🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 20
Alexei only looked at him with a complicated expression.
“And one piece of advice—before worrying about a hideout, you should do something about your clothes.”
Franz’s gaze stopped on Angelina.
“You stand out way too much right now.”
Angelina looked down at herself.
A torn skirt exposing her legs. And it was pure white, too.
Not just in the Tordy Empire—she would have stood out anywhere dressed like this.
“Then what am I supposed to do…?”
Franz had already turned his back.
He’s really leaving just like that? After saying only what he wanted?
Well, escaping the pirate ship had only been about money for him in the first place, and he wasn’t from Latria either, so maybe this reaction was natural.
Still…
Angelina briefly thought of embarrassingly sentimental words like trust, friendship, and cooperation, then gave up on them.
Fine, whatever. If he wants to go, let him go.
As she glared at the back of her former companion walking away, Angelina suddenly turned her sack upside down.
“What are you doing?”
“We don’t need this stuff anymore anyway.”
The items they had needed to escape were just baggage now. The only useful thing left was the sack itself.
Without hesitation, Angelina pulled out a knife and slit open the sides and bottom.
The result looked pretty pathetic, but—
She draped the long rectangular cloth over her shoulders.
“How is it?”
It looked more like a rag than a cloak, but from a distance it might pass. At least it wouldn’t stand out as much as before.
After staring at her silently, Alexei pulled the cloth covering her shoulders over her head. He tucked in the hair sticking out, then frowned as if unsatisfied and yanked the cloth farther forward.
How was she supposed to walk around if he covered her vision like that?
Angelina stared at him in disbelief. But Alexei, still dissatisfied, reached out again.
It already covered her eyebrows, and he wanted to pull it down more? Did he want to hide her entire face?
“Then I won’t be able to see.”
“…”
At Angelina’s grumbling, Alexei finally backed off. The arrow of his attention shifted past Angelina to Naomi.
“Naomi, you should go your own way now too.”
“What now? You asked Uncle Franz to come with us. So why are you trying to dump me? Is it because I’m young? Because I’d just get in the way?”
Naomi flared up.
“It’s the same reason Franz left. If you stay with us, you’ll be in danger.”
“Danger? I’ve always been in danger. I don’t even know what safety feels like.”
“You could die.”
“That’s always been true.”
“You don’t realize it, but there were safeguards in those dangers. Your father—pirate Jin Blaske.”
“…”
“Pirate Jin Blaske is strong. But the enemies we’ll face here are stronger than your father. No one will be able to save you.”
“…I don’t care.”
Naomi stubbornly refused to back down.
“I’m sick of this life already. I’d rather live the way I want and die than keep living like this forever.”
“The best thing for you is to stay here until your father comes and takes you back.”
“I said I don’t want that!”
The conversation, with neither side willing to yield even an inch, ended when Alexei turned away.
“If you really don’t want to, then do whatever you want. Just don’t rely on us.”
“What kind of nonsense is that?!”
“If you keep following us, I’ll report you to a shelter.”
A shelter sign stood beside the passenger terminal. Naomi flinched and slowed her steps.
“Let’s go.”
Alexei grabbed Angelina by the wrist and pulled her along.
“Will she really be okay?”
“What, did you get attached already?”
“As if.”
Angelina quickly turned her head forward.
“She’ll be fine. You saw her during the storm.”
That night, Naomi had kept babbling that a storm like that was nothing while getting drenched in the rain.
But this is land, though. Would pirate experience really help here?
“Captain Blaske will come soon enough. We should worry about getting out of here.”
But that proved impossible.
Naomi followed after them like a shadow separated from its owner. There was distance between them, but she was undeniably tailing them.
“She’s still following us.”
“Ignore her. She’ll give up once she gets tired.”
Maybe ignoring things works for someone armored in logic like you, but it bothers me. A lot.
“This is for her own good.”
“Still, leaving her alone like that…”
“Who was it that wanted to abandon her on the deserted island?”
“…But we couldn’t do it.”
“The Emperor of Tordy doesn’t spare people just because they’re young. You’ve heard the stories too.”
Raol Garcia’s blade spared no one.
Raol Garcia was a man born to paint maps in blood.
