Chapter 499: Chapter 499

Sustaining the unicorn required a constant drain on Jenkins's spirit, a cost amplified by its projected form. Consequently, shortly after entering the grand house, Jenkins had to let it go.

It lowered its head once more, nuzzling the back of Jenkins's hand with its horn before turning reluctantly toward the shimmering, ethereal wall of space that had begun to fade behind it.

"Mr. Williams, was that truly a unicorn, like in the books? Gods, it's a thousand times more beautiful than I ever imagined!"

In her excitement, Dolores completely forgot her plan to play hard to get.

"Yes. I happened to acquire the ability to summon it in a Mysterious Realm."

As he spoke, he settled into the familiar chair by the fireplace. Miss Miller had already disappeared into the darkroom to develop the photographs, leaving only the princess, her maid, and Jenkins.

He was suddenly at a loss for words. As far as he was concerned, the relationship between them was still uncomfortably strained.

"Miss Stuart, your dress today is lovely."

He fell back on the trick Hathaway had taught him.

Jenkins's smile froze, but he recovered in less than a second. He was always prepared for his cover to be blown, making this moment of awkwardness a minor inconvenience at best.

He rubbed his cheek in embarrassment.

"I found out a few weeks ago, actually. The Stuart family is a famous noble house in these parts, after all. It's not too difficult to find out how many children such a family has. But just as we were forced to conceal our own identities, I assumed you had your reasons for concealing yours. Miss Miller and I discussed it at length and decided not to reveal your secret."

The most effective technique in these situations was a conversation of nine parts truth and one part lie.

As expected, Miss Stuart gave an embarrassed laugh.

"I do apologize. My identity is quite sensitive, so I had to conceal it from you both."

When she finished, they shared a smile, a silent truce that dissolved the tension between them for the time being.

"Thank goodness, the tension's broken!"

Jenkins thought, pleased, as he lifted his teacup for a sip.

"Thank goodness, the tension's broken!"

Dolores was just as pleased, and she too raised her teacup.

Miss Stuart's unexpected visit hadn't been part of Jenkins's plan, but mending their strained relationship was a welcome surprise. While they waited for Miss Miller to return, he recounted his trip to Bel Diran, making sure to stress just how invaluable her etiquette lessons had been.

Miss Stuart listened attentively as Jenkins shared anecdotes from his journey, chiming in with her own thoughts. She was particularly struck by his description of Miss Windsor's ball gown, predicting it would become the most fashionable attire of the winter season.

When she learned that Jenkins still required an etiquette tutor for more advanced instruction, she eagerly volunteered for the role. The price, of course, was an extension of the Benefactor lessons he was giving Julia.

The young maid sighed in resignation. Her princess had once again killed two birds with one stone.

Miss Miller soon returned, pushing the door open. She informed Jenkins with a note of regret that the photographs required further processing, so he wouldn't be able to see them that evening.

She quickly sensed the shift in attitude between the two and, with a knowing smile, settled into her chair, gracefully inserting herself into their conversation.

Since he had the chance, Jenkins decided to ask for her counsel on a few recent problems he'd faced. Miss Miller's knowledge had always been remarkably extensive.

"Vampires? More of those strange creatures have appeared in Nolan?"

Miss Miller's tone held a note of surprise, but her expression suggested she wasn't entirely shocked. The ones who looked genuinely astonished were Miss Stuart and Julia. To them, vampires were as mythical as the unicorn they had just seen.

"Mr. Williams, what exactly are vampires...?"

"The ugly kind, from the realm of the occult. Not the handsome ones from novels."

He had anticipated her question perfectly.

"So far, I've gathered that they're infectious, dependent on blood, and afraid of fire. I also heard there's a blood toxin that works on them, and that there used to be a whole set of linked abilities for vampire hunters. Anything to add to that?"

"That's quite thorough, Jenkins."

Miss Miller nodded. "Even more so than what I knew... But why the sudden concern? Whether we're talking about pure-blooded vampires or their infected thralls, none of them cast a shadow. With that fact in hand, you needn't worry about them sneaking up on you. Besides, Nolan is a massive city. The odds of encountering one are slim."

Jenkins opened his mouth, then closed it, deciding to drop the subject. Ever since he'd learned of their existence, he'd had a nagging premonition that he was destined to cross paths with them—and that the encounter would not be peaceful. That was the real reason he was so determined to gather information.

His second question concerned the blank note. He hoped Miss Miller might know of a reliable way to decipher the puzzle. While Miss Miller was stumped for the moment, Miss Stuart offered a solution.

"The royal treasury holds a special artifact, B-04-5-2218, the Secret-Breaker's Mirror. It's designed specifically to reveal hidden writing. Since it has so few practical applications, the Church never bothered to retrieve it from the royal vault. If you need it, I can arrange to borrow it next week."

"Oh, I couldn't possibly ask you to do that." Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on novel✶fire.net

Even he had to admit he was being disingenuous.

"Don't worry about it. It's quite easy."

Dolores smiled gently.

Jenkins stayed in Ruen until late that night before heading home. During the visit, Miss Stuart had unexpectedly offered Miss Miller a position as a mathematics tutor. Though Miss Miller had previously mentioned her dislike for such roles, she accepted with surprising enthusiasm.

If Jenkins recalled correctly, Miss Miller's other purpose in coming to Ruen was to access certain materials in the tower. Becoming the princess's tutor was clearly the first step of that plan.

They agreed to make every Tuesday a private get-together for the four of them—a small Benefactor gathering of their own. Miss Stuart seemed delighted by the arrangement, but Julia's expression was a little more apprehensive.

In any case, Jenkins had accomplished all of his goals for the evening. If not for the crushing defeat he would later suffer upon returning to Nolan in his campaign to tie a bell to Chocolate's collar, it would have been a truly perfect night.