Chapter 171 Background Music
On Tuesday evening, the day he was to meet Anna, Fisher considered the time and, after finishing dinner with Jasmine, prepared to set off alone to Mio Cemetery to meet Anna. He departed from his rented room and took a carriage to the secluded cemetery, arriving just around eight o’clock.
However, before Fisher could step out, someone knocked on the door of his rented apartment first.
Martha had become accustomed to this. Even if it were royal soldiers looking for Fisher, she wouldn’t be surprised. After all, who doesn’t know that Fisher Benavides is a prominent figure in Saint Nali?
Oh, except for those ladies in Saint Nali, otherwise, he wouldn’t still be unmarried at this point.
“Who is it?”
Ms. Martha opened the door, and there stood a royal soldier dressed in a white uniform, wearing a high hat adorned with a light golden three-ring emblem.
Seeing Ms. Martha open the door, the soldier respectfully saluted her and said, “Good day, may I inquire if Mr. Fisher Benavides is home? Her Highness, the Eldest Princess Elizabeth, requests his presence.”
What? The Eldest Princess?
Ms. Martha opened her mouth, suddenly seeming to understand something. After staring blankly for a second or two, she composed herself, adjusted her reading glasses, and nodded, “Oh, he’s at home. I’ll go call him upstairs right away.”
God, why didn’t Fisher tell me he had contact with the Eldest Princess?
After all, this was the first time Elizabeth had so directly sent someone to call for Fisher at his rented room. Previously, it was either through letters or by chance encounters — very indirect indeed.
Upon hearing it was a message from the Eldest Princess, Ms. Martha hurriedly went upstairs, trembling, to call Fisher out.
Inside the room, Jasmine was still there. After responding, Fisher changed into a different set of clothes, cautioning Jasmine to keep her identity secret before heading down.
He didn’t know what Elizabeth wanted from him now, but he also needed to tell her about Anna. He just hoped that Elizabeth’s invitation wouldn’t make him late.
Anna’s appointment was at eight o’clock, and it was just after seven now. If he spoke quickly, he should be able to make it.
The soldier had a special carriage behind him, but Elizabeth was not in it; she seemed to be waiting for him somewhere.
After Fisher brought his staff and got on the carriage, it slowly moved, heading in the opposite direction down the street.
After about ten minutes of travel, the carriage Fisher was in arrived at a quiet coffee shop called “Aroma Café.”
Fisher had been here many times before since the owner, Situna, was a classmate from his days at the Royal Academy.
After graduating, that coffee-loving young lady saved some money to start her own business and opened a high-end coffee shop in the city, specifically selling premium coffee products to coffee enthusiasts and young ladies, which was loved by some coffee lovers and ladies. The atmosphere here was also lovely, evidently crafted with care compared to other shops.
One must say, Situna’s business acumen was far better than Trandal’s. That fool had wealth many times greater than Situna’s, yet Situna’s café was flourishing while Trandal’s stables would have likely fallen to ruin if Fisher hadn’t rented them.
When Fisher arrived, the coffee shop’s door was closed, and a sign that said “Closed for the Day” was hung outside.
However, several royal attendants stood at the entrance. Seeing Fisher arrive, they slightly bowed to him and gently opened the door to the café, letting in the elegant classical music and exquisite setting inside.
At a round table by the window sat three ladies. One of them, with her back to the entrance, was elegantly dressed in a long Nali gown, with golden hair styled in a casual accessory, enjoying her drink. It was none other than Her Highness, Eldest Princess Elizabeth.
In front of her sat two young ladies, both displaying worried expressions, frequently glancing toward the entrance. Upon seeing Fisher approach the café, their faces noticeably shifted from anxious to joyful yet mixed with a hint of urgency—it was Isabel and Milica, two classmates.
With just one glance, Fisher understood why Elizabeth had called him over today.
He walked up to the window-side table; since Isabel and Milica were sitting together, he could only sit beside Elizabeth.
Elizabeth looked toward Fisher as he approached. She had already reserved a spot for him, so she merely reached out and called, “Situna, I’d like a cup of honey milk, no extra sugar, please.”
At the bar, a lady dressed in male attendant attire nodded with a smile and began preparing the milk.
After Fisher seated himself, Elizabeth winked at him and said, “Don’t drink coffee in the evening, or you won’t be able to sleep.”
The two young ladies saw Fisher seated next to Elizabeth and greeted him. Then, they seemed about to say something, but they first glanced at Elizabeth beside him, waiting for her to speak first.
Elizabeth, not one to prolong the moment, smiled and said, “Isabel and Milica mentioned that after returning to school from vacation, their roommate had disappeared. The school officially reported that she was an intruder subhuman. The classmate’s name is Jasmine, right? Isabel and the others are really worried about her. They heard you resigned, so they wanted to ask about that night’s situation.”
“Of course we live with Jasmine every day; how could she possibly be a subhuman? She is clearly human and quite delicate, having never left the school. What if something bad happens to her now that she’s missing?”
“Mr. Fisher was also at the school that night. You must know where Jasmine is, right? If you have any news about her, could you please tell us? We are very worried.”
