Chapter 176: Dexter
By the time Fisher opened his eyes, it was just beginning to dawn outside, and he wasn’t even sure if it was seven o’clock yet; he had woken up early.
The window screens swayed gently in the morning breeze. Ever since those polluting factories were relocated, the air in Saint Nali had improved significantly, and Fisher could smell a faint scent of rain.
It seemed that the autumn rain had graced Saint Nali again last night, marking a complete end to the summer.
Fisher had woken up early today because he had a particularly terrifying dream.
In the dream, he was knocked unconscious by Jasmine’s gigantic tail, and by the time he woke up, he found himself dragged into a pitch-black abyss with no chance of returning to land. Then she began to speak incomprehensible words, forcing him to bear children with her.
Though Fisher could breathe underwater, the suffocating feeling he experienced during his first attempt still sent shivers down his spine.
What left the deepest impression was Jasmine’s body gleaming with fluorescence and her dangerous smile as she said she would take good care of him, while beside her, a gigantic water snake readied itself, looking as though it was preparing to tear him into pieces.
Fisher woke up at this point in the dream.
Normally, he rarely dreamed, but lately, any time he did, it was either being stabbed by Renee who had transformed into Raphael or being knocked out by the terrifying Jasmine who dragged him into the sea.
In any case, it was always related to these ladies, and they all ended in bad endings!
Fisher rubbed his forehead and shifted his gaze to Jasmine, who had her mouth slightly open and was still deep in slumber on the sofa.
She usually woke up very early, but today Fisher had woken up early due to a nightmare, allowing him to catch a glimpse of her sleeping face.
When she slept, she looked very serene, lying flat with her little mouth opening and closing gently.
Listening closely, it seemed she was murmuring something.
Fisher raised an eyebrow, seemingly curious about what she was saying. As he leaned a bit closer, he heard her mumbling incomprehensively in the language of the ocean.
Fisher couldn’t understand the language of the ocean, but at least he could grasp some onomatopoeic sounds; he caught the fragmented word “Fisher” coming from her lips and guessed Jasmine wasn’t dreaming of anything good.
He mischievously poked her forehead with his finger, and as a result, Jasmine shot up abruptly, instinctively shouting at Fisher in front of her,
“Sorry!”
This time, she was speaking in Nali, though it was unclear what she was apologizing for. Anyway, after a second or two, she regained her composure, and her face turned quite red.
“Eh eh?”
Jasmine looked at Fisher in front of her and then glanced down at her clothes, confirming that this was Fisher’s room and not the ocean abyss.
She visibly showed a hint of disappointment, but still blushed slightly as she addressed Fisher,
“Fisher, um, no, Fisher, good morning.”
She recalled what she said last night; although it still felt somewhat awkward, calling Fisher by his name seemed to make her very happy. As she talked, the corners of her mouth curled up a little, just like how holding Fisher’s hand yesterday could make her happy for a long time.
She was a naive girl easily satisfied, and Fisher thought she was as pure as uncolored cotton candy, soft and adorably sweet.
Why cotton candy?
Because cotton candy is delicious.
Looking at the gleeful Jasmine in front of him, Fisher’s gaze deepened for a moment, but ultimately, he didn’t make any movements and simply exhaled a warm breath, standing up as he said,
“Good morning. What would you like to eat this morning?”
“Eh? Anything. No, I want to eat meat!”
Jasmine couldn’t help but voice her thoughts in a very unrefined manner. After she quietly expressed herself, she needed to articulate her true feelings loudly; if she didn’t speak loudly, keep her eyes open, and squeeze her hands, she couldn’t reveal her real desires.
In fact, Fisher didn’t worry about the issue of being overly strict because Jasmine’s personality was just like that.
No matter how she was changed, she was essentially a girl who cared for others out of affection. She had just been suppressed for a long time and wouldn’t make excessive demands.
Well, maybe, unless you counted the time she inadvertently revealed her desire to knock him unconscious.
