Chapter 1568: Chapter 1568

It was certainly an unconventional entrance. The crowd in the grand hall spontaneously parted, clearing a path down the center to allow the men of the Williams family to stride in from the doorway.

From his position on the dais, Jenkins watched as his father and brothers drew closer, seeing the look of relief on Robert's face, the tension etched into Newman's features, and the undisguised excitement in John's eyes. He gave Robert a quick wink; his father had already spotted him standing on the elevated platform.

Robert gave Jenkins a slight nod, then led his sons to stand before the queen of the kingdom.

"Last spring, while organizing the library in the Cold Spring Palace, I discovered the personal correspondence of King Bisola II and subsequently found that the royal family had a bloodline that had been living unrecognized..."

It was the genteel way of referring to an illegitimate line.

"I commissioned professionals to conduct an investigation and finally confirmed that the bloodline scattered long ago has continued to this day. Among the descendants of King Bisola II, there are now four direct male heirs—yes, the four gentlemen standing beside me. I trust you won't question the truth of this. A single glance at their faces should tell anyone with a shred of common sense that I have not gone senile."

She spoke with a light chuckle and beckoned the four Williams men to her side.

Jenkins glanced down at the crowd, their faces a mixture of shock and disbelief as a low roar began to build in the hall. He sighed inwardly and took his place beside his father and brothers.

"I believe now is the most fitting time to announce to you all that these four gentlemen, the Williamses, are in fact descendants of House Middleton. In the near future, I will have Duke Douglas Gerrod present the investigation report to anyone who harbors any doubts."

"Furthermore, four new names will be added to the Middleton family tree—a momentous occasion that has not occurred in a very long time. I am overjoyed to witness the emergence of new heirs to our house before the gods call me home. I am well aware that, for some time now, there has been much... impolite discussion regarding the end of the royal line."

Her Majesty strained to keep her voice raised, attempting to quell the rising murmur from the crowd, a difficult task for a woman of her age.

"But these concerns are baseless. The glorious House Middleton still has dependable heirs. It is a sign that the gods bless our house and watch over the Kingdom of Fidektri. No foreigner will inherit our throne..."

Her words cut through the noise, silencing the hall in an instant. All eyes snapped up to the queen as she continued to speak:

"Yes, I have already sent that foreigner away."

She said this with a smile, her eyes narrowing into slits. The movement made the wrinkles on her face stand out sharply, and it was clear she had no intention of sparing her relative's feelings:

"These are special times, wartime, and a stable succession to the throne is of far greater importance than it would be in times of peace. Therefore, I can now declare that my successor will be an outstanding young person from the Kingdom of Fidektri."

She pointedly avoided using a gender-specific pronoun, a very significant signal.

"I will select a suitable heir in the near future and announce my choice to all the people of this nation. Oh, I know you are all intensely interested, but please, be polite. Do not spread baseless and laughable rumors."

Jenkins saw Marquis Mikhail and Earl Hersha whispering to each other. While the Queen's words seemed to favor the four Williams men, she had deliberately remained vague. If she were to name a woman as her successor and make the Williams men princes, that would also ensure the continuation of the Middleton bloodline.

The old woman speaking was, after all, one of the longest-reigning monarchs in recorded history. Until the moment of the official announcement, she would never let anyone guess her true intentions.

"Now, please, continue with the banquet. The night grows late, and I hope you are enjoying this evening's hospitality."

This signaled the end of her speech. She then turned her gaze to the four Williams men:

"Is anyone interested in a photograph? I've noticed someone has brought a camera. Let's have a picture taken of us all together. It will be a most memorable occasion."

The resulting photograph of the four Williams men and Queen Isabella would undoubtedly grace the front page of every newspaper tomorrow. It might even be printed in history books one day, a significant event marking a new era, familiar to generations to come.

But regardless, at this moment, no one knew on whose head the crown would ultimately rest. This was a special year in a special era. The succession of the Fidektri throne was no longer a domestic affair; it was an event that could very well shape the course of the world for the next century.

After the ceremony concluded, the banquet resumed. Jenkins gestured to his female companions, letting them know he had some business to attend to, then silently followed his father and brothers toward a secluded corner of the courtyard.

