped away.

"Lady Leila wouldn't let my men arrest her personal guard," he gulped, rubbing the back of his neck. "And I might have knocked her out before dragging the bastard to the interrogation room myself."

My lips twitched into a sneer.

Would it be absurd to say that I liked this daring boy?

Kyran had never liked Leila, not since he started working for me. And he had never once tried to hide his resentment towards her.

"Where is she?" I asked, completely ignoring the fact that one of my warriors might have resorted to violence against the woman everyone believed would become my Queen.

But I didn't really care. I never did.

"I have the royal doctor checking on her," he mumbled, swallowing nervously.

I stared at him for what felt like a minute before finally nodding.

"Lead the way to the interrogation room."

The walk to the interrogation room was nerve-racking. For the first time in years, I was afraid of discovering the truth.

It would pain me to challenge the Guardian family if Leila turned out to be involved.

I had never wanted to go head-to-head with the Guardians. Their family was one that everyone was expected to worship, and I had been doing my best to uphold the tradition.

If Leila's guard mentioned her during the interrogation, I would have no choice but to go against my pledge to protect and respect the Blackwoods.

"We're here," Kyran announced, stepping ahead of me to open the door.

As it swung open, I clenched my fists before walking into the building.

"Stay here," I ordered Kyran before entering the room where our prime suspect had been tied up.

I didn't want to believe that a mere guard was capable of freeing a bunch of criminals from the dungeon. Unless, of course, he had someone of higher status backing him.

"Your Majesty," came the guard's raspy greeting.

It hadn't even been an hour since I issued his arrest warrant, yet he already looked half-dead, as though he had been tortured for days.

"Glad to know your tongue is still intact." I smiled, crossing the room and sitting directly opposite him. "So, you can speak?"

He hastily nodded, trembling in fear as I moved my left foot and dragged his chair a little closer.

"Yes... Yes, Your Majesty. I can speak."

"Good," I replied shortly, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Why was your DNA found in the dungeon when you have no record of ever being imprisoned there?" I asked, starting with the first question that came to mind.

"I..."

"A word of advice?" I raised an eyebrow, watching him shift uncomfortably in his seat. Both his hands were tied behind his back, so I doubted he could do much.

"W-what is it?"

"Don't even think about lying to me. It won't do you any good," I warned, grabbing my coat and pulling it off.

If there was anything I hated, it was the thought of getting blood on my coat.

I successfully removed it and folded it neatly. My gaze shifted towards the laboratory table beside me, which was covered with everything I needed.

I smiled and carefully placed my coat on it.

The boy seemed to follow my every move with his eyes. He let out a nervous gasp when I pulled out my dagger.

"Hey!" I snapped at him, crossing my legs as he groaned in response, his chest heaving with anxiety.

"I would grant you a painless death if you told me what I wanted to hear."

I paused, watching him struggle to move in his seat. The sharp chains binding his hands and legs made even the slightest movement difficult.

"Don't move. The more you struggle, the deeper those chains will cut into your skin. And it will hurt like a bitch," I warned, my eyes fixed on the cuts the chains had made as blood oozed from them.

"Your Majesty!" he whimpered, shifting back in his seat.

"Now that you've settled in, answer my question," I said, rolling up my sleeves.

"I have no idea what you're talking about..."

I stretched out my leg and kicked him in the face. He staggered and fell to the floor, taking the iron chair down with him.

"Aargh!" he groaned.

Blood oozed from his wrists and ankles as the chains shifted with his fall.

"I dare you to act clueless one more time, and I'll chop off your fingers," I threatened, leaning back in my seat.

"Now, get up."

I watched as he grunted in pain, staggering and stumbling for a while before finally making his way back to the chair.

Exactly where I wanted him.

"I have three questions for you. If you answer all three correctly, I'll grant you a painless death. But if you keep dodging my questions and fail to give me the answers I want, I'll make sure you beg for death without ever granting your wish."

I grabbed his chair and dragged it closer until he was sitting directly in front of me.

"Look at my face. Don't even think about blinking because the moment you look away, I'll do things that will make you wish you'd never taken your eyes off me," I warned when I noticed him trying to avert his gaze.

"First question..."

I paused, watching him struggle against the urge to look away. I scoffed, almost hoping he would dare to do it so I could show him I wasn't joking.

I dropped my dagger onto my thigh.

"What is your connection to the rogues?" I asked, gnashing my teeth as I watched him tense up.

"I..."

"Kyran?" I called out.

Kyran came rushing into the room.

"Move that table closer," I ordered, making sure not to break eye contact with the guard.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

The sound of furniture scraping across the floor followed. A moment later, it stopped.

Kyran gave a curt bow before leaving the room, leaving us alone once again.

"Who helped you get into the dungeon?" I asked again, this time breaking eye contact.

I shifted my gaze towards the table filled with tools and picked up a pair of thin snips.

I smiled, bringing them closer to his face so he would understand what I was about to do to him.

"Tell me one lie, and it will cost you a leg. Tell me two, and I'll rip off your dick." I grinned darkly, tracing the silver snips over his thigh. "If you tell me three lies, I'll stab your eyes slowly until you lose your sight. Forever."