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Chapter 9
The girl took another bottle of wine from that shelf again. It was strange how endlessly things kept coming out of that small space.
Pour.
She casually filled the glass with alcohol.
“Eat well.”
Without offering a prayer, the girl immediately picked up her fork. Was she not a noble? Philip instinctively grabbed the outer fork first.
They continued eating in silence, when the girl glanced at him.
“Were you a noble?”
Afraid he’d be scolded if he hesitated, he answered quickly.
“Yes.”
“No wonder you know how to use a fork properly.”
“My father was the lord of Hebon.”
“Hebon… that’s the Count’s territory of Girion. But how did you end up…? Ah, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”
She spoke indifferently and took a sip of wine. After a moment of hesitation, Philip also took a sip.
It all felt strangely unreal. As if he had entered another world. Maybe he had died at the harbor earlier and was now dreaming.
With his guard oddly lowered, Philip spoke.
“Five years ago, pirates invaded Hebon. We requested aid from the Count, but he refused. Well… it wasn’t like he did absolutely nothing. He went to the temple and had a painting made for Hebon’s victory. While the painting was being completed, my father and the people of the territory tried to hold off the pirates.”
“…Crazy bastards.”
The girl sighed and drank.
“My father didn’t give up and kept requesting support from the Count every day. Fortunately, after a month, Count Girion personally arrived with knights and drove the pirates away.”
“At least he showed up.”
Philip gave a bitter smile.
“Yes. And then, for ‘bringing pirates into the territory,’ my father was executed, and my mother and I, along with the rest of our household, were made slaves.”
A heavy silence fell over the table in an instant.
The crimson sunset had already turned a purplish hue.
“I told you because you seemed curious… I feel like I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry.”
“Why are you sorry?”
“I thought it might make you uncomfortable.”
“No, I’m not uncomfortable. It’s just….”
“……”
“Everything just feels disgustingly absurd all over again.”
Pour—
The sound of wine being poured layered over the silence.
“Want another glass?”
Philip nodded.
“But what’s your name?”
“Philip.”
“Your surname?”
“…I abandoned it.”
“Same as me.”
“How should I address you?”
At his words, the girl looked horrified, as if she had seen a ghost.
“Address me?! I clearly look younger than you! Just speak casually like I do. It’s weird if only I’m being informal.”
“This is more comfortable for me.”
“…Suit yourself.”
“May I know your name?”
After a moment of thought, the girl lifted her head. Her pale violet eyes reflected him as if he were inside them.
She seemed awkward saying her own name, her lips parting and closing a few times before she quietly answered.
“…I’m Laila.”
* * *
The night sky was full of stars.
The dark sea and black heavens were scattered with glittering stardust. Just looking at it cleared the mind.
Splash… splash…
Even the sound of waves hitting the ship felt peaceful.
Compared to lying on a cramped bed like a chicken coop, this was incomparably comfortable.
Even though there were monsters beneath this ship in the sea, he wasn’t afraid.
Philip turned his head and looked at Laila lying beside him. Even in the darkness, her bright eyes and smooth facial lines were clearly visible.
She stared at the sky, blinking slowly, as if waiting for something.
He had many questions, but couldn’t ask a single one. Everything felt too delicate in front of her.
At that moment, a green glow surged across the deck. The ship rocked violently.
“What is it?”
Laila jumped up and grabbed the railing.
“It’s a Marmel! Philip, come here!”
Her smiling face reflected in Philip’s eyes. A mysterious light green shimmer flowed over her expression.
He walked to the railing. A massive Marmel had risen to the surface.
“In my world, there was an animal similar to Marmel. We called it a whale. It doesn’t glow like this, though.”
She grinned while speaking nonsense. The emptiness that had lingered on her face earlier was now full of life.
“It’s beautiful.”
“Yes, it is.”
The sea sparkled in green light. The massive Marmel swam gracefully beside the ship, bathing them in its radiant glow.
Philip was speechless at the breathtaking sight. For the first time, an undefined sense of freedom felt real.
He gathered his courage and spoke.
