121 Bigger Family (1/2)
”YOUR GRACE, are you alright?”
Kiho remained poker faced even though Captain Sherwood was making him uncomfortable.
The captain just asked him if he was alright but the tone he used and the face he was making now could be easily misunderstood by other people.
Luckily, only Captain Denver was standing beside him.
The other knights and Fire Wielders were heavily guarding Count Huxley as he was being transferred from the Fire Wielders' custody to the Blue Dragon Knights' squad. Captain Denver's vice-captain was the person in-charge of overseeing the process.
”I'm alright,” Kiho said. ”I wasn't the target of the attack. But the young Fire Wielder that Lord Huxley tried to kill is still unconscious.”
Captain Sherwood's facial expression hardened. ”The Blue Dragon Knights are the ones in-charge of Lord Huxley's arrest. Rest assured, I will make sure that the count won't be able to escape, Duke Nystrom.”
He nodded. ”Thank you, Captain Sherwood.”
Captain Sherwood smiled brightly as if he was really happy by what he said. ”Anything for you, my lord.”
God, that made his skin crawl.
Captain Denver cleared his throat loudly to get their attention before he spoke. ”Captain Sherwood, do I need to come with you now to give my statement?”
”Ah, yes,” Captain Sherwood said as if he just remembered the real purpose of his visit at the Fire Wielders' tower. ”You must come with us, Captain Denver. If you want, you can bring as many witnesses as you need.”
”Alright,” Captain Denver said. ”We'll follow behind your troop.”
Captain Sherwood nodded. ”I'll wait until you're ready to leave, Captain Denver.”
”Then, please excuse us,” Captain Denver said before he turned to her. ”Duke Nystrom, can you accompany me to Lady Nystrom's doctor? She's one of the witnesses and I would like to ask if she'd like to give her statement.”
Kiho nodded eagerly. The way Captain Sherwood looked at him was making him want to run away from him as soon as possible. ”Of course, Captain Denver.”
After politely excusing themselves, they went back inside the tower.
Only then did Kiho was able to breathe comfortably.
Captain Denver chuckled when he saw his expression. ”Captain Sherwood made you uncomfortable, didn't he?”
Kiho turned to him in surprise. ”You knew?”
”You're easy to read, Your Grace.”
Okay, he was touched.
And he felt ashamed of himself.
He never knew he was the possessive and overprotective type until he met Tilly. Thus, he still didn't know how to control his emotions. But thanks to his wife, he was starting to learn how to be emotionally more mature.
”Thank you, Captain Denver,” Kiho said sincerely. ”Did you just say that you need Miss Luna's cooperation to get me away from Captain Sherwood?”
”I agree,” he said. ”We must protect the people that protect Tilly.”
”Yes, that must be our priority.”
”Speaking of which…” Kiho turned around to make sure that no one was within earshot to listen to their conversation, then he faced the captain again. ”Tilly wants to kill Lord Huxley before the trial begins.”
Captain Denver looked shocked at first, then he turned serious. ”Honestly speaking, that's what I intend to do. Lord Huxley won't stop going after the Fire Wielders even after he's imprisoned.”
He nodded in agreement. ”And the count works for Her Royal Highness. We can't trust anyone associated with the princess.”
”Let's make a plan once I come back,” Captain Denver said. ”Now that His Majesty knows our real identity, we can move more freely.”
”Uh-huh,” Kiho agreed. ”I hate to say this but I think we need Captain Sherwood's help this time.”
***
”WHAT?” Aku asked in a surprised voice after he heard Sir Gregory's report. ”Lord Huxley was arrested for attempting to kill a young Fire Wielder in the tower?”
”That's right, Your Majesty,” Sir Gregory confirmed. ”Captain Denver sent a report to the Royal Knighthood. The admin handed the case to Captain Sherwood. I heard that the Blue Dragon Knights already went to the tower to arrest Lord Huxley.”
He closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh.
Thanks to that awful report, he lost the motivation to read and sign the mountain of paper works on his desk.
”Did Captain Denver ask for a noble trial?” he asked when he opened his eyes. ”Captain Denver is the son of Marquis Morgan Denver. They're in a higher position than Lord Huxley. If he didn't kill Lord Huxley himself, then it only meant that he was going for a noble trial.”
Sir Gregory nodded before he answered. ”That's right, Your Majesty,” his knight confirmed. ”The admin office is in chaos right now because this is the first in a while that two higher nobles will be on a noble trial. And Your Majesty, you'll be the one to decide Lord Huxley's verdict.”
”Lord Huxley will definitely lose the trial,” he said. ”Unless he reveals the real identity of the Fire Mages.”
”Will you allow the count to expose the Fire Mages this early, Your Majesty?”
”No, of course not,” he said while shaking his head. ”Remember, we need Lady Nystrom's child. We have to make sure that she'll have a safe delivery. And she has to give birth in a place where we can easily steal the child. If they get exposed now, she'll definitely go into hiding. The Fire Mages are good at hiding so we can't let them leave the Royal Capital.”
”Then, what should we do, Your Majesty?” Sir Gregory asked. ”Do you want me to finish off Lord Huxley before the noble trial?”
”Lord Huxley belongs to Nia. I don't want her to wake up only to find out that some of her collections are gone now,” Aku said, then he looked outside his window. ”Sir Gregory, I want you to abduct Lord Huxley and hide him until the war begins.”
***
TILLY noticed that Luna fell silent after she explain in detail the things that she remembered from her first life.