137 Missing and Doubts (1/2)

After letting the two ladies, Aria and Lynne meet, they seem to have come to some sort of tacit understanding that was beyond the realm of words and shooed him away. Not understanding the situation, Leon could only follow their wishes and leave with a wry smile.

He went to visit Mia and his adoptive parents but was unable to find them anywhere in the Guest Courtyard. He scrunched his brows as he thought it was too strange for them to be anywhere else at this time with their home in the Lower District gone.

It was even stranger that during the entire time they stayed in the palace, they refused to meet his birth mother strongly.

”Mother, have you seen my adoptive parents? They seem to have gone missing for some time now.” Leon asked, after finding his mother in the Great Hall shortly after the Cromwell couple left.

Stunned by the abrupt question, Elizabeth responded anxiously, ”They are missing? Son, are you suspecting it has something to do with mother?”

Hearing his mother's question, Leon shook his head, ”No, mother, not at all. I don't believe you would do anything untoward to them without a clear reason. Before I reunited with mother, I had indeed been afraid that you would harm them. However, after meeting mother, I was sure that I was just overthinking things. Mother's love is as boundless as the ocean. You would never do something so stupid that it would make me hate you.”

Elizabeth was touched by her son's unconditional trust in her and couldn't help but feel her eyes growing slightly wet.

However, she also didn't know whether to laugh or cry at some of his words. She had no idea that her son's impression of her, before they even met would be so bad.

To the outside, she was indeed a cold and merciless ruler, who view life as insignificant, but she became as such to protect herself and her husband.

The world was an unforgiving place and humans were indecipherable beings. They could never understand what truly lied in a person's heart.

”Son, although mother has no idea where they went, the shadow guards should know.” Elizabeth said and made a simple summoning gesture.

”What orders do you have for us, your majesty?” The shadowguards answered her summon.

”I want to know, who is in charge of keeping watch over the Guest Courtyards?” Elizabeth inquired.

”That would be Eric's squad, your majesty.” The shadowguard answered.

Hearing the shadowguard's answer, she didn't know who the heck Eric was and ordered, ”Bring them to me!”

It was impossible for her to remember every Tom, Dick and Harry that works for the royal family, unless they were of notable importance.

”Right away, your majesty.”

The shadowguard disappeared quickly, before coming back five minutes later with a group of five new shadowguards.

”Your majesty.” Eric and his men greeted with utmost respect.

”The prince's adoptive parents and little sister...” Eric began answering with easy, but then he froze and said, ”Huh? That's weird... why can't I remember anything...”

Eric rubbed his head in puzzlement. Such a simple question that should have been easily answered, but he had no answers. Elizabeth and Leon frowned at the shadowguard's response.

”Have you been slacking on the job!? You can't even answer such a simple question!?” Elizabeth said with dissatisfaction, before pointing to another shadowguard, ”You! Answer my question. Where did they go?”

Hearing the Queen's question directed at him, the shadowguard was surprised, before stepping forward with cupped fist and similarly said, ”The prince's adoptive parents and little sister went... they went... t-they went...”

”Forget! You! Answer me!” Elizabeth felt her anger rising and pointed at another shadowguard.

Similarly, they all reacted the same way.

Elizabeth's patience was stretched thin and finally snapped, she oppressively bellowed, ”Are you all putting on a show to fool this Queen!? What are you all playing at!? Memory loss!? Are you treating this Queen as an idiot!? If you know, you know! If you don't, you don't! Stop dawdling like a bunch of namby-pambys! You all had one job. One f*cking job!”

The Queen was completely infuriated. Eric and the shadowguards all paled from fright and felt in the knees. They kneeled in subservient positions and cried, ”We don't dare, your majesty!”

Cold sweat trickled down their faces and backs with sheer terror like they weren't facing their sovereign, but the grim reaper. No… not right. Their sovereign was scarier than the grim reaper!

”Forget it, mother. They don't look like they are acting. I think their memories had been tempered with or erased.” Leon said, with brows creased in deep thought after studying the shadowguard's genuine expressions.

Elizabeth nodded in agreement and said, ”Hmph! All of you can get lost!”