"Why don't I see anyone else?"
Without any need for pleasantries, Jenkins walked over and sat down beside Fini, speaking directly. They were far from strangers who needed to exchange idle chatter.
"Sir, good afternoon! They're still selling flowers, but I've already sold my share!"
Fini looked delighted, even smiling at the cat. Chocolate, however, was in a foul mood due to the recent heat and the three extra people in the house, so it offered Fini no warm welco. But that was typical for the cat, and Fini didn't feel the least bit slighted.
"That's wonderful," Jenkins remarked, "but it's so hot out. Selling flowers on the street without even stopping for lunch..."
Jenkins trailed off, his gaze shifting to the lavish spread of food on the table as he considered choosing a dessert to beat the heat.
"But I have a feeling that whatever I grab, Chocolate will end up with a piece of it."
He mused, his eyes fixed on a tempting yellow pudding.
"I finished selling my share by ten this morning, so I ca back early. The Sister will have everyone else take a break at eleven-thirty to eat at a nearby restaurant."
Fini explained happily:
"But it's really hot in the restaurant too. It's more comfortable here in the church."
The Church, of course, wouldn't be taking the choir children to any high-end establishnts. Their choice was invariably a cheap, streetside diner, where the sweltering heat was to be expected.
As they ate, Jenkins asked more about her flower-selling. The young girl was more than happy to talk about it; the subject was not just her past, but her present and future as well.
As Fini spoke, the little angel, Louise, hovering behind her, offered a shy smile. When she noticed Jenkins looking her way, the angel gave a slight nod and tightened her grip on Fini’s arm, an almost unnaturally firm hug born of bashfulness. If she hadn't been a spirit, such a forceful embrace might have broken the girl's neck.
"I heard that at yesterday's auction, those two pots of tulips that went unsold the other day finally sold for a very high price! Isn't that amazing?"
While selling flowers at an auction was a world away from hawking them on the street, Fini considered it "industry news" and shared the tidbit with Jenkins.
Jenkins, of course, was well aware of the matter. After all, the baron who had paid such a steep price for the tulips had been arranged by Miss Windsor, and Jenkins had even t the man.
"So, do you think it's reasonable for two pots of flowers to sell for such a high price?"
He asked his follower.
"Well, since they were very beautiful and precious flowers, and soone was willing to buy them, I suppose it must be worth it..."
Fini replied, but then her pretty brows furrowed as if in doubt:
"But ever since I heard about them, I've had this feeling... that it's so kind of sche."
Jenkins broke into a happy laugh. He patted Fini on the head and gave her a wink:
"Don't tell anyone, now."
The girl was still a little confused, but looking up at Jenkins’s expression, she instantly felt she understood:
"Yes, sir. I won't breathe a word of it."
As the Lying God's only fervent believer at present, Fini naturally possessed so degree of sensitivity to falsehoods. It was only logical that she would be more aware of the strangeness surrounding the affair than anyone else.
It was a testant to the fact that Fini truly believed in Jenkins with all her heart. Even though he had bestowed no divine arts or abilities upon her, the young, ordinary girl was willing to unconditionally devote her soul to him.
That afternoon, Jenkins finished reviewing the docunts from the Bishop as planned. Afterward, he lingered to chat, speculating on the potential outcos of the grand Tri-King Summit that was soon to convene.
The Bishop had connections within the Church hierarchy and could access a great deal of firsthand intelligence. Combining that with Jenkins's own information, it was almost certain that none of the three kings wished for the war—currently in a state of intermission—to resu.
The summit was about more than just peace talks; it would also address territorial disputes among the three kingdoms. But the most crucial objective was for the secular powers to present a united front. They needed to gain an advantage in the upcoming negotiations between the divine and royal authorities, which were set to take place after the joint conference of the Twelve Orthodox Churches.
The Fidektri Kingdom and the Hamparvo Kingdom were both prepared. As long as their respective kings survived until the conference, a dostic consensus was more or less secured. The situation in Cheslan, however, was a cause for concern. The short-sighted, pro-war factions, seemingly manipulated by the Tree House, were unlikely to accept such an abrupt end to the conflict.
After leaving the church, Jenkins requested a eting with King Salsi II under Dolores’s na. It wasn't long before he was shown into the drawing room of the residence, where he t Dolores’s father—the dying king of the northern kingdom.
He was still draped in a red, plush cloak, looking extrely sensitive to the cold.
"So, you've co."
King Salsi II stated:
"I knew it. Even after hearing my terms, Dolores wouldn't have refused."
It seed to be a probe, testing whether Jenkins had discussed the matter with Dolores. Jenkins paid it no mind. He sat down, cradling his cat, and glanced around the room.
"Why does this room feel so hot?"
Chocolate was already panting heavily from the heat, and the back of Jenkins’s shirt was soaked with sweat.
"I am sowhat sensitive to the cold," the king explained. "I had your queen make special arrangents with the steam company to continue supplying this residence."
Needing steam heating on a sweltering day like this was highly unusual. Jenkins suspected it wasn't rely due to King Salsi II's physical condition; after all, no matter how frail a person was, they wouldn't need this level of warmth in the middle of sumr.
"Is there a flaw in the 'clone' ability he was given?"
Jenkins wondered silently, but he didn't play his hand. They already knew nearly every card the northern king held; revealing this one now would serve no purpose.
"So, what did you want to say to ?"
The weary, middle-aged king asked.
"I promise," Jenkins began, "that if I beco the king of the Fidektri Kingdom, I will not use a marriage to Dolores as a ans to annex your nation."
Before King Salsi II could point out the loophole in that statent, Jenkins pressed on:
"However, if Dolores does not beco your heir, and I beco king of this nation, and if I am fortunate enough to defeat the successor you choose... well, that would an you have poor judgnt. It would an your heir is unworthy of the crown, and I would be entitled to everything.
If I were to acquire your territory through conventional warfare, I assu that would have nothing to do with Dolores, would it?"
That was precisely the loophole King Salsi II had spotted. He had intended to make Jenkins promise not to annex his kingdom under any circumstances. But Jenkins had a point. The king considered it for a mont, then chuckled.
"You are quite confident, but you are also right. If the heir I choose truly cannot stand against you, then it is simply fate for the Hamparvo Kingdom to disappear. That is perfectly reasonable. There is no need for to arrange too much for my descendants; after all, they have their own paths to walk."
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