"You must be careful. I've been so worried about you, Jenkins. I know you're involved in many things you can't tell us, and I won't ask, but please, at least know that there are people waiting for you to co back."
The red-haired young woman leaned forward again, wrapping her arms around Jenkins as he sat on the bed. He hugged her back, resting his head on Hathaway's shoulder and breathing in the scent of her hair, savoring the brief mont of peace.
But the tranquility didn't last long. Hathaway suddenly asked:
"Where were you the night before last?"
"Of course I was..."
He stopped short. Not because he couldn't rember, but because he had spent the night before last with Briny. The smile that had filled his face instantly froze.
Although Jenkins had always been adept at weaving lies, he usually relied on "incomplete truths" to deceive. When it ca to lying to soone's face, he was actually quite unskilled.
Hathaway knew him well in this regard. The mont she felt the man in her arms stiffen, she knew the answer.
"I really don't know what you two were thinking."
She rested her head on his shoulder, her words practically brushing against his ear.
"Briny's room is right next to mine. You know my hearing is many tis better than a normal Enchanter's. Even if I was asleep, how could you dare..."
Jenkins felt a bead of sweat trickle down from his forehead, tracing a path along his cheek. It made his face itch, but he didn't dare move a muscle.
"Jenkins, what were you thinking at that mont? Were you getting revenge on ? Revenge for that ti I locked you in the closet?"
Though the redhead's voice was gentle, Jenkins sensed an unusual danger.
"Oh, little boy, is your vengeful streak really that strong?"
Her lips were so close they nearly kissed his ear.
The cat, lounging nearby, shot them a look of contempt, clearly thinking the two were just flirting.
"It wasn't revenge. It was... I was overco with lust."
"As long as you're aware of it."
She suddenly pushed Jenkins away, then tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Judging by her expression, Hathaway didn't seem to be angry, at least that's how Jenkins read it.
"Um... I..."
He didn't know how to continue his apology.
"You don't know how to apologize, do you?"
The red-haired lady saw right through him.
"You don't need to apologize. Just know that what you did was truly awful. Jenkins, I made you a promise. If you marry Briny, I'm willing to be your lover. I won't go back on my word, but... at least show so respect."
Her words made Jenkins feel even worse. This ti, he was the one to open his arms and embrace Hathaway. She didn't resist, but she still whispered in his ear:
"Tonight, rember to co to my room."
For any number of reasons, Jenkins found it utterly impossible to refuse.
When Briny returned, she didn't notice anything amiss between them. She sat down and, just as before, turned her back to Hathaway while taking Jenkins's hand. As their hands touched, Briny tickled his palm and discreetly left a small, folded note. She must have written it when she went to the washroom.
After the young won had left, Jenkins unfolded the note. Seeing that his injuries weren't serious, Briny was inviting him to "be a guest" in her room that night.
"Your expression right now is quite interesting."
Miss Capet remarked as she walked in through the door. She glanced curiously at the note in Jenkins's hand and teased, "I could tell, you know. Your relationship with those two ladies is anything but ordinary, and their relationship with each other is just as unusual. How fascinating. Let guess, was that an invitation?"
Jenkins couldn't answer. Seeing his reluctance, Miss Capet let the matter drop.
Papa Oliver would never let the Williams family know that Jenkins was "gravely injured," so aside from Hathaway and Briny, there were no other visitors.
After lunch, however, old Mr. Wood Broshier, the Keeper of Secrets, paid another visit. He inford Jenkins that the Church was currently appraising the hundreds of numbered items recovered from Carl the day before.
Never in this epoch had the Church acquired so many numbered items at once. Compounding the issue was the presence of several dangerous Cursed Items among them. The Church also had to contend with the Blood Mosquito Curse and Carl's potential retaliation, forcing them to contact other churches for additional support.
Adding to the chaos were the recent appearance of the Believers of Lies from the club incident, the terrifying entity hidden within the dream world, and the ergence of cultists from the Gearsmiths' Guild. The Twelve Orthodox Churches all understood the gravity of the situation in Bel Diran. Thus, in addition to the combat squads already assembled for the Blood Mosquito Curse, new reinforcents were being organized.
Before long, the number of Enchanters from the Orthodox Churches gathered near Bel Diran would reach a terrifying total.
That evening, as clergy from the Church of All Things and Nature were visiting the Sage Church's Holy See, Miss Capet had to attend the eting and temporarily left Jenkins's hospital room.
Seizing the chance to finally be alone, Jenkins grabbed his cat and projected himself to Ruen. Then, using a Real Illusion, he pulled his physical body to the northern kingdom. Next, he used a spirit lodestone to project himself back to the hospital room in Bel Diran, leaving a new illusion behind. With this, he successfully created the facade of his illusionary self lying in bed while his real body was in Ruen.
"It's been a while, Alexia."
After that complex maneuver, he finally had the chance to embrace the woman he loved. The petite lady seed to enjoy it imnsely, a smile playing on her lips. After a token push against him, she relaxed and leaned into his embrace.
Sitting on the sofa, Dolores pretended to read a newspaper, her face wearing an expression identical to the cat's earlier look of disdain.
In truth, they had only been apart for half a week. After sitting down, Jenkins briefly recounted all the "marvelous things" he had encountered in Bel Diran during that ti. In just one week, the once-peaceful city had been pushed to the brink of destruction by his arrival, a fact that even Jenkins himself couldn't explain.
"We've discussed the Blood Mosquito Curse before, and we can talk about the other things later. Right now, the most important matter is that Alfons Carl."
He stressed the na.
"Of course. I imagine you already have a plan."
Alexia knew Jenkins would never allow a demigod who could threaten his family and friends to live. His retaliation was about to begin.
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