No one had approached to disturb them yet, but it wouldn't be long before guests came over to make conversation. Robert wanted to clarify a few things with his sons before that happened.

"When did you find out?"

Robert asked Jenkins gravely, his eyes on the son who resembled him most.

"Not long after I arrived in Bel Diran. Some of the signs were just too obvious."

Jenkins replied. Robert nodded, sighing with a hint of melancholy.

"I found out last year," he explained. "Bishop Parrold was the one who told me. Apparently, the Church intended to invest heavily in your development and was conducting a routine background check. To be honest, I never imagined..."

He didn't explain why he hadn't told his sons immediately, and none of the three brothers felt the need to ask.

Jenkins glanced at his brothers. Newman and John hadn't said a word since the announcement, and he was genuinely curious about what they were thinking.

"I've spoken with Her Majesty."

The patriarch continued, standing with his sons in the shadows of a grape arbor, gazing at the vibrant, colorful scene in the distant courtyard.

"The reason our whole family came to Bel Diran was because of this. Originally, I didn't want our family to get involved. I may not have a university degree like Newman, but I know that getting entangled with the throne never ends well."

The guests in the distance pretended to have no interest in the four men's conversation, but even the youngest, John, could easily feel the faint, flickering stares directed their way.

"But then I changed my mind."

Robert patted John's shoulder, a silent command for him to stop looking around and pay attention. John muttered something under his breath, seemingly complaining that his father's hand was too heavy.

"If one person in our family is worthy of being king—and it feels strange to even say that—then he should be given the chance. You're all old enough now to make your own decisions. I'm not a particularly strict father."

He said this while looking directly at Jenkins, who pressed his lips together and remained silent. He understood what Robert was implying.

The eldest son, Newman, started to speak, but Robert cut him off.

"Each of us must understand his own abilities and his own place. I haven't discussed this with your mother; she still thinks we're here visiting old friends of mine. Tomorrow morning's newspapers will certainly be a shock to her. Newman. John. I know this seems unfair..."

The middle-aged man, who had always claimed to treat his sons equally, studied the faces of his eldest and youngest. Jenkins wanted to speak, but decided it was better to remain silent. Official source ıs novel·fıre·net

"I know all three of you. For the sake of this family, and for your own safety... this chance is for Jenkins."

Jenkins turned his head, his gaze falling upon the courtyard of the Cold Spring Palace. If he were the original owner of this body, who had grown up with this father and these two brothers, his heart would surely be a tangle of complicated emotions right now. But since he wasn't, his thoughts were even more tumultuous.

"I know you will think this is unfair, but I don't want our family to be destroyed by unnecessary greed. This chance is for Jenkins, because only he, no matter what he does, can ensure that House Williams will not face utter ruin when all this is over."

Robert was referring to Jenkins's connection to the Legacy Sage Church, a relationship that could protect the entire family, even if they were to offend the crown.

Neither Newman nor John spoke. They both looked at Jenkins with complex expressions, and Jenkins, pressing his lips together, didn't know what to say.

Robert held out his hand to Jenkins, who pulled the two-thirds of the World Tree Seedling from his collar and placed it in his father's palm.

"For our family, the throne is currently nothing more than a reflection of the moon on water—beautiful, but untouchable. So I don't want you to become enemies, to hate one another over something that might not even exist, like characters in some court drama. This, in my hand, was passed down from our ancestors. It is the token that proves our connection to House Middleton. One-third of it originally belonged to me, and another third was recovered by Jenkins. Now..."

He held the dark object out to Newman.

"Do you want it, Newman?"

The eldest of the three brothers bowed his head, remaining silent for so long that Jenkins thought the cat on his shoulder would start yawning from boredom. Finally, Newman sighed and slowly shook his head. He looked up at his father's stern face, then at Jenkins, who was at a loss for what expression to wear.

"This is the kind of thing you only read about in books. I never imagined it would happen to our family. Father is right..."

His voice was a little hoarse, but still firm.

"Sometimes, we have to face reality. Of course, I want it too, but... I'm not suited for it."

Then he smiled, as if a weight had been lifted. Though his words hadn't triggered Jenkins's Lie Godhood, there was an undeniable hint of melancholy in that final smile.