CH-093

93 You're Welcome

Leslie was not particularly keen on letting Finnian know the full story behind this matter.

One reason was that, based on the conversation he had overheard outside the infirmary, Veronica was, in all likelihood, connected to the group involved in Finnian's kidnapping years ago.

For outsiders, the incident was memorable.

Yet it had become fodder for all sorts of strange but delightfully entertaining rumors—

Such as, a knight protecting a frail priest by shooting the villain dead on the spot and handing him a pistol;

Or, that the knight initially believed the priest and the villain were accomplices, given the opposing stances of the Northern military and the Church, and had intended to execute the priest as well, only to be swayed and converted by Father Alice, and so on.

Different locales had different versions, with subtle variations in the details.

Eventually, everyone began treating it as a curious anecdote and ceased taking it seriously.

As for the priest himself, Alice, now the Bishop, he never partook in such discussions. He paid no mind to outside chatter. As long as it remained harmless, he would occasionally listen to a few lines but never responded directly.

However, for those directly involved, the points that lingered in memory were not these idle conversational tidbits.

After all, Finnian had stumbled upon the scene where the murderer was concealing a body.

Had no one rescued Finnian in time, no one could say for certain whether he would have met the same grim fate. It was a situation where survival seemed unlikely at best.

And over the years, though Finnian appeared easygoing and affable on the surface, his core remained that of the clever, mischievous child he had always been—deeply cunning at heart, unwilling to suffer any loss. Even the usually adaptable little fox, Nathan, would turn tail and flee at the sight of him.

It was said that Nathan, thanks to the progressively richer and better food over the years, had grown plump.

Bishop Alice put Nathan on a diet and exercise regimen to lose weight.

Nathan was unwilling and refused, even running away from home in a fit of pique. Although it came slinking back at night, drawn by the smell of food, Bishop Alice found himself at a loss with the creature.

It was then that Finnian produced a painting of Nathan, done by the late Father Mian. So captivated was Nathan by the lively and beautiful depiction of itself in the artwork that it became utterly entranced. Immediately after, Finnian produced a mirror and held it before the little fox. "This is the real you, fat as a wild boar. If you don't believe me, take a good look."

How could Nathan bear the reality of becoming ugly?

The moment Nathan saw its reflection, it was devastated. For three days, it wandered about in a daze, unable to eat a thing. In the end, Bishop Alice had to forcibly feed it basic liquids to keep it from collapsing entirely.

And so, the diet and exercise plan was officially put on the agenda.

Whenever Nathan's cravings flared and it wanted a bite, Finnian would ask, "You're already round as a ball. Still want to eat?"

Nathan could only silently endure the pang, settling at most for a quick lick of the flavor.

Of course, Nathan also persisted with exercise, secretly running laps alongside the students every day. Though Finnian inevitably spotted it each time and gave furious chase. By the time it returned to the church, Nathan would often be so exhausted it would collapse on the pew, becoming a fluffy white blanket, only able to greet others by weakly wagging its tail.

Because this devilish training lasted a full three months, Nathan's fear of Finnian became deeply ingrained.

Now, even at mealtimes, the moment it sensed Finnian's presence, it would hide itself and refuse to eat, or it would eat stealthily on its own, avoiding any face-to-face encounter with Finnian.

Still, Finnian was now fifteen, presumably mature and sensible enough.

Leslie also did not fear that Bishop Alice would discover what they were up to, which was why he decided to tell Finnian about this matter. He simply felt Finnian could approach the person in question with a level head.

Yet, after hearing him out, Finnian turned to look at Leslie. "Do you think she'll seek revenge on me? Or do you think I'll seek revenge on her?"

Finnian tilted his head. "If it's the former, I can see she lacks the means to bully me. If it's the latter, I have no grievance with her. What would there be to avenge?"

Leslie considered this carefully. If one truly pondered either possibility, they did indeed seem absurd.

Finnian was dark and cunning beneath the surface, but his actions were fundamentally measured. He could distinguish right from wrong. Otherwise, merely wearing a smile wouldn't be enough to bewitch the entire faculty and student body into believing he was a model student.

Had this person drugged everyone in the school to achieve such an effect?

Leslie then moved to the second point. "I suspect she harbors hostility toward Bishop Alice."

After all, the second point logically stemmed from the first. The sequence was necessary for clarity.

Besides, if he only mentioned the second point, the first would inevitably come up in front of Finnian anyway.

