"You agree with my educational philosophy? Oh, Jenkins, that might be the highest praise I could ever receive from you.
I've complained before that I never taught Jessica about n, which is why she was swept away by you. But in truth, I've discussed this with her, and there's sothing you must not repeat, sothing I'm telling you in confidence. Until she was at least eighteen, Jessica was actually more interested in girls."
"...I won't tell anyone."
So Miss Windsor's disposition in the possibility worlds was not a result of worldly differences at all.
"It's actually quite normal. Noble young ladies of that age often have such inclinations to so degree. I believe it might have sothing to do with our educational policies and social environnt.
In any case, although Jessica's surna is Windsor and she lived with her family, she actually spent more ti by my side than she did at school. Once I made up my mind to groom Jessica as my successor, everything went smoothly.
Watching a baby grow into a beautiful young noblewoman seems to happen in the blink of an eye. One mont, an eight-year-old girl is begging for a teddy bear as a year-end festival gift, and the next, she's already taller than ."
"So, you thought of Jessica as your own daughter,"
Jenkins asked as they continued to walk and talk.
"No, not quite a daughter. More like a niece."
Queen Isabella shook her head.
"I considered that she would marry and even helped scout so young n, but none of them were worthy of her. It's incredibly difficult to find a young gentleman of her age who is of noble birth, has an upstanding character, is ambitious, can distinguish right from wrong, and possesses a kind heart.
Sotis I would wonder if, given how I raised her, Jessica would end up like , living a life of solitude. Of course, I didn't want that for her. It was enough that fate had dealt such a hand; there was no reason for her to suffer the sa. She could follow my path, even inherit the throne, but I never wanted her to live my kind of life. That would be too much... and then she t you."
Jenkins's first encounter with Miss Windsor was last autumn. It was no fateful eting, just a chance encounter in a public setting. Only a year has passed, yet Jenkins still rembered that banquet clearly. It was there he t Dimon Beryl, a descendant of a demon-summoning family, and after spotting Jessica from afar, he learned her identity from his companion at the ti, Briny.
"So, do you think eting was a good thing for Jessica, or a bad thing?"
Jenkins inquired, hearing the cat on his shoulder yawn. The feline had a habit of napping in the afternoon and would likely soon doze off with astonishing balance on his shoulder.
"For her personally, to be fair, it was of course a good thing. Although I have my dissatisfactions with you, you are indeed the best match I could have found for Jessica... It would have been even better if she had t you before the young ladies from the Mikhail and Hersha families."
"Since you put it that way, does that an you believe her eting was not a good thing for you?"
"No, for , it was an even better thing. I know how much resistance and pressure a non-Middleton heir would face ruling the country. If she were to marry you, she would gain legitimacy as queen. Furthermore, I promised the late king that the throne would one day return to Middleton hands. This helps fulfill that promise."
The two continued walking and saw a three-story building standing in the distance. It was a villa for guests of the horse farm to rest, and their party was heading toward it.
"To sum it up, I have faced countless setbacks, large and small, in my life, but I have overco nearly every one. In my later years, my only hope was that the path I laid out for this nation would continue to extend into the future. For that, I was willing to spend nearly twenty years grooming a successor.
This is why I do not like you, Jenkins. You are an agent of change. You will bring different things, and you will absolutely not continue down my path. Even if I knew the changes you brought were for the best, I would not permit them to happen."
"Yes."
He nodded.
"In my youth, I ascended the throne under pressure from both ho and abroad. In middle age, I had achieved everything, only to understand that all things must end. In my twilight years, I sought to raise a successor, only to encounter you. God has given a truly remarkable life and, very generously, made you my opponent at its end.
Jenkins, you may think of as a stubborn old fool, but you must know that my story, my perseverance, and my convictions are no less than those of a young man who has lived for only twenty years."
Since his own age, even combined with that of the body's original owner, was less than hers, Jenkins offered no rebuttal.
"Then..."
He glanced behind him out of the corner of his eye.
"What if I were to use an Enchanter's thods to seize the throne by force? You may be the queen right now, but in reality, my hand is far stronger than yours. That is an unavoidable fact."
