Charlotte waited for a day, but Madame Nansera did not launch an attack. He waited another day, yet Madame Nansera still made no move. On the third day, Charlotte could no longer hold back and asked Nanny Karen to pass a message to Hughes.
Hughes was straightforward and immediately agreed to meet.
Charlotte angrily accused him, "How could you break your promise? I even told you South Seraph's great secret."
Hughes smiled calmly and replied, "Since it is a secret, let it remain one forever."
"Jonah raised me from childhood. I acknowledge only one Jonah."
Only then did Charlotte realize that he had backfired. Hughes's bond with Jonah was simply too deep; he did not want there to be any "real Jonah." Moreover, Charlotte did not know that Hughes had already made up his mind. Since Charlotte wanted him to stage a hundred-man siege, he would never let Charlotte have his way. No matter how extravagantly Charlotte talked, he would not fall for it.
Charlotte's behavior only made Hughes more certain that he was plotting something enormous.
Charlotte was deeply frustrated. Just as he was about to tell Nanny Karen to call off the meeting, he heard Hughes say calmly, "If you are willing to duel me ten times, I will launch one siege."
Unable to hold it in, Charlotte muttered a curse in Chinese, "Damn native."
Charlotte had spoken Chinese, which Hughes did not understand, but that did not stop him from immediately raising the price. "Twenty duels, and I will launch one siege."
Charlotte said irritably, "Do you think I am an idiot? You just want to kill me twenty times. You will not attack the city at all."
Hughes raised three fingers and said, "By the Vampire God Timothy, I swear to Silver Doveburg's commander that if