My esoteric uncle Jules

Chapter 176 Father Faria

Jules's thanks were truly heartfelt.

Elena could have denied it outright and cleared herself of any wrongdoing, but she didn't.

In response to his thanks, Elena opened her mouth, but in the end, she only whispered:

"go quickly."

Jules nodded, turned and went into the room.

As he expected, there was indeed something wrong with the mirror.

The corpse was in a very gruesome state, and Uriel was right about that. Its body was covered with shards of mirror, and even where the limbs were stuck together, there were pieces of mirror cut off like knives.

But he acted as if nothing had happened, calmly finished packing up and left.

Here, he could no longer sense the blood tide belonging to that mirror.

Perhaps it was taken by Uriel.

However, none of that mattered to him anymore.

……

Not long after, at Windsor Royal Estate, Elena stood at the entrance, her expression slightly melancholy, frequently glancing to her side.

"Mr. Jules is leaving already?" The steward in charge of registration was very surprised and repeatedly made sure he hadn't misheard.

"of course."

Seeing that Jules was so certain, the manager had no choice but to register Jules' departure.

"Are you really not going to stay a little longer? Although there's still some time before the wedding, there are quite a few balls coming up, and besides, that person over there..."

The steward glanced at Elena, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.

Then, he leaned closer and whispered:

"Can you really bear to abandon that person?"

Jules' face twitched:
"This doesn't seem to concern you, does it?"

The manager immediately fell silent and bowed his head in apology:
"I apologize, I have overstepped my bounds."

Jules didn't look at the steward again, but turned his gaze to Elena.

She stood on the stone steps not far away, the morning mist swirling around her, her pale blue skirt swaying gently in the breeze.

Her expression was somewhat complicated, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just smiled gently and waved to him.

"Mr. Jules, have a safe journey."

Elena's voice was light and cheerful, but it concealed a hint of sadness that was not easily detected.

Jules nodded, his tone calm:
"Thank you, Miss Elena. Until we meet again."

He didn't linger and turned to walk towards the carriage that was already waiting.

The driver opened the door, and he stepped into the carriage, casually tossing his cloth bag next to the seat.

The carriage started slowly, its wheels creaking as they rolled over the stone pavement.

Jules leaned against the car window, his gaze sweeping over the receding Windsor Royal Estate.

Elena's figure gradually blurred in the mist, eventually disappearing from sight.

He closed his eyes, trying his best not to think about Elena.

Now, he needs to get to the Royal Estate of Loren as soon as possible to report what he has seen and heard to the Prince of Wales.

After some time, the carriage stopped near the Royal Estate of Loren.

After identifying himself, Jules entered the royal estate with practiced ease.

Not long after, he was able to see the Prince of Wales again and recount what he had seen and heard during that time.

Although he withheld many important details, it was enough to give the Prince of Wales pause for thought.

"Has it really come to this?"

He sighed deeply, his eyes slightly melancholy.

"If Dor is indeed preparing a ceremony related to the celestial sage, then it will be very difficult to resolve this peacefully."

Jules bowed slightly:

"Your Highness, you should have thought of this sooner."

The Prince of Wales shook his head and said:

"Even if I thought about it, I wouldn't want to, or even dare to, bear such consequences—Dall's power is already enormous. If I act rashly, it could very well lead to a civil war in England."

“My original plan was for you to communicate with the bride and see if you could find another way, but since that path is not feasible, we have no choice but to take the risk.”

He gazed at Jules and said in a deep voice:

"You may rest here for now. I will soon arrange personnel changes to create the weakest point in the Tower of London's defenses in decades."

"Then I shall take my leave."

Jules bowed and left gracefully.

……

“That’s interesting…you actually found Matilda inside.”

Holmes stopped flipping through the "Geography of England" in his hands, looked up, and said calmly:
"I haven't seen her in a long time... I wonder how her antiques are doing now."

Jules smiled helplessly:
"They should all have been confiscated."

The two smiled at each other and chatted for a while before leaving.

After a while, Jules asked Lahm how he was doing there, and Lahm replied—

That would be absolutely wonderful!

Having grown accustomed to a nomadic and lonely life, this place was like paradise to him.

