Chapter 1284: Chapter 1284
"I'll go next, then."
Encouraged by Jenkins's "confident" answer, the lady with the shrill voice approached the table and handed him five pence.
"Your path to love will be a rocky one. For the next two years, you must turn away all suitors. Your true love will appear after that." Dıscover more novels at novel-fire.ɴet
"What about us, then?"
The two women who had been silent—aside from Briny—asked in unison. They looked remarkably similar, likely twins, though only one of them opened her handbag as she spoke.
"Do not trust handsome men. The one for you will be a young man of ordinary appearance but extraordinary talent. Yes, the same goes for your sister."
He couldn't be bothered to invent any more outlandish fortunes. A wave of regret washed over him for choosing this place to hide.
Once the two look-alike ladies had stepped back, Briny approached the table. Just like her friends, she gave Jenkins five pence.
He collected the coin with a stony expression, cleared his throat, and spoke:
"You have already found love. Why do you come to me with this question?"
The twins behind Briny immediately began to whisper to each other. Jenkins's hearing was sharp, and he faintly caught the name "Hathaway."
Briny asked, her expression hesitant.
Jenkins didn't answer right away, instead rubbing his fingers together in a gesture for more money. The blonde girl shot him a glare but couldn't find any more coins. Jenkins offered to make change, but Briny waved it off, simply telling him to finish what he had to say.
"Yes. The future your love portends is quite complex—a love unlike that of ordinary people. But it will be a fulfilling and happy one. You need not worry. Fate favors you, miss. That is something many can only dream of."
He didn't dare to be too specific, afraid he might give himself away. He never expected, however, that Briny would notice the lazy cat curled up beside him. By some strange whim, the cat made her think of Jenkins. She pulled a one-shilling note from her bag and offered it to him:
"I'd like you to do a reading for a friend of mine. His name is Jenkins Williams, a twenty-one-year-old man, born in Nolan. Since you seem to need no special items for your divinations, please, begin."
Jenkins pocketed the banknote without a change in expression, knowing this was a critical moment. One wrong word, and he would raise suspicion. Briny might not guess that the hook-nosed man before her was Jenkins himself, but she could easily suspect he was someone Jenkins had sent.
"Jenkins Williams..." he mused. "I feel as if I've heard that name somewhere before. He is..."
He took a deep breath, meeting the scrutinizing gaze in Briny's eyes.
"He is fated for a tumultuous life. And he is of noble birth. Yes, exceedingly noble."
This was, of course, a blatant lie. Jenkins Williams was the bona fide son of a commoner.
"He has a wild personality and enjoys the company of beautiful women. A true rake."
Another lie. Jenkins considered himself quite conservative and traditional on the inside, even if his actions often painted him as a scoundrel.
"He is exceptionally gifted, his talents astonishing."
He had to throw in some "predictions" that matched his actual traits. If every single thing he said was wrong, Briny would surely grow suspicious.
"So, there you have it. A typical young nobleman of high birth—perhaps even a prince of some sort. That is what my divination reveals."
He concluded with a deliberately profound air, but Briny didn't give him so much as a second glance. After a quick word of thanks, she turned and hurried away with her friends, as if escaping.
"So... did I overdo it?"
He remained seated behind the table, his expression impassive. Beside the cat, the crystal ball reflected his contorted features.
After leaving the fortune-teller's tent, Briny and her friends wandered about for a while, like any other young women enjoying a day out. Then, they headed toward the cluster of towers at the heart of the encampment.
The towers had been built by unscrupulous lumber merchants who stored their wood here through the summer, autumn, and winter, renting each one out individually. According to the original Jenkins's memories, the Inherited Sage Church had rented one of the towers when he was nine, using it to sell church-printed books at low prices for missionary work.
This year, however, all the towers were rented out to private individuals. From what Jenkins had gathered during his earlier stroll, the tower the young women were heading toward was one that specialized in selling cheap perfumes.
The ingredients in those perfumes were questionable. They certainly had a fragrance, but it was tinged with a pungent, bizarre undertone. They were definitely not made from natural components; they smelled more like crudely processed by-products of the chemical industry, peddled to the unsuspecting.
He was therefore certain these perfumes had nothing to do with the Perfume Appreciation Committee. That group dealt exclusively in high-end products; to produce such inferior goods would be an insult to their craft.
"So, what are Briny and her friends up to?"
He looked up, focusing on the spiritual aura emanating from the charm Briny carried. He watched as the light spiraled steadily upward, indicating that she was climbing a flight of stairs.