Bodyguard's Love

Chapter 15

"What ?" asked Matthew in a voice stifled with shock.

"I-It was Duke Lobelia... who ordered me... to poison the emperor..."

"You're lying... Tell me the truth..." he accused, squeezing his neck tightly.

"I'm not lying ! Believe me ! It's the truth ! He is the one who asked me to do it ! He gave us a big sum of money for that !" shouted the bandits' chief in tears.

Matthew released him abruptly and let him fall to the ground like a vulgar object. Then, he stepped back to go out of the room.

He felt suffocated and his surrounding began to spin. He tried to keep his balance by leaning against a wall and putting his hand on his temple.

'I can't believe it... The father of the girl I'm madly in love with... whom I'm willing to sacrifice my life for... is a traitor ?' he thought bitterly.

One of his companions came to help him while the other put handcuffs on the bandits' leader.

"Captain ? Are you okay ?" asked the knight worriedly.

"Y-yeah... I just felt a little unbalanced..." he reassured.

"The declaration of that brute wasn't easy for you... I understand you... I, too, am very shocked-"

"I want you to keep this a secret for now, Alphonse. We need to be certain of what he said, first."

The knight was surprised by his captain's words.

"As you wish, Captain."

"Good. Let's go back to the palace now. Bring this traitor back with you. I still have plenty of questions for him," he ordered.

"Understood."

Once out of the villa, one of Matthew's comrades who had freed the little Hugo from the stables approached him.

"Captain," he called.

"Yes, Tom ? What is it ?"

"It's the kid. He hasn't stopped crying for a while now. We've tried everything to calm him down but it's not working. He seems to be really scared."

Matthew looked ahead, near the horses where one of his comrades stood, accompanied by the little boy who barely reached his waist.

Matthew slowly approached him, smiling affectionately at him. The little child's eyes were swollen with tears and his small cheeks were red.

He knelt in front of him and wiped away his tears.

"Don't cry, Hugo. You have nothing to fear now. You're saved."

"Where is my mummy ? What happened to her ?" he asked, sobbing.

"Your mummy is waiting for you at the palace. She has nothing and is doing very well. But she's very worried about you."

"T-those men told me that she is dead... They told me that I'll never see her again..." he said bursting into tears even harder than before.

Matthew hugged him tightly in his arms.

"No ! No no no ! She's not dead... We'll bring you back to her..."

"Really ?" asked the little boy with his innocent, sparkling eyes.

"Of course. But you have to be strong. You have to stop crying and show that you are very brave so you can meet your mummy."

"Okay..." he replied, smiling slightly and wiping his tears.

Matthew carried the little boy in his arms and sat him on the back of his horse before climbing up behind him.

"Hold on to the reins, Hugo."