As soon as Jaius met with Hale, he reported everything exactly as it had happened, without exaggeration, just the plain truth.
It didn’t feel like tattling or make me dislike him. It was all true, after all. Though… wasn’t he at least capable of softening it a little? That was a childish thought, but I couldn’t help it.
I guess I was the fool for expecting something like that from Jaius in the first place.
“Senika.”
“…I’m sorry…”
I answered in a voice as small as a mosquito’s at the sharp tone of his voice. Sadly, that was all I could say.
Then, a still-youthful voice spoke up.
“But I think the method Senika came up with wasn’t entirely useless.”
Y-you little…! If you were going to take my side, couldn’t you have done it earlier?
I wanted to yell that from the top of my lungs, but I knew how to read the room. If I did that here, I’d only earn more sharp glares.
Hale crossed his arms and leaned back against the sofa at Jaius’s words.
“And why do you think that?”
“Well, didn’t you already have a grasp of the enemy, Lord Hale?”
Huh? Really?
I immediately looked up at Hale in surprise.
There was no change in his expression from earlier, but the atmosphere around him said that Jaius was right.
But wait… how do you know that?
“And?”
“Senika did act prematurely, but I don’t think you should scold her.”
“…”
“Even if she hadn’t, wouldn’t you have made the same decision in the end?”
“…”
Hale tapped his arm lightly with a finger tucked under his crossed arms. Maybe Jaius had hit the mark.
…Was that a good sign?
Either way, I found myself liking Jaius more and more. The way he stood up for me was enough to soothe my bruised pride.
But Hale’s expression still didn’t look great… Why though?
“…Vivian really raised her son well. To the point I have nothing left to say.”
Even though the words sounded like praise, they definitely didn’t come off that way.
“You’re right about everything. So let me ask you this.”
His soft blue eyes, which had been fixed on Jaius, shifted back to me.
“Senika. Are you sure you smelled that thick, foggy scent?”
“Yeah…”
“Answer clearly.”
Hale’s voice was lower and firmer than before, even after Jaius had taken my side. For the first time, he actually seemed scary, or maybe just unfamiliar.
I swallowed hard and opened my mouth.
“Yes. I’m sure. I smelled it twice.”
It wasn’t something I could forget. It wasn’t a scent you encountered every day, which made it all the more distinct.
Whoever that pheromone belonged to, it hadn’t been the man we’d caught earlier—it had to be Licht’s.
Since I’d already said it was Licht, Jaius probably assumed the same.
There’s no way Hale wouldn’t already know what we knew.
“Who does that pheromone belong to?”
“That’s not for another clan to interfere in.”
“I was there too, you know.”
…Jaius, are you threatening my daddy right now?
I never thought I’d see the day someone stood up to my daddy like that. Jaius really had guts.
If Jaius hadn’t been there, then technically, this would’ve been an internal clan matter. No one from outside had a right to get involved.
But Jaius had been there, he had even saved me.
He probably suspected it was Licht because I’d said so but he wanted confirmation from Hale.
At this point, he had every right to know. And Hale surely knew that too.
“…It’s too early to jump to conclusions.”
“If you promise to share the truth when you’re certain, I’ll wait.”
“…I will.”
Hale sounded reluctant, but he was a man who kept his promises.
As soon as that was settled, Jaius stood up, as if his job was done.
I followed his lead and stood too. But the intense, lingering gaze I felt on my back was impossible to ignore.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Oh, I was just going to see Jaius off.”
Hale closed his eyes tightly at my answer. He looked… kind of conflicted.
Why though…?
“…Come back quickly. We’re not done talking.”
“Okay.”
I tilted my head, then walked out of the study with Jaius.
The moment the door closed, Jaius slipped his hands into his pockets and looked down at me.
“Your dad’s pretty wary.”
“Huh? About what?”
“Never mind.”
“I was gonna walk you to the skybridge.”
“I’m good. Get back inside.”
It was obvious he knew why I hesitated. When he jerked his chin toward the door, even an idiot could tell he meant Hale was watching.
I gave a small wave and was about to open the door again when I looked back. Feeling like if I didn’t, I might regret it.
“By the way, when are you leaving?”
“Tomorrow.”
“…That’s kind of sad.”
I couldn’t look him in the eyes, so I stared at his chest instead. From above, I heard the sound of air escaping in a small laugh.
“This won’t be the last time. See you.”
Unlike me, who was lingering with regret, Jaius turned and walked away without hesitation.
And for some reason, that stung a little.
Once he was out of sight, I went back inside the study.
My body flinched.
Hale was staring at me intently.
“What were you two talking about that took so long?”
His tone was so nonchalant that I momentarily wondered, Did I really talk with Jaius for that long?
It hadn’t even been five minutes.
Does he still think Jaius is a bad influence? That I shouldn’t be getting close to him?
If so, I should try to clear up the misunderstanding but if I defend Jaius now, I feel like I’ll be crossing a line I can’t come back from.
Every nerve in my body screamed at me not to go there.
“We just said goodbye.”
“….”
Whether that answer satisfied him or not, Hale didn’t press further. But instead, I had to sit through some long-winded advice that was basically a scolding in disguise.
I wasn’t an idiot. I knew this was his way of punishing me.
But why was he upset? I had no idea.
I hated that even more.
So I waited until he paused to take a breath and quickly changed the subject.
“Daddy, where did you go earlier?”
“Earlier?”
“When you left me and Shushu with Mark.”
Instead of an answer, silence followed. He clearly didn’t want to talk about it but I wasn’t about to let it go!
“Hmm?”
“It was nothing.”
He cut me off curtly and went back to lecturing me.
Having failed to change the subject, I ended up listening to his nagging until the sun had fully set and the moon hung high in the night sky.