Rutos also settled down, his former vigor seemingly worn away, only showing a slight vitality when he mentioned his intention to truly begin rescuing the centipede.

"If there's anything I can do to help, please let me know."

After confirming that the people living there were all in good condition, Jules was completely relieved.

Back in his room, he raised his hand and a gray-white canvas with moth patterns appeared in his hand.

[Canvas Ceremony: The Count of Monte Cristo]

[Effect: Tier 3 Ritual Card, usable for Tier 3 advancement in the "Traveler" sequence]

[Introduction: Legends don't write their own stories, just as a blank sheet of paper will eventually be covered with ink.]

[Promotion Process: Complete the Sixth History Fragment - The Count of Monte Cristo once; different abilities will be granted depending on the completion level]

Gazing at the canvas in his hands, Jules let out a long sigh.

Matilda was right; she was too weak.

Therefore, he must make himself as strong as possible before the official operation begins!
With a thought, he retrieved the information belonging to the fragment of The Count of Monte Cristo.

Fragments of the Sixth History: The Count of Monte Cristo

All human wisdom is contained in these two words: wait and hope.

[Goal: To end the wait and bring hope]

[Reward: Ritual Card "Engraving Ritual"]

[Secret History Integration Degree: 0%]

[Hint: There are hidden elements in the fragments. When the secret history integration degree reaches 100%, it means the exploration is complete.]

[Every time history turns, the fragments will be lost further until they completely collapse]

[Current number of losses: 0/2]

【Do you want to enter? 】

【Yes/No】 "Yes".

Everything before my eyes was shattered, then began to reassemble in a bizarre and fantastical way, finally settling into a dark and cramped prison cell.

[Current Role: Father Faria]

[Goal: To end the wait and bring hope]

"Ah...?" Even though he was prepared, Jules couldn't help but widen his eyes.

The original Count of Monte Cristo is so long, so all you remember from this fragment is the chapter about the prison break?
Although he had to admit that this was the most brilliant part of the original novel.

After being wrongfully imprisoned, the protagonist Edmond Dantès attempts to dig a tunnel to escape, but unexpectedly encounters Father Faria. The two become close friends and plot to escape the prison.

Jules roughly understood what the goal of "ending the wait and bringing hope" meant—it was very likely that he, as Father Faria, would help Dantès, who was in the next cell, escape from prison!
But it's easier said than done.

It's worth noting that in the original story, the two never managed to dig their tunnel out, and Father Faria even died in prison.

Edmond Dantès was able to escape the prison thanks to the death of Father Faria.

Finally, with the guidance of Father Faria, he successfully obtained the treasure of the island of Monte Cristo and became the renowned Count of Monte Cristo.

Jules did not believe that the mission could continue if he died—that is, he had to bring Edmond Dantès out of prison while he was still alive!

"Could they really be digging a tunnel...?" He felt a wave of despair.

……

Elena was a little sullen.

She found fault with everything—the flowers by the roadside weren't vibrant enough; the wind on her face wasn't gentle enough; the sun in the sky wasn't warm enough.

In short, everything seems to be going against her!
"Hey, isn't this Miss Elena? Why does she look so heartbroken...did she get dumped?"

Not far away, several noble young men saw Elena's depressed look and began to whisper among themselves.

After a while, they sent a representative who came over with a smile and extended his hand, saying:

“Miss Elena, although I don’t know why you are sad, but…”

Before he could finish speaking, Elena glared at him fiercely.
"I don't want to talk right now!"

The visitor was speechless and could only watch Elena leave.

Elena soon returned to the Cassano family's residence.

The butler remained faithfully waiting at the door, as if he had never left.

Elena pushed open the door with somewhat heavy steps, and after entering, she flung her skirt aside and lay down on the living room sofa without any regard for her image.

"No, no, no... the more I think about it, the angrier I get!" She pouted, her eyes looking somewhat disappointed and aggrieved.

The butler stood to the side, watching her quietly, and asked with some concern:
"Miss, what's wrong with you?"

He approached and asked in a low voice:
"What exactly happened yesterday?"

Elena snorted, looked up and glared at him, her tone tinged with resentment:

"What else could it be? He got rejected! I kindly asked him to stay, but he didn't even glance at me before walking away!"

