Alvaro no longer felt his tired, weary body. He was extremely angry, though he didn’t know why he was so angry.
When he arrived at the royal residence, the guards immediately shouted upon seeing him. But he had no intention of greeting them or giving any explanation at that moment.
He didn’t want to talk to anyone.
Alvaro only told them to leave him alone and to inform Huron that he was fine and had returned to the palace.
After that, he locked himself in his room. He spent the whole night trying to close his eyes and forget everything. But when morning came, he was still awake.
He went to the palace kitchen to get some food and prepare to meet Sylas. The sun hadn’t fully risen when he sat down at the dining table.
Several guards greeted him, but none dared approach after seeing his gloomy, angry expression.
Alvaro ate in silence. When he saw Amos enter the guards’ dining room, he simply turned his head away. He didn’t care about Amos’ questioning gaze.
After thanking the head chef, he quickly left for Sylas’s room. This made Amos glance at him secretly, feeling uneasy.
If Alvaro was truly back, he would return to his duty as a reserve guard. With a blank expression, Amos took his seat at the table, looking for a quiet spot to be alone.
Nearby, he overheard some guards talking about Alvaro, that he had some kind of relationship with Sylas, which was worrying Huron.
"From what I heard, he was last seen being taken away. That’s why the General ordered the gate guards to search for him. But I don’t know how he ended up returning."
"I hope he’s okay. His face looked so pale. If he really was kidnapped, isn’t that serious? Who would dare kidnap a royal knight?"
"You’re right. The General won’t just sit by. We’ll see who dares to touch a royal knight."
Amos kept eating while listening, quietly hoping Alvaro would never come back.
Sylas was already awake when Sean arrived. He was even sitting on the balcony.
Sean greeted him. "Good morning, Your Highness. You’re up very early today."
Sylas looked up from the notes in his hand, saw Sean, and smiled.
"I couldn’t sleep." He had been thinking about Kai, worried about the slave. Maybe it was because the slave had been sleeping beside him these past few days. Whatever the reason, he couldn’t rest well.
Sean glanced at Sylas’s tired face.
"Should I call Doctor Rhanda, Your Highness? Maybe you need medicine to help you sleep."
Sylas quickly shook his head. "No, I’m fine. I’ve never had trouble sleeping before. I’m just too preoccupied."
He walked back into the room. At that moment, the door opened. Sylas turned and saw Alvaro stepping inside.
Sylas’s eyes widened. He froze for a moment, not expecting to see the knight today.
"Alvaro!" he exclaimed, unable to hide his joy.
Alvaro smiled and bowed respectfully. "Good morning, Your Highness."
"Alvaro, it feels like I haven’t seen you in ages. Where have you been?" Sylas asked, motioning for him to come closer.
Alvaro immediately walked to the side of the sofa, where Sylas was sitting. He was also relieved to see the prince was fine, that was what mattered most right now.
Sylas gestured for him to sit. There were many things he wanted to ask, but he didn’t want to waste Sean’s time, so he asked him to finish his duties first.
"Thanks, Sean," Sylas said, adjusting his clothes as he returned to the sofa.
Sean bowed respectfully before leaving the room.
Sylas then looked intently at Alvaro. "You owe me an explanation. Why did you only return today? Are you still unwell?" he asked, worried about Alvaro’s pale face.
Alvaro shook his head. "No, I’m fine." Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on novèlfire.net
"What about your whip wounds?"
"They’re healed now. I’m fine."
"But the guards said you disappeared since yesterday. What happened?"
Alvaro fell silent, his chest tightening again. The image of Vlad flashed in his mind, making him furious, and there was something else gnawing at him he couldn’t explain. It just hurt. He didn’t want to remember.
"I was just staying at someone’s house. I’m sorry, Your Highness." Alvaro bowed his head deeply.
Sylas stared at him in silence, making the air grow heavy. He noticed Alvaro’s behavior was completely different from usual. Though the knight smiled, his face was troubled.
"You know we’re like brothers. Tell me what really happened. I know you’re not the type to neglect your duty. There’s no way you’d make everyone worry just to stay overnight at a friend’s house. And I know who your friends are, Alvaro."
Alvaro lowered his head. The only person he couldn’t lie to was Sylas. Though uncomfortable, he finally mentioned Vlad.
"Lord Vlad took you away?" Sylas asked, shocked.
"You know how obsessed he is with me. He brought me to his friend’s house. I couldn’t leave."
Sylas fell silent, staring at him. "Did he force you?"
Alvaro stayed quiet. He said nothing about what the vampire had done to him.
"He committed a crime. He kidnapped a royal knight! Whatever his reasons, that breaks the law!" Sylas exclaimed, angered even more by Alvaro’s tormented look.
But Alvaro didn’t respond. He didn’t want to involve Vlad. He didn’t understand why he seemed to be protecting him.
"I’ve already told you, Your Highness. But I beg you, don’t mention this to anyone else. I’ve taken care of it. Don’t prolong this. And please, don’t say anything to General Huron." Alvaro looked at him with pleading eyes.
"You know this won’t solve anything. He’ll keep coming back and bothering you."
Alvaro shook his head. "No. He won’t come again."
Sylas studied his expression, as if Alvaro regretted the thought that Vlad might not return.
Alvaro met his gaze. He didn’t want pity. He smiled broadly. "I’m fine. The most important thing now is that I can serve you again, Your Highness."
Sylas wanted to say more, but held back.
Then Alvaro looked serious. "Your Highness, I found a witch in the capital. I’m sure she can heal His Majesty."
Sylas froze, unable to believe what he had just heard. "A witch? In the capital? Are you sure?"
Alvaro nodded. "She owns a candy shop. But you must be careful around her. She’s really cunning." Alvaro shuddered at the memory of meeting Lilian again.