20 The Rogue 61 Case: A Link to the Monarchy? [Bonus Chapter]

"She's here, master."

Adrien raised his head, pushing his glasses to the bridge of his nose, and sighed as he leaned back in his chair. He had been waiting for this appointment since the sun had risen.

"Show her in."

The butler nodded his head and quickly left the room, returning moments later with a woman in tow. She was tall and slender, with long, dark hair and piercing red eyes. Adrien recognized her immediately as the lawyer who was hired to handle one of the cases somewhat similar to his, which went by the name 'The Rogue 61'.

"Good morning, Mr. Archer," she said, extending her hand.

Adrien stood up and shook her hand firmly. "Good morning, Ms. Taylor. Please have a seat."

They both sat down, and Adrien began to discuss the main reason why he had made the sudden appointment.

"I came across the case file Rogue 61 last night, a case led by you, Ms. Taylor, along with your fellow companions, which isn't very similar to mine, but still I've got a small hinge that this case of yours has a small link to mine. Do you mind articulating about it?"

"Surely I wouldn't mind at all!" she said as she gazed at the files arranged neatly on the table. "If you would not mind me taking a look at it once more?"

She asked for permission to take a look at the case files. Adrien nodded his head and let her take her time to go through the related files.

"Right! As you were saying," she looked up with a change of expression and a nervous look. She clutched the file tightly with an uneasy look. "The Rogue 61 was a dire case, I must say," she said, and she glanced back and around the study.

"I assure you that you may speak freely. The room's quite confined. What's said here, stays here," assured Adrien patiently, waiting for her to continue.

"Okay, the case was kind of getting linked with the royal monarchy, so we had to close the case and reasoned that the process of turning into a vampire had gone wrong, which led the humans to form into deranged vampires, causing a large massacre at the Southborough town."

Adrien's eyes widened at the mention of the royal family's involvement, but he composed it very quickly. "How so? How do you claim that the royal monarchy's involved in this?"

"Well, I assume you're quite aware that there was a time when elves truly existed, not only in fairy tales and mythologies but in reality, and they were destroyed from their very roots by our own races, who allied with the werewolf clans."

Adrien nodded his head slowly, trying to figure out what the involvement of elves had to do with this topic.

"So, as I was saying it. A few years after the war, rumors said that there were still a few more elves living in the town of Southborough, which reached the king. As per our investigation, we got to know that the king allied with the dark witches to destroy them once again."

"That's quite a revelation, Ms. Taylor."

"Well, there were certain documents that we came across during the investigation that suggested a connection between the monarchy and the rogue vampires. However, we didn't have enough evidence to prove anything, and we had to close the case due to the potential political repercussions of pursuing it further."

Adrien leaned forward, his curiosity piqued. "Do you still have those documents?"

"I do, but I cannot show them to you without risking my reputation and potentially getting disbarred," she replied hesitantly.

Adrien understood her dilemma and didn't press any further. "I appreciate you sharing this information with me, Ms. Taylor. It has given me a new perspective on my own case."

"Of course, Mr. Archer. If there's anything else I can do to help, please don't hesitate to ask."

With that, the meeting concluded, and Ms. Taylor left the room. Adrien sat back in his chair, lost in thought, pondering the potential implications of the monarchy's involvement in the creation of these deranged vampires.

"Delbert!"

The butler appeared almost immediately, entering the study with silent grace.

"Yes, Master Adrien?"

"I'll be leaving for the castle, and I want you to keep an eye on Ms. Taylor."

"Of course, sir," Delbert replied, his face showing no hint of surprise or curiosity.

Adrien stood up from his chair and strode toward the door. "I have a feeling that Ms. Taylor may be in danger because of what she has shared with me. I want you to make sure that she stays safe until I return."

"Understood, sir. I'll make sure she's well protected."

Adrien nodded and left his study and made his way to his room, where he began to change into donned combat boots, cargo pants, and the black hoodie before strapping on his weapons belt, which contained various types of hand equipment. The last thing he wanted was to be identified by anyone through his disguise. Besides his sister and his trusted servants', no one knew where he was living.

He took out his phone, informed his sister of his arrival, and left, making it toward the garage, where his bike was parked beside his car. As he drove toward the castle, his mind was filled with all the information provided by Ms. Taylor. He could not believe it—how had he not heard any of it earlier?

As he neared the palace premises, he slowed down his acceleration, parked the bike in a discreet place, and made sure not to be spotted by anyone as he snuck into the palace through the woods that connected the palace backyard which was a sprawling with the expanse of green, surrounded by tall, ivy-covered walls. A winding cobblestone path led through the center of the yard, bordered on either side by lush flower beds bursting with colorful blooms.

Hearing the sound of the footsteps approaching he ran on the other side of the yard where there was a stable with horses of all shapes and sizes whining and neighing. He buried himself behind the stack of hay stored at the back of the stable. He could smell the hay and leather in the air very strongly.

Thankfully, given that the castle was no new for him, he knew every paths, nooks and crooks of it like the back of his hand. So he had no hardship on finding the path.

Walking past through the hallways outside the cabinets of the royal blue castle, in the wide and spacious, he cautiously stepped, but his foot came to an abrupt stop at the sight of the two men. He stepped back at the adjacent, leaning over the wall that was designed intricately just like the rest of it.

The tall blonde man dressed in a blue and white uniform, his appearance polished with a beardless clean face, was the King's page, and the dirty brown-headed man who stood beside him, in a more adored uniform stuck to his well-built body, was no one but the right hand man of the King himself, running his fingers over his stylishly braided beard, conversing all along the pathway.

It was quite unlikely for the two to get along with each other, unless—

Adrien's eyes darted around, finding an escape as soon as he saw them heading right where he was.

"Do you think His Highness would allow the woman just so easily?"

"Surely not, for the woman had committed treason," said the right-hand man, mockery visible in his face with the ugly scowl he wore, twirling his pointer in his brown beard.

"She indeed had to face the consequences given that the woman herself agreed to get paid with a hefty sum in exchange of—did you see that, sir?"

The young Page gazed at the hallways in alertness, moving his hand above the handle of his hand dagger that was securely in the sheath of his silver belt.

"See what, Irvin?" questioned the right-handed man in puzzlement.

"I think I saw something or someone lurking over there," he came closer and whispered to him, who was a few inches shorter than Page.

"You sure, Irvin?" he questioned, taking out his sword with a serious look. "Who is it?" came the well-polished, intimidating voice of his, with no fear in the tone.

Soon enough, the said person came out of the hide, having both men lower their weapons and bow down to their deepest.

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