Chapter 254
1222words
So, basically, that’s the Rogue Kign’s lair…
I tapped my fingers on my desk and went silent for a while, letting my thoughts run through my head.
“So… after all the investigation, do you really think Drake is just some complete asshole?” I asked after a little while.
I couldn’t help but think that what was happening here in Wakeland was much more than what we knew at hand.
The issues with the Rogues started way back before I handled them remotely while I was in the Dark Moon Pack. It’s been a long-term problem.
Rogue riots have recurringly occurred countless times, but since I arrived here and took a closer look, I found many suspicious points and couldn’t help but have the hunch that Drake might not be as bad as I was portrayed to be.
It’s more like he was forced to be that way - pulled into the chaotic trance of the wheel of fate.
“Sapphire?” I called out to her when the other line remained silent for a while.
Clearing her throat, she made a sound like she was thinking before she reported in a low but serious tone, “Actually, Princess Della, it’s more complicated than that. Before all this, King Drake was actually one of the most admirable people you’d meet. As hard as it might be to believe right now, but he was a helpful kid.”
“How so?” I asked with furrowed brows, becoming more and more curious.
“You can try to talk to anyone on the docks, and they’ll tell you how he and his sister looked after each other, even shared food with the older folks down there. They were poor, sure, but good-hearted,” she narrated.
I could even hear a hint of admiration in her voice, which was mixed with confusion and doubt, as I had.
“If he is as he said he was, then what changed?” It turned out that he was a good brother and neighbor who was willing to share the little bits of what he had and make sacrifices for the greater good.
For a kind man like that, I couldn’t fathom the hardship and injustice he must have faced to turn into a completely different person.
But in the entire Wakeland, there are only two people I knew who could be bad enough to cause someone such changes.
“And then… Krendell’s son came into the picture… He did, didn’t he?” I asked as a guess, already having some formulated scenarios forming in my head, all that made my blood boil.
“Yes, Mason…” Sapphire’s voice grimaced as she continued, “... He showed up at the docks one day and caught sight of Drake’s sister… And then, he… decided he wanted her. But it wasn’t innocent. Mason already has a fiancee. Her name is Rowena, and she is already his fated mate and the daughter of Wakeland’s biggest grain supplier.”
I shook my head at hearing her report, and bitterness rushed through my heart. “Krendrell has always been like that, hasn’t he? He’s marrying off his son to people with power and influence, anyone who can serve his ambitions. He’s so arrogant and uses his influence to feel like he can ignore me and even the royal family.”
“It gets worse…” Sapphire added, making me even more agitated at what more the truth could hold.
“Rowena was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and was spoiled beyond reason. When she found out about Mason’s interest in Drake’s sister, she went down to the docks. She humiliated Drake’s sister right there in public and mercilessly accused her of seducing her fiancee. Being a person with a great backer, she feared no law and didn’t hold back…”
I clenched my fist on the armrest of my chair and took a deep breath. “Tell me everything that happened.”
“Those ridiculous power greedy foxes!” After hearing Sapphire’s narration, I cursed under my breath, ensuring it wasn’t loud enough for Aaden to hear.
It turned out that Rowena called Drake’s sisters a lot of degrading names that were not limited to bitch, trash, and slut. Even though Drake’s sister countlessly denied any involvement with Mason and assured Rowena that she rejected Mason on his every visit, Rowena was still blinded with jealousy and was so close-minded that she believed none of her words.
But if Rowena was that worse, then…
“I guess that was just the beginning, wasn’t it? Things have probably gone even darker after that…” I stated in a tense voice.
I heard Sapphire sigh on the other line, and a hint of pain could be heard in her tone as she replied, “You’re right, Princess. One night after that encounter, someone at the dock saw a black car take Drake’s sister away. One passerby saw the same car stopped at Krendrell’s house… and that was the last time she was seen alive.”
“When…” Sapphire’s voice crumbled with intensity as she spoke with difficulty. “W-when her body was found laced with marks of inhuman torture, everyone could explain what really happened, but no one dared to speak out. In the end, despite the witnesses, Krendrell managed to silence anyone who could testify against his son.”
Drake’s sister was beaten to death… And for what? Why did an innocent girl like her have to pay for something she had no part in?
Anger fumed all over my body. Such a young and kind girl was tortured to death just because of her beauty. And her brother couldn't get justice for her! No one would let it go.
The Kendrell family was entrusted by my father to manage Wakeland, but they never treated the people of Wakeland as human beings, but as livestock, who could be killed without reason. They are simply traitors to the kingdom!
I could only imagine the pain and madness that built up on Drake and that he had to carry.
“So… when Drake tried to seek justice…”
“Despite all the evidence pointing out to Mason, there’s really nothing Drake can get his hands off with, not even a witness. When he tried to talk to one of his friends at the dock to ask what happened, he was beaten up instead…” she explained.
After taking a few seconds of breath, she continued, “And that’s not all. Krendrell also made sure no one would hire him or his friends again. They were driven out of town, with no way to survive except going rogue. Cut off from any legal means, they started stealing food and medicine to survive, and the rest was history.”
My hand tightened on my phone, and determination swelled in me even further. I stood up and let silence fill my mind as I weighed everything. I stood by the window of my office and looked far ahead, planning.
After processing everything, including Drake’s background, I finally told her in a firm tone, “Then I’ll start my inspection of the ruby mines by heading to the one near Drake’s hideout.”
“What? Why? That’s dangerous, Princess! You might run into Drake!” Sapphire’s voice escalated with alarm.
“It’s not “very likely” that I’ll run into him, Sapphire.” I paused for a few seconds, and my tone became calm and firm,"I will definitely meet him."
“What? I mean...why?” Sapphire struggled for words, trying to comprehend my words.
