Chapter 1723: Chapter 1723

Queen Isabella had never liked the Williams family. She had always been fond of Miss Windsor, and she placed immense value on the royal bloodline. Jenkins knew all three of these facts, but until today, he had never imagined that the mad old woman would actually want to change Miss Windsor's blood and put her on the throne.

Jenkins had truly never imagined anyone could conceive of such a horrifying idea.

"A long time ago... no, to be precise, last autumn, I considered having Jenkins and Jessica marry. Jessica would become queen, and their child would naturally be a pure Middleton. Such an outcome..." ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ n0velfire.net

The old woman's voice had grown somewhat hoarse.

"But that outcome is no longer possible, is it? Your spies have confirmed time and again that Williams has chosen the Stuart girl. You wouldn't want to force Miss Windsor to live with a man like that, would you? She is so radiant, so captivating. How could she be deceived by a boy from a common family?"

At these words, Queen Isabella, for a rare moment, showed the weariness befitting her age. She looked up at the young woman sitting across from her:

"I didn't want to kill anyone. Especially since... they were all good children."

"But they are already dead, and you have the potion... Now, you need only kill one more person, Your Majesty, and your wish will be fulfilled."

The voice was exceptionally gentle, like a psychiatrist coaxing a patient to relax and confess their innermost thoughts.

The old woman trailed off, hesitant.

"You have willingly played the villain. Even if she finds out, what could she do? Once the plan succeeds and she becomes a true Middleton, who will be more qualified to sit on that throne? Williams? No, he belongs to the Church of the Sage. Are you willing to see this kingdom fall under the Church's control? Perhaps after this, even a monarch's coronation will require the Pope's permission."

The old woman fell silent once more. The quiet Mr. Hood listened to their exchange with a look of deep regret, while Magic Miss's eyes sparkled with keen interest.

The woman's voice was a whisper, as if she didn't want to disturb Queen Isabella's thoughts:

"Will you agree to help us abduct Capet for the ritual? Without your cooperation, it would be very difficult for us to seize a nun of an Orthodox Church within the city, especially one who is also a Benefactor. Yes, we need your help, your permission. This is the final step..."

Her words jolted Jenkins back to the present. He looked up, watching the two women of vastly different ages, and knew that within the next half hour, at least one of them would die by his hand. At least one.

"Although she is also a Middleton descendant, she is not even a citizen of the Fidektri Kingdom. She has betrayed her own name... You only need to give us the patrol routes of the church and the police. It's very simple... And all we want in return is a map of the deeper levels of Nolan's underground pipelines..."

The woman's voice dropped until it was nearly inaudible, a tone perfectly suited to persuasion in this atmosphere. Jenkins didn't know if the Tree House was aware that Sigrid possessed the Tree Soul and the World Tree Seedling, so he couldn't tell if this was a scheme to kill two birds with one stone.

The old woman remained silent for a long time. It felt like an eternity, yet it might have been only a few minutes before the carriage slowly came to a stop. The slight jolt sent a tremor through everyone, and the young woman smiled.

"You still have time to think it over, but you must make a decision quickly."

With that, she turned and stepped out of the carriage. The moment the door opened, Jenkins saw they had arrived at the queen's residence.

He nodded to his companions, then silently disembarked, following the woman. Magic Miss and Mr. Hood exchanged a look, clutched their talismans tightly, and got out as well, but Mr. Candle was nowhere to be seen.

Mr. Hood asked using sign language.

"Follow Her Majesty. Mr. Candle will return."

Magic Miss responded, watching as the servants climbed into the carriage and carefully helped the old woman alight.

"Being involved in something firsthand is far more interesting than just lying in bed reading novels about court intrigue."

Magic Miss's face wore a look of excitement as the two of them followed the servants inside. Mr. Hood, however, couldn't share her enthusiasm. His own family had been fraught with complex relationships that ultimately led to a tragic end. Conspiracies and betrayals among family always reminded him of his past, which was hardly something to be excited about.

But considering that Magic Miss was viewing this as an outsider, as if reading a real-life court drama, while Mr. Hood was empathizing and putting himself in their shoes, both of their reactions made sense.

