Chapter 1281: Chapter 1281

Even the general public, unaware of the full story, could feel that something was amiss in Ruen lately. It wasn't just the frequent return of powerful, border-defending dukes or their representatives to the capital. A quick glance at the daily papers, beyond the disaster relief news, revealed frequent personnel changes in the Parliament and City Hall, enough for any politically astute citizen to sense that a storm was brewing.

His Majesty the King had not made a public appearance since the attack during the opening ceremony of the Ice and Snow Festival. Although the royal family and the government insisted the king was unharmed, it didn't mean everyone believed them.

Fortunately, this era lacked sophisticated photo-editing technology, so when a picture of Dolores's father appeared on the front page, it managed to quell the burgeoning unrest within the kingdom, if only barely.

But now, even the common folk far away in Nolan City enjoyed discussing the affairs of the Hamparvo Kingdom as a daily pastime. Jenkins was certain that a considerable number of people knew about King Salsi II's condition. And even for those who didn't, any intelligent person could likely guess the truth from his recent, unusual decrees and behaviors.

After breakfast, he settled into Dolores's study to write a new draft of his speech. To focus, he even shut Chocolate out of the room. He had, however, forgotten to close the window. Before long, the cat "flew" in through the opening. Jenkins would have sworn the way the cat dove through the window was practically indistinguishable from flight.

The cat seemed relieved to see him and curled up into a little ball of fur by his hand. It didn't wake until Jenkins had penned the final word, at which point it began meowing and pacing back and forth across the papers.

The ladies had not been idle that morning either; they too were to attend the address. For such an important occasion, their attire and accessories had to be tasteful and appropriate. They were not the type to procrastinate, and in a single morning, they had not only selected their own outfits but had even contacted the Sage's Church to have Jenkins's attire prepared as well.

"Oh, that hairstyle... it's very cute."

When Jenkins saw Dolores again, she was wearing a pale blue, voluminous dress. The bottom third of her hair had been curled, by what method he couldn't tell. He couldn't say the style was a perfect fit for her, but having grown so accustomed to her long, straight hair, the change was a refreshing sight.

Alexia reminded him. She and Julia had also chosen their dresses, while Jenkins's suit had been laid out in his bedroom. After he had changed, Julia led a team of maids into his room and had him sit before a ridiculously large vanity mirror. The maids then took turns applying things he couldn't recognize to his face and hair.

"This is really fine, you know. I'm not used to wearing makeup,"

Jenkins muttered his complaint to Alexia, who stood to the side with her arms crossed, watching his reflection in the mirror.

"This is a very important occasion. You must accept these arrangements, if only for Dolores's sake... Does Chocolate need makeup? I assume you won't be leaving him at home."

"Just get me a brand-new little comb in a bit. It has to be new, never used by anyone else, and definitely not by another cat. I'll just brush Chocolate's fur. And Alexia, I know what you're going to say, but I've tried countless times to put a bow or a bell on him, and I've never succeeded. I've given up on the issue of Chocolate's accessories."

When Julia herself approached Jenkins with a tube of lipstick, he finally couldn't take it anymore and leaped from the stool, swearing to the Sage that he was about to get truly angry.

So, in the end, he only allowed the maids to style his hair, refusing even the powder for his face. But Dolores thought he looked just fine this way. The final task of straightening his necktie, however, fell to Alexia.

Dolores would later swear she saw her teacher actually float into the air to bring their gazes level.

After their preparations came lunch, and once they had eaten, the group set off for the city, escorted by a convoy of carriages. Along the way, Dolores reminded Jenkins that a great many people would be in attendance, and that would include some with malicious intent.

"The speech ends with a question-and-answer session. I wanted to cancel it, but it's against protocol."

Dolores said, troubled.

"I understand. In fact, every speaker dreads the final Q&A, because they never truly know who is in their audience."

Their first stop was Dolores's club in the city, where they met with her supporters and followers. After receiving a round of flattery, they proceeded toward the Parliament.

More than a week had passed since the riot, but the impact of the two cannonballs that had struck the city had yet to fade. The destroyed blocks and the rubble in the parliamentary square had been cleared away, and now the open space before the Parliament building was at least five times larger than before.