“Okay, after Lady Martha leaves, I’ll bring some back for you and take care of a few things.”
It was about giving a donation to the Beichui Bank and renting a carriage; the charity banquet would start this weekend. According to Anna, this week was the perfect time since Blake was holed up in his room, and it was the best opportunity to deal with that old wretch.
“Okay, um.”
Upon hearing Fisher’s words, Jasmine’s big eyes lit up slightly, and she smiled in agreement,
“I’ll wait here… for Fisher to come back…”
Ah, does that sound a bit strange?
Right after saying that, Jasmine felt a bit shy, but how could she retract her words once spoken?
She could only add,
“Anyway, safe travels!”
It was probably the sort of explanation that meant nothing, but Fisher understood Jasmine’s intention.
He looked at her blushing face and couldn’t help but sigh. He then walked over to the wardrobe, changed into another outfit that Renee had brought, and prepared to go out.
Lady Martha had also just woken up. After telling her that he would head out to take care of some matters and wouldn’t be having breakfast at home, he grabbed his staff and headed out.
It was already fully autumn now; the early morning in Saint Nali was somewhat chilly, but there weren’t too many people on the street.
This was because the street where Fisher lived did not have workers from the factories. If he walked a few more blocks, the morning would be quite bustling there.
Parents had to go to work early at the factory or small workshops to allow their children to have breakfast. They had to force their kids to get up with them; only after making breakfast would they leave for work.
As for the children, they would leave a bit later, guided by tutors hired in the neighborhood to head towards school.
Fisher planned to eat something himself and then bring back meat for Jasmine after taking care of his errands. By that time, Lady Martha would also be out; she was part of the local health club for the elderly and lived a very healthy life.
He casually found a nearby breakfast shop to eat. Breakfast in Saint Nali generally consisted of just a few types, and he couldn’t change up the variety no matter how he ate.
When the waiter brought over the fried eggs and cheese toast, Fisher was still contemplating whether the research progress on the Whale Folk had increased recently. That day, while discussing the creation of life with Jasmine, he felt the warmth of the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans.
“A gentleman’s breakfast in Nali cannot be without milk; add a cup for this gentleman.”
Just as Fisher was lost in thought, a calm male voice beside him disrupted his train of thought.
Fisher raised his gaze and saw a man in a dark suit standing before him, his short golden hair slicked back, looking quite handsome overall. His pale golden eyes were focused intently on Fisher.
Looking behind him, many golden palace etiquette officials dressed in white were blocking the small shop, leaving the stunned shop owner to rush to the kitchen to attend to things after hearing the man’s voice.
Fisher recognized this man, or rather, nearly every Nali citizen would recognize him.
He was well-known alongside Elizabeth, the prince who was about to inherit the throne from Godlin the Ninth, Prince Dexter.
Fisher put down his knife and fork, stood, and bowed to the man in front of him, greeting,
“Good morning, Prince Dexter.”
“It’s fine; I came to have breakfast with you. Since you’ve already chosen the place, I might as well try it. Please sit; don’t just stand there.”
Dexter smiled slightly; the nearly thirty-four-year-old prince seemed quite poised. He directly sat across from Fisher at the table and instructed the attendant to go to the kitchen to ask the owner for another breakfast.
At the same time, the cup of hot milk that he had asked for Fisher was also set before him.
Prince Dexter was known for enjoying discussing matters during meals. Fisher had often heard about him inviting former ministers to have breakfast at the Golden Palace.
There was also the recent visit of Shivali to Nali, during which he hosted the leader of the New Party and finalized decisions during dinner.
This was likely to show how much he valued his subordinates and a way to remain close with the ministers—it had a resemblance to the legacy of Godlin the Second.
Godlin the Second inherited Godlin the First’s intelligence. He had both his father’s decisive means and always kept a compassionate heart.
The most classic story of that earlier king is when he went hunting and shot a doe with an arrow, only to discover later that she was pregnant, resulting in two lives lost from his careless act.
