Lord of The Mysterious Realms Chapter 631

"9,999 gold pounds? Oh, yes. I don't consider myself a bad person."

Jenkins leaned back against the sofa, crossing one leg over the other. The upper half of his face was lost in shadow as he stroked the cat resting on his lap.

"It was all an accident," he explained. "Even I couldn't have predicted how it would all turn out. But I still believe I'm not a bad person."

"And yet, in the span of just six months, you effortlessly swindled a fortune from half the continent. You not only built a reputation for yourself but also won the praise of the majority."

Alexia pointed out with a smile.

"No, 'half the continent's funds' is a bit of an exaggeration. I doubt it was more than five million gold pounds. But as for the rest... perhaps you're right."

This time, his smile was one of genuine satisfaction. Even Jenkins couldn't help but feel a flicker of pride at the compliment; at least for now, he was still human enough for that.

The Tuesday gathering was one of Dolores Stuart's favorite parts of the week, but Mr. Williams was right—one's perception of time truly does shift with their mood. In what felt like the blink of an eye, the two friends who had just been sitting on the sofa discussing deities were gone.

Mr. Williams had left to fertilize a flower, and Dolores had hoped to use that very flower as an opportunity to make a good impression.

"It was truly like something out of a novel," she thought. "No, even a novelist couldn't have crafted such a brilliant tale."

Her admiration for his intellect had blossomed into something akin to worship.

She heard footsteps behind her, followed by Julia's hurried curtsy. The princess instantly composed herself, turning with a broad smile.

The newcomer was none other than the current ruler of the northern kingdom, the king favored by ice and snow and blessed by the god of nature, Brier Salsi Stuart—though he was more commonly known as Salsi II. He was over forty, yet his features remained strong and defined.

He wore a red robe, over which was draped a white cape adorned with rubies. Dolores had inherited her soft hair from the man before her, though the shape of her face more closely resembled her mother's.

"Yes, Father. I wanted to finish the mathematics homework Miss Miller left for me."

"That's good, but remember to get some rest. This is your year-end gift."

The gift should have been delivered last night, to be opened this morning. But His Majesty was a busy man, and it was perhaps understandable that he might occasionally forget a child who was not in his favor.

She accepted the ribbon-adorned box from a nearby guard and offered a graceful curtsy.

Brier Stuart was satisfied with the brief exchange. He glanced around the study, ready to depart—he was exhausted. But his gaze fell upon the nearby desk, and Julia, standing respectfully to the side, felt her pupils shrink.

"Is this... your great-grandfather?"

He picked up the paper Jenkins had left two weeks ago. They had just been discussing it tonight, and Julia was certain she had already put it away.

Dolores's reaction was swift.

"I found an old photograph in the library," she explained, "but sadly, it began to fade the moment it was exposed to air. My only option was to have the image transferred to paper. I hear it's a new technique."

Fortunately for her, the king wasn't interested in so-called new technologies; he was completely captivated by the person in the drawing.

"It is. It really is my grandfather," he confirmed. "I never thought you'd find a portrait of him. It must have been mistakenly tucked inside a book to have ended up in the library."

Such things had happened before, so the explanation was plausible.

"May I have it? I thought perhaps I could have it framed and hung beside the clock in the side hall. We've always lacked a portrait of your great-grandfather."

Dolores said sweetly, carefully approaching her father's side. "In that case, who is this other gentleman? I imagine anyone photographed with Great-grandfather must have been a renowned nobleman of the kingdom."

He seemed to be in a good mood despite his weariness, for the king actually smiled and patted his daughter's shoulder.

"No, you're mistaken. This gentleman was photographed with your great-grandfather more than once. I've heard stories about him. He was a man of great wisdom, a sage who instructed the great Endesdor Stuart in politics and history when he was still the crown prince."

"He was Great-grandfather's teacher?"

She found herself contemplating the generational relationship between herself and Mr. Williams. Thıs content belongs to novèlfire.net

"No. This gentleman never permitted your great-grandfather to call him 'teacher.' He simply imparted some knowledge to him for a time. Oh, Dolores, if you're interested in him, you could read your great-grandfather's diary. I can grant you permission to read certain parts of it. You'll likely find more detail there."

Unfortunately, the fertilizer from the flower-selling girl didn't make the fantasy flower bloom instantly, as Jenkins had hoped. When he poured it into the pot at Alexia's residence, the flower had merely skipped its troublesome third growth stage. It still required a vast number of souls to fully blossom, a fact that left Jenkins deeply disappointed.

In this foul mood, he bid Alexia farewell and returned to the church in Nolan. He had planned to go straight to bed, but the sight of the gifts piled in the corner of his room made him decide to open them instead.

Custom dictated that year-end gifts should be opened on the morning of the new year, but Jenkins had been far too busy that day. Thankfully, no one had asked him about them.

He carried the neatly wrapped, ribbon-adorned boxes to his bed, then sat cross-legged, ready to see what his friends had given him.

Seeing his cat, Chocolate, poised to pounce on the ribbons, Jenkins issued a sharp warning. The cat let out a soft "mew," turned, and flicked its tail against his wrist in defiance.

Each gift box was labeled with the sender's name. Jenkins decided to open the presents from Papa Oliver, Professor Burns, and Bishop Parrold first, assuming they would be the most conventional. And he was right. Inside, he found a brand-new dagger, a beautiful glass picture frame, and a yellowed letter.