Chapter 272 - With the Victim (2/2)

Antis opened the door and closed it softly after Roland came in.

The room was quite big. A white blanket stretched from the door to the throne at the end of the room. On the throne was an old man who seemed strong, though his hair was already white.

He was wearing white informal clothes, and the skin on his face was already loose. But still, he sat very straight.

On the two sides of the blanket, two rows of well-trained royal guards were standing by.

Their heavy armor, with the blue background and the white streaks, was quite artistic.

Roland stepped forward, and a man stopped him when he was about ten meters away from the king.

“You can stop here. Do not intrude upon the king.”

Roland shrugged unconcernedly and observed the king.

The king observed him too.

They stared at each other for a minute, until the king broke the silence. “You’re different from what I thought.”

“What did you think I should be like, Your Majesty?”

The king replied slowly, “You should be handsomer than you are.”

Roland smiled but did not say anything.

“I have to thank you for escorting Evelyn back,” the king went on.

Looking the king in the eyes, Roland said, “But it seems that you don’t really want her back, Your Majesty.”

In silence, the king gazed at Roland gloomily.

The room’s atmosphere grew more and more suffocating. Some of the guards were already sweating and swallowing.

Roland stared back at him with a smile, not flinching at all.

In the end, the king dropped his angry front and said slowly, “It’s the responsibility of a member of the royal family, particularly the female ones.”

Actually, Roland had guessed a lot of things.

The betrayal of the seneschal was actually the king’s order.

How could a man who had served the royal family for thirty years betray them so easily?

Evelyn was just a chess piece to set off conflicts between two particular forces while the king took advantage of both of them.

As for Evelyn’s safety, it was not within the king’s consideration at all.

It would be best if she was fine, but if something happened to her, he would have a good excuse to swallow the two forces.

He knew that the Guild of Rogues was definitely one of the two forces, but he didn’t know the other. He had too little intelligence to run any a.n.a.lysis.

After all, Isnas was the territory of the Guild of Rogues, and Evelyn lived there. Such speculation was not far off.

Roland did not say anything. He didn’t agree with the king’s decision to use his daughter as a chess piece, but he also knew that the king was willing to pay a certain price when he was determined to do something.

The king rose and continued, “My daughters have been living a luxurious life since they were born. But you have to pay for what you enjoy, which is only natural. I’ll send her to the battlefield without hesitation if I have to.”

“You are truly a nonchalant father.” Roland shook his head.

“There are no feelings within the royal family.” The king seemed rather natural. “But I didn’t invite you to talk about Princess Evelyn. I just want to know if Andonara is all right.”

Roland felt rather guilty. Although nothing happened between him and Andonara, it was undeniable that he took someone else’s wife away with him. He had to take responsibility.

“She’s fine.” Roland nodded.

The king seemed rather pained to talk about his third wife. “I never thought that Andonara would leave me.”