Ambition and Destiny

👑 Chapter Twelve 👑

Annie found herself irresistibly drawn to all the intricate aspects of the architectural masterpiece, inadvertently distracting herself from the regal presence of the king as she gazed at its exquisite beauty.

The king asked briefly," Are you going to keep standing there? "

Annie turned hesitantly and gazed in his direction with fearful eyes. For a minute, she kept staring at him, and then she realised she was in the presence of the king of the Kotobia. She then remembered the etiquette Flora had taught her and curtsied in reverence to greet him.

Annie tried to calm her shaking voice and said," Good afternoon, your majesty! "

He neither greeted her back nor commented; he simply offered her a seat. Annie was working hard to take in the whole situation while sitting with the most important man at the table.

⟪Soon, my anxiety transformed into a sense of bewilderment as I observed him sipping his tea with a relaxed expression as he was reading a book. I wondered if he had invited me to drink tea or if there was something else on his mind, as he didn't say anything.⟫

The king finally spoke," I did not invite you to watch me as If I were a performance of a play."

⟪I flinched; I did not know he would notice my staring; however, he seemed to me to be completely focused on the book... I had a lot of thoughts weighing on my mind, such as how to behave, when to speak, and what to say... I stretched out my hand in an attempt to grab the kettle, but the king had already beaten me .⟫

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Back at the royal palace, Henrik was peacefully examining some reports and conclusions in his study when Felix suddenly appeared with the colour drained from his face, disturbing the serene environment.

Henrik set aside the paper he had been reading and shifted his focus towards his friend, Who closed the door firmly. It appeared that Felix had not come empty-handed, as he had brought along a medium-sized wooden box.

Felix did not utter a word, he just placed the box on Henrik's desk

⟪I don't know what's wrong with his expression as he saw a ghost... But the answer is inside the box⟫

As he delicately lifted the lid, a putrid smell wafted out and quickly permeated the surrounding atmosphere, so overpowering that he felt compelled to close the box firmly after he had taken a quick look.

He gradually lowered the lid, revealing his taut nerves and blue eyes filled with icy coldness and a merciless gaze.

" Who dared to do such a thing?", Henrik said

"Although I suspect the Temple is involved, no clear evidence has been found that prove that saying. The corpse is hidden in a safe place awaiting examination by Peter, and the investigation is expected to take some time.", Felix replayed.

" Well, keep me updated... " Then he started tapping on the desk and said, "What about what we discussed yesterday?"

" Last night, as the suspect was making his way out of the tavern, I apprehended him and arrested him...I put him in a secure place that even the king can't predict...As soon as I leave the palace, I will interrogate him"

All of a sudden, Felix remembered something he did not want to forget regarding Annie. He retrieved an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Henrik.

" I found this envelope inside the clothes he was wearing "

The envelope did not have any markings or indications of what was inside. Henrik examined it closely, hoping to find a name or some clue, but there was nothing. He hesitated, feeling that it would not be appropriate for him to open it since it belonged to Annie.

With a gentle tug, Henrik slid open the drawer of his wooden desk and placed the envelope inside. As the drawer closed with a soft click, Henrik took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair.

After a moment to gather his thoughts, he spoke: "Annie won't be able to bear the impact of the news...I should ~~ "

Before he was able to have the occasion to complete his words, he was interrupted by a familiar knock on the door.

"It's me, Sebastian my lord"

After they had hidden the box, Henrik let him come in. As Sebastian attempted to speak, he was met with an unpleased odour that filled the air, causing him to feel a sense of disgust and discomfort.

Sebastian exhaled, then talked," Lord Henrik, your attendance is requested in the conference room" .Then, he shifted his up-down gaze to Felix, and added, "Sir Felix, you had better not come to the palace directly after training ...excuse me, sirs "

After he had left, Felix commented with an annoyed face: "Goch! I did not have an idea that Sebastian is so mean...How dare he think that this disgusting smell is coming from me?"

Henrik quickly rose from his chair and hurried towards the door to leave, but before that, he asked Felix to carefully handle the box.