Indeed, Isabel and Milica were very close friends with Jasmine, as could be seen from the concern on their faces right now.
After Isabel and Milica began asking questions, Elizabeth fell silent, sipping her drink quietly, opting to listen to their conversation without further interruption.
“Fisher, here’s your milk. Please enjoy.”
“Thank you.”
Fisher took the milk and blew away some of the steam rising from it before explaining to Isabel and Milica what had happened that night, though he omitted the details about the Healing Room monsters, only mentioning the security and that he had come along with them.
In the end, he shook his head and said, “Unfortunately, I do not know where Jasmine is right now. The security and I witnessed Jasmine jumping out of the window and disappearing.”
Yes, Fisher had no intention of exposing Jasmine’s whereabouts; no one could know.
If Fisher’s opponent was that Explorationist elder Blake and he was determined to find Jasmine, he must do so without any flaws.
Fisher didn’t want to give the Healing Room any chances; even if Milica and Isabel respectively belonged to the church and the royal family and were Jasmine’s closest friends, who could guarantee they wouldn’t inadvertently leak information to protect their subhuman friend’s reputation?
Isabel opened her mouth, pinching her fingers, and looked at Fisher, saying, “Then why did you resign the next day?”
“Because I lost faith in the security of Saint Nali University and the Nali officials. With accidents occurring in succession, I considered resigning to protect my personal safety. That’s it.”
Milica wanted to say something more, but Elizabeth suddenly reached out to stop the two girls from continuing, “Alright, since you both have learned the specifics of that night, now it’s satisfying enough that both Fisher and the security saw that classmate’s subhuman form. Since she could manage to infiltrate Saint Nali University, she surely has a way to protect her own safety.”
“Worrying is necessary, but it shouldn’t overly interfere with your own lives. This was something I stated before bringing you out. It’s time for school; you should return to prepare for tomorrow’s classes. Fisher won’t be teaching the upcoming magic lecture, so you both need to work harder. Go on, I’ll have the guards escort you back to Saint Nali University and also have my brother strengthen security for the students.”
Facing the Eldest Princess’s orders, the two young ladies naturally could not resist.
They pressed their lips together, stood up, looked at Fisher beside Elizabeth, and Isabel took out a small bag from her backpack, handing it to Fisher, “Mr. Fisher, this is the spice Jasmine entrusted us to buy for you. She said it was meant to be a gift for you, but since she is no longer at school, we’ll deliver it on her behalf.”
Fisher glanced at the small bag containing the spices, took it, and looked toward Elizabeth, who was watching him.
Her expression was smiling, but the warmth had dimmed slightly; however, she didn’t say anything and merely took another sip of her drink.
“I understand, thank you.”
“Alright, we will take our leave then. Goodbye, sister, Mr. Fisher.”
Isabel and Milica bowed to the two of them before exiting the café.
The background music switched to a softer, gentler violin solo. Under this new ambiance, Elizabeth spoke first, “That Jasmine, is she the one I saw in the office before? I heard from Isabel that she is your teaching assistant?”
Fisher stood to take a seat across from Elizabeth to discuss matters more comfortably.
But just as he was about to rise, Elizabeth stopped him, gently tugging at Fisher’s coat to keep him from standing.
When Fisher looked at her, she merely winked at him, not letting go.
Therefore, Fisher could only sit back down, stirring the honey in his drink, and continued, “Yes, she is the best student in class.”
“Do you know she is a subhuman?”
“I don’t know.”
Elizabeth’s hollow golden eyes examined Fisher for a moment, then she smiled and shifted the topic, “There have been too many incidents at Saint Nali University lately. You have left; what will happen to the magic courses there?”
“I wrote a letter to Principal Damien. He will help. I resigned to better investigate the Pink Pavilion and the Healing Room matters; I felt too passive at the university.”
“On the outside, there are both disadvantages and advantages. The advantage is that your safety is somewhat assured. Now that you’ve resigned, if you start delving into the investigation, they might act against you. Do you need me to send soldiers to help you?”
Fisher shook his head, refusing Elizabeth’s suggestion, “Sending soldiers would be too obvious; they would hide. I’ll be fine; you can trust me.”
“Yes, you are indeed much stronger than when you were at university, especially after returning from the Southern Continent. Did you encounter something there, or was it just ordinary training?”
As Elizabeth spoke, she looked at Fisher’s physique. She had touched Fisher’s arm during the Godlin Festival celebration at Saint Nali University and, therefore, knew he had grown stronger.
This was all thanks to the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans in his possession.
“I’ve been exercising lately.”
“No matter what, being healthy is a good thing. If you were to stay locked in your room writing papers, I would worry about your health.”
Fisher also hadn’t forgotten to tell Elizabeth about Anna. He first asked, “By the way, have you ever been to the Crescent Church on Natwon Street?”
Hearing Fisher’s words, Elizabeth nodded her chin, seemingly pondering. After a few seconds, she said, “Hmm, I should have been. I was invited by the church for some event some time ago; you know, I often represent the royal family at events. Women have good rapport in this regard, so I frequently step in for my brother. Why do you suddenly ask about this?”