Since there was no longer a need to conceal that person's connection to the events of four years ago, Leslie spoke plainly. "She may have deduced from certain rumors that the person she was looking for was with Bishop Alice at the time, and that Bishop Alice did not save that person. So, she's directing her resentment at Bishop Alice."

Leslie fell silent for a moment.

He was always deeply irritated by this kind of unfounded anger, especially when he couldn't comprehend it.

If that person hadn't crossed his bottom line, he would have simply been angry for a moment and then let it go.

Still, targeting someone like this and driving them away was somewhat irrational.

Leslie did not state his conclusion definitively. "Her background is special. The person she's looking for likely has a similar origin. If this escalates, it might spark unnecessary conflict."

Leslie's implication was clear—he did not want Veronica to continue her investigation.

Finnian glanced at him, his tone probing. "So you want to halt her investigation to prevent her from stirring up trouble?"

Leslie's voice was calm. "You must realize, if the investigation continues, certain hidden matters will be brought to light. Veronica may have many thoughts, but her mind is shallow. Let's assume the deceased was her close kin. She isn't capable of seeking revenge, nor can she simply ignore it. She will undoubtedly demand to take the remains back."

He paused, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes, his words pressing. "At that point, who's to say that person wasn't a spy? He could just as easily have been an important cleric of the Church, meeting an untimely death in the Northern Territory. The Church would certainly demand an accounting, a measure of justice."

"Right now, the Church is desperately short of funds. And while the Northern Territory is remote, over the past few years, its agricultural techniques, medical practices, and economy have all grown substantially. As others have noted, while various Duchies across the continent have suffered calamities these years, only the Northern Territory has remained peaceful and stable. Merchant caravans increasingly prefer to do business here, and more and more people are purchasing property here. Would the Church truly remain indifferent to this?"

After this speech, Finnian realized that Leslie's perspective differed vastly from his own.

Leslie was clearly viewing this matter from the vantage point of an aristocratic heir or a future ruler, analyzing it through the lens of practical politics with clear, calm foresight.

Finnian had merely intended to probe Leslie's thoughts and the intelligence he possessed, but Leslie proved to be far more distinct than anticipated.

Was this the caliber of Bishop Hugo's students?

Finnian was swayed by his words.

Continuing the investigation could indeed be detrimental to the entire Northern Territory.

—Could it lead to war?

He had never seriously considered that question.

—Could it truly not?

As Leslie's analysis churned in his mind, Bishop Holm's words echoed in his heart.

The Church was like a greedy hyena.

The Pope could spend ten thousand silver coins treating an illness, or, immediately after hosting a fifty-thousand-silver-coin banquet, issue orders to raise the donative funds and lower the age requirement for tithe payments.

All because of a "shortage of funds."

Truth be told, if it weren't for Alice, Finnian would have no dealings whatsoever with the Church.

He spoke. "If things truly could deteriorate to that point, I think we must speak with Bishop Alice."

It was not solely Leslie's deductions that swayed him. Moreover, when Leslie brought up the kidnapping case from four years ago, a detail he had previously overlooked surfaced in Finnian's mind.

He had long since ceased to fear Dr. Matthew. What truly lingered as a source of lingering dread was the memory of his parents' weeping eyes. And those memories had long been gently soothed away by Alice's companionship.

But he would always remember the piece of iron that had been wedged against Alice's door—it bore the crest of Duke Claude's house.

Dr. Matthew's death had always been officially attributed to military action.

Yet the moment Finnian saw that scrap of metal, he knew the true hand behind it was Duke Claude himself—Leslie's father.

This was no simple cold case from years past.

Once this layer of truth was exposed, the delicate balance between the Church, the military, and the Ducal house would shatter.

Even the entire Northern Territory could be plunged into turmoil.

Finnian understood that Leslie had approached only him, and not Alice, precisely because he did not wish to disturb that person's peaceful life.

And Leslie's reluctance did not mean he could simply pretend nothing was happening.

Hearing Finnian insist on telling Alice, Leslie pressed his lips together, his tone cooling slightly. "Then how do you plan to explain this? How did you end up rifling through her luggage to find this item?"

Finnian appeared utterly unconcerned. "Simple. I was strolling around campus with Nathan when suddenly it started acting strangely and vanished from sight. When I found it, I discovered it had run off to rummage through Veronica's trunk. And I happened to pick up this odd bottle nearby. Perfect."

Leslie. "..."

Finnian deciphered Leslie's speechlessness. "Exactly. It's not like Nathan can talk, anyway."

