Chapter 1966: Chapter 1966

"Her Majesty says you are to go to her tomorrow evening to discuss the matter of securing the crown and a few of the royal seals before the coronation. Also, you need to consider when you will accompany her to Bel Diran. Yes, you must reside permanently in Bel Diran, not just visit for the coronation ceremony. Jenkins, I know how you feel about Nolan, but things have changed," Jessica said.

In fact, Queen Isabella had wanted the Williams family to move out of their current home immediately. It was far too small, hardly befitting a king's status, and inconvenient for servants. The royal family owned plenty of property in Nolan; finding a manor suitable for a king would be a simple matter.

The request was reasonable, but Jenkins refused it.

He agreed to go to Bel Diran after all his business in Nolan was concluded, but now was hardly the time to be moving. The final battle was approaching, and he had no extra time to set up a new safe house for his family.

He had left the house in the morning as Viscount Williamette and returned as His Majesty Williamette. The evening paper had already announced the transfer of the Fidektri crown, and by tonight, the news would spread across the globe.

Jenkins still felt a sense of unreality when he arrived home. As he was unlocking the gate with his key, he mentioned this feeling to Hathaway, who believed he was not prepared at all.

"A few months from now, when you're at the Cold Spring Palace in Bel Diran, dressed in royal regalia and receiving foreign dignitaries from the throne, it will probably start to feel real."

"Gods no, let Queen Isabella handle all of that."

He then found himself wondering whether obtaining the crown was a good thing after all. By the time he finished his contemplation, he was already in the living room. Turning to Jessica, who had just walked in from the foyer, he shared the conclusion of his thoughts:

"I know. You have other things to focus on," Jessica replied, then headed for the door to go to the neighbors'. She needed to check in with Magic Miss and Silver Flute Miss.

After the sound of the door closing, Hathaway and Briny, who were supposed to have gone upstairs to wash up and rest, came down from the second floor as if they had been waiting for Jessica to leave.

"Your Majesty Williamette."

The red-haired girl descended the stairs one light step at a time, her voice laced with playful mockery.

"I told you, don't call me that... Alright, if you insist. Is there something you need, my queen?"

Jenkins retorted, drawing laughter from both young women. Chocolate meowed in discontent, so Jenkins sat down on the sofa and lifted his "royal feline" onto his lap.

"Congratulations, you're finally a king. How does it feel?" Hathaway asked.

"I only just got the crown a few hours ago. How could I have any feelings about it...? Was it wrong of me to push most of the troublesome matters onto Jessica?"

"So you do know it's wrong," Briny cooed, settling onto the sofa to Jenkins's right.

"So you'd better be good to her."

"It's a good thing you postponed the transfer of power, or you'd have an even bigger headache right now," Hathaway said. She remained standing and glanced toward the kitchen, confirming that Julia was busy preparing tea and wouldn't be out for a while. "I bet every young woman has dreamed of climbing into the bed of a young, handsome king as his wife. I can't believe we actually get to be queens. Look at us, we haven't even officially graduated yet."

She leaned down and kissed Jenkins's forehead.

"It's not easy to satisfy the criteria of 'wife,' 'young,' 'handsome,' and 'king' all at once," Briny added with a smile. She glanced at Hathaway, then lowered her voice, speaking very softly. "So, to celebrate today, why don't we..."

The pad of her right index finger traced a line across the back of Jenkins's hand. Jenkins blinked, looking at the golden-haired girl's faintly blushing face, and felt as if his heart was skipping a beat.

Hathaway immediately shook her head.

"But that was your idea, Hathaway. In the lecture hall, you said when you were hugging me..."

"Oh, Briny, please don't continue. Tonight is for Jessica. I don't think I need to explain why."

Briny nodded, looking quite disappointed.

Hathaway then turned back to Jenkins. "Are you disappointed? I'm sorry."

"What are you talking about, Hathaway? How could I be disappointed?"

Seeing his earnest expression, Hathaway smiled and reached out, her own fingertip gently stroking his cheek. "Well, little boy, we have plenty of time ahead of us. If you want to try other things... stimulating and interesting things, there will be plenty of opportunities. You can even make some requests. I don't think we'd object."

Jenkins tried his best not to let a strange expression show on his face. Just then, Julia emerged from the kitchen, and Hathaway asked, "Julia, tell us, don't you think Jessica and Jenkins should be together tonight?"