The butler paused for a moment, then chuckled softly and shook his head:
"Miss, this is the first time I've seen you so troubled by something like this."

Elena glared at him, her tone even harsher:

"You're still laughing! I... I just feel confused, okay? I rarely take the initiative, and although I don't expect him to fall for me, it feels like he sees me no differently than anyone else... Am I really that bad?"

Her eyes looked somewhat lost and helpless.

Some things may seem trivial to adults, but they are very difficult for a sheltered girl like her to understand.

The butler's smile faded, his tone softening, carrying a hint of elder's kindness:

“Miss, please don’t be sad. Mr. Jules may have his own reasons. It’s not that you are bad. In my opinion, he is not the kind of person who is easily swayed by appearances.”

Elena lowered her head, rubbing her fingers together, her voice trailing off:
"But I'm just not reconciled... He clearly doesn't dislike me, so why is he in such a hurry to leave? He even said he wanted to leave the Royal Manor, as if he's avoiding me."

The butler sighed, stepped forward, and gently patted her shoulder:

“Miss, you are the jewel of the Cassano family. Countless people would gladly do anything to win your smile. Mr. Jules may have more important matters to attend to; why are you so fixated on him?”

"If you were to spread the word that you were looking for a noble young master to marry, the Cassano family's doorstep would probably be worn down with suitors."

Elena was silent for a moment, then looked up at the butler, a hint of stubbornness flashing in her eyes:

"No, I just want to figure out what he's thinking."

"Grandpa Butler, do me a favor and have the family investigate Jules's background—I refuse to believe he could really be an ordinary person!"

The housekeeper was slightly taken aback, as if she hadn't expected her to be so persistent.

He hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said:
"Alright, Miss, I'll have someone investigate. But you have to promise me you won't get too hung up on it."

Elena nodded, a smile finally appearing on her lips:
"Don't worry, I'm not that fragile. Once I've found out the truth, I'll have some peace of mind."

The butler acknowledged and turned to make the arrangements.

Elena leaned back on the sofa, her gaze falling on the garden outside the window, which eased her gloomy mood slightly.

She wasn't really that concerned about Jules himself; she was just very concerned about one thing—why Jules just wasn't interested in her.

Is it really because I'm incapable?
She absolutely had to find a way to ask Jules in person and get to the bottom of things...

The Cassano family's investigation yielded results quickly, with astonishing efficiency.

“I have asked Mr. Uriel, and this is his answer. Please take a look.”

The butler bowed slightly to Elena, left a letter, and departed.

Elena eagerly opened the letter, and upon seeing its contents, she froze for a moment.

"From Blancco, skilled in mystical arts, and without any noble blood?"

She suddenly felt a mix of emotions.

But soon, her gaze fell on the place name "Blancouge".

Elena pondered for a long time:
“Wait, I remember someone in the family mentioning that the Prince of Wales recently received a distinguished guest from Blancco…”

She had never heard of Blancco before, yet she had heard of it twice in such a short period of time.

Instinctively, she felt it was no coincidence.

Could Jules be the distinguished guest of Blancco, or perhaps an attendant or entourage?
Thinking of this, a ripple of excitement appeared in her beautiful eyes.

Perhaps I can find Jules by going to the Prince of Wales?

It should be noted that the Cassano family is not particularly aligned with Prince Dor's faction; they are essentially hedging their bets—their presence here was simply due to the invitation they could not refuse.

She summoned the butler and explained her intentions to him.

Upon hearing this, the butler frowned slightly:
"To leave Windsor and go to Loren... that's possible, but..."

"Grandpa Butler, please make an exception," Elena pleaded. "I'll just go see Mr. Jules and ask him a few questions. I'll be right back!"

“…Alright, but you can’t stay overnight there,” the butler said.

"why?"

The butler raised his eyebrows:

"Because that would cause rumors about you to circulate in aristocratic circles."

Elena was silent for a moment, then whispered:

"But it already exists."

She guessed that the housekeeper was unaware that she had previously admitted to "spending the night" with Jules.

Although nothing actually happened, no one would believe it if I told them.

After learning about Elena's recent actions, the butler fell into a long silence.

"If I weren't afraid of upsetting you, I would really like to ask someone to bring him back and clear your name..."

(End of this chapter)