Chapter 1553: Chapter 1553

"I haven't seen Dolores today. Is she still that busy? And I've been curious since I got here—what's with all the packing? Has Dolores found a better place to live?"

After concluding their official business, Jenkins asked about Dolores, having noticed that Alexia seemed to be in the middle of moving.

"Those questions are all part of the same answer, so I can tackle them at once," Alexia replied. "Yes, Dolores has been incredibly busy lately. Even I've had to help her manage a few troublesome things. The reason for all this is... we're going to Bel Diran."

Jenkins was genuinely taken aback.

"Since we're heading to Bel Diran, Dolores has to leave a sufficient team behind to manage her official duties. Luckily, her younger sister, Angelina, isn't required to go, so she can help out. Of course, Angelina is still young and lacks experience, so we have to make sure she won't make any mistakes while handling things on her own."

"So you're going to Bel Diran to..."

"Jenkins, don't interrupt," Alexia said, her tone sharp. "It's not just us. All of Dolores's brothers and sisters, along with their father, Salsi II, are all going to Bel Diran. It's quite a fascinating situation, really. If the entire entourage were to die in an accident along the way, the younger royals left behind would be the true winners." Latest content publıshed on novel⁂fire.net

"Hold on, I don't understand what's happening."

"At a time , the king is taking every single one of his politically competent children to a foreign capital? Has he finally lost his mind?"

The question was hardly an exaggeration.

"You're not the only one who thinks so," Alexia confirmed. "The reason Salsi II gave is that the royal family must escort a treasure from their vault to Bel Diran. It goes without saying that it's just an excuse."

"So what's the real reason?" Jenkins pressed.

"That's hard to investigate. Dolores's father is keeping the matter under strict secrecy; even the royal family's departure is being hidden from the public. After we leave, the princes and princesses will all have body doubles managing their duties, so the people may never even realize their king and so many heirs have left the country. From what little information we have, Salsi II exchanged a few unusual letters with that lady from your kingdom, and only then did he decide to travel to Bel Diran.

This wasn't a rash decision. He's been planning this ever since he was diagnosed with his terminal illness. It may seem sudden to everyone else, but Salsi II has been preparing for a very long time."

"He's been corresponding with the Queen of Fidektri?" Jenkins mused. "Now that you mention it, both of them are facing a foreseeable end. But I highly doubt they're discussing how to peacefully enjoy their final days."

Likewise, Jenkins didn't believe for a second that Salsi II was going to all this trouble to bring all his potential heirs to Bel Diran just to marry Dolores off to him and unite their kingdoms. He wasn't that arrogant.

Therefore, the two reigning monarchs must have some unimaginable plan in the works, one they were clearly confident enough to execute.

"Why does this feel like the calm before a storm?" Jenkins muttered, his brow furrowed. Compared to Salsi II's decision, his own dinner plans for the evening now seemed utterly trivial.

"Before you leave, you must make sure Angelina has adequate protection and resources. A king leading all his heirs away from the capital... it makes me wonder if he's planning a grand purge to pave the way for his chosen successor before he dies."

The suspicion was horrifying, but all too plausible.

"You're thinking the same thing I am."

Alexia gave him an appreciative look, a gesture that somehow made the petite young woman seem even more beautiful.

"Dolores, however, doesn't believe her father would do such a thing. Oh, she's still only sixteen, after all. No matter how mature she seems, she can still misjudge certain things. But don't worry about Angelina's safety. Besides leaving her a spiritual lodestone, I have other measures in place. And besides," she added, "your ice castle is still standing on that mountain peak. As long as it's there, any problem in Ruen is no problem at all."

Jenkins finally relaxed upon hearing this. He wanted to ask more about the royal travel plans, including the time and method of their departure, but Alexia explained that Salsi II was keeping it a strict secret. He had warned his children in the sternest possible terms not to tell anyone about the trip. For the long journey, each of them was permitted to bring no more than one servant and one guard.

His Majesty was well aware of the disaster that could befall his family and his kingdom if anything went wrong, so not even Dolores and Alexia knew the time or manner of their departure.

Alexia suspected that Salsi II hadn't even decided on the details himself, which only added to the mystery of it all.

Having bid farewell in Ruen, Jenkins returned to Bel Diran to find Hathaway and Briny had already chosen his attire for the evening. When they sought him out for the final decision, he was in the middle of writing a letter to the palace, notifying them that he would be bringing his cat to the banquet.

Briny suggested they should dress Chocolate up as well. As expected, the cat was not amused. It leaped onto the desk, planting itself on Jenkins's hand to stop him from writing, then turned and let out several pointed meows in Briny's direction.

This sent everyone into a fit of laughter. Jenkins scooped up his cat, smiling as he explained to Briny that Chocolate never wore any kind of decorative accessory. "He hates feeling restrained," he added.

He didn't visit Papa Oliver or his family, nor did he inform the Church about the evening's banquet. After changing into his new clothes at his own house, Jenkins stepped into a carriage sent from the royal palace, one bearing the crest of the Middleton family, and set off toward the outskirts of the city. This had all been arranged with the Pontiff beforehand; during such a sensitive period, the two of them needed to avoid arousing suspicion.

The carriage's departure was witnessed not only by the worried women at his front door but also by the many others who were watching his every move. Everyone knew that tonight's banquet would likely yield no definitive outcome, but they also understood that this invitation marked the official beginning of the contest for the crown.

It was a signal. The wheels of the carriage rolled over the very pulse of the era, its destination holding the potential to create a new future or destroy everything. Not even the Millstone of Fate could tell the people standing at this crucial historical crossroads which path to choose.

But time would not halt for anyone's hesitation. History would march onward, regardless of the choices made by those who held the power to steer the carriage's destination.

The history books would never record this outwardly ordinary day. But there would always be some who understood just how important it was for the future.