The question was bold, but Julia had long considered herself a member of the family and thus had her own opinion. "Yes. Even though Jenkins and Miss Windsor already have a marriage contract, it is necessary to consolidate the relationship and make it more intimate to ensure Miss Windsor's absolute reliability in helping Jenkins handle the duties of a king."

The maid's expression was unchanged as she spoke, faithfully fulfilling her role. Fınd the newest release on novel-fire.net

"See, Julia agrees... Speaking of which..."

She shot the household maid a look that held a hint of danger, while Briny simply covered her mouth and giggled. Jenkins felt a little awkward. His hand was unconsciously stroking the cat on his lap; Chocolate was so small, soft, and warm.

"Speaking of which, Julia, you should also be prepared. This man isn't going to let you go."

Faced with such slander, Jenkins stiffened, wanting to object, but after a brief exchange of looks with Hathaway, he knew he couldn't lie to her. "I know it's my fault..."

"See? There he goes again," Briny complained with a smile to Hathaway and Julia.

Most of the time, there was no difference between day and night for Jenkins. Although he still maintained a biological clock of being active during the day and resting at night, perhaps from spending too much time with Chocolate, he sometimes felt more energetic in the evening.

That was why he never tired of his nighttime activities.

But on this Sunday night, Jenkins found himself uncharacteristically contemplating the evening ahead. As usual, he washed up and returned to his bedroom to rest.

He had just lain down when the door was opened by a girl from the hallway. Jessica, clad in a nightgown, slipped through the crack in the door and quickly shut it behind her.

Jenkins's eyes blinked once. He could clearly see that J-Miss and Miss Windsor were not with her. It seemed her trip to see Miss Silver Flute next door must have also included the idea of temporarily housing the other two Windsors elsewhere.

The girl with flowing golden hair stood by the door, her face flushed as she looked at Jenkins. The hazy light of the twin moons cast her silhouette onto the opposite wall, like the image of a maiden holding a bouquet in an oil painting.

Jenkins propped himself up on the bed and looked back at her. Chocolate watched them both, licked its paw, and its sensitive nose caught the complex scents in the air.

Sometimes, Chocolate did miss the days when the bedroom had no visitors, but since Jenkins was happy, it wouldn't object anymore. In Chocolate's eyes, although Jenkins was quite outrageous, he was still Jenkins—the silly man who had been there when it was born.

Leaving the sweet and heated atmosphere of the bedroom on St. George Street for a moment, on the other side of the city, six or seven Church carriages were parked outside Nolan Station. A group of Benefactors from the Orthodox Churches, including Miss Audrey, were waiting inside for the imminent arrivals.

This was the new wave of reinforcements sent by the various churches to Nolan. Though fewer in number than the previous two batches, they were still the core strength of their respective churches.

Miss Audrey paid no mind to the people streaming out of the station exit until she saw a woman in a pale yellow straw hat and a black ladies' overcoat. She hurried forward to greet her.

She took the wine-red suitcase from Miss Brolignans's hand. The case was much heavier than it looked, a clear sign that its contents were anything but simple.

"Did Jenkins not come?"

The two tall women walked out side by side, but instead of leaving with the others, they boarded a separate carriage and headed toward the city center.

"No. As you requested, I didn't tell Jenkins the specific time your train would arrive, only that you would be here this weekend. Teacher, did you see the news? Jenkins has taken the throne."

After boarding the carriage, Miss Audrey placed the suitcase on the seat beside her and asked eagerly.

"You can't get the news on a train, but I received word through other channels. Very good, Audrey. My student, very good."

The long journey had left the level nine diviner somewhat weary, but she still seemed full of energy. The woman reached up to unfasten the top button of the white blouse beneath her coat, revealing a hint of her collarbone. Miss Audrey raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"Now that he's taken the throne, I suppose there won't be any issue with the 'Uncrowned King'," Miss Audrey said.

"No, ascending the throne to obtain all the King Souls is merely the first step. Afterward, there are still very troublesome matters for him to handle."

"Are you talking about the fusion of the King Souls? I've already heard from the Sage's Church. Jenkins received a revelation from the Star Spirits and learned how to fuse the King Souls."

Since they were in no hurry, the carriage did not gallop along the main roads of the quiet city but proceeded at a normal pace. The wheels crunched over a stone, causing the carriage to sway ever so slightly. The rhythmic sound of the wheels drifted on the midnight wind. For this night, at least, it was a peaceful one.