Recalling the rumors about the Emperor of Tordy, Angelina nodded and quickened her pace to match Alexei’s.
All while trying to cast off the sense of responsibility she felt toward her unrelated and unfriendly younger sister.
Huh?
Am I imagining things, or are they walking faster?
Don’t tell me they’re really trying to ditch me.
Naomi clenched her teeth.
So this is how cold they’re going to be?
I thought if I showed enough determination, they’d eventually give in and accept me.
And on top of that, I’m starving.
Before she knew it, she had wandered into the middle of a market. Fresh fruit and bread displayed on stalls stimulated her empty stomach.
“Man, I’m so hungry.”
Above a charcoal grill, skewered pork rotated slowly. Her mouth watered automatically. The owner pulled off freshly cooked meat and stuffed it into paper bags.
“I’d die happy with just one bite.”
Cori, who had been quietly perched on her shoulder, suddenly jumped down.
“Huh—?”
She had no chance to stop him. In an instant, Cori returned carrying a chunk of meat.
Would this be okay?
The merchant woman was busy serving customers, and when Naomi quickly looked around, no one seemed to be watching.
Guess nobody saw.
If I put it back now, they might misunderstand anyway.
And besides…
Naomi swallowed hard.
I want it so badly.
Her unbearable hunger and appetite overcame both fear and conscience.
Naomi hid the meat inside her clothes and passed the stall.
That was when it happened.
A rough hand seized her arm.
“Where do you think you’re running off to?”
“W-what?”
“You took meat, so pay for it.”
“M-meat? I don’t know what you mean.”
The merchant woman, glaring fiercely, forcibly lifted Naomi’s arm wrapped around her clothes.
Thunk.
The chunk of meat fell to the ground.
“Well, well. Looks like you’re a repeat offender. A brat like you stealing without fear? Come with me.”
The merchant woman grabbed Naomi by the scruff of the neck and dragged her away mercilessly.
“Let go of me! Let go!”
Naomi screamed.
“Why are you trying to run?”
“I’m not going to run!”
“How am I supposed to trust a little thief?”
The merchant woman tightened her grip even harder, not caring whether Naomi could breathe or not. Naomi coughed and choked, but the woman showed no mercy.
“How much is it?”
The merchant looked at the woman blocking her path. The suspicious figure with her face hidden under a strange cloak looked shady as hell.
“You with her?”
“Maybe.”
“You’ll need to pay fifty baht.”
“What?”
Fifty baht for one piece of meat?
Angelina was stunned.
Normally it would have been pocket change to her, but now even one baht was as precious as gold.
“No matter how much of a scam this is, there should be limits. How can one piece of meat cost fifty baht?”
“You must be travelers if you don’t know. In the Tordy Empire, if you get caught stealing, you pay more than ten times the value according to imperial law. This is already cheap. If you think it’s unfair, go to the police station.”
“She’s not with us.”
Alexei stepped between Angelina and the merchant as he spoke.
“So I can pay for one piece of meat, but I’m not responsible for paying ten times the amount.”
“What?”
The merchant fell speechless in shock, and while she stood there floundering, Alexei coldly turned away.
He’s really leaving like this?
Angelina was dumbfounded by how decisively Alexei moved.
Why does everyone just say whatever they want and leave? And it’s only fifty baht—you’ve got to have at least that much in your pocket.
“Come on.”
Seeing Naomi being dragged away again by the merchant, Angelina couldn’t hesitate any longer.
“Wait.”
Those eyes like a lost puppy turned toward her.
The same eyes that had made it impossible for her to abandon Naomi on the deserted island.
“Stay right there.”
First I need to deal with that heartless bastard.
Angelina strode past the merchant, grabbed Alexei by the wrist, and dragged the startled crown prince into a narrow alley.
“You’re really just going to leave?”
“Yeah.”
“You have money.”
“For now.”
“And you’re still going to leave her there?”
Alexei let out a deep sigh.
“Are you willing to risk your life over pity?”
“Don’t exaggerate.”
“I’m telling you the reality we’re in.”
“And what reality is that?”
Alexei rummaged through his pocket and pulled something out.
“This is everything we have.”
Coins.
“T-this is all?”
Looking down at the coins in his palm, Angelina’s face quickly filled with shock.
