"Your highness, you have called for me?" Theo could see that his master was worried ever since they returned.
Though the family is a bit stressed, they all are happy that the result was better than they had anticipated.
The duke was thinking of giving his post to Leo anyway. Then what made him so stressed?
"Have you heard what those men have said? It was not once but twice! What does that mean??'' Theo had to jog his memory to recall what his master was asking when he remembered three men in a black cloaks muttering something but then they left before clearing anything so he did not pay much heed to it.
"I apologize but if you are not able to understand then how can a humble person like me be able to grasp the meaning behind their words." He could see his master frowning further but he could not help and he did not understand why he was thinking so much about it.
"Master!"
"Look for them. I want to know who they were and have a meeting with him as soon as possible." stunned by the sudden decree, it took him two seconds to understand. But he hesitated to do so.
"Master, I have not seen their faces." it was not like he could go and ask every man in a cloak if they were the one who had come to the palace that day!
Even if he would do that, what is the guarantee that those men would tell the truth even if he would ask them where they visited the palace that day?
Anyone would freak out and lie that they did not understand what they were talking about.
"You can leave and only come back when you have found them." bowing his head full of grievance, he left the room as he knew his master was not going to listen if he had decided already.
But just as he left the office, the door was knocked again.
"Master, master" he came running back to the office of his master with a shocked expression on his face.
"Did you forget what i said to you or are you not going to take my orders seriously now that i have lost the position of duke?" The annoyed face of his master was full of anger and he knew that if he did not explain, he was going to lose his head soon.
If leo was the frozen lake of the palace, the duke was the burning volcano that could erupt any moment without giving prior warnings.
"Master! I am back because I have completed the task you have given me.'' He could see the eyes of his master bulging and then narrowing at him as his frown grew deeper confusing him.
Shouldn't he be happy about it!
"I can see that you have started lying too. Even if you wanted to present just anyone as the cloaked man, shouldn't you have taken a day or two to make it more reliable?" he roared as his hands slapped the table in anger.
He could not believe that Theo who had always been responsible and wise was taking him as a fool now.
Did he really think that he would believe that the cloak man was found just like that in less than a minute.
"Now you will say that they were already waiting at the entrance for the palace for you to go and find them and bring them to me." Theo gulped, he did not know how to reply since that was the only truth.
If he would tell his master that the men were actually waiting for him to meet at the entrance of the palace then his master would think he did not have any reply so he was just copying what the duke had told him.
He could only mourn for his death as he walked out of the room under the scrutinizing gaze of his master.
"I am not done yet. Where do you think you are going?" he heard his master scolding him again and wondered if the rest of his life was going to be spent like that only!
His master was too agitated since the moment trial had ended. Was it because he had lost his post? No, his master was not that shallow then could it be because of these men?
If that was the case, then he could only hope that their presence would solve the matter too.
"Master, these are the men you were looking for!" Theo opened the door and two men with the black cloak entered.
The atmosphere of the whole room turned gloomy as soon as they entered.
William, who was still shouting, turned silent looking at them. He could feel a foreboding feeling if they have come lookin for him without being searched.
What could be the reason? Why were they here?
"Please sit and i hope you can take off the cloak if you want to have a proper conversation.'' The voice that was not so calm, not so agitated and a look that was stern yet attentive, William pointed towards the seats and the men in cloak nodded.
They looked at each other and then took out the cloak off their heads.
William felt that he had seen them before but could not recall as their faces felt familiar.
The man sat down on their seats and waited for the duke to ask them questions but he only stared at them with attentive eyes. Taking a deep breath, one of them started,
"We knew that you are looking for us, so we have come to meet you.
I am sure the duke is wise enough to realize that we have a secret that is of grave importance.
You must have realized that we have told the court that the kids were swiped twice, not once.
The fact is your eldest child was also swapped by someone. Lady Elizabeth is not your real daughter."
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