Could it be that Maria had only recently ingested the Reverse Pills and, for all those preceding years, she had been concocting pills with her feeble talents?

No, such a notion was patently implausible.

Thus, a more cogent and trustworthy supposition emerged—an inquiry into the integrity of Maria's talent evaluation. Was there something wrong with that?

It was widely known that all the power of the Jenkins’ family rested in the hands of Mrs. Jenkins.

Naturally, Mrs. Jenkins would be in charge of something like testing the talent of young people which would have a bearing on their future.

Why then had Mrs. Jenkins tampered with Maria's test results?

“Mrs. Jenkins, what is the meaning of all this?" Canaan demanded, his countenance turning ashen with anger.

Mrs. Jenkins had nearly snuffed out a prodigious talent.

In her misguided attempt to bolster Barbara, who was unrelated to the Jenkins family, Mrs. Jenkins extinguished the brilliance that resided within the Jenkins Lineage.

If this revelation were substantiated, Mrs. Jenkins’ esteemed position as the family's matriarch would be profoundly undermined.

“Reuben, Doris!" Mrs. Jenkins called out, finally breaking her silence.

However, she disregarded Canaan's doubts, instead beckoning Reuben and Doris into her presence.

"Mrs. Jenkins, how may I be of service?" Reuben, that was Mr. Gonzales, inquired cautiously, his words laced with trepidation.

Mrs. Jenkins fixed him with a penetrating gaze before posing her query, “Do we still adhere to the tradition of annually replenishing the Oracle Stone in our family with spiritual energy?”

Reuben stood transfixed, at a loss for how to respond. Doris, swift in her reaction, promptly stepped on her husband's foot.

The message was instantly conveyed and, Reuben, understanding the gravity of the situation, delivered a resounding slap to his own cheek.

"Goodness! Mrs. Jenkins, how could I have such a wretched memory?!" he lamented, his right cheek now aflame, while assuming a remorseful tone as though he deserved nothing short of death.

“You had once instructed us to diligently tend to the Oracle Stone in the square, as it plays a pivotal role in assessing the talent of the next generation of the Jenkins family—a determining factor in the fortunes of our entire Lineage.

“Aeneas Wallace, the deputy butler, had been responsible for maintaining the Oracle Stone and I merely assisted him. However, this year, Aeneas fell ill and was hospitalized, so I took it upon myself to oversee the care of the Oracle Stone in his absence. Regrettably, as it was not my primary duty, I failed to regularly maintain its upkeep." In relation to this matter, during Miss Maria's talent evaluation, a fortuitous malfunction must have occurred with the Oracle Stone, resulting in a misguided judgment of her abilities—a classification of primary stage, first-grade talent of the useless variety. This nearly dashed her prospects for the future."

In light of this revelation, Reuben suddenly dropped to his knees.

"Mrs. Jenkins, regardless, the blame Lies with me. You may punish me as you see fit. I accept full responsibility!”

After Reuben concluded his impassioned plea, Mrs. Jenkins maintained a stoic visage, yet a subtle glimmer of approval flickered in her eyes.

Observing this, how could Canaan remain oblivious to the unfolding situation?

Reuben's unwavering Loyalty to Mrs. Jenkins was palpable. How audacious of him to willingly shoulder the blame like this!