Chapter 1669: Chapter 1669

Sarlis II ultimately accepted Jenkins's vow but demanded he repeat it in the name of the Sage.

With a clear conscience, Jenkins naturally had no fear of saying it again. He clearly enunciated his oath once more, first in the language of Fidektri and then in that of Hamparvo.

He even asked if the king wanted the vow put into writing, but the offer was refused.

"I have no desire for something you've written to end up in a museum a century from now. You are on the side of the underdog and of love; I am an elder and a reigning king. It takes no imagination to know how future generations will view what we've discussed today. The common folk, the young artists, or the sighing noble ladies of the court are all foolish. When it comes to a love story, they invariably favor the protagonists."

That was the reason Sarlis II gave, but Jenkins suspected the man wasn't one to care much about his posthumous reputation. More likely, Sarlis II believed that if Jenkins intended to go back on his word after his death, neither a verbal nor a written oath would matter, so writing it down was pointless.

Still, not having to leave a written record suited Jenkins just fine; it saved him the trouble.

"You seem to truly trust me, to believe a verbal oath."

Having settled the most important matter, Jenkins let out a breath of relief. He spoke in a joking tone, unburdened by any nervousness he might have felt before his "father-in-law." He had, after all, been far less courteous with his other two fathers-in-law, both naval commanders.

"I trust the results of my own investigation. You are an exceptionally devout believer. An oath sworn in the name of a god gives me great peace of mind. Besides... Dolores is an Enchanter, is she not?"

As he spoke, he moved the cat lounging on his lap to the armrest of the chair. It was simply too hot in here.

Sarlis II let out an unceremonious snort.

"Of course, I know. She was always taking things from the family treasury. She was subtle about it and even knew to leave replacements, but I've been handling those treasures for over thirty years. Some items are impossible to forge."

He lifted his teacup. As the lid of the exquisite porcelain cup was removed, a cloud of white steam instantly billowed out. Jenkins suspected the tea was over ninety degrees Celsius.

"Since Dolores is an Enchanter, then I can, without any further evidence, identify you as a Scribe of the Sage... that is the correct term, isn't it? The Church doesn't publicize the titles it gives its Enchanters. I hope I haven't misspoken."

He looked at Jenkins, as if hoping to see alarm or unease, but Jenkins was still focused on petting his cat. When he looked up, his face was perfectly calm.

"Yes, no evidence is needed. Although I have many children, I know each of their personalities. Some may think I am not a good father, but I know them better than they realize. In my view, while I don't know how Dolores fell into your romantic trap, the future partner she would accept would absolutely not be someone weaker than her.

Among all my daughters, Dolores's personality is the most like mine. While her sentimentality might lead her to make an unsuitable choice, she would never abandon her reason. So, as the only girl in generations of Stuarts to possess supernatural talent, I find it impossible to believe that the partner she chose would be an ordinary man."

Because Jenkins hadn't pressed him with "How did you know I was a Scribe?" Sarlis II had to explain his reasoning himself.

"So you believe that, as a Scribe of a god, I would not lie when swearing an oath in that god's name?"

"Precisely," the king affirmed with a resolute nod.

"Alright... you're right."

Jenkins pursed his lips, not wanting to linger on the topic. He immediately followed up with another question.

"Since I have made my vow, then as we agreed, please tell me what exactly Queen Isabella is up to."

"I thought you'd call her 'Her Majesty'," Sarlis II chuckled. Jenkins's willingness to swear the oath had put him in a rather good mood. "After I fell gravely ill, a group of strange people found me. They promised they could heal me, but I would have to pay a corresponding price. There is reason to believe those same people have already contacted that old lady. I don't know what terms they offered Queen Isabella, but she certainly agreed to them. Oh, and that group—they're Enchanters. At least the three who came to see me were."

"What was the nature of their deal with Queen Isabella?"

Jenkins's brow furrowed. He had assumed the Tree House had merely infiltrated the nobility; he hadn't imagined they could reach the monarchs themselves. And that the long-reigning queen had actually agreed to a deal—that was not a wise decision.