Upon seeing the dead mother deer, Godlin the Second was filled with remorse and shed tears before her corpse, uttering the most classic phrase now found in Nali textbooks, moving the ministers accompanying him at the time.
He said,
“How can I claim to be a king when I have killed a mother bearing offspring?”
Well, Fisher had learned this story in his childhood and believed Dexter had read it too.
“Your Highness, please enjoy your meal.”
When the same breakfast as Fisher’s was brought over, Dexter eagerly cut into the fried egg with his knife and fork, revealing the still gooey yolk inside. As he continued to cut his breakfast, he looked at Fisher and praised,
“Hmm, excellent fried egg, very delicious.”
Fisher glanced at the lumpy fried egg in his bowl and then back at the perfect one in Dexter’s bowl, nearly laughing out loud.
His breakfast was clearly prepared by the attendant using the shop’s kitchen, making it look as if this shop was some treasure discovered by Fisher.
But since the prince had said so, Fisher would still respond accordingly,
“Indeed, I often come here for breakfast.”
“By the way, how are things with my sister? Any progress?”
At the prince’s question, Fisher raised his eyes to glance at him, various guesses as to why he was visiting surged in his mind. However, Dexter merely looked down and ate his egg, not revealing any extra expressions, and added,
“Don’t look so surprised. Although I don’t often communicate with my sister, the gossip about you two is common knowledge among everyone in Saint Nali. Nobles and merchants know; do you think the Golden Palace is unaware?”
Dexter took a sip of his milk and looked at Fisher, saying,
“Find a time to wrap things up. As a gentleman, it’s always better to be decisive. Moreover, if the lady has intentions, for a gentleman to take action is like picking a flower by the roadside; it can be easily attained, right?”
Fisher scrutinized the man in front of him. A second later, he sighed and said,
“I thought Your Highness and Princess Elizabeth weren’t on good terms.”
“Not particularly well, but certainly not bad either.”
Dexter easily finished his milk, which showed he indeed enjoyed it, and after taking a sip, he let out a satisfied sigh,
“But after all, we are siblings; we are family. I won’t pry into her matters nor will I have any distance with her. It seems to me that in the end, she will choose you as her husband; otherwise, she wouldn’t have waited until twenty-eight.”
“Before this, she had countless opportunities to marry, and she rejected how many of the matches arranged by our father and me. This is something you should understand, Lord Fisher.”
Fisher fell silent for a moment, then nodded in acknowledgment,
“I understand.”
“Haha, that’s good. I only thought to remind you. After this, I won’t pry into your affairs with my sister; after all, in this era, the most important thing is still free love, wouldn’t you agree?”
As he spoke, Dexter winked at Fisher, waiting for him to wolf down all his breakfast. After Fisher finished, he knew that the main topic was just beginning.
Fisher was also nearly done with his breakfast at this point, and more residents were coming out; many residents noticed that the usual breakfast shop they frequented was surrounded by royal etiquette officials and wondered if the owner had committed some treason.
“Alright, Sir Fisher, I have a small question I’d like to ask you.”
“Please speak, Your Highness.”
“When Prince Losang of Shivali was attacked, you were present the whole time, right?”
“Correct.”
“This incident occurred several weeks ago, and we are taking the cleanup of the Sorceress Research Society within Nali very seriously. But the more we investigate, the more I doubt the outcome. As far as I know, Elizabeth had inquired about this matter with the Hidden Affairs Bureau not long ago.”
Dexter’s gaze turned towards Fisher as he spoke clearly and deliberately,
“Lord Fisher, the mastermind behind this attack isn’t the Sorceress Research Society, is it?”
Sorry, sorry, I had to work overtime today, so I could only post a backlog for one chapter.
Tomorrow, Saturday, I will make up for three chapters. Apologies again.
I kindly ask for votes, tips, and support; it is very important for me.
Thank you very much for your support!
(The End of This Chapter)
