Chapter 147
At that moment, Kingston, who was perched high up to the south, lowered his gun with an exceptionally gloomy expression.
Ever since Shermaine and Joshua had returned from the mountains, Kingston had been receiving updates from his men, who had been tailing them discreetly.
Kingston had intended to seize this opportunity to eliminate Shermaine, but he hadn’t anticipated that she would detect the threat and react so swiftly.
Almost in sync with Joshua’s trigger pull, Shermaine had dashed out of the shelter, and Joshua had ushered her back into the house.
‘This isn’t the time to linger,’ he thought. ‘Joshua will surely send someone to investigate.’ And with that, Kingston swiftly vanished into the night.
Joshua’s first instinct was indeed to pull out his phone and call James.
Upon receiving the call, James promptly headed in the direction Kingston had been, searching for any suspicious individuals.
Meanwhile, Joshua laid Shermaine down on the bed.
Because she had been carried by Joshua, one of her slippers had come off and was left outside. She was now barefoot on one side, her clothes only partially buttoned.
Shermaine’s neckline gaped open, revealing her delicate collarbone, smooth complexion, and full chest.
Joshua’s gaze fell upon her, taking in the sight. In that instant, his eyes darkened. The beast within him seemed ready to break free. He grabbed a piece of clothing from the bed and wrapped it around Shermaine.
However, the image he had just seen lingered in his mind. “Sheary-”
“Don’t say anything,” Shermaine said, a hint of discomfort unusually visible on her face.
She turned away, buttoned up her clothes, and added, “My shoe fell off outside. Go get it for me.”
Without a word, Joshua went out to retrieve the shoe.
When he returned with the shoe, Shermaine had already begun to work on the herbs she had collected.
The herbs were spread out on the table, and she had borrowed tools from a Mysonnian doctor in Xenhall. It was unclear what she was up to.
Joshua placed the shoe at her feet. Shermaine lifted her foot and slipped it on, while Joshua stood still, watching her intently. That uncomfortable feeling returned.
Shermaine’s expression was blank. “I’m hungry.”
“I’ll make something right now,” Joshua said.
“Okay,” Shermaine replied.
Joshua headed outside. The kitchen was a small, separate structure, and it only had a wood–burning stove.
Twenty minutes later, James returned and reported, “Mr. York, I searched the area. There are many people from that line of work camping on the eastern slope overnight. But I didn’t find any suspicious individuals.
“I asked around, and they all said they hadn’t seen anything.”
Joshua then instructed, “Increase the patrols. I don’t want tonight’s incident to happen again.”
James nodded. “Yes, Mr. York.”
The night was long.
After eating, it was Joshua’s turn to heat water for a bath. He washed quickly and soon emerged from the shelter, heading back inside.
James, ever considerate, had already set up Joshua’s sleeping area. Two thick blankets were laid on the floor, just to the left of the bed.
Shermaine was still working on her herbs. Soon, a rich aroma began to fill the room. The scent was strong but not unpleasant.
Shermaine had made two bottles in total and tossed one to James. “For mosquito and insect bites, use this.”
However, she wasn’t sure how long the scent would last. Without refining it, it probably wouldn’t linger for long.
“Thank you, Ms. Shue,” James said as he took it. “I’ll leave now. You two get some rest.”
After James left, he thoughtfully closed the door behind him. Shermaine made a small sachet and lit it. She planned to sleep and then confront Bianca when she woke up.
She wanted to see what kind of trouble the possible mastermind behind it could stir up and how far they would go to try to kill her.
“I’m turning off the light,” she said.
“Okay,” Joshua replied.
As soon as the light went out, the room was pitch black.
As Shermaine settled under the covers, Joshua’s voice sounded. “Sheary, let’s make a deal. Can I have half of the bed?”