Chapter 1629: Chapter 1629

Miss Windsor was remarkably resourceful. She had already sorted through her original supporters, and in collaboration with Dolores, purged those who were stubbornly resistant. Thanks to Jenkins's lie-detecting ability, the work was astonishingly simple. It also gave Miss Windsor's faction a clear demonstration of the power held by the man to whom they had sworn their loyalty.

Miss Windsor's current objective was to secure the support of the Royal Army. This was something Dolores couldn't easily assist with, so she had to tackle it on her own. If she succeeded, Jenkins would gain the backing of the majority of the Fidektri Kingdom's military forces.

Fortunately, this era had no air force; otherwise, matters would have been far more complicated.

As Jenkins stood beside the flowerbeds conversing with the two ladies, his eyes drifted toward the bonfire blazing in the center of the manor’s courtyard. The number of guests was steadily increasing, and it was impossible for everyone to dance inside. The weather was pleasant, making a stroll around the bonfire under the stars an excellent alternative.

A lazy meow echoed from his shoulder. Jenkins instinctively raised a hand and scratched the cat’s chin. He curled his index finger under Chocolate’s small head, and the cat immediately squinted, tilted its head back, and let out a thoroughly contented purr.

He had gone to find Chocolate right after dancing with Alexia and the unfamiliar dark-haired girl. He'd expected the cat to be upset about being left alone, but to his surprise, it seemed exceptionally happy—perhaps a little too happy.

This led Jenkins to suspect that his cat had suddenly discovered the joys of "freedom." He worried that Chocolate might develop a taste for solitude. A darker corner of his mind began to scheme, convinced he must find a way to keep Chocolate "trapped" by his side forever.

The last vestiges of the sunset vanished in the west, and night descended. They hadn't been talking for long when he noticed the people in the courtyard gathering toward the manor’s entrance. Just as he suspected, the Stuarts had arrived.

A sudden thought struck Jenkins: if someone were to encounter all of Dolores's siblings on the street, would they have to repeat the titles dozens of times? The comical image brought a smile to his lips. Alexia, at his side, recognized he was lost in thought again. She tugged at his sleeve, a silent warning to wipe the strange expression off his face.

Upon their arrival, the Stuarts first paid their respects to Queen Isabella before dispersing to enjoy the ball. Dolores, naturally, brought Julia straight to Jenkins and Alexia, with the eldest princess, Yani Stuart, trailing just behind them.

The eldest princess, who had long resided in the northern kingdom, was acquainted with Miss Windsor. It seemed they had met as children and were on reasonably good terms.

With an acquaintance present, Yani Stuart now had a reason to linger. Holding a glass of red wine, she observed Miss Windsor, and after a few probing remarks, she deduced that her relationship with Jenkins was anything but ordinary.

"Your situation is certainly much better than ours."

She was referring to the succession. She and Dolores still had their greatest rival, their eldest brother, Prince Sarrot Stuart, to contend with. Furthermore, their father, King Salsi II, guarded his power jealously, keeping all his children in check. Jenkins, on the other hand, was ostensibly in the strongest position in the Fidektri Kingdom, with considerable support at home, and Queen Isabella didn't seem to be clinging to her crown with the same tenacity as the northern king.

"My own situation isn't exactly ideal. I have plenty of people watching my every move."

Jenkins quipped, the only one in the group holding a glass of juice. He then recounted the earlier incident when a man had invited Alexia to dance.

"Victum? I know of him. He's one of the men Her Majesty holds in high regard. My spies reported that he had a private audience with the Queen a few days ago, which likely explains his arrogance tonight."

Miss Windsor explained.

"Provoking someone in a place ... it sounds like that viscount has a problem up here." Follow current novels on NoveI[F]ire.net

Yani Stuart remarked, tapping her temple.

"Perhaps he heard something from your queen?"

Dolores speculated, then added:

"I can't shake the feeling that the old queen is even more formidable than my own father."

"She has sat on the throne for over fifty years and kept Fidektri stable for just as long. I refuse to believe she's some benevolent ruler."

Yani Stuart advised her younger sister. Though it wasn't her place to comment, Miss Windsor, who had overheard, found herself in complete agreement.

Since this was a ball, they couldn't just stand around talking all night. Once most of the guests had arrived, their host, Queen Isabella, gave a brief speech and invited everyone to enjoy themselves.

Jenkins danced with each of the ladies in his company, even sharing a dance with Yani Stuart. Only Julia declined his invitation, explaining that as a maid, it would be improper for her to dance with him at such a formal event.

The ball went on late into the night. In between dances and conversation, Miss Windsor introduced Jenkins to several young men. They were all allies, and though most were older than Jenkins, they treated him with the utmost respect.

Meanwhile, Dolores and her older sister spoke intermittently about the current state of affairs in Ruen. With the royal family so far from their capital, and given the era's limited communication technology, it was nearly impossible for any of them to get firsthand intelligence.

But Yani Stuart's thinking aligned with Jenkins's. She, too, believed their father had deliberately taken the family away from their country for a time in order to conduct a purge.

She mentioned that the Hamparvo Kingdom's southern garrison had shown signs of moving north, but Dolores countered that Ruen itself was quiet, with no visible disturbances for the time being.

Toward the end of the tedious ball, the eldest Stuart sibling, Prince Sarrot, approached Jenkins with a glass of wine. They had met once before in Ruen, and now that Jenkins was acknowledged as a "prince" of Fidektri, it was only natural for Sarrot to offer his congratulations.

He was well aware of Jenkins's relationship with his sisters. He also knew perfectly well that the only reason Dolores remained in Nolan, rather than frequently visiting their father, was because she was preoccupied with the affairs of the young man standing before him.

The conversation began pleasantly enough, with Prince Sarrot being exceedingly polite. He soon hinted, however, that if Jenkins were to marry Dolores and swear never to set foot in the Hamparvo Kingdom again, he would provide a substantial sum of money to support Jenkins's bid for the throne. He was even prepared, as an older brother, to offer a priceless dowry for his sister—one that could include some of the kingdom's disputed southern territories.

He made this promise in his capacity as the heir to the northern throne.