Crystal instantly sensed that something was amiss and looked sharply at the groom.
His shoulders shook, and he looked very nervous, but he still revealed the name of the elder.
I nodded frostily. “Tell me why you’re still in your work boots so late in the night.”
He looked at his feet and clarified in a gruff voice, “The elder instructed me just now to clean the garden seating beside his room. I was busy working until I was brought here. I didn’t get a chance to change my shoes.”
With a smile, I took measured steps toward him and said in a dangerous voice, “Firstly, the elder you work for dislikes flowers. He will never specially ask you to take care of them. Secondly, the mud on your boots doesn’t look like it’s from around this palace. Thirdly, this black mud is unique. It’s only found in the garden at the exit of the secret passage. When I ask someone to test the soil composition on your shoes in the lab, I will know your whereabouts for certain. Fourth, don’t think I’m unaware that you’re not a gardener, but a groom.”
The man’s expression froze. He was visibly flustered. He opened his mouth, wanting to talk his way out of trouble, but something seemed to occur to him and the fight in his eyes instantly disappeared.
Crystal, who was standing beside me, was overwhelmed with murderous intent. “It’s you! You kidnapped Arron!”
The groom looked up to meet her eyes. Then he removed a sharp knife from his pocket at lightning speed. Before anyone could react, he moved to slash his neck with a determined expression.
I hurriedly aimed a kick at the knife he was holding. The guards around were highly vigilant and immediately encircled the groom.
I glanced at him as he lay fallen on the ground and relaxed my furrowed eyebrows.
He had almost committed suicide. But fortunately, he hadn’t succeeded.
I impatiently gestured to my subordinate next to me and ordered, “Arrest and interrogate him. ” My men immediately tied him up.
Crystal’s POV
It was now obvious that the one behind this was the person who provoked the groom. I rushed forward and questioned the man kneeling on the ground, “Who ordered you to take Arron away?”
The groom’s face was stiff. His tanned face was severely grazed and bleeding because of Rufus’ kick. He tightened his lips and pretended not to hear my question.
Irritated, I paced around the room frantically. I didn’t know how to get the truth out of him.
To calm me down, Rufus patted my shoulder with his hand.
Then, he looked at the groom with disdain and questioned, “Are you going to continue to be stubborn?”
The groom raised his head and eyes at Rufus. His face twitched ferociously. He blinked, but still remained silent.
“Your Majesty, I have nothing to say.”
Rufus flew into a rage.
He pointed at the groom and shouted, “Let’s see whether you can keep your mouth shut when you’re in prison!”
After that, he threw another kick at the groom.
The man was hurled to the ground and rolled for a short distance before coming to a stop.
Stunned, I stared at the irate Rufus in disbelief.
Rufus wasn’t a man who would resort to brute violence.
A man, clearly distressed, ran up at this moment and kneeled before Rufus.
“Your Majesty, what he did has nothing to do with me! Please don’t kill me!”
This man was the senior elder the groom worked for. He looked pale and kept begging Rufus for mercy.
Obviously, he was frightened.
But Rufus was still furious.
He looked down at the elder kneeling on the ground and raised his hand.
“Get up first. It is you or someone else. We will get the answer soon.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
The old man sprang up and kicked the groom next to him.
The latter was thrown and lay on the ground. He rushed forward and slapped the groom hard twice.
“Who asked you to do this? You’re courting death by doing such a thing.”
The elder cursed while punching and kicking the groom.
The groom widened his eyes and suddenly wanted to resist, but he was bound by the rope on his body. He struggled to sit up, spat out a mouthful of blood with his teeth, and shouted at Rufus, “This man ordered me to do it! But he is refusing to admit it!”
“Do you want to die? When did I ask you to do such a thing?”
A look of grave surprise crossed the old man’s face. He took one look at Rufus and kicked the groom again, this time with more force.
“Enough! How can you act like that in my presence?! Are you not taking me seriously?” Rufus’ voice was cold.
“Your Majesty, I dared not.”
The old man dropped the groom as soon as he heard Rufus’ words and knelt down.
“That groom hates me and is trying to get even with the royal family by setting me up in a false accusation. I really didn’t ask him to do that. Your Majesty, you know I’m the timid one. I don’t get involved in these things. I would never, ever dare to do such thing!”
Rufus approached me and said in a low voice, “I’ve heard that this elder is quite a hermit and seldom quarrels with servants. Yet his actions today contradict what the others have said. Perhaps he regularly beats his servants behind closed doors. In that case, it’s possible that this has nothing to do with this elder. It seems that the groom may have already harbored a grudge against him. It might be that he is taking this opportunity to extract revenge. This hypocritical elder may not be the one behind the whole thing.”
I understood what Rufus said, but I was completely befuddled at this point.
Who else might have fit the description of a terrible guy if not this elderly person? Where on earth was my son? A myriad of thoughts crowded into my mind.
Rufus waved at the bodyguards beside him and ordered, “Throw this groom into prison and interrogate him harshly until] he tells us who is behind it.”
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