Lord of The Mysterious Realms Chapter 579

"My apologies. I'm truly sorry."

Jenkins held up his hands and explained, "I had some business with Miss Miller. I'm not quite sure how I ended up here."

Unlike the casual clothes she usually wore at Alexia's residence, Julia was now dressed in a standard maid's uniform. The Hamparvo Kingdom's sense of style was clearly different from Jenkins's; while the white lace and intricate trim were beautifully designed, the outfit seemed a little too heavy.

"Is this a bad time?"

Music drifted from the crack in the door, the sounds of French horns and bass horns blending harmoniously. It sounded like a ball was in full swing outside.

"In that case, could you please give this paper to Miss Miller for me? I'll leave right away."

With that, he handed her the list of materials for the Hemolytic Toxin and those required by Silver Flute Miss. Julia took the paper but didn't let him leave just yet.

She hesitated for a moment before asking, "I believe I've heard that you possess the ability to change your shape and appearance at will?"

Outside the small room, Dolores was in a foul mood. As much as she dreaded Miss Miller's mathematics lessons, they were at least more interesting than this tedious ball.

"Mr. Williams's unrestrained lifestyle is the one I truly want."

Having been in contact with Jenkins for so long, she had discovered that the writer's life wasn't as impoverished as she had once imagined. But the idea of living in a bustling city at the heart of the steam industry, navigating tangled alleyways, undertaking secret missions in the fog, battling fearsome enemies in the shadows, and concealing his identity as an antique shop apprentice—all of it still made Dolores tremble with excitement.

Miss Miller, who was supposed to be accompanying her, had vanished at the start of the ball. Even her own maid, who had gone to the cloakroom for a handkerchief, had yet to return. The girl's mood soured even further.

She had faced a string of frustrations recently: the secret gatherings she frequented had been disbanded, no one on the black market had accepted her commissions for weeks, her two older sisters had grown inexplicably distant, she was holding a fortune but couldn't obtain what she truly wanted, and then there was the truth she'd learned while interrogating that captive... A vague frustration settled over her. Recalling how she'd snapped at two maids that morning because of her foul temper, she resolved to have Julia compensate them when she got back.

"If some oblivious fool asks me to dance right now, I swear I'll teach him the meaning of embarrassment."

"Miss Stuart, may I have this dance?"

Her anger instantly erupted like lava. She spun around like a furious lioness to face the "brave" soul who had dared to ask.

Before her stood a young, dark-haired man with rather plain features, dressed in a red uniform jacket adorned with intricate tassels. Dolores had never seen him before. He was clearly out of his element; when she turned to face him, he actually had the nerve to sheepishly rub his nose.

She was just about to unleash the scathing retort she had prepared when she felt an indescribable familiarity about him. After a moment's hesitation, it dawned on her.

Regardless, she was the first person to see through Jenkins's black robe disguise by sight alone. Of course, that was partly because Jenkins hadn't made a conscious effort to act the part.

Julia stood at the ballroom entrance, her hands clasped before her, watching Mr. Williams lead the princess, who was dressed in an azure gown, onto the dance floor. The man was clearly not a skilled dancer, but Dolores was beaming, her smile more brilliant than any of the jewels she wore. It had been a long time since Julia had seen her smile like that.

"Perhaps this isn't so bad after all."

Ever since that snowy afternoon when the young princess brought her into the palace, Julia had dedicated her life to her. If this was what made her princess happy, Julia silently vowed, then she would do everything in her power to help her achieve it.

Jenkins was short on time. He quickly realized his mistake: leaving the shop in the care of a cat was an exceptionally foolish move, even if said cat was extraordinarily intelligent. He had agreed to one dance with Miss Stuart at Julia's request, but he had no intention of staying long.

So, when the music ended, his partner's face flushed with a healthy glow, he stopped, released his hand from her waist, and prepared to take his leave.

"You classless lout! I challenge you to a duel!"

Jenkins instinctively reached out and caught a white glove that came flying at him. He looked up, perplexed, to see a young man, his face beet-red, glaring at him with pure fury. Thɪs chapter is updated by NoveIꜰire.net

He held up a hand to stop the princess, whose glare was murderous, and thoughtfully straightened the slightly crooked corsage on her wrist.

"No, leave this to me."

Jenkins's voice was filled with confidence.

"I have plenty of experience dealing with situations ."

No matter how rushed he was, he could certainly spare a moment for a duel with an ordinary man. Miss Stuart's etiquette lessons had touched on the subject of dueling, and this would be his second chance to put theory into practice. He was quite intrigued.

(Meanwhile, Chocolate was minding the shop...)

"What were you dreaming about? You're making a strange face."

"I dreamt I was in a magnificent palace, fighting a challenger in a fair duel for the sake of a young princess."

His face held the dazed expression of someone just waking from a dream. Only then did he realize it was Hathaway asking the questions.

The red-haired girl laughed merrily:

"Of course. It only took a single move."

He pushed himself up from the rocking chair, letting the book that had slipped down to his chest fall to the carpet. Then, he mimed a forward sword thrust.

"Oh, Jenkins, you've finally reached the age for those kinds of dreams."

She sighed dramatically.

Jenkins was fairly certain he was older than she was.

Unsurprisingly, Hathaway had come to ask about St. George Avenue being cordoned off. She wasn't trying to pry for inside information, but was instead concerned about whether the incident had affected him.

If the Church decided for some reason to conduct a thorough search of every nook and cranny on St. George Avenue, the fact that Jenkins Williams was an Unregistered Gifted would surely be exposed.

"It's fine. I'm fully prepared."

Jenkins held up his hands reassuringly. "There's no need to worry, Hathaway. I'm completely confident this won't affect me in the slightest."