*

In the blink of an eye, it was after school.

Shu Li was slacking off in his Bishop's office at the school, eating some small strawberries he had grown himself.

The aroma of strawberries was most intense right after picking. So much so that even when the taste was slightly tart, the rich fragrance deceived the senses, making them seem purely delicious. Furthermore, their texture wasn't the soft, slightly collapsed kind that overripe fruit develops, but rather a firm, substantial feel that provided great satisfaction.

The strawberry plants could yield multiple harvests, though the berries tended to become less sweet with each picking.

After all, the plant's nutrients were nearly depleted.

Therefore, Shu Li always conserved them carefully, usually eating just one per day: one for himself, one for Nathan.

He had just finished feeding Nathan its berry and was about to pick his own when he saw Finnian burst into his office with great energy. About seven or eight seconds later, Leslie followed, pushing the door open and then gently closing it behind him.

"..."

What was going on?

Before Shu Li's bewilderment could settle, Finnian announced directly, "Bishop Alice, Nathan made a huge discovery!"

Nathan, curled up in its little bed, heard its name and looked around, bewildered. Upon seeing it was Finnian, and wishing to avoid attracting his attention and subsequent torment, it shrank back into its bed, pretending to sleep and minimizing its presence, though its mouth still occasionally chewed on the strawberry.

Finnian's gaze was drawn to the plump, red strawberry in Shu Li's hand. He grabbed Shu Li's hand directly, took a bite, and spoke while chewing. "Last time I was walking Nathan around campus, it suddenly dashed into the girls' dormitory and started rummaging around, and then it found this." As he spoke, he casually placed a medicine bottle on the table.

Shu Li was so flustered by the entire sequence that he didn't know whether to focus on the strawberry, Nathan, the bottle, or Finnian.

Seeing Finnian take a bite and then gaze longingly at the remaining strawberry in his hand, Shu Li truly felt he couldn't handle him. He simply fed it to Finnian. "If you want more, pick your own. They're on the windowsill."

Finnian was both righteous and bold. "Can't help it. I haven't washed my hands. Eating directly like this would be unclean."

Shu Li said, "Aren't you afraid your classmates will find out about this?"

Feigning ignorance of Shu Li's insinuation about his shamelessness, Finnian adopted a slightly grave expression. "Indeed! If they found out I have this unmentionable relationship, that would be terrible!"

"..." Shu Li sighed and instinctively looked toward Leslie, who was usually more obedient and less troublesome, only to find him staring at the strawberry stem. "Leslie, would you like a strawberry too?"

Before Leslie could answer, Finnian chimed in. "I'd like another one."

"You want everything."

Whenever Shu Li ate anything in Finnian's presence, Finnian absolutely had to take a bite.

Poor Leslie was always left with the leftovers.

Sometimes finding an untouched piece for him was a challenge.

Fortunately, Leslie didn't mind.

Leslie said, "Thank you, but no. I haven't washed my hands either."

"If you don't mind, I could feed you."

No sooner had Shu Li spoken than he saw, out of the corner of his eye, Finnian eagerly carrying the entire strawberry plant over. His eyelid twitched. "..."

Leslie. "..."

Leslie wrestled internally. "........."

In the end, Leslie sighed inwardly. "...No, thank you."

Seeing Leslie's reluctance, Shu Li did not press further.

"What is this?" Shu Li refused to let Finnian get his way any further and turned his attention to the medicine bottle.

Finnian suggested, "We could take it to the medical school laboratory and have a look."

"Let's go, then."

Shu Li rose to his feet as well.

Finnian immediately took the lead.

Shu Li shook his head. He had intended to return the strawberries to their place, but found that Leslie had already quietly tidied them up.

In that fleeting moment, his heart stirred slightly, an indescribable complexity rising within him.

So, Shu Li walked over beside him, leaned slightly past him from behind, and reached out his hand. With a clean, precise motion of his thumb and forefinger, he plucked a strawberry.

Before Leslie could refuse, he popped it into Leslie's mouth.

Startled, Leslie mumbled, "Tha—"

"You're welcome."

Before the words were fully out, Shu Li's other hand had already lightly patted Leslie's slender shoulder, a gesture casual yet warm.

Then, he turned and strode off to catch up with Finnian.

Sunlight slanted down from the high window, stretching the three figures' shadows long across the warm wooden floor. They intertwined like a dark, slow-moving river, silent yet impossible to ignore.