Fisher then recounted the matters and requests regarding Anna to Elizabeth, additionally disclosing all the information Anna had revealed at that time. When he mentioned that the mastermind was Blake, Elizabeth suddenly raised her hand, but not toward Fisher; it was directed at Situna behind the bar.
Situna understood and bowed lightly to Elizabeth before leaving the café. Once the café door closed, only the two of them remained in the room.
Elizabeth’s expression grew serious as she turned to look at Fisher, “In fact, it wasn’t just the Nali Exploration Company that gambled on that ship, the Saint Mary, departing for the frontier; it was also my father, who had just ascended the throne and was eager to achieve something.”
“The outcome proved they made the right bet. My father has washed away the disgrace that has hung over Nali since Godlin the Fifth. The Nali Exploration Company has also grown to a point that is hard to manage, and Blake is now its largest shareholder.”
Elizabeth stared at the calm surface of her drink for a long moment before turning back to Fisher, continuing, “Even though my father and Blake are both in their twilight years, as long as they are still alive, they still hold unparalleled influence. For your safety, I’m telling you this. If Blake is truly behind the Pink Pavilion, I hope you will give up opposing him; he does not have much time left. Will you listen to me?”
Her golden eyes only held the figure of Fisher, solely him.
Fisher was hearing for the first time that Blake was the largest shareholder of the Nali Exploration Company. Given the current situation, under Blake’s influence, not only could he rely on tools like the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans, but he also had the immense support of the Nali Exploration Company.
And Elizabeth’s meaning was apparent; to a large extent, her father, Godlin the Ninth, was still a member of the Explorationist faction.
Until his death, neither Dexter nor Elizabeth would be able to go against his wishes. Unless there was concrete lethal evidence, Elizabeth couldn’t obviously assist Fisher in attacking Blake.
Looking at Elizabeth, Fisher pondered for a moment, then shook his head in response, “No, I will still take action against him. Even if Blake has the Nali Exploration Company behind him, I cannot let him do as he pleases.”
The most crucial thing was, if Blake had the Supplement Handbook, considering the case of Feilon, he might make even more outrageous moves, and those human-worms were evidence of that.
Elizabeth gazed at Fisher for a long time, then nodded knowingly, “I understand. Since you have chosen this path, I will firmly stand behind you, but we still need solid evidence to demonstrate he threatens national security and that he conducts experiments on humans. Since that Anna has the intention to cooperate, let’s help her destroy that relic; having her as a witness is the safest approach.”
“If you encounter any danger, you should stop immediately. Even if Blake discovers your identity, I will do my utmost to protect your safety.”
As she said this, Elizabeth gently reached out and held the back of Fisher’s hand, although she hesitated to linger for too long, pulling her soft palm back after a few seconds, leaving a faint scent on Fisher’s skin.
“Thank you.”
In fact, from Elizabeth’s situation, she had no need to help him. After all, both Blake and her father belonged to the Explorationist faction, and she wouldn’t be the next king; it would be completely unwise to offend the giant Nali Exploration Company.
Yet Elizabeth still chose to do so in the end.
Hearing Fisher’s words, Elizabeth smiled and shook her head, saying, “The Exploration Company indeed brought glory to Nali, but over the decades, it has gradually developed towards a toxic growth, which both you and I know. Toppling Blake would injure the Exploration Company and benefit Nali or the royal family.”
She didn’t touch upon the real reason, but both of them present understood what that was.
After they discussed serious matters, it seemed they had nothing more to say, and even casual conversation felt unnecessary. The lilting violin music continued to play in the café as they sat side by side, occasionally sipping from their drinks, feeling each other’s presence.
Fisher usually drank liquor or coffee slowly, but this time, for some reason, he took upwards of ten minutes to finish the cup of honey milk.
At last, when he swallowed the final sip, he let out a breath. Amid the music, he paused for quite some time before saying, “I have to go.”
“Hmm.”
Elizabeth responded softly. Her drink had long been empty.
Fisher donned his gentleman’s hat, turning to see Elizabeth quietly watching him put on the hat beside her.
She wore no makeup, her red lips slightly pursed, her golden eyes calmly gazing at him.
They held each other’s gaze for a bit longer; after a second, he wasn’t sure who shifted forward a little, but the direction was towards the other’s lips.
As the music in the background softened to a close, the café suddenly went quiet, interrupting their immersed moment.
Fisher’s eyes flickered slightly as he stood up. Elizabeth, leaning slightly forward, awkwardly leaned back, adjusting her skirt.
In the subtle yet slightly awkward atmosphere of adult ambiguity, Fisher repeated his parting words, saying, “I have to go.”
Elizabeth’s reply, however, had changed a bit, “Remember to be careful.”
“Okay.”
As the background music in the café started once more, the gentleman pushed the door and left, leaving behind a beautiful lady who gazed out at the scenery beyond the window.
Please vote, tip, and support; it is very important to me.
Thank you very much for your support!
()
(End of Chapter)
