Chapter 1591: Chapter 1591

"I never thought I'd hear news of my home again in this lifetime. To think, at my age, I'd finally learn of my relatives."

Robert was overjoyed after reading in the paper that Miss Capet was a Williamette. He mentioned that he had been planning to arrange for the reinterment of their ancestor in Shire City upon returning to Nolan. Now that they had found a descendant of the eldest of his grandfather's three brothers, it felt like a divine blessing upon the Williams family.

"We can treat the young lady as one of our own. The papers say she's about the same age as Jenkins? That's wonderful. Young people are so easy to communicate with at that age."

Inviting Miss Capet to meet the family could wait until they returned to Nolan. Jenkins had assumed Tuesday's papers would continue to be dominated by news of the royal family, but when he picked one up, he was met with a different, stunning headline:

"King Salsi II of the Hamparvo Kingdom to lead a royal delegation to Bel Diran? They arrive tomorrow night?"

Hathaway read the headline aloud, her voice tinged with disbelief, then shot Jenkins a suspicious look.

"My instincts tell me Dolores Stuart is coming too, and you absolutely knew about this in advance."

Her intuition was spot on, and Jenkins couldn't deny it. Suddenly, the news about the royal heir seemed to fade into the background, completely overshadowed by the impending visit of a foreign king.

A few days prior, the news of the southern King of Cheslan's visit had been secondary to the story of the Williams family. But with the northern king also arriving, Bel Diran was about to host the monarchs of all three great kingdoms—a monumental event that would eclipse every other story. The news would ripple out from the capital, and people across the continent would soon grasp the significance of such a summit. Newest update provıded by novel⁂fire.net

The last-minute announcement of their arrival cast a shadow of suspicion over the northern delegation, but it did little to quell the public's excitement. All through Tuesday, Bel Diran was a flurry of activity. The entire city was being decorated, with people tidying their homes and cleaning the streets, all while excitedly speculating whether the renowned northern monarch might wander into a local tavern or browse the roadside shops.

While the citizens were eager to put their best foot forward, Jenkins had no time for such preparations. He had already accepted Queen Isabella's invitation to welcome the northern royals alongside her, but he spent most of Tuesday and Wednesday occupied with church matters and in confidential meetings with Miss Windsor.

The church was already swamped with the aftermath of foiling three major conspiracies. To complicate matters, the Believers of Lies had invited a joint delegation from the Twelve Orthodox Churches to meet them in Nolan, prompting the other churches to dispatch their own high-ranking representatives to Bel Diran as well.

Receiving these delegations and processing the clues left behind by the cultists meant that even Jenkins, as the Saint of the church, had to get involved. He spent his days busy with church affairs and his nights in secret meetings with Miss Windsor, negotiating the terms of their collaboration. Upon learning that Dolores Stuart was about to arrive in Bel Diran, Miss Windsor had even pointedly asked Jenkins about the true nature of his relationship with the princess.

Jenkins hesitated, but ultimately told her the truth, which left Miss Windsor utterly astonished.

"How on earth did you manage that?"

Hathaway had asked him the very same question, her tone just as incredulous.

By Wednesday afternoon, Jenkins had changed into formal attire and made his way to the Cold Spring Palace to meet Queen Isabella. Since the King of the Hamparvo Kingdom was arriving with his children—a rare occasion—Her Majesty intended to greet them personally, accompanied by her own young heirs.

In addition to Jenkins, Miss Capet and his two brothers were also present, along with a few other individuals rumored to be in the line of succession. Miss Windsor was among them, of course. She offered Jenkins a bashful blink of acknowledgment but made no move to speak with him.

This was the first time Jenkins had seen Miss Capet since she had been identified as a royal heir. Queen Isabella cordially beckoned her to stand near, appearing quite fond of the young woman.

When she noticed Jenkins's arrival, the elderly queen graciously called him over as well, loudly proclaiming how much he and Miss Capet resembled each other, and that their beautiful, long golden hair was the most striking feature of the Middleton family.

In truth, no one present—not even the cat—thought Jenkins and Miss Capet looked alike, aside from a slight resemblance in profile. They shared a great-grandfather, making them distant relatives four generations removed; they could have legally married even by the standards of Jenkins's time. It was clear Queen Isabella was deliberately showcasing her affection for the newfound royal heir, seemingly pushing the two of them into the spotlight. This move only served to confirm the intelligence Miss Windsor had shared.

Soon, the entire welcoming delegation was assembled. The party boarded carriages and set off for the steam-powered airship landing platform in the eastern suburbs. Much like the dedicated 'airfield' outside Ruen, which was jointly funded by the church and the crown, Bel Diran had a similar complex on its outskirts, built to take advantage of the vast western plains of the continent.

As a gentleman, Jenkins should not have been seated in a carriage with the ladies. Yet, when the assignments were made, he somehow found himself sharing a carriage with Miss Windsor, while Miss Capet remained at Queen Isabella's side. This wasn't another of the queen's gestures to signal Miss Capet as her chosen successor, but merely a display of affection for a young descendant of her family. After all, Miss Capet was a foreigner; her claim to the throne was hardly more substantial than that of Mr. Luther.

"Regarding Miss Capet, I have a feeling you knew about it in advance."

Miss Windsor remarked from her seat. She was dressed in a very formal gown for the occasion of welcoming foreign royalty. It was now officially summer in Bel Diran, and the inside of the carriage was sweltering. Jenkins felt warm just looking at her elaborate attire.

The cat, apparently feeling the heat as well, was draped across Jenkins's lap in an attempt to cool down, its chin resting on his knee. Since a cat's body temperature is naturally higher than a human's, Jenkins felt as though he were holding a small furnace.