Chapter 23: The Secret of the Oxford Charter

William sighed and said, "From what you've told me, it seems I have no choice. Gareth, I suppose I'm in now?"

"Of course. Even if you didn't want to join, you couldn't refuse. The Duke has already convinced the disheartened Earl. Tomorrow, the Earl of Oxfordshire will register you as his heir in the Noble Council, and this will be reported by the media. All of this was arranged by Henry. You have no choice but to accept," Gareth said with a smile.

"Why are you so eager to put the title on me? What exactly do you see in me, or what are you afraid of?" William asked, voicing his doubts. He didn't believe for a second that these people were simply doing this out of the goodness of their hearts, believing him to be the chosen one.

Gareth Mallory thought for a moment and decided to tell William, "The Oxford Charter of 1258 has always been in the custody of the Earl of Oxfordshire. Before Henry died, he didn't tell anyone where the charter was. He only asked us to ensure you could smoothly inherit the title. Finding the charter will be your test."

"What if I can't find it? Will you get rid of me out of embarrassment?" William asked nervously.

Gareth looked at him as if he were an idiot, "Idiot, what era do you think this is? Killing a noble? Even if you don't find it, by then you'll already be a noble, but you'll never gain our recognition or enter the core circle."

Though Gareth spoke lightly, William didn't believe him entirely. He understood that, despite his best efforts, his Chinese heritage would always prevent him from entering the core of the English nobility.

But if he couldn't join, so be it. He didn't care. As long as he could make money and protect his family, he didn't need the noble title. The nominal authority of the W Group would allow him to form a special team to safeguard his assets and family. As for protecting the royal family and handling special security issues, that would depend on his mood. His soul was not English, after all.

Seeing William silent, Gareth assumed he was pondering the whereabouts of the charter and quickly asked, "William, do you have any clues? The charter is crucial. Finding it would be ideal."

William searched his memories and recalled some things Henry had whispered to him on his deathbed, but he needed to verify them. "If I find it, do I need to show it to you?" William set a trap.

Gareth Mallory, eager to obtain the Oxford Charter, quickly replied, "That would be best."

William realized these people were up to no good. Seeing Gareth's eagerness, he understood that the Oxford Charter was the ultimate proof of the Earl's legitimacy. The Noble Council had annotations of the charter, and the Earl who held it was the true Earl of Oxfordshire.

Unsure what secrets the charter held that made these nobles so obsessed, William pretended to ponder deeply. After a moment, he snapped his fingers and exclaimed, "I remember!"

"What did you remember? Tell me," Gareth asked, standing up in excitement.

"Ah, Gareth, why are you so nervous? Oh, I remember Henry said that once I find the charter, I should photograph the third-to-last paragraph and show it to you. Buddy, you're not being honest, trying to trick me?"

Gareth Mallory, quick-witted enough to be the chairman of the committee, realized William was teasing him in revenge for trying to take the Devonshire family's secrets. "Damn you, William Devonshire. You're just like Henry, a scoundrel. Henry, that old fox, used your family's guarded secrets for over a thousand years to threaten us so you could inherit the title."

William took a satisfied sip of wine, "Haha, Gareth, we're all the same. Compared to you, I'm still quite decent. Haha."

Gareth, exasperated, said, "William Devonshire, you don't understand the importance of that charter. It could change the world. It mustn't fall into the wrong hands, or there will be chaos."

"Alright, alright. You talk as if you know what's written on it. If you did, why would you need me to find it?" William dismissed him with a wave.

"I don't know what's written, but the royal family and the Duke of Devonshire do. Henry showed it to the Duke, who then warned Henry and our noble council to keep it safe. The text at the end must not be seen by anyone, or there will be serious consequences," Gareth Mallory whispered furiously.

"So, the Devonshire family cares about the charter, but you're interested in the text at the end?" William asked curiously.

"Yes. The Oxford Charter is of no use to us. Only your family values it. We were all terrified by the Duke's warnings, curious but afraid that revealing its contents would indeed cause the chaos he predicted."

William's curiosity was piqued, "I really want to see what's written. Gareth Mallory, as the owner of the charter, I have the right to look at it, right?"

Gareth replied with a tone of exasperation, "I hope you find it, but I also hope you don't. William, if you find it, don't tell me. I might not be able to resist looking. Show the photos to the Duke. Only he and the King have seen it, and only they can verify if you've found it. But don't take too long; the Duke's health isn't good," Gareth advised kindly.

William hesitated, then said, "Actually, I know how to find it. It might not even take a day. Gareth, why don't we look for it together? Aren't you curious about what's written?"

Gareth's expression turned excited, but he struggled internally before slumping into his chair, cursing, "William, you're as hateful as Henry, just as despicable and tricky, always messing with people. Damn it, meet me at Downing Street after you see the Earl's statement tomorrow. You'll need to reselect your W Group members," Gareth Mallory said before storming off without another word.

William was left pondering, "How could I think this long-time spy is honest? I must be drunk."

He looked at the 12% alcohol content of his wine, shook his head, and thought, "I really must be drunk."

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