Forensic Imperial Concubine

Chapter 862 The Late Night Visit (Part Two)

With that, Rolando left. Toby was left stunned. He could not move any muscle in his body. He just silently stood there for a long time before he packed his things and walked out of his cell. Since he was given a chance to live, he certainly would not waste it doing immoral deeds. 'Rolando, I will prove to you that letting me live is the best decision you've ever made!' he swore inwardly.

When Rolando returned to the palace, Harper was about to rest. Upon seeing Rolando, she smiled at him softly. "Everything already settled?"

"I thought you would be angry at me for taking advantage of you," Rolando said, his stance relaxed and his smile profound. "I felt relieved all of a sudden when you asked me such a question."

Seeing that Rolando was still standing by the door, Harper invited him in and asked, "Would you like a cup of warm tea?"

Rolando nodded and came in. "Am I interrupting you?" he asked, suddenly noticing that Harper was apparently about to go to bed.

"It's all right. What kind of tea would you like to drink?" Harper asked. She promptly walked to the cabinet and found a variety of tea leaves, which she didn't expect. "Did you stock up on tea leaves for my visit?" she asked, surprised.

"Not really. They're always filled to the brim. But I may have asked some servants to bring in the best ones so that you won't be disappointed in our selection," Rolando replied.

"It's really good to be an emperor, huh? You can do whatever you want," Harper commented, though she really wasn't thinking it. She then took a pot, filled it with leaves of her liking, and asked her maid to bring in a small stove so that she could make tea.

"You know what goes well with tea? Music," Rolando said as he laid his eyes on the desk where a zither was located. "We were awfully disturbed when on that boat trip, weren't we? I was just beginning to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the lake, as well as the music, when those thugs came. But since you're making tea, I guess it's time for me to play the zither."

"Okay. The tea should be ready after you finish one melody," Harper replied with a warm smile as she put on the pot above the stove.

Rolando picked the zither up, sat down, and with his fingers as white as jade, he gently pulled on the strings. Instantly, hauntingly beautiful music filled the room.

As the notes came out one after another, magic seemed to take a hold of everyone, creating a peaceful haven in the middle of the darkness.

Sean stood outside the door, motionless and silently, while Dan kept looking inside. Sean then warned him in a serious voice, "Don't look around."

"Master, it's not the first time I've heard His Majesty play the zither. He used to play it very often back when he was alone at the Harmony Palace. Back then, however, whatever he played sounded lonely. This one is very happy. I'm starting to feel happiness just by listening to it," Dan said as if he was in a state of intoxication. It was as if the music was alcohol.

Sean took a glance at Rolando, who was focused on playing the zither, and then told Dan, "His Majesty is in a good mood. You're right. He usually plays pieces that are sad. But today's is different. He's happy."

Dan silently nodded in agreement. "Look, Lady Harper looks gorgeous when she is making the tea," he suddenly commented. "Her hands move as if they are dancing. She's so elegant and so entrancing to watch."

"I've heard a rumor once that Lady Harper was good for nothing. Now, I honestly think that rumor was only made because someone was jealous of her," Sean sighed as he shook his head. If Harper was not Matthew's wife, she would have been the empress of the Great Jade Kingdom. Unfortunately, the God of Destiny made fools of the people.

Since the Bliss Palace was not far from the Harmony Palace, the wind was able to carry the sound of Rolando's music there. Lilian was the first to perceive it, and it surprised her. She knew that Rolando often played the zither alone, but she always heard loneliness in his songs. This time, she felt that his song sounded different. It was a melody Rolando had played numerous times and it sounded sad. Now, Lilian couldn't hear any traces of that—she could only feel happiness.

"The melody played by His Majesty seems a little different tonight," Daisy commented in a low voice as she stood by the door.

Lilian walked out of her room and stood beside Daisy. "The melody seems to be coming from the Harmony Palace," she said in a hesitant tone. NôvelDrama.Org (C) content.

"My Lady, do you want to go there right now?" Daisy asked cautiously as she saw Lilian's strange expression.

Lilian kept silent for a moment, but after a while, she nodded decisively. She wanted to see what Rolando looked like if he was playing such a joyous melody. Every time she heard and saw him play, he always looked gloomy or unaffected, like he was longing for someone he loved dearly, so she was curious as to what his disposition was now that his music sounded free from loneliness. More importantly, she wanted to see what changed him so drastically.

But what unsettled Lilian was, even though she had heard this melody every day after she came to the Great Jade Kingdom, it sounded new and fresh. Her zither skills were not as good as Rolando's. Even though she had studied and played it for many years, she had never heard of this melody played like

this before. So, she asked around and finally discovered that this melody was personally created by Rolando and its name was Lovesick.

That was when she realized that indeed, there was someone Rolando was cherishing in his heart. As for who that woman was, he had never told anyone, or given any kind of hint. Interestingly, there was no other woman around him. Even though he had female secret guards protecting him, he never showed any interest in any of them. That made Lilian think that she might have guessed it wrong. But now, with the emotion of Rolando's song changing to being a joyful one, Lilian almost felt sure that the one he loved must be right in front of him.

Lilian didn't want to think further. The person living in the Harmony Palace was Harper, who was already Matthew's wife. And they were the most perfect couple in the entire world! Because of that, she didn't want to think that she was the one Rolando was pining for. Lilian also knew that the Harmony Palace was special to Rolando. Rolando never allowed anyone to get inside easily, including her. Sometimes, he would work late and choose to go to the Harmony Palace to sleep.

However, suspicion grew like poison in her heart. Lilian kept thinking everything that had happened: Rolando woke Harper up, picked food for her, ate all the food Harper picked for him, took her out of the imperial capital, and visited her at late night. His every act felt like a serpent ready to devour Lilian's heart at any time. Though she didn't want to act unreasonably, there was nothing else she could think of right now but to go Harmony Palace and see what Rolando looked like at that moment!