After reading the inscriptions on the gold bars, Liang En fell into deep contemplation. Initially, he had thought that he could claim these piles of gold, silver, and jewels for himself. However, the words inscribed on these gold bars compelled him to change his perspective.
With that, he picked up his phone and logged into a website called ANF. There, he started searching for the count that Jacques de Brian had mentioned.
ANF stands for L'Association d'entraide de la noblesse française, a private organization founded by descendants of French nobility. It serves to verify identities, handle cases of title misuse, and similar affairs.
Liang En accessed the website to determine whether the title of Comte Duris had truly been passed down. If it had, he intended to return the gold and jewels to their rightful owner.
As for why he didn't search for the title itself, the reason was quite simple. The fluctuations of various dynasties could easily result in changes to titles. Therefore, relying solely on that route was unlikely to yield the desired outcome.
However, based on the information gleaned from the engravings on the gold bars, it seemed that the original owner had likely severed ties with England to avoid confiscation due to scrutiny. It was unlikely that they had forfeited their title.
After all, during that era, many nobles from the Bourbon dynasty had compromised with Napoleon. Following the restoration of Charles X, he wouldn't have taken harsh measures against nobles who were inherently his supporters.
Of course, refraining from harsh measures didn't mean no measures at all. Once Charles X inherited the mess, he would certainly demand money from this group of nobles. This was likely the reason why the count had cut ties with England—to prevent such a demand.
Liang En stared at his phone screen, pondering the potential narrative behind this. After waiting for almost a minute, the ANF webpage finally refreshed.
The internet speed in Ireland left much to be desired. Although theoretically, 99% of the area had network coverage, living in the country for an extended period made one realize that the so-called 1% seemed to be rather widespread.
The term "Duris" meant "lily" in French, but as a surname, it wasn't very common. Thus, after inputting the name and waiting for a minute and a half, the screen displayed only one answer: Comte de Boisette.
However, due to privacy concerns, the website only provided the current owner's name and the family crest of the title. It didn't disclose any specific location information.
"It looks like this treasure will belong to someone else." As Liang En gazed at the content on the screen, a relieved expression appeared on his face.
Indeed, this treasure had strongly captivated him. The gold alone was worth around 4.5 million pounds at market value, and with the jewels, it easily surpassed 7 million pounds. Even in England, this was a substantial amount of money.
Yet, what touched Liang En the most were Jacques de Brian's final words engraved on the gold bar. In essence, Jacques had conveyed that guarding this wealth was his duty alone, and he didn't need to burden others with this weighty responsibility.
According to Jacques' sentiments, if the person who eventually found this fortune managed to locate Comte de Boisette or their descendants, they should present the treasure to them. He believed that the noble's honor would lead them to generously reward the bearer of these valuables for their act of restitution.
However, if, after exhausting all efforts, the count or their descendants cannot be found, then it would be the will of the gods that the person who discovered these treasures could claim the gold and jewels as their own.
This was precisely why, upon confirming that the title and family crest matched the inscriptions on the gold bars, Liang En decided to return these items to their rightful owners.
After all, if Jacques could face such treasures without wavering, holding true to his promise, Liang En believed he shouldn't fall short in this regard.
More importantly, his upbringing prevented him from clandestinely keeping property that rightfully belonged to another, even if its owner remained unaware. From a practical standpoint, carrying away hundreds of kilograms of gold was beyond his means at the moment. Publicly selling it would likely attract unnecessary attention, and in the shadowy realm of underground trade, the odds of losing both wealth and freedom exceeded those of gaining money.
After all, from a legal perspective, these items were categorized as owner-abandoned lost property. Taking them might offer immediate satisfaction, but there were no secrets that could remain hidden forever. If discovered later, the consequences would likely outweigh the benefits.
Most importantly, armed with his golden touch, he had a significant chance of becoming a renowned historian and a master of treasure hunting. To secure a bright future, it was better to avoid certain things.
Indeed, the fortune here was valued at 7 million pounds, but in comparison to his future prospects, these riches were only a negligible fraction.
At lunchtime, Liang En shared this matter with his parents at the dining table. As expected, both of his parents supported his decision.
On one hand, this aligned with the family's values, and on the other hand, it was a matter of prudence. For example, both parents believed that acquiring such ill-gotten wealth wasn't a wise move and might bring misfortune.
"Moreover, I think even if you return this fortune, it wouldn't be in vain," after discussing the ownership of the wealth for a few moments, Liang En's father added thoughtfully.
"I remember reading a similar case in the newspaper before. It said that the owner of a treasure rewarded the person who found it with a fifth of the treasure's value. So, if that person really is a noble, they can't give you a meager reward even for the sake of appearances."
"Exactly," Liang En's mother placed a plate of his favorite braised pork in front of him and continued, "Compared to this wealth now, I think accepting a slightly smaller reward would feel more secure."
After finishing lunch, Liang En called Pierce to inquire about how to contact Comte de Boisette. Although Pierce wasn't sure why he needed this information, he agreed to help through his contacts.
By the evening, Liang En finally received a text message from Pierce. Fortunately, the European noble circle wasn't that vast, enabling Pierce to discover the contact details for Comte de Boisette.
After expressing his gratitude in a text message to Pierce, Liang En picked up his phone and dialed the number provided for Comte de Boisette's residence.
Possibly because the call was from an unfamiliar number, there was no response for the first few attempts.
On the third try, someone finally picked up on the other end of the line. "This is the residence of Comte de Boisette," a middle-aged male voice came through the receiver. "May I ask what business you have calling here?"
"I have been entrusted by Mr. Jacques de Brian to return something that was lost to your family," Liang En spoke from his room, looking at the pile of gold on the floor in front of him.
"Uh... I'm sorry. I don't recall us having anything stored with Mr. Jacques de Brian. Are you sure you have the right person?"
"I'm quite certain," Liang En affirmed. "However, the items Mr. Jacques de Brian was safeguarding should have been handed over to your family a century ago. Circumstances at the time prevented this transfer from taking place."
"I managed to retrieve these items in an unexpected turn of events, and following the clues left within, I found you."
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