Chapter 306 - 305: Like Uncle, Like Nephew

Adrian Lowell was still reveling in the thought, ’My sister is so amazing!’ when something suddenly occurred to him. He blurted out,

"Don’t you guys think... that this Princess looks a little familiar?"

The room instantly fell silent.

The others hadn’t thought much about it, but now that he mentioned it, they realized he might be onto something.

But there was one person who was completely oblivious...

Harrison Lowell said dismissively,

"You’re just making a fuss over nothing. The woman has been in the public eye since she was a child. It’s not strange that she looks familiar.

Besides, that line sounds exactly like one of those cringey, old-school pickup lines, you know?

’Haven’t we met somewhere before?’ ’You look really familiar.’

Number Six, I wouldn’t even accept a script with lines that bad, so let’s not go there, okay? Otherwise, you’ll never find a partner."

"Like you could find a partner even if you *didn’t* turn down roles?! Ugh, no... Stop changing the subject. I’m serious! She looks exactly like someone! Someone we just saw!"

Adrian Lowell couldn’t resist rolling his eyes at him. ’How is this guy more of a clown than me, the actual Number Six?!’

’Excellent! We’ve found the person with the lowest IQ in the entire Lowell family!’

Yancy Lowell took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. With a weary tone, he spelled it out for him.

"What Number Six means is that the Princess looks a bit like Uncle Quincy."

’There was no helping it. If he didn’t spell it out for him... Harrison would probably take until next year to get it.’

’As much as he hated to admit this person was his own brother, he was, unfortunately, related by blood.’

’And don’t ask how he was so sure. It was because during his angsty teenage phase, the first time he’d been dumbfounded by Harrison’s stupidity, he had suspected they weren’t really full brothers.’

’So, while Harrison was asleep, he’d secretly plucked one of his hairs for a DNA test. The results were, quite clearly, not what he’d hoped for.’

’Yancy had considered the "switched-at-birth" trope and the "secretly adopted" trope. The one thing he never imagined was that they were actually full-blooded brothers.’

’To make matters worse, word of his little experiment eventually reached Charles Lowell and his wife, who then gave him a "memorable childhood experience" he would remember with perfect clarity even if he lived to be eighty.’

"Huh? She looks like Uncle Quincy?!"

Harrison Lowell snatched the phone back from Adrian and scrutinized the photos again, muttering,

"Damn, you know what? Now that I look closely, she really does look a bit like him..."

’Finally. His brain had finally connected to the internet.’

’So he’d only been reading the text and hadn’t even looked at her picture, huh?!’

’But at least, despite the 2G connection speed, he was finally online.’

"So... what exactly is their relationship?" Adrian asked in a hushed, conspiratorial tone.

Simon Sutton propped his chin on one hand. "If I’m not mistaken, the current queen of Country E is also of East Asian descent, isn’t she? Could it be a maternal uncle-niece relationship? If so, why has there never been any news about him?"

The moment he finished speaking, all eyes turned to Nina Jennings and Zachary Jacobs.

Harrison Lowell immediately threw Zachary Jacobs into a headlock.

"Well, well, you’ve been hiding this pretty deep, huh? Care to elaborate for your buddies here?"

"Ahem... You saw the picture, didn’t you? As you can see, we were childhood playmates."

Zachary Jacobs flashed a picture-perfect, eight-toothed grin and said hurriedly.

Nina Jennings nodded furiously beside him. "Yep, yep! He’s right!"

Feeling the arm around his neck tighten, Zachary Jacobs quickly changed his tune.

"But of course, I’m closest with you guys! The absolute closest in the whole world! We’re the real one big, happy family!"

’Where the hell did he pick up this rotten habit of putting people in a headlock at the slightest disagreement?!’

’Does he really think I can’t fight back?! I just don’t want to pick on my elders!’

’Yvonne Lowell! You’d better cover my medical expenses!! I’m not letting this go for anything less than three discontinued Lego sets!!!’

’No, wait, five sets! I won’t be satisfied with less than five discontinued Lego sets!’

Yvonne Lowell: ...Um, who are you again, my dude?

"Who asked you about that? Did you two even read the question? That’s completely off-topic! What, you don’t consider us insiders anymore?! Harrison, if I were you, I’d just fight him!"

Stanley Sutton fanned the flames from the sidelines, thoroughly enjoying the drama.

’Hey! This little brat!’

’He sure wasn’t acting like this last year when he was trailing behind me, calling me ’sir’!’

Zachary Jacobs skillfully pried away the hand gripping his throat of destiny and shot Stanley a glare.

"It’s just like Tim said. It’s one of those ’nephews resemble their maternal uncles’ situations. If you want details, go ask Uncle Quincy yourselves. The old man is out there drinking as we speak."

After saying that, he exchanged a glance with Nina Jennings, and the two of them bolted while the others were distracted.

’The answer was right there in front of them, and still they ask, ask, ask! We’re busy tonight!’

’They can’t even score on a gimme question. Useless!’

’Of course those two are related, okay? It’s the only way the photo and everything else makes sense.’

’They can’t seriously think Scarlett is Uncle Quincy’s illegitimate daughter, can they?!’

’Seriously. A bunch of grown men sitting around like the neighborhood watch gossip circle.’

"Holy crap. I’m just... holy crap! Did I talk to the queen’s brother tonight? I even ate at the same table as the queen’s brother?"

Even though his suspicions had been confirmed, Adrian was still in shock.

"Do you guys think Uncle Quincy would agree to adopt me?"

Frank Lowell shot him a sidelong glance. "Shouldn’t you ask your own father if he agrees first? You’re a real model of filial piety."

"Tch, our father has a great son like you. That’s enough for him. He doesn’t like me anyway, so his opinion is irrelevant."

Adrian waved his hand dismissively.

Frank Lowell: ’As if he likes me any better...’

’Your dad and my dad... I guess they’re all the same.’

...

Yvonne Lowell had just gotten a call from Felix Knight. He said Andy was on the move.

So she called Nina Jennings and Zachary Jacobs to meet her outside.

When she and Leo Grant came downstairs, the only people around were the men, sitting at the corner bar and shooting the breeze.

One glass after another, they drank their fill, knowing they’d all be paying for it tomorrow.

The rest of them—the old, the young, the beautiful—had all gone off to do their own things, which made things convenient.

Seeing them come down, Charles Lowell’s gaze kept drifting in their direction, his hand tightening and retightening around his glass.

Yvonne glanced back, giving him a distant, reassuring smile before walking out the door with Leo Grant.

Seeing he was still worried, Kai Preston poured him a drink and said quietly,

"Don’t worry. She can handle herself. Ten of my guys together couldn’t beat her."

Charles Lowell gave a wry smile and downed his drink in one go.

"I know. I’m just overthinking it, but sometimes I can’t help myself."

"That’s an easy fix. Drink up. Once you’re drunk enough to pass out, you won’t have to worry..."

As Kai Preston spoke, he generously poured more wine with a loud GLUG GLUG.

He’d made the right choice coming to Kingsland. He’d actually found a drinking buddy.