The Shadow of Great Britain
Chapter 459 - 459 253 Not Ordinary and Exceptionally Confident 5K8

459: Chapter 253: Not Ordinary and Exceptionally Confident (5K8) 459: Chapter 253: Not Ordinary and Exceptionally Confident (5K8) In the street-side pub, Arthur and Louis Bonaparte were savoring the beer in their glasses, which with its pure white foam tasted slightly bitter.

Thus, Arthur took a piece of colorfully wrapped candy from his pocket, peeled off its wrapper, and popped it into his mouth.

Heine, who was gulping down his drink beside them, saw Arthur’s action and couldn’t help but frown and ask, “You afraid of a little bitterness?”

Arthur smiled and shook his head, “Not really, but I still prefer a sweet taste.

If I can have candy, why bother seeking out bitterness?”

Louis caught the underlying message in Arthur’s words.

Understanding the purpose of the trip, he smoothly continued the thread of conversation, “You’re right, but the problem is that it’s not always possible to taste sweet candy.

Generally, enduring bitterness comes from having no other choice.

Look at Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

The moment they got the chance, they snuck a taste of the forbidden fruit, even tossing God’s advice to the winds.”

Agares, who was nearby, rolled his eyes upon hearing this.

As an eyewitness, he couldn’t help but curse, “That old man God is such a meddler.

It was just two lousy apples; what’s the big deal?

If he hadn’t planted apples there, there wouldn’t have been all this nonsense later.

Maybe I should have just killed that Samael-turned snake with a pitchfork from the start.

It’s all because of those damned guys in Lucifer’s gang betting whether Samael could tempt those two fools, Adam and Eve.

Look what happened, we all ended up fired.

If not for that, maybe I’d still be…”

Agares suddenly stopped talking mid-sentence when he caught Arthur’s drifting gaze.

The Red Devil glared and cursed, “What are you looking at?

I didn’t tempt you to eat any apples!

Shouldn’t you be paying to hear stories?

Arthur, you young rascal need to understand, not everyone likes giving freebies, especially here with the Devil.

If you don’t give something in return, there’s no dealing!”

Arthur, seeing the Red Devil’s exasperated demeanor, realized he might have stirred up some unpleasant memories again.

His gaze shifted back to Heine and he deliberately asked, “So, Mr.

Heine, from your accent, you aren’t a Briton, are you?”

Heine didn’t avoid answering the question, saying, “What?

You could tell?

I thought after living in London for so long, my English accent had improved significantly.”

Louis heard this and looked at Arthur, surprised.

Arthur understood what he was wondering.

If someone like Heine had a long history of staying in London, and Scotland Yard had no information about him, that would surely be considered negligence in their duties.

Reviewing the files passed down from Scotland Yard by the Police Intelligence Department, it seemed they indeed had been negligent.

Scotland Yard’s records on Heine were almost entirely blank, as if they had no clue who he was.

However, given the many shortcomings already present in Scotland Yard, adding Heine to the list didn’t seem like a big deal.

If it weren’t for Rothschild contacting Arthur recently, Scotland Yard’s files on Heine might have remained blank for a few more years.

Arthur casually continued the conversation, “Did you live in London before?”

Heine nodded, “More than just lived; I resided in London for a full two years.”

Arthur raised his hand to order a cup of tea and then asked again, “Two years?

That’s not a short time.

Were you on a study trip to Britain, or did you just want to experience a different culture in London?”

“Good question!”

Heine scoffed, “Speaking of why I stayed in London for two years, that’s a long story.

Firstly, I must clarify my background.

According to the current territorial definition, my homeland would rightly be the Kingdom of Prussia.

But privately, I still identify more as a citizen of the Westphalia Kingdom, even though it no longer exists.

Did you know?

I saw Napoleon with my own eyes as a child.

I was perched on my father’s shoulders, watching Napoleon ride a tall horse leading the troops into the city.

At the time, it seemed incredible to me because riding horses in the city was not allowed; anyone on horseback on the streets had to pay a fine.

Yet, I didn’t see anyone arrest him or even see him paying a fine.

From that moment on, I knew he was no ordinary man.

It wasn’t long before the Westphalia Kingdom was declared, and then six years later, it was gone.

Although the country’s history is brief, I still miss it.

Of course, if you find my identity hard to understand, don’t dwell on which state of Germany I come from.

You can simply think of me as a German; I have no objection to that.”

Louis Bonaparte, listening to this, couldn’t help but furrow his brows.

From the moment he first met Heine, he felt that this guy’s way of speaking was incredibly grating.

But out of respect for Heine’s self-proclaimed citizenship of what was once a vassal state of the French Empire—the Westphalia Kingdom, Louis felt he ought to duel with him.

He turned to glance at Arthur beside him and noticed that his face still maintained a polite smile.

Marveling at Arthur’s good personal composure, Louis decided that he needed to improve his own skills in managing expressions, aiming to learn more from the young officer by his side.