"Well, you see, I've been staying at her estate."
Jenkins had barely touched his food, too preoccupied with talking. With his knife in one hand and fork in the other, he set his cutlery down yet again, much to the anticipation in Chocolate's eyes. He'd lost count of how many tis he'd done so.
"Why are you so tense?"
Briny asked, a hint of confusion in her voice.
"I noticed you've been talking the whole ti and have barely eaten a thing."
"It's nothing. It's just... this is my fault, after all. You know I've been staying at the ho of an unmarried young woman recently. But I swear, I did absolutely nothing! I swear it on the Sage!"
He raised his right hand, his voice rising in earnest.
"That, I believe."
The golden-haired girl nodded. She lifted her wine glass, and Jenkins hastily raised his own, clinking it gently against hers. It was real wine, not so non-alcoholic substitute. While a soft drink would have sufficed, he hadn't seen Briny in ages. And considering he was the one at fault, Jenkins figured a little alcohol was warranted.
"So, what do you plan to do about the princess who's fallen for you?"
It was another killer question. Jenkins forced an awkward smile and recited the answer Hathaway had instructed him to give:
"We're still in contact. I wrote to her after I arrived in Bel Diran, too."
He simply couldn't understand why Hathaway wanted him to say that.
"That's not so bad."
Briny nodded, showing no signs of anger or annoyance. Jenkins was utterly baffled.
Jenkins drank quite a bit during dinner, and later at the theater, he discovered their private box ca with complintary wine for esteed guests.
Jenkins felt he'd drunk more that night than on any other single day in his life. It was only when he walked Briny back to her room that he finally understood her intentions.
"Why aren't you drunk? I can't even sll any alcohol on you."
The golden-haired girl sat on her bed, her long hair cascading around her in the moonlight as she asked her question. She'd loosened the top buttons of her blouse, revealing the pale column of her neck.
"I just don't particularly enjoy drinking. It's not that I can't hold my liquor."
He explained. In truth, with an Enchanter's physique, that amount of alcohol was hardly enough to get him drunk.
"Well, that's no fun at all."
Briny remarked, a faint blush on her cheeks suggesting she was a little tipsy. She stretched her legs out in front of Jenkins and kicked off her heels, one after the other, before settling sideways on the edge of the bed. The shoes made a soft thud against the floor, and Jenkins's left eyelid twitched twice.
She gathered her long, golden hair behind her neck with both hands and bit her lip gently, her eyes fixed on Jenkins, who stood there completely at a loss.
"I think you know what I an."
Her voice was soft, alluring.
"I..."
Jenkins wasn't a fool.
"If you turn and run away this ti, just like you did on the train, I swear I will march right next door, wake up Hathaway, and let her see exactly what we're up to."
The golden-haired girl threatened, the window at her back framing her in the light of the twin moons, which draped her form in a gauzy veil.
"But... why? I thought I handled things poorly today. I thought you'd be angry with ."
He asked quietly, backing slowly toward the door. As he did, a hand behind his back deftly slid the bolt shut.
"Why?"
The golden-haired girl looked at Jenkins, a touch of lancholy in her eyes.
"Do you like ?"
"Yes, I love you."
"Jenkins, I've never asked for much."
Her mind drifted through countless mories—the monts spent with Jenkins and Hathaway, the demand her father had made of her, the entire course of her life yet to co.
"For ... this is enough."
(Fini was praying.)
Jenkins had a dream, which wasn't unusual for him. He dread often. But this ti, he wasn't battling the giant black cat at the edge of the world. Instead, he found himself back in the final story from Black Town, cradling the black egg as he leaned against the base of a colossal tree, watching a light drizzle fall from the sky.
This ti, there was none of the pain and tension he rembered from trying to suppress the egg—only a sense of profound relief and the simple joy of having nothing to do.
But the pleasant tranquility was short-lived. A cacophony of a thousand voices erupted in his ears. It was like standing in a bustling market with his eyes closed, listening to the din, yet the sounds were impossibly close, as if a multitude of people were layered one on top of another, chattering incessantly right beside his ear.
This was the second night this had happened. The symptom had started two days ago, after he absorbed that massive surge of ntal energy in the shared dreamscape. The energy itself hadn't hard him; he'd absorbed it without a trace. But the impurities within had manifested as these voices, chattering endlessly in his dreams.
The static would usually last for a few intense minutes before fading away, suggesting his own mind was rapidly filtering out the unknown voices. Aware that he was dreaming and growing tired of the noise, he decided to try focusing his attention to see if he could make out anything specific.
The mont he did, all the other voices vanished, leaving only one—the familiar sound of Fini. The little girl was repeating simple phrases like, "No roasted carrots for dinner tonight," and, "I hope the flowers in the garden grow." It was perfectly in character for her. He just couldn't tell if these were her conscious thoughts or just random notions drifting from her dreams.
"Why do I always have such strange dreams?"
With that thought lingering in his mind, he awoke in the early morning light. The first thing he saw upon opening his eyes was his cat, standing over him with a look of utter condemnation. Its beautiful amber eyes were narrowed in a classic expression of feline disapproval. Because it stood so close to where Jenkins lay on his side, the large cat seed positively nacing from that angle.
"Why does this scene feel so familiar?"
He wondered, then turned over and wrapped his arms around the golden-haired girl who was just stirring beside him. She felt wonderful. The sky was just beginning to lighten, and they were both still drowsy with sleep. But Jenkins knew he had to leave, and soon. If Hathaway discovered he'd spent the night in Briny's room, there was no telling what might happen.
"Good morning, Jenkins."
Briny's cheeks were flushed, and her scattered golden hair hid her ears, preventing Jenkins from seeing that they, too, were a rosy pink.
"Good morning, Briny."
Jenkins did his best to act casual. It wasn't his first ti saying good morning to soone while naked, but it was a first with Briny.
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