Corin's murmurs reached everyone in the room, including Lycaon, whose sharp hearing caught every word through the phone.
Wise froze, not daring to speak. He didn't know what Corin was dreaming about, but her words carried an ominous tone.
It didn't take long for Lycaon's voice to break the silence.
"Wise, I trust you'll explain this."
Even without seeing him, Wise could imagine the cold anger in Lycaon's eyes.
Had it only been Corin, things might have been different. Lycaon was aware of her feelings, after all.
Even if Wise had taken advantage of her innocence, taking responsibility might have been enough.
But Ellen was part of this, too. Lycaon was well aware of that.
He had personally entrusted Ellen to Wise's care, and now Corin had somehow ended up in the same way.
Realizing Lycaon was already preparing to act, Wise didn't dare wait any longer.
He wanted to explain, but how could he? Should he just confess that both Corin and Ellen had feelings for him, and that he couldn't reject either, so he chose to accept them both?
It was dangerous, but there was no better option.
Making up his mind, Wise gently shook Corin awake. She stirred from her sweet dream, rubbing her eyes in confusion.
"Hmm, Wise, is something wrong?"
"Corin, how are you feeling now? Are you alright?" Lycaon spoke the moment he heard her voice.
Corin instantly woke up upon hearing him.
"Ah! It's Mr. Lycaon! Wait, is it already this late? I'm sorry, Mr. Lycaon, I didn't inform you earlier and made you worry."
After noticing the time on the phone, Corin quickly understood why Lycaon had called and apologized, feeling guilty.
However, Lycaon wasn't concerned about that right now. What mattered most was her condition.
"Corin, where are you right now?" he asked, sounding like a worried parent.
"Huh? I... I think I'm on the bed with Wise?"
She glanced around, then at Wise, hesitating for a moment before answering. Everyone listening was stunned, but she wasn't finished.
"Mr. Lycaon, you don't need to worry. Wise's bed is very comfortable, and his embrace is very warm. It makes me feel very happy, and those things from earlier..."
Her voice turned shy as she spoke, and the pause made both Lycaon and Rina on the other end feel uneasy.
"Mr. Lycaon, please don't worry. I slept very well and won't be late for work tomorrow."
The innocent Corin had no idea that her words were slowly pushing Wise into a dangerous situation, deepening the misunderstanding.
Hearing the silence on the other end, she noticed Wise rubbing his forehead helplessly and suddenly felt confused.
'Did I say something wrong?'
Wise took the phone with a tired sigh. At this point, only he could clear things up.
"Mr. Lycaon, as you can tell, Corin is with me, and we've already crossed both lines we should and shouldn't have."
Wise chose to lay all his cards on the table with Lycaon. After all, instead of hiding it for a while only to face even greater anger later, it was better to be honest now.
On the other end, Lycaon listened to the calm voice and spoke in a slightly heavy tone.
"So, you rejected Ellen and chose little Corin, is that it?"
"No, I didn't reject Ellen. We like each other, and I also like little Corin."
Wise's answer made Lycaon pause for a moment before he asked, pretending not to understand.
"What do you mean by that?"
"I don't want to give up either of them. They're both good girls, both deserving of love and care. I don't want to make either of them sad by rejecting them."
Silence fell on the other end of the phone. Wise didn't rush, quietly waiting for a reply. He knew that if Lycaon objected, Corin would surely feel conflicted.
But Lycaon was also in a difficult position. As someone close to them, he didn't want to see Ellen and Corin's relationship turn strained, nor did he want either of them to be hurt because of Wise.
In the end, all the thoughts in Lycaon's mind turned into a single sigh, like that of an old father.
"Do they know?"
Wise's heart tightened. For a moment, he wondered if Lycaon had somehow discovered Anby and the others.
But he quickly dismissed the idea. No matter how thorough Lycaon was, it couldn't have happened that fast. There were too many people involved to uncover everything in such a short time.
So, the "they" Lycaon mentioned had to be Ellen and Corin.
Wise glanced at Corin beside him.
She had been listening quietly the whole time. When she noticed his gaze, she lowered her head slightly, a hint of guilt showing as her eyes lifted to meet his.
Of course, she knew about Wise and Ellen's relationship. At the time, she didn't even understand why she had acted so impulsively.
Now, beneath her anxiety, there was also a trace of determination. Even if Miss Ellen disagreed, Corin couldn't bring herself to give up her feelings for Wise.
At that moment, Wise finally replied.
"Corin knows about Ellen, but Ellen doesn't know yet. I'll call her tomorrow morning and tell her. Before that, I'll send her a message."
Wise knew he had to tell Ellen, but it was already late. She was probably asleep, so it was better not to disturb her.
On the other side, Lycaon's expression turned complicated. Rina, who had been listening beside him, wore a similar look.
Even knowing the situation, Corin still chose Wise. Logically, with her personality, she should have felt inferior and stepped back. But this time, she was unexpectedly resolute.
Then there was Ellen. Although she usually seemed laid-back, she wasn't the kind of girl who would accept her boyfriend being unfaithful.
And yet, from Wise's tone, it was clear he was completely confident she would agree.
This made both of them wonder what kind of charm Wise possessed to attract them so deeply, to the point of making such a concession.
Or had he used some method to control them?
But that didn't seem likely. If that were the case, they should have noticed something by now.
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