Chapter 2056: Chapter 2056

In the room, Jessica had no idea what Jenkins was about to say, but J-Miss and Miss Windsor did.

Jessica sat on the sofa. J-Miss stood with her hands behind her back, gazing at the large oil painting of "The Saint's Sermon" hanging on the wall by the door. Miss Windsor leaned a hand on the windowsill, watching the others in the room. Jenkins sat on a smaller sofa to the side, holding his cat.

"You want to tell us that if you die, the throne will pass to Jessica?"

Miss Windsor asked, her expression darkening slightly.

"I know the Difference Engine is powerful, but so are you. Do you have so little confidence?"

"It's just a precaution. After all, anything can happen. In any case, it's enough that you know my arrangements. I've already appointed a very honest and upright old gentleman to help me, in case I really... well, it was just a passing thought."

Jenkins and Jessica had once shared an intimate moment, but because Jessica had misjudged the duration, the other two had unexpectedly returned to her body in the middle of the night, leading to a rather awkward situation.

Therefore, in theory, all three versions of Jessica were now very close to Jenkins.

"I will come back," he declared. "Otherwise, who's going to take care of my cat?" Content orıginally comes from N()velFire.net

"How about this," he suggested.

He placed Chocolate on the table. The cat, annoyed by his sudden "coldness" after being petted, stood on its hind legs and pawed at Jenkins's arm, but he paid it no mind.

"Why don't we make a promise? If I manage to return safely, you all..."

He moved to sit beside Jessica, leaning in to whisper something in her ear. Though it was only a few words, his own face flushed red.

"Of course, you can refuse. Just assume I've lost my mind... Oh, forget I said anything. I really must have lost my mind just now."

He regretted the words the moment they left his mouth, thinking that such a proposition was completely out of character for him. He shook his head and started to move back to his original seat, but Jessica grabbed his arm, stopping him. The strong, blonde-haired young woman's eyes were already rimmed with red.

"As long as you come back, of course I'll agree."

She then looked toward Miss Windsor and J-Miss.

"Spare me," he pleaded, cutting her off. "I shouldn't have said that."

He was in a full-blown panic, convinced she was about to repeat his words to shame him as punishment.

"I repent!" he exclaimed loudly.

J-Miss forced a smile, trying to mask the worry and fear in her heart.

"No matter what, you have to come back. As long as you do, we'll agree to any... outrageous request."

"In fact, if you want, I wouldn't mind fulfilling your idea right now," Miss Windsor added, only to be struck by a sofa cushion thrown by Jessica.

In terms of time, J-Miss and Miss Windsor had known Jenkins for a very short period, and their feelings for him should not have been that strong. But by sharing some of Jessica's memories and gaining a sense of "empathy" as they integrated into her body and became real themselves, their feelings for him were actually quite nuanced.

If it hadn't been for the accident that night, perhaps that nuance would have needed time to develop. But because of what happened, it had blossomed into maturity almost instantly.

Although Jessica was not them, they were indeed Jessica. The three were now inseparable for life, which meant that the future wedding of Jessica Windsor would, in fact, be a wedding for all three of them.

Jenkins deeply regretted starting this conversation. He picked Chocolate up from the table, closed his eyes, and after a few seconds of stillness, tapped his fingers on the tabletop.

Slowly, several thick, red-covered books with no titles appeared on the table. Each was secured with a metal clasp, and the keys lay beside them.

Such a simple act of creation should not have taken so long, but Jenkins had to ensure that the contents of the pages were complete and appropriate.

"Don't open these books now. If I don't come back, then you can open them."

"What are these? They're so thick. Your 'Comprehensive Guide to Raising Chocolate'?" Jessica joked, hoping to dispel some of the gloom in her heart.

"It's not really that, is it?"

"Of course not. These are... some of my ideas. Some are too advanced for this era, others are merely theories with no practical application, but most are fully developed principles. In the unlikely event I don't return, you can read them. Consider it a pastime..."

He had to leave something of himself in this world. If he succeeded, he would have all the time in the world to influence the course of history as he saw fit. But if he didn't make it back, he didn't want the knowledge only he possessed to vanish with him.

"You will come back, won't you?" Jessica asked again, needing the reassurance.

"Yes, I'll definitely come back... And not because of that silly thing I said earlier, which you can all forget. I know there are many people in this world waiting for me, so I will definitely come back."

Jessica looked as if she were about to cry. Miss Windsor bit her lip as she stared at him, while J-Miss deliberately turned her face away so he couldn't see her expression.

"Remember your promise, Jenkins. You have to come back."

After his talk with the three women, Jenkins felt a wave of melancholy. Just then, he ran into Fini, who had been looking for him. He then summoned Briny and entrusted her with the matter of the Flower Sellers' Guild.

Among all the young women in Jenkins's circle, Briny was the only one with both the time and the energy to handle this. Jenkins had already laid out a complete career development plan for the flower sellers; all he had to do was write it down and hand it to her.

Besides, with help from Hathaway and Jessica, the task wouldn't be very difficult.

Briny could see that Jenkins was arranging his final affairs. Her eyes red, she nodded and accepted the file he offered. Fini, having experienced similar things before, understood the gravity of life and death far better than Briny did and knew just how terrifying this was.

"Sir, why don't I go with you..."

"Don't even think about it," Jenkins said, shaking his head. He then knelt down and patted Fini's shoulder.

"If I don't come back, it means the end is near. I'll need you to protect the people who are important to me. Can you do that?"

"Sir... you have to come back."

The little girl wasn't very good at holding back her emotions and was already wiping away tears as she began to cry.