Chapter 1959: Chapter 1959

"I thought you would be enjoying the festivities. I'm sure you have no shortage of invitations by now?"

Queen Isabella asked, her gaze sweeping over the riders on the racecourse.

"I've received plenty of invitations in the past, but I've never had much interest in these sorts of affairs."

"You'll need to grow accustomed to these social functions, especially after today. I trust Jessica will guide you."

Jenkins wasn't one to dismiss advice, but her words felt hollow given the present circumstances. He decided to bypass the pleasantries. If his goal was to force her to change her mind, no matter the cost, then a bit of bluntness was in order.

But before resorting to his Lie Godhood, he decided to have one final conversation with Queen Isabella. He held no illusions that she would suddenly be persuaded; he simply wanted to have one last, meaningful discussion with the old woman before she became irrelevant to him.

"This morning—no, it was noon—I was quite surprised when you announced me as your heir."

So he chose to change the subject, steering clear of pointless matters.

"So you're here to thank me?"

A primly dressed maid cleared the table of the old tea and refreshments, replacing them with fresh cookies and teacups. Chocolate’s eyes instantly brightened. Jenkins picked up a small, rose-shaped biscuit and held it near his shoulder. The little cat stretched its neck to sniff it, then narrowed its eyes and took a happy bite with its fluffy mouth.

Even without looking, Jenkins could tell his cat's mood from the feel of its tail brushing against the back of his neck.

"Then you've come to ask why I did it?"

"...You could say that."

Queen Isabella nodded. A full half-minute passed before she spoke again:

"What if I told you I had simply come to my senses? That I finally understood Jessica could never take the throne, so I chose you as my successor and announced it publicly. Would you believe that?"

Jenkins shook his head without a moment's hesitation.

"Very good. You're not the kind of fool to let joy cloud your judgment. That's a fine quality."

With that, she implicitly admitted she had been lying:

"Young people these days are truly remarkable. I was aware of your plan beforehand. I had intended to find a flaw in your speech, to put you in an untenable position and make it impossible for you to continue. I never expected it to be such a resounding success. And that Miss Fabry... it was as if she were working in concert with you, elevating you to such heights."

She glanced at Jenkins as she said this, but she could detect no chink in his armor:

"That's why I chose to take a step back, allowing that forceful blow of yours to strike nothing but air. This is hardly a grand strategy. For one who would be king, it is merely a common scene in the drama of politics."

"If you know my plan, then do you know what it is I truly want?"

"You want the crown on my head, not just a promise."

With that, she rose to her feet:

Jenkins and Queen Isabella were accompanied by the elderly Duke Douglas Gerrod, who had hurried to join them, along with two maids and three royal guards. They followed at a distance, taking no part in the conversation, their presence likely a precaution to ensure Jenkins made no sudden moves.

The party proceeded along the edge of the racecourse, following a boundary line—likely drawn in chalk—that ran nearly parallel to the wooden fence. All around them stretched an endless expanse of grassland. The poor weather had shrouded the landscape in a gray mist, and the northern mountains were only just visible as faint silhouettes.

Looking up, he could see a storm brewing. It would probably rain soon.

"I must admit, I'm curious. You've never shown any great passion for power; I doubt seizing the throne was ever your true ambition. Yet this time, you've acted with such urgency... one might even call it haste. I concede that your plan with Jessica was well-conceived, but that doesn't disguise the fact that you've abruptly abandoned your more patient approach. Can you tell me why?"

The conversation continued, still circling the morning's events. Jenkins was certain the six people trailing them could hear every word, but if Queen Isabella wasn't concerned, neither was he.

"It's to save the world."

He was perfectly blunt.

The old queen gave no indication of whether she believed him or not, nor did she press him on the connection between the throne and saving the world.

"Jenkins, I'm an old woman. I can't compare myself to young people like you. Even when I first wore the crown, I was much older than you are now. I can barely remember what was on my mind when I was your age."

"How old were you when you married the late king?"

"Nineteen. That, I remember quite clearly."

Half a century ago, the standards were much the same as today, making nineteen a suitable age. Commoners often married younger, but for the high nobility, a first marriage typically occurred around the age of twenty, or even later.

"I had no love story like yours. Our marriage was, as you would likely guess, a textbook political union."

Her expression remained placid; she showed no hint of sadness or grief at the memory:

"My house still stood then, before the great plague thirty years ago. My father and mother were overjoyed watching me marry, but to this day, I still don't know if they were truly happy for my sake."

They paused for a moment, waiting for a rabbit that had suddenly darted from its burrow to scurry away. It was a large, gray-furred creature, even bigger than Chocolate, and it looked quite well-fed. The rabbit had started to hop toward Jenkins but fled when Chocolate let out a threatening "Mrowr!" Though normally timid, Jenkins's cat was apparently quite adept at bullying rabbits.

"The first few years of my marriage are a bit of a blur now. I know it's a pivotal time in one's life—you'll understand that deeply when you marry. But all I truly remember is gradually becoming the king's aide, handling affairs of state that were completely new to me. Yes, in the beginning, I was just as ignorant as anyone, and only learned the fundamentals through my husband's tutelage."

She glanced at Jenkins, the implication clear.

"But I bore little responsibility back then. I was not the monarch, after all. I had plenty of time to learn and observe."

The meaning was unmistakable.

"But by all appearances, you learned your lessons well."

"He was an excellent teacher." Content orıginally comes from ⓝovelFire.net

A rare smile touched Queen Isabella's lips:

"Those days are long past, but recalling them now and then brings a certain peace. I am grateful the gods haven't let my mind grow completely addled in my old age. If I were to lose even those memories, I don't know what I would have left to anchor my happiness."