Ever since Beatrice went to Castel, Theus had naturally conducted a thorough investigation into Jules.
Unfortunately, as one of the Empire's greatest noble houses, the Joan Family had exceptionally detailed records, especially for direct-line members like Beatrice and Jules.
Guided by Beatrice, Theus's intelligence agents gathered Jules's life history without much effort.
He had been a prodigy of the Joan Family from a young age, and everyone believed he would become the head of the family.
As the royal family's most loyal supporters, the Joan Family sent the finest children of every generation to be trained by the Church before they went to serve at the Emperor's side.
When Isabella was assassinated, the Transcendent responsible for protecting her had been Beatrice. She had only recently become a Transcendent at the time, yet she was entrusted with such a vital duty solely because she bore the Joan name.
But... that position should have belonged to Jules.
Theus had investigated Jules's past. In the beginning, Jules had also received the family's careful cultivation. But during a calamitous anomaly, the dozens of [Investigators] sent by the Candlelight Society were almost entirely killed or wounded. Only Isaac and Jules survived. No one knew what had happened there; all people knew was that two dual-pathway Transcendents had appeared in the world from then on.
Isaac subsequently defected from the Candlelight Society and joined Moth Chasing Flame. Later, he followed Chloe all the way to Castel.
Jules, however, seemed to have struck some sort of deal with the Church. The two sides reconciled, and the Church recommended him to join the Secret Keeper Council, where he became one of the Church's upper ranks.
At that point, Jules should have become one of Isabella's chief ministers.
Yet Jules merely used the royal family to get in touch