The Dragon King's Heart

Upon returning to Luzernia, Florin gave Laina a review of the information he had gathered. She had also gathered the accounts of the children on what had happened. There was no doubt in Laina's mind that this was no accident. 

"The fire started on the ground floor," Florin explained as she brought Laina on a walkthrough. 

He turned to a corner of the space, near the front of the shophouse as he continued to explain, "This is likely where the fire originated from."

"What are your thoughts?" Laina asked as she took a closer look. 

Though the fire had long been extinguished, Laina realized she was able to sense how the fire had spread. Florin was right. The kindle of the fire was near the front window. From there, the fire spread through the entire house.

"It's no simple accident," he whispered to her as he glanced over her shoulder. 

Laina looked over and out where the windows would have been. The policemen from before walked down the street and came into the remains of the shophouse. Florin took a step to the side as Laina greeted them warmly. 

"Do you have any leads on the investigation?" Laina asked them with a cordial smile. 

The policemen glanced at one another for a moment before their leader, the head officer took a step forward. 

"Yes. Based on the evidence we have gathered from our investigation, we have concluded that it was an accidental fire. Caused by one of the existing lamps near this window," he pointed to one of the windows at the front of the shophouse. 

Florin and Laina exchanged glances for a moment. 

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"I see... accidental fire, you say? No foul play?" Laina asked as she arched an eyebrow. 

The head officer shook his head, "No."

Laina furrowed her eyebrows as she scratched her chin for a moment. 

"But I have enemies. This could very well be an attempt on my life," Laina pointed out. 

The police had not had the chance to speak to her about this. How could they have already ruled out the other potential possibilities?

The head officer looked undeterred and a little annoyed, "Look lady."

"I don't like your tone, officer," Laina snapped back coldly. 

"Are you threatening me, Miss Laina?" the officer fought back without skipping a beat, "For all we know, the fire could have been set by you, or one of those orphans you took in."

Florin glared at the head officer. How dare he speak to Laina this manner! He was ready to rip the officer to shreds where he stood. Laina, having felt Florin's anger, turned around and gave him a signal. Immediately, he softened his resolve and averted his gaze. 

Laina was livid. She knew exactly why the head officer was acting this way. It confirmed her previous suspicions. The fire must have something to do with Jerome. Getting angry now would only be feeding into it. She had to remain calm. 

Laina burst out in laughter. The police were confused and so was Florin. Had she gone mad?

"I was just joking, head officer, no need to take it so seriously," she said as she pats the head officer on the shoulder, "My apologies, my nerves were getting to me."

Laina's expression turned dark as she leaned in close to the officer. She looked him straight in the eye as she whispered in his ear. 

"If I wanted to threaten you, you wouldn't have a chance to even make a peep."

Laina gave him two pats on the back as a smile returned to her face. She clapped her hands together and thanked the policemen for their help. 

"I won't be walking you out. After all, there's no door either," Laina declared. 

The policemen held their tongue as they took their leave. From the expression on their faces, it was clear that they were unhappy. But Laina did not care. 

"We're just going to let it all go?" Margaret asked Laina. 

She bit her lip as she folded her arms. Laina did not like it either. She knew who the culprit was, but without solid evidence, it would be her words against nothing.

"Until we have hard evidence, I am not making a move," Laina declared as she walked over to Margaret, "I don't want to attract any unnecessary attention to ourselves either."

It was not just herself that she had to worry about. Laina did not want to put the children in danger either. They were tough kids, but she still wanted to do what she could to protect them. 

Seeing as the police were also manipulated by Jerome, Laina could not help but sigh. Perhaps she needs to seek a truce between them.

"I'll go find Jerome and have a chat with him," Laina said as she turned. 

She could see Neil and the other children in the walkway. They were listening in on their conversation. Laina went over to Neil and asked if he knew where Jerome stayed. 

He gave her the address. 

"You should not go alone, Laina," Neil warned. 

"I agree with the kid," Margaret quickly added as she came up to Laina, "I'll go with you."

Laina shook her head, "No. I will go alone."

"But-"

"No buts," Laina snapped back at Margaret. 

"My decision is final. This was pretty much my mess, to begin with anyway. I will take care of it."

Titan, who was resting at the side, seemed to know Laina was about to leave. He instinctively got up to walk alongside her. Seeing him, Laina relented. 

"Alright Titan, you'll be my bodyguard on this mission, alright?" Laina said with a smile as she petted him on the top of his head. 

Laina headed off immediately. At Margaret's request, she put on a thicker coat to keep warm as the weather turned colder. Following the instructions Neil had given, Laina found her way to Jerome's home. Nestled uphill was his family mansion. 

At the gates, Laina peered in. She hoped to get the attention of the attendant she noticed through the gate but was unable to do so. Eventually, a patrol guard noticed her. 

"This is private property," the guard said sternly, "State your purpose or leave at once."

"I'm looking for Jerome, is he here?" 

"Master Jerome is-"

"Who is that?"

Before the guard could finish his sentence, a female voice called out from behind. The patrol guard immediately stepped to the side and bowed his head low. 

"Lady Wilma," the patrol guard greeted her. 

The lady had cream blond hair, tied up in a simple bun to keep her hair out of her eyes. From her look to her attire, and the way the guard addressed her, Laina realized she was the mayor's wife. Lady Wilma was likely to be Jerome's mother. 

When Lady Wilma noticed Laina, she ordered the gates to be opened at once. 

"You must be Miss Laina," she addressed Laina as she beckoned her to enter. 

Titan, who treaded alongside Laina, went up to Lady Wilma. The guards and her maid were apprehensive of the solar mastiff at first. But Lady Wilma was unafraid. She held out her hand for Titan to sniff and he quickly accepted her. 

"What a lovely pup," she said with a wide smile on her face. 

Laina was curious to know, "How do you know who I am?"

Lady Wilma smiled as she straightened her back, "You're hard to miss, Miss Laina.. Come in, come in."