Chapter 1408: Chapter 1408

"There's a lucky woman out there, one who got to know you before I did."

Alexia sat up straight, her gaze fixed on Hathaway's distant estate as she spoke. She was beautiful under the starlit sky, even more so than usual.

Jenkins didn't know how to respond to that, so he could only offer an awkward laugh. He beckoned for Chocolate, perched on the edge of the roof, hoping the cat would ease the tension. But the feline seemed to ignore him completely, lying there and staring at him with a somber gaze.

"I'm not complaining about you," she clarified, "just lamenting the capriciousness of life. Even I have my limits. Compared to a fate that toys with people, the future I can perceive is incredibly limited. When I was Dolores's age, I used to imagine the kind of man I would one day marry. Back then, I certainly never pictured a philandering young nobleman."

She continued, then turned her head to look at Jenkins:

"Are you just going to stay silent? Oh, mister, I think it would be best if you said something right now."

The demand left Jenkins at a loss for words, so he opened his arms and embraced her instead. Alexia's hair had a wonderful scent. It seemed she had tried a new style of perfume, and its fragrance was...

Jenkins's nose twitched.

"It's eleven o'clock at night. My birthday will be over in an hour."

Held in Jenkins's arms, Alexia spoke in a rush, giving him no chance to ask questions as she continued:

"I stopped celebrating my birthday a long time ago, because I didn't really have any friends around. I should have told you and Dolores about it this year, but after thinking it over, I decided against it."

"No, you should have told us. Is there anything you want for a gift? There's still an hour left. I don't think such an important day should be missed."

Alexia gently rested her head on Jenkins's shoulder, saying nothing.

Time itself seemed to stand still in that moment as the two of them held each other tightly under the starry sky.

Jenkins hesitated for a moment, his heart feeling like it was about to pound out of his chest. He tentatively breathed a soft puff of air near the shorter woman's ear, and her delicate earlobe immediately flushed crimson.

He understood at once. He stammered:

"Actually... my bed is quite comfortable. Would you... like to see it?"

From a distant street, the sound of a feral cat in heat echoed through the night. It was spring, the season when all life was stirring once more.

Chocolate beat a hasty retreat.

"You and my tutor didn't come back yesterday. I know what you two were doing last night."

At the breakfast table the next morning, as Jenkins was cutting up some bread for Chocolate, Dolores, who had been silent all morning, suddenly spoke from across the table. The princess was dressed beautifully today; Jenkins thought her long hair went perfectly with the color of her dress.

Alexia was the only one absent from breakfast, as she was still resting in her room. That was likely why Dolores dared to make such a bold statement.

Behind her, Julia forgot all etiquette and tapped the princess on the shoulder. This was not something a proper, unmarried young lady should be saying.

The maids standing by the table to serve the family blushed, lowering their heads to focus on their tasks.

As for the young princess, Angelina Stuart, who was sitting next to Alexia's empty seat, she blushed and hugged her glass of milk, bowing her head in anticipation of what she might hear next.

"We're adults. Isn't this sort of thing perfectly normal?"

He struggled to keep his tone level, his eyes fixed on the bread in his hand as if something terrifying might burst out of it at any moment.

"I'm just curious. When you hold my tutor, don't you feel a sense of guilt because of her... physique?"

"Oh, Your Highness, please be careful with your words!"

Julia admonished from behind Dolores in a stern voice. It was the first time Jenkins had ever heard her speak that way.

"Julia, please let me finish my question."

This time, Dolores didn't back down. Instead, she turned to her maid with a hint of anger before fixing her gaze on Jenkins again, pressing him relentlessly. "Mr. Williams, please answer my question. Why can you accept my tutor, but not me? Is it just because I'm only sixteen? But my tutor looks..." ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ noⅴelfire.net

"What were you about to say?"

Alexia's voice drifted in from the dining room entrance. In an instant, the entire room fell silent. Dolores sat up properly, showing no trace of her previous aggressive demeanor.

Alexia didn't press the question. Instead, she walked over to Jenkins's side and sat down. She looked no different from yesterday, but Jenkins knew that wasn't true.

Chocolate, who had been looking thoroughly displeased, finally perked up at the sight of this new drama.

The sounds of eating in the dining room were faint. After a long silence, Dolores spoke in a small voice.

"No, you weren't wrong. There's nothing wrong with a young girl naively pursuing love."

Alexia said. Dolores looked up at her tutor, full of hope, and noticed that her attire was different today. She seemed more mature, but because of her adorable face and petite frame, the change wasn't immediately obvious.

"Your mistake was in your methods. If you truly want to achieve your goal, you could have used your own means instead of saying things here that make everyone uncomfortable."

Jenkins chided her softly. He thought Alexia was encouraging Dolores to resort to inappropriate measures.

"Jenkins, you may think a sixteen-year-old knows nothing, but in my view, my student is already quite mature. Please don't interrupt. You have your values, and I have mine."

As Alexia spoke, Jenkins wanted to counter with some grand principle, but looking into her beautiful eyes, he felt an inexplicable sense of guilt. He quickly finished his meal and left with Chocolate.

After Jenkins left, the atmosphere in the dining room instantly improved, the oppressive tension easing considerably. Dolores summoned her courage and asked her tutor:

"Tutor, the Witch's Kiss... where did you get it?"

"The maid found the small bottle in your pocket when she was collecting the laundry."

She explained sheepishly, then took the small bottle from Julia's pocket and placed it on the table.

"I got it from Miss Hersha. She bought a batch last year and only had a few bottles left. I asked for one when I visited her yesterday. She even asked me what I was planning to do with it."

Hearing this answer, Dolores looked at her tutor with an expression of pure admiration.