"Yes, you certainly have the ans to do so, and I know you wouldn't refuse to do it at the opportune mont. But what of it? I would not have lost to you in a fair fight. You would have won the crown, but even as king, you would be nothing more than a thief who stole it. It may seem laughable, but if you do that, I can step away from the center of the stage and mock you from the shadows, mocking everything you have ever done. Jenkins, if you want it, then co and take it from ."
The maids and royal guards behind them seed to have gone suddenly deaf, showing no reaction to the conversation. The old Duke, Douglas Gerrod, let out a sigh, his already aged face growing even more weary.
"Since you insist..."
Jenkins raised his head and looked toward the villa in the distance.
A lady stood there quietly, watching the group approach. It was Jessica Windsor in an evening gown—or rather, Miss Windsor.
It was certainly odd to be wearing such an outfit at a horse farm, but as she stood there, she looked down upon the crowd like a queen. It was an inexplicable aura; Miss Windsor had not only once been a queen but had also indirectly controlled the Difference Engine, effectively manipulating half the world.
Her aura was similar to that of J-Miss and Jessica, yet distinctly different. In so ways, it resembled Queen Isabella's, but the sense of pressure she exuded was purer, more intense—perhaps because she was younger than the queen.
"What exactly are you trying to do? Is it amusing to make Jessica change her clothes over and over?"
the queen asked.
"You'll see in a mont."
The group entered the villa, where the servants had already prepared a welco. Jenkins, Miss Windsor, Duke Gerrod, and Queen Isabella took their seats in the living room. After the servants served tea and pastries, they all withdrew, leaving the four of them to talk.
Queen Isabella looked at Miss Windsor's attire, her eyes flickering as if lost in so thought.
"Why are you wearing this dress here?"
she asked in a sowhat gentle tone.
"I just wanted to dress up nicely. Jenkins, will there be a banquet tonight? To celebrate today's events."
"We'll be eating at ho tonight."
He told "Jessica Windsor" this for the second ti, and she nodded happily.
"That's even better than I imagined."
Then she turned to Queen Isabella.
"Have you finally seen the light? That's really quite good. I had assud you were an incompetent monarch, but now that you're able to admit you were wrong, it shows you're a bit better than I thought."
"..."
Queen Isabella felt a distinct sense of unease. It wasn't just the blatant disrespect in the other's tone; her attitude toward the announcent of the heir was also vastly different from that of the second Jessica Windsor, the one who had walked with them.
"Where was I wrong?"
she asked.
"Isn't it obvious? Since you are the monarch, choosing a suitable successor to ensure the country's continued prosperity is your most important responsibility—even more important than enacting brilliant policies. It's clear that making Jenkins king, combining his wisdom with my assistance, is the ideal combination. I know you always thought Jenkins lacked political experience, but didn't today's speech prove otherwise? For soone as intelligent as him, experience is equivalent to ti. He will grasp everything sooner or later. Besides... did you have much political experience when you ascended the throne?"
When Queen Isabella took the throne, although she had served as the previous king's assistant for a long ti, she could not be considered politically experienced.
"I originally thought that, for the sake of your own stubborn ideas, you would insist on not choosing him, even if it ant risking plunging the kingdom into turmoil. By doing so, you would have been betraying your responsibilities as queen, betraying the sacred oath you swore to this nation when you were crowned."
"I feel as though you are not praising , but rather rebuking ."
"Yes, I am rebuking you."
Miss Windsor was different from Jessica. Like J-Miss, her entire family had been murdered by the Queen Isabella of her own possibility world. Even knowing the person before her had nothing to do with it, simply being able to sit here with a calm deanor was an act of imnse restraint.
"Your life as queen has been largely without major blemishes, yet in your old age, you've made such a grave error. I'm not discriminating against the elderly, but have you truly gone senile?"
This was a rather severe accusation. Duke Gerrod coughed awkwardly, a subtle reminder for Miss Windsor to restrain herself. Queen Isabella's expression, however, remained unchanged.
"You believe what I am doing now is a blemish on my reign as queen?"
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