Scaffolding clung to the sides of buildings in need of repair. Workers pushed wheelbarrows along designated construction paths. The place was a hive of activity, and the sight of laborers in shabby, dust-covered clothes crossing paths with magnificently dressed nobles on the same street created a strange, almost surreal scene.

The carriage convoy approached from another grand avenue, pulling to a smooth stop before the stone steps of the Parliament. Jenkins, the first to step down from the carriage, glanced back at the bustling square, which resembled a crowded carriage park, and at the crater in its center, now surrounded by a fence. He wondered how long it would take for this place to fully recover.

Due to the large number of attendees, the address was to be held in the Parliament's main chamber. The structure was similar to institutions of the same name in Jenkins's world. Rows of seats ascended in tiers around a central lectern, with the highest row running along the back wall.

By the time Jenkins was ready to enter, the chamber was already buzzing with a cacophony of voices. Alexia gave him an encouraging look before she and Dolores walked toward a group of ladies and gentlemen who had risen to greet them.

He cleared his throat a few times to test his voice. The cat perched on his shoulder straightened its back. As Jenkins entered from a side door, those who noticed him began to applaud.

By the time he had reached the central lectern and placed his notes on its surface, everyone was on their feet, clapping. A few even removed their hats in a gesture of respect.

The young man under the lights took a deep breath and surveyed the standing crowd, from left to right. Black formal wear was the dominant sight, with the few women present also dressed in somber gowns.

There were few young people; the audience consisted mostly of middle-aged and elderly individuals. Many of them watched Jenkins's face intently, their applause slow and measured, as if they were still evaluating whether the young man staring back at them was truly worthy of it.

Following proper etiquette, he extended his right arm out to the side, brought his left arm back with fingertips together over his heart, and bowed slightly. The applause immediately ceased. Amidst a low murmur, the audience members took their seats one by one, waiting for Jenkins to speak. Google seaʀᴄh novｅlfire.net

"Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon."

He began with the customary opening. His voice was loud and clear, his accent close to the local Ruen dialect, something he had picked up from Dolores over the past six months.

Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion. Citing specific case studies, Jenkins delivered a flawless presentation on financial fraud and anti-fraud measures.

The examples he used, never before heard in this world, were novel enough for the audience. Combined with specialized terminology with deliberately complex definitions and principles that he explained in roundabout ways, it was more than enough to qualify as a truly substantive speech.

Time flew by. Once he started speaking, he lost all track of its passage. There were two short breaks for the audience to use the restroom and for him to have a drink of water. By the time he had covered all his material and acknowledged the audience once more, the sun was already setting outside the windows.

A continuous wave of applause erupted, echoing around the spacious hall like shrapnel from a bomb. Jenkins smiled in the face of it, then raised his hands, palms down, in a gentle pressing motion. The applause naturally began to fade.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to be in this place of great honor, sharing what little knowledge I possess with you. At the invitation of Her Highness, Princess Dolores Stuart, I will be residing in Ruen for some time. Should you have any questions, you may write to me. Of course, if you have any questions about the speech I have just given, you may ask them now, and I will do my best to answer."

Everyone present was a person of status and decorum. No one, naturally, would ask an embarrassing question like "What is your relationship with the third princess?" in such a public setting. Jenkins selected a few of the more serious-looking questioners seated in the front rows and answered their inquiries one by one.

His own knowledge of Ponzi schemes wasn't extensive, but having orchestrated one himself, he had no trouble providing a systematic explanation. However, the questions from the audience were mostly rather strange. The oldest-looking gentleman bluntly asked:

"What must be done to completely eliminate these swindlers and prevent them from ever appearing again?"

That was a question that probably not even a god could answer, let alone Jenkins... although, he supposed he could barely be called a god. As long as human greed existed, the greedy would always devise scams, and the greedy would always fall for them.

It was impossible to eradicate such schemes completely. But if the goal was simply to use a reasonable legal and regulatory framework to suppress such crimes to a minimum, then Jenkins could still provide a respectable answer.

According to the original plan, the length of the final Q&A was to be determined by the length of the speech. When Jenkins had announced the start of the session, he had looked up and seen a middle-aged gentleman standing at the very back and highest point of the audience hold up three fingers, letting him know he could choose three questioners at most.

The old-fashioned gentleman who had just spoken was the Deputy Speaker of the House and a supporter of Dolores. He was the main person responsible for organizing this address for Jenkins.