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Chapter 11
“Because we were catching a thief.”
“Right. If we leave it alone, they might steal all our supplies.”
“I could’ve caught it on my own.”
“So could I.”
As if they had never gotten along in the first place, the argument flared up again. Alexei shook his head.
“Let it go.”
“Let it go? After we finally caught it?”
“What are we supposed to put the food in?”
There was only one sack—and it already had a chattering monkey inside.
“Should we roast it?”
“……”
“Monkey meat isn’t tasty, sister.”
“There are places that eat even worse-tasting things.”
Angelina replied casually and opened the sack.
“Greedy hands get punished. Be good, little monkey.”
The opening widened, and the monkey slipped out. It kept looking back, as if reluctant to leave the coconuts behind.
After the monkey disappeared, they continued searching, but gained almost nothing. With the sack now empty, the four of them reached the opposite shore.
And there, they found real luck.
A shipwreck.
The mast was broken, but the hull was intact. With some repair, it would be far better than a small boat.
Franz was filled with hope, but Alexei felt differently. As before, he remained cautious.
“I think it’s better to wait for another ship. There’s a trade port nearby, so a passing vessel is likely.”
“No. We’re outside trade routes here. The only ships passing would be pirates hunting for us.”
“A ship being abandoned means something serious happened.”
“It’s also common for pirates to raid small merchant ships, take valuables and people, and abandon the vessel. This could’ve drifted here after that.”
“More importantly, we don’t have sailing experience.”
“We didn’t have experience escaping pirate ships either.”
“This is a matter of life and death.”
“And is this island safe? There might be natives hiding here.”
The two refused to give ground. What began as discussion had turned into a clash of pride.
“It’s quiet enough. It’s probably an uninhabited island.”
“We’ve only explored half of it. If there are people here, we should leave quickly before they notice us. Of course, it could also be uninhabited.”
“Even if there are natives, how dangerous could they be?”
“Do you know how hostile some tribes are to outsiders? Some even practice cannibalism.”
“That’s a bit of a stretch, isn’t it?”
“Maybe it’s time to abandon old assumptions. It’s not impossible.”
Franz’s voice sharpened.
“This is not the imperial palace.”
Alexei felt uneasy.
Without Franz and Angelina, he would still be trapped on the pirate ship—but that didn’t mean he could blindly follow people he didn’t fully trust.
What should one do when opinions split?
There were no elders to consult. No absolute authority to command.
His mind grew chaotic.
“Let’s decide by majority vote.”
Angelina suddenly spoke.
“Majority vote?”
“Yes. That’s the best option in situations like this. Now—vote. Wait, raise your hands.”
Alexei, following her gesture, raised his hand awkwardly. Naomi followed.
“We should wait for a rescue ship and continue searching.”
“Then we repair the ship and escape.”
This time, Franz and Angelina raised their hands. Naomi suddenly protested.
“What if the princess disagrees with the prince’s opinion?”
“It’s not about obedience—it’s about agreement with another opinion. And a princess doesn’t have to blindly obey her husband.”
“Aren’t spouses supposed to be one mind?”
“No. Your parents probably weren’t either.”
Naomi’s mother, exhausted from life at sea, had fled from a harbor when Naomi was six and never returned.
Naomi’s lips tightened. A shadow of sadness and resentment flickered across her face.
“The adult world is harsh.”
“Does that mean there’s no love?”
Naomi challenged her.
“My parents loved each other. They were one mind once. But the princess…”
She looked at Angelina, clicking her tongue. In her eyes, the villain wasn’t the mother who left—but the woman who reminded her of it.
Unable to respond, Angelina stayed silent.
Then Alexei spoke.
“You’re mistaken.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s not that there’s no love. It’s just not visible right now.”
“What does that even mean?”
“It’s like rain. Even if it looks like nothing is there, it’s not absent—it’s forming. Like clouds.”
“You think I’m five? I’m fifteen. I know how children are made.”
Alexei’s face turned slightly red.
“So don’t say such vague things.”
“I’m not lying. That’s how it is.”
Naomi bit her lip and turned away.
What is happening right now?
Angelina was confused.
She met Alexei’s gaze. His expression was calm, unchanged.
Of course. Her surprise faded quickly.
That poetic nonsense must have come from the imperial library. She hadn’t known he read poetry too, but it made sense given his disciplined reading habits.
“Anyway, I’m on the prince’s side.”
Naomi raised her hand proudly.
It was a 2:2 tie.
“Then let’s do this.”
Alexei brushed his hair back.
“We’ll repair the ship and wait for rescue today only. How about it?”
“Agreed.”
A fragile compromise was reached.
The two men began repairing the ship. Meanwhile, Naomi ate the remaining fruit from the sack.
“Refill it after you eat.”
“I picked it to eat it.”
“Then say thank you.”
“Are you desperate to hear thanks?”
“Most of these were picked by me. While you were picking up ugly fruit on the ground, I was up in the trees getting the good ones.”
“There weren’t many edible ones anyway.”
“You threw most of yours away.”
“…Still, I helped.”
“If you don’t like it, don’t eat it.”
“Fine, give it here.”
From a distance, Franz walked over.
“Instead of just sitting around arguing, why not build a shelter? Gathering materials will save time.”
“We’re leaving tomorrow anyway, aren’t we?”
“You planning to sleep like yesterday?”
Angelina shook her head.
In her past life, all-night shoots had been nothing—but she hadn’t slept on anything other than a soft bed for twenty years. Adventure was exciting, but hardship wasn’t welcome.
She really wanted to lie down.
Even while half-asleep from brushing off crawling insects, she had been incredibly annoyed. Her legs felt like tree trunks.
“And it might rain. Even if we can’t see it yet.”
Following Alexei’s words, Franz repeated them, and Angelina shot him a look before standing up.
The sky was gray.
Love—or rain—was forming.
“You’re going to keep sitting there?”
“I’m finishing my food.”
Angelina counted the leftover fruit near Naomi: one, two, three in her hands.
Maybe it wasn’t four people—but five. Including the greedy spirit inside Naomi.
“You’re not allowed in the house I build. Got it?”
“That’s so unfair. I can help.”
Naomi stood up, brushing her bottom.
“I’ll gather branches, you collect long thin vines and large leaves.”
Though she complained, she worked diligently. She didn’t seem eager to sleep on the ground either.
“Is the princess’s house big?”
“Yes.”
“How many rooms?”
“Never counted.”
“Are there horses? Carriages?”
“Yes.”
“That must be hard to clean.”
“I wouldn’t know. I’ve never done it.”
Naomi pouted, muttering something under her breath.
Angelina chopped wood with a hand axe.
“So you’re really building it yourself? Why not just gather materials like the man said?”
“You just watch.”
“You’ve never built anything before.”
“I have.”
Naomi, kicking at random wood, flinched and looked up in surprise.
