Chapter 1514: Chapter 1514

It had been a month and a half, and seeing Briny again after so long, Jenkins found her as beautiful as ever. Seated at the dining table, she wore a simple, floral-patterned white blouse under a fitted brown vest. Her golden hair was tied back simply, adorned with a lovely, bow-shaped jeweled hairpin.

"I really did see a unicorn."

Briny insisted, holding her soup spoon, but then added with great uncertainty:

"Of course, it's also possible that the exhaustion from the long journey made me see things. Jenkins, do you think unicorns exist in this world?"

Jenkins, who was in the middle of tearing a piece of bread, instinctively paused at the question. To his left, Hathaway folded her arms, annoyed that Briny had once again brought up something related to the occult. To his right, Briny tilted her head, her eyes full of expectation as she waited for his support.

The other young women at the table witnessed the exchange, and the already cozy dining room filled with a cheerful buzz. They continued to chat and laugh, covering their mouths as they chewed delicately, mindful of the gentleman present. All of them were curious to see how the young author would answer.

He repeated the word as if he'd only just processed the question, his eyes widening as he looked at the cat on the table. The cat, which was waiting to be fed, stared back at him. In its beautiful amber eyes, Jenkins could have sworn he saw a flicker of schadenfreude.

"That's an interesting question. You know I write fairy tales, so personally, I'd love for unicorns to exist. However, since I've never seen one myself, I can't give you a definitive answer."

Though his answer was vague, both the blonde and the redhead accepted it. In truth, they would have accepted anything he said. His worry had been entirely unnecessary.

On the surface, Hathaway and Briny were simply on holiday with their friends, but for both of them to show up in Bel Diran at such a sensitive time... Jenkins couldn't help but read more into it.

Of course, he would never be the one to ask; it would be pointless. Since they said they were traveling, Jenkins would take them at their word. Bel Diran in the summer was just as Pope Pontiff IV had described—a city of bustling beauty unlike any other season. Jenkins just hoped they could enjoy themselves and stay clear of any messy complications.

Hathaway and Briny's classmates were all eager for the famous author to join them on their travels. Before Jenkins even had a chance to speak, however, Briny declined on his behalf.

This, of course, set the young ladies whispering excitedly, but Briny didn't seem to care what they thought. She was far more concerned with Hathaway's opinion of her actions. Hathaway, however, simply ate her breakfast with a serene smile, giving nothing away.

According to the ladies' itinerary, their day of group activities was to begin right after breakfast. Of course, before they could depart, they still needed "a little" time to change their clothes and do their makeup. Jenkins decided he would leave the inn with Hathaway and Briny and part ways outside, which gave him an opportunity to speak with each of them alone after they returned to their rooms.

"Is there something else you haven't told me?"

Hathaway carefully opened the door to let Jenkins in. The moment she closed it, she turned and asked. Her suspicions about the connection between Jenkins and Candle Mr had been rekindled by the recent speculation at Mr. Hood's gathering, where some had guessed Candle Mr was an "unmarried young man."

Having concealed so much, Jenkins had no idea what Hathaway was referring to. He thought for a moment before answering tentatively.

"Actually... Miss Garcia and Mr. Rick, the eloping couple, never made it to their destination. That night, while you all waited outside, I took them into the station. As it happened, the Legacy Sage Church was in the middle of capturing a dangerous fugitive nearby, and Rick and Garcia saw the Scribe squad in action... So, they've been temporarily detained by the Church. But I assure you, they're fine. I made a point of telling the Church to provide them with the best possible living conditions."

This had all happened earlier in the year, he explained. He could have told her when he first admitted to being a Scribe for the Legacy Sage, but it had slipped his mind. Her question was the only thing that jogged his memory.

"Oh, I knew something was strange about that! I wrote Garcia two letters and never got a single reply. I was suspicious even then... Wait, no, that's not what I wanted to ask about!"

Hathaway suddenly remembered her real purpose:

"I want to ask about something else!"

She stared stubbornly into Jenkins's eyes, trying to read his expression. For more chapters visıt N0veI.Fiɾe.net

"Actually... before you locked me in the wardrobe, I had already seen Briny naked. It happened on our way back from the winter mountain trip. You went to bed early, and while Briny and I were talking, she... she took off her clothes..."

He confessed, his face flushing. The redhead took a deep breath, but it wasn't enough to steady her emotions, so she took another. It was an unexpected answer, and an exceptionally infuriating one. She felt the urge to scream at the man standing before her growing stronger.

"I knew it! Every time you and Briny met after that, you'd both avoid eye contact. Back then, I thought you'd developed feelings for each other and were just being shy because I was around... And I remember that one time I said no man could possibly help a lady get dressed and not do anything else. Your reactions were so strange! I should have known."

Her face was beet red; it was impossible to tell if it was from shame at their behavior or sheer anger. Jenkins decided it was best to keep his mouth shut. Sometimes, silence was not a bad idea.

The cat, perched boredly on Jenkins's shoulder, let out a yawn and began to contemplate what might be for lunch.

"We'll talk about this later. Is there anything else you haven't told me?"

Hathaway suppressed her roiling emotions and asked again. Jenkins thought for another moment, then lowered his head and stole a glance at the redhead, looking like a guilty child.

"Um... alright, you'd find out sooner or later anyway. Not long ago, Alexia and I were... in my bedroom... in my bed..."