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Thus, he cleared his throat a bit loudly to make his presence known to the woman. And when she looked at him, he gave her a subtle nod and asked, “Are you the one who was there in the dungeon when the assassination happened?”

The red-headed woman abruptly got up on her feet and bowed her head. And she answered the kind-looking man, “Yes. It was me.”

Regulus pointed at the chair that she was sitting on and asked politely, “Why don’t you take your seat? You don’t have to look so alarmed. I just want to ask you a few questions.”

The woman gave him a nod and sat back down on the chair.

Regulus also took a seat that was in front of that woman. And for a few seconds, he looked at her and tried to read her.

‘Somewhat scared, sad, and restless…’ he concluded. Then he questioned himself, ‘Why is she scared? Is she scared of me, scared because of the incident in the dungeon, or is she scared because she is hiding something?’

Since she was the only person present in the dungeon who came out alive, Regulus had already suspected that the woman might have something to do with the assassination.

‘Just because she is a woman, it doesn’t mean that she didn’t have a hand in those murders. Who knows? Maybe it is her who killed everyone because they were about to do something to her. Or maybe she helped the one who killed them. Anything is possible.’

.....

With that thought in mind, Regulus began his questioning. “First, let me start by asking you your name, Milady,” he said in a soft voice.

The woman slightly lifted her gaze to look at Regulus. And she answered, “Ruby. Ruby Thompson.”

“Thompson…” Regulus narrowed his eyes a little and said, “Never heard of that surname before.”

Almost instantly, Regulus saw that woman’s expression changing into that of extreme fear. He could also hear her heartbeat rising very rapidly.

He could tell that the woman was hiding something from him. Thus, he asked another question, “Where are you originally from? I don’t think I have seen a fair and red-headed woman in this region before.”

Ruby took a deep breath in and answered without concealing anything, “I am originally from Sorvando.”

“What?” Regulus immediately got up on his feet and cautiously looked at Ruby. “What are you?” he asked, even when he was clearly getting the scent of a wolf from her.

Ruby clutched her gown with both of her hands and then replied very softly, “I am just like you, Milord.”

Regulus kept on looking at her with disbelief in his eyes. “Sorvando is no land of the werewolves. So, how is it possible that you are from there?” His eyes gleamed with doubt when he further asked, “Please don’t tell me that you are a spy of that nation.”

“No!” Ruby denied the accusation without missing a beat.

She shook her head and gave a pitiable look to Regulus. “I am not their spy. I am a fugitive of Sorvando who ran away from captivity after injuring two of their guards.”

When the doubt in Regulus’ eyes didn’t vanish, Ruby also got up from her seat and then tried to prove her innocence, “Alpha Romulus knew everything about me. He brought me here to give shelter to me for a few weeks until I found a place for myself. I had even found a small place in the town, and I was ready to shift there in a day or two.”

Regulus, however, simply scoffed and then mumbled what was in his mind, “Alpha Romulus is dead. So, I don’t know what he thought about you or if he knew anything about you at all. And you were found at the crime scene. So, right now, you are one of the suspects.”

“Suspect?” Ruby almost couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Why would I do something like that to the person who put a roof over my head when I had no place to go?” she screamed in a broken voice.

Regulus shrugged and threw in some mad theories, “Maybe he was trying to do force himself on you and you didn’t like that? And you killed him in a whim of rage? Or maybe you were his prisoner and not a guest as everyone believes you to be. And the only way out of this manor that you found was to kill him?”

Ruby grabbed the ends of her hair and asked in utter confusion, “Force me? Prisoner? What are you even talking about? Alpha Romulus was a great man! I thought you were his brother. How can you even put such baseless accusations on someone who just lost his life?”

Regulus took a deep breath and walked over to the window. He looked outside while holding his arms behind his back. And he softly mumbled, more to himself than to Ruby, “I am his brother. Yes. That’s why I know how he is and how he thinks.”

He then looked over his shoulder and asked Ruby, “Tell me, were you one of the victims of my brother? You can be honest with me. Or were you a spy sent from the vampire Kingdom? You would blend right in among us since, somehow, you are a werewolf. Maybe those vampires asked you to eliminate my brother because... Well, I know he is the greatest arsehole to ever live. So, perhaps, he did something to anger those vampires?”

“I told you already…” Ruby breathed in with great difficulty upon the mention of the vampires. “I am not a spy. I am a fugitive! And I am not Alpha Romulus’ victim or prisoner or anything of that sort.”

“Then explain to me why exactly you were there in the dungeon? Did someone take you there? Did you follow someone? How did you end up in there?” Regulus turned on his heels and looked Ruby straight into her soul.

“I–” Ruby sighed in frustration and looked down at the floor. She had been trying to remember how she ended up there in the dungeon since yesterday. But there seemed to be a gap in her memory.

She gulped restlessly and then softly mumbled, “I don’t know. I don’t remember going there to the dungeon at all.”

“Hmm…” Regulus narrowed his eyes with suspicion once more. “That’s exactly what a person with ulterior motive would say… ‘I don’t know’…”