A Subtle Sense of Unease
The master and disciple returned to the capital, with Simon Yu chattering nonstop along the way.
Simon Yu: "Master, Prince Alexander is really pitiful. He suffered emotional neglect since childhood. So sad..."
Dr. Rowan Lin: ...
Simon Yu: "But Prince Alexander is really impressive! His parents don't love him, yet he still manages to excel. Truly worthy of being the late emperor's son."
Dr. Rowan Lin: ...
Simon Yu: "Master, do you think Prince Alexander looks like the late emperor and empress? If the emperor sees Prince Alexander, will he get suspicious?"
Dr. Rowan Lin suddenly paused mid-step. He had never considered that possibility before.
Generally speaking, sons tend to resemble their parents quite a lot. Alexander Hayes is already twenty years old, a grown man, and Emperor Jin Xuan sees his face every day. Has he never wondered why Alexander looks so much like his own deceased elder brother?
Seeing Dr. Rowan Lin's face change slightly, Simon Yu thought he'd said something wrong and quickly covered his mouth. "Master, did I say something I shouldn't have? Please don't hit my forehead again, it hurts!"
"No, you didn't say anything wrong. In fact, you reminded me of something." Dr. Rowan Lin frowned, looking a bit uneasy. "Emperor Jin Xuan used some underhanded means to take the throne, which is why most of the former court officials were purged. Marquis Weiyuan is one of the few left, but of course he would never bring this up. As far as I know, the late emperor didn't leave many portraits behind, and the few that remained in the palace have disappeared—probably because Emperor Jin Xuan felt guilty and couldn't bear to face them, so he either hid them away or burned them. It's been twenty years, so Emperor Jin Xuan might not even remember what the late emperor looked like. As for Alexander, how much does he resemble his parents? I can't say for sure. Back then, the late emperor favored my senior brother, but I never met the late emperor or empress, so I don't know their appearances."
Dr. Rowan Lin thought for a moment and said, "Since Emperor Jin Xuan dares to put so much trust in his son-in-law and lets him lead the army, he clearly doesn't suspect him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have let the former Crown Prince hold power and command troops."
Simon Yu thought his master made perfect sense and nodded, "Master, you're absolutely right. It's been twenty years—who even remembers what someone who died so long ago looked like? If Emperor Jin Xuan had a guilty conscience, he wouldn't have dared to face my brother all these years. He probably doesn't even dare to think about it! Looks like we've been worrying for nothing."
Dr. Rowan Lin sighed, "Let's hope so..."
But even with that logic, knowing Emperor Jin Xuan wouldn't suspect Alexander Hayes just based on looks, Dr. Rowan Lin still felt an uneasy flutter in his heart, as if he'd missed something important.
They traveled for a long while, but Dr. Rowan Lin still couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. He muttered to himself, "Twenty years and not a single slip-up. There really shouldn't be any problem. Maybe I'm just overthinking things..."
Master and disciple took advantage of the night to slip back to the Yu Residence.
When Dr. Rowan Lin returned to his room, Margaret Evans was already fast asleep. He quietly changed, washed up, and went to bed.
Meanwhile, Simon Yu rolled around like a wild man, hurriedly filled a tub with hot water, and jumped in for a good soak, determined to scrub off months of built-up grime.
As he bathed and hummed a little tune, Simon Yu suddenly caught a glimpse of a sneaky shadow flitting past the window. He frowned and shouted, "Who's out there?!"
The shadow outside twitched, and then—bang!—the door was kicked open. Sean Hayes burst in, dashed straight to the tub, and grabbed Simon Yu's arm. "Simon! Simon! I knew you'd come back! Stop bathing and come with me—let's go to my place!"