"That, I do not know. Such matters are surely discussed in secret. As capable as my spies are, they cannot stretch their ears into the alloy-plated, soundproofed secret chamber behind the bookcase in the Coldspring Palace." Orıginal content can be found at novel-fire.net

Sarlis II stated this plainly, and according to the Lie Godhood, he was telling the truth.

"I actually have another question. Since the Tree—since that organization contacted you, did you accept their help?" Jenkins asked, quickly correcting himself and not lingering on the matter of Queen Isabella.

"I did not let them use those terrifying rituals to extend my life," Sarlis II said matter-of-factly.

"Which means you did accept their help? Help other than extending your life?" Jenkins sighed.

"Has anyone ever told you that in conversations , it's best not to expose the other party so readily? I know you were raised in a commoner's family, but if you now intend to vie for the throne, you should at least learn some basic decorum, no? Hasn't Dolores taught you?" the king lamented before continuing, "I have one more piece of news for you, as I am not a stingy elder—your queen's truly favored successor is actually that young lady with the surname Windsor."

Jenkins raised his eyes to meet the king's. Sarlis II's expression was unchanged, and his [Lie] ability did not indicate any falsehood.

"But the intelligence I received suggests otherwise..." he said hesitantly, then recalled that most of what he knew had come from Miss Windsor herself. Queen Isabella had never once mentioned to him that Miss Windsor would inherit the throne, so he had never been able to judge the truth of it from the queen directly.

"That is no longer my concern. You can choose to believe it, or you can continue to investigate. But if you ever need it, you can always come to me for help. I am quite willing to assist a promising young man like yourself... Right. Since you used Dolores as a pretext to see me today, you can't leave without some news to take back, otherwise people might grow suspicious of your reasons for visiting. You are a sensitive figure now, and at this juncture, it's best not to be associated with any scandals or rumors. So..."

Sarlis slowly set down his teacup. "How about this? In a little while, I will announce to the public that I intend to marry one of my daughters to a Fidektri successor, for the sake of friendship between our two nations. But I won't specify who. That way, even if conspiracy theories circulate and implicate you, you will have a way to refute them."

Jenkins had no objection. He was once again struck by how he was still just a novice compared to these true political masters.

The meeting with Sarlis II lasted the entire afternoon. Besides the matters that concerned them both, they also discussed art, history, theology, and even continental customs.

Jenkins assumed the king was either trying to get a better measure of his daughter's betrothed or testing Jenkins's true "mettle." Regardless, he had nothing else planned for the afternoon, so he didn't find the aimless conversation unpleasant.

It was just that the room was sweltering hot. Jenkins's back was damp with sweat the whole afternoon.

The Tri-King Summit was the next day, and Jenkins had already received an invitation to attend as a member of the royal family. He scheduled no other activities for the evening. First, he spoke with Dolores about his conversation with her father, and the princess blushed as she listened to their agreement. Then he frankly discussed Sarlis II's warning with Miss Windsor, but she believed it to be a lie. "I am merely a pawn for Her Majesty," she said, a profound sadness in her voice.

Finally, he met with Marquis Mikhail to discuss the queen. The Marquis was also surprised to hear that the queen was involved with Enchanters and said he would have his attendants near her investigate.

Throughout it all, the marquis never once commented on his daughter moving into a man's home before marriage.

After eight o'clock, Jenkins did not go out again. Instead, he stayed home and played card games with the three ladies.

He still wasn't completely used to having so many people living in the house, but it was nice. It was certainly better than coming home to an empty house every night.

The four of them, gathered on the sofa before the fireplace, could all feel the warmth of a home.

Considering the important matters of the following day, the card game ended at nine. Jenkins picked up his cat, ready to go to sleep. After saying goodnight to the three women, he glanced back. The blonde girl shook her head gently; Hathaway had warned her. The red-haired girl gave Jenkins a wink but also shook her head; she didn't want him to think she was forward.

And so that night, the one who appeared in Jenkins's room was Julia, dressed in a maid's uniform.