Chapter 107
Alexander was sitting on the same sofa in which Everard was sleeping soundly like a baby.
“So, you met him at the Chamber of Sallust?” Alexander inquired the man in front of him.
“Yes, Milord. We happened to drink together. But Mr. Everton drank quite a lot.” Lorenzo then held out his hand towards Alexander and introduced himself, “I am Lorenzo, by the way.”
Alexander shook that young man’s hand and replied, “Nice to meet you, Mr. Lorenzo. I’m Alex.”
Alexander then asked again, “I hope my friend here didn’t give you much trouble.”
“No, of course not. I enjoyed his company.” Lorenzo glanced at Everard and said in a bit sadder tone, “It looks like he is dealing with some troubles with some ladies. But you’re his good friend. I bet you already know.”
Alexander faked a smile and nodded. “Of course.” That smile on his face quickly faded away when he repeated what Lorenzo had said to him in his head. ‘Trouble with some ladies? More than one?’
A personal maid who was assigned by Orsenia to serve their Crown Prince walked inside the room while carrying a tray.
.....
She served tea to both of them and walked away after bowing.
And Lorenzo asked Alexander, pretending to be oblivious of Alexander’s true identity, “It looks like Milord is from a high-class family. You even have maids here.”
“Yes, I happen to be a spoiled son,” Alexander smiled and took the cup of tea in his hand.
He was about to take a sip of his tea when Everard suddenly sprung up from the sofa. Alexander spilled a few drops of tea because he was startled by his friend.
“Eve!” he gave a glare to his friend.
But Everard nonchalantly took that cup from Alexander’s hand. “Is it for me? It smells good.”
“You’re welcome!” Alexander mockingly said to Everard, and then wiped his hand with a kerchief.
“Oh, Lorenzo!” Everard finally noticed the young man. “Were you the one to bring me here?”
“Yes, Mr. Everton.” Lorenzo smiled ear to ear.
“Thank you for your kindness.” Everard took another sip of the hot tea. He didn’t sound drunk at all when he further asked, “How can I repay you, Lorenzo? I made you listen to all my ramblings and even made you drop me here.”
“Oh, Mr. Everton. Please don’t treat me like a stranger after we had that heart-to-heart conversation with each other,” Lorenzo said in a very sweet voice.
But Everard insisted. “No, please. Let me return your favor. Or else, I will forever feel indebted to you.”
For some reason, Alexander didn’t like the presence of Lorenzo at all. He disliked his merry behavior and how he was talking with Everard and him. It was clear to him that Lorenzo was trying to get close to the two of them, especially Everard.
And what Lorenzo said next proved that he was right.
“If you really want to return the favor, then please, allow me to accompany you when you go to the Chamber of Sallust. I would love to get to know you more.”
Alexander hoped to hear his friend denying that man’s request. But he was shocked when Everard easily accepted.
“Sure. I would also love to hear more about you and your clan.”
“His clan?” Alexander asked Everard in a surprised tone.
“Oh! Lorenzo hasn’t told you?” Everard pointed his palm at Lorenzo and said, “He is also from Xanmar.”
“From Xanmar?” Alexander raised his brows in concern. He didn’t want his friend to fall victim to a well-thought-out plan of the enemies.
Everard could guess what Alexander was thinking from that look in Alexander’s eyes.
But he disregarded his friend’s concern and tried to make Lorenzo good in front of his friend, “He taught me several things about the people of my Kingdom. And he is a cheerful and playful person to be around. I hope you two will also get along with each other.”
Lorenzo instantly agreed, “That would be lovely.”
Alexander faked yet another smile. And then he watched the two of them talking and laughing with each other. For the first time ever, he felt like an outsider when he was with Everard.
He had hoped that Lorenzo would get the hell out of his room when he finished his tea. However, Lorenzo was way too comfortable overstaying his welcome.
At last, he got up from the sofa when he couldn’t take it anymore. He couldn’t keep on listening to his friend, exposing a lot of personal things about himself to that stranger who clearly looked like he had some hidden motive.
He glanced at Everard and asked in an agitated voice, “Eve, don’t we have a class to attend? It’s almost midday. I bet our professor is waiting for us.”
“But it is the weekend today, isn’t it?” Lorenzo asked in a polite manner.
Alexander gave a fake smile to Lorenzo and spoke as calmly as he could, “We have classes on weekends as well. So, Lorenzo, why don’t you excuse the both of us?”
Everard sensed the hostility that his friend was emitting. So he lightly tugged his friend’s hand and said, “Alex, it’s alright. Our professors won’t mind waiting for a minute or two.”
But Alexander kept on glaring at Lorenzo as if to tell him to get out of his room.
“Oh! I am extremely sorry. I didn’t know that I was disturbing both of you.” Lorenzo quickly got up and gave a gentle bow to Alexander. And he spoke in his sweet voice which disgusted Alexander even more, “Please excuse my rudeness, Milords.”
“Please, you don’t have to apologize.” Everard also stood up and tried to politely send Lorenzo off. “I will meet you soon then. That is if you will be staying at your grandmother’s place for some time.”
Lorenzo smiled and nodded. “Yes, Mr. Everton. I will be here for a few more days. I will see you around then.”
Lorenzo gave a bow to both of the Crown Princes and then left the room.
“We have classes today?” Everard asked Alexander as soon as Lorenzo was out of the room.
Alexander sat back down on the sofa and nonchalantly replied. “No.”
“What?” Everard looked at his friend and scoffed. “Then why did you say that and chase that poor lad away?”
Alexander gave a glare to Everard and replied, “Are you blind? Can’t you see that he is clearly trying to latch onto you for his personal gains?”
But Everard wasn’t ready to see the truth yet. “Why would you even think that? He doesn’t even know who I really am.”
“I seriously doubt that.” Alexander took a deep breath in before calmly talking to his friend and trying to make Everard see from his perspective, “But even if he doesn’t know that you are the Crown Prince, he saw how rich you are. These days, people will do anything to get closer to the rich ones so that they can get some personal favors and reach higher ranks themselves.”
Everard simply laughed it off and brushed it off by saying, “He doesn’t look like someone who would try to leech off of me.” His expression became a bit serious when he further said, “He genuinely wanted to help me because he saw how pathetic and heartbroken I was.”
“Eve!” Alexander sighed again. He didn’t want his friend to fall into the trap of that sweet talker. “You should be wary of him, not revealing your inner thoughts and feelings to him. He can use those things against you, for god’s sake!”
However, rather than thinking about what Alexander had just said to him, Everard smiled ear to ear.
He sat beside his friend and rested his head on the headrest of the sofa. And he jokingly said, “Just say that you are jealous of Lorenzo. And that you are afraid that I will get close to him and make him my friend.”
Alexander rolled his eyes and curled his upper lip in disdain. But he seriously asked Everard, “Will you stop meeting that man if I say that I am jealous and that I am afraid that I will lose you to him?”
Outside, Lorenzo was quietly eavesdropping on their conversation.
His face was no longer merry. It was rather stiff like a rock.
He quietly walked away from there while thinking to himself, ‘I think I will have to do something about this Crown Prince of Orsenia.’