“Lady Laila.”
“Hmm?”
‘What are you?’
But when he met her clear eyes, the words wouldn’t come out.
“…Why did you let me onto this ship?”
Laila blinked her large eyes, surprised. She looked at him as if he were the most outrageous person in the world, making Philip flinch slightly.
“Obviously. How could I just ignore you?”
“Most people would ignore it.”
“I guess I’m not most people.”
She trailed off as if about to say more, but no sound came.
“Then… what kind of person are you?”
“What kind of person?”
“I’ve never seen magic like yours. I heard even the imperial family of Veliana doesn’t reach this level. And they’re said to have green eyes, but you have violet eyes.”
She flinched. Thinking he had said something wrong, Philip closed his mouth again.
“I don’t even really know who I am. But I don’t mind it. I can do whatever I want… and also…”
She let out a small laugh and turned her gaze back to the sea.
“Why am I even telling you this?”
She leaned on the railing, staring endlessly at the ocean. What was she thinking about?
“Still, I’m jealous of you, Lady Laila.”
“Jealous?”
“Yes. You said you can do anything you want.”
She turned to face him, the corner of her lips slightly raised.
“If you can do anything… what do you want to do?”
Philip looked back at the sea. His eyes reflected the dreamlike view.
A sea glowing like fresh green grass, the massive Marmel beneath it, the dark blue sky beyond the horizon, and white jewels scattered above.
Taking in a world he had never seen before, he spoke.
“I want to change the world.”
Laila let out a soft laugh. It should have sounded mocking, but Philip’s face carried a smile she had never seen before—genuinely happy.
Then suddenly, she raised her hand and held up three fingers.
“Alright. I’ll help you. Tell me three wishes.”
The thin fingers entered Philip’s view.
Could he really create the world he and his father once dreamed of?
Was meeting this girl fate?
Maybe… just maybe… it was possible.
An unknown hope swirled in Philip’s chest.
“I want a bank that can handle one million gold.”
He thought she would call it nonsense, but she nodded without a word.
“And?”
“There’s a magic stone mine owned by Count Girion. I want it.”
“Oh, you mean the one in the Hebon mountain range. Isn’t it difficult to mine because there are many monsters there?”
“Yes. That’s why no one trades for it. It’s probably the only untapped magic stone mine on the continent.”
“What do you need it for?”
Philip didn’t answer.
“Anyway, that’s your second wish, right?”
She still looked unconcerned.
“Then what’s your third wish?”
“I want to save Rosaline.”
Rosaline was a girl who had been enslaved alongside him in the Girion Count’s estate.
They had planned to escape together and meet at the harbor—but she never came. Instead, slave hunters from the Girion family came for him.
It was obvious what had happened to her.
In truth, more than the first two wishes, this last one was the most desperate wish for Philip.
Once he stated all three wishes, Laila brightened.
“Easy! But the bank and mine will take some time. Those aren’t things you can just snap into existence. They’re social systems.”
“Yes. I can wait as long as needed.”
“It won’t take long. Maybe a week? First, let’s go rescue Rosaline. Where is she?”
“Can we go now?”
“Of course.”
Laila smirked and lifted her chin. Even though she looked about ten years younger than him, her arrogant attitude oddly didn’t feel strange.
She stared intently at the slave mark on his face.
“I kind of want to remove this. Is that okay?”
Philip silently watched her hand move toward his face. When her soft touch reached his cheek, he instinctively closed his eyes.
He gave a small nod.
A cool sensation spread across his cheek. It was strange—like a clear energy flowing through him, across his neck, arms, chest, stomach, and legs.
“This is healing. Not harassment.”
Laila frowned slightly, looking troubled.
He wanted to thank her, but for some reason his throat felt blocked. In the end, no words came out.
While receiving her touch, Philip felt something inside him shifting.
As if time was distorting… or space itself was warping.
But that was probably just her.
As he tried to think more about her identity, he stopped himself.
‘You always wanted to change it.’
He didn’t want to doubt this chance he had been lucky enough to find.