It was the first time either Magic Miss or Mr. Hood had been here. Though curious about the queen's residence, they stayed close to Queen Isabella to avoid getting lost or stirring up unnecessary trouble. This required them to use more of their talismans to remain unseen and unheard, but thankfully, Magic Miss had come well-prepared.

At the same time, they also discovered that the queen was not, as they had imagined, surrounded by numerous Benefactors from the Church for protection. In fact, since they had left the carriage, they hadn't spotted a single person who even resembled a Benefactor.

It gave them the impression that even without Mr. Candle to lead the way, they could have easily infiltrated the queen's retinue to spy on her if they had wanted.

At first, this was merely a feeling, but half an hour later, as the old woman began her meal, they were finally certain: the Church truly hadn't assigned any Benefactors to protect the queen.

Although Mr. Candle had been gone for some time, neither Magic Miss nor Mr. Hood grew bored. On the contrary, simply tailing the center of the kingdom's power was satisfying enough. That wasn't to mention the excitement it stirred in Magic Miss or Mr. Hood's fascination with the decorations in the queen's residence.

While the queen ate, the pair stood by the grand dining room's french doors, looking out at the garden. They exchanged their thoughts in sign language, wondering if Mr. Candle would return with the body of the woman from the carriage.

The door burst open with a loud bang. Startled, the two spun around, assuming Mr. Candle had forced his way in. Magic Miss had already prepared a list of complaints for him.

But it was an anxious maid who entered. Head bowed, she hurried to the queen's side at the head of the long dining table, leaned in, and whispered:

"Viscount Williams and Miss Windsor are outside. They wish to see you... The viscount seems quite angry."

The old woman slowly lowered her spoon, which was laden with yellow beans, and placed it gently beside her silver plate. With movements so deliberate they were almost infuriating, she arranged her cutlery and then carefully dabbed her mouth with a napkin.

"Just the two of them?"

"There is also a cat, the small black and white one the viscount often keeps with him."

"You seem to have observed Jenkins rather closely,"

she remarked, her face impassive. The young maid blushed and opened her mouth to defend herself, but the queen stopped her.

"Let them in, then. Have them come here to see me."

the maid murmured, then carefully turned and exited. Magic Miss and Mr. Hood watched with interest from the window. Soon after, Jenkins Williams and Jessica Windsor walked through the doorway.

Mr. Hood had only seen Williams's face from Miss Skylark's dice game and in the newspapers; he had never seen Miss Windsor before. Now, watching them enter one after the other, he couldn't help but remark to Magic Miss:

"They are a very well-matched young pair."

The corner of Magic Miss's mouth twitched. She carefully warned him using sign language:

"Don't just pass judgment on people's relationships. It's quite rude... And especially, don't say that in front of Miss Skylark. You'll stir up trouble."

"Oh, right. The last dice game..."

Mr. Hood shook his head apologetically, then turned his attention back to the three people in the dining room, who had begun to speak.

"Aren't you going to invite us to sit?"

Jenkins, now back in his true identity, asked the question. But before Queen Isabella could respond, he pulled two chairs away from the long table. The tablecloth snagged on them for a moment but didn't stop him. Miss Windsor's expression was terrible—not sullen or angry, but something akin to extreme grief and sorrow.

She didn't even glance at the old woman at the head of the table as she sat down with Jenkins.

"Jenkins, Jessica, what brings you here? If you wish to join me for dinner, please wait a moment while I have the servants prepare for you."

The queen's voice was steady, as if this were just an ordinary visit.

"That won't be necessary for now. Thank you for the offer, but we're here about something else."

She finally looked at Jenkins's face, guessing their purpose from their expressions.

"The heirs have been dying one after another recently, and Miss Windsor and I are very concerned. Today, I asked a friend to investigate the matter privately, and he made a rather startling discovery. I don't want to beat around the bush. Are you involved in this?"

"I don't understand why you would ask such a thing. Is this so-called friend of yours more trustworthy than I am?"

She answered calmly, both of her hands resting on the table. The posture was incredibly strange, creating an indescribable sense of unease.

"Yes. I trust him completely. He is an honest, reliable, kind, and brave gentleman of integrity."

Jenkins stared into the old woman's eyes as he spoke but saw no trace of wavering or panic in her gaze. He then opened the file folder he was carrying and laid out the evidence he and Magic Miss had gathered today, one piece at a time, on the table.