🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 4
What were those bastards after? Why were they being treated differently?
“Pirates want money. There’s no other reason.”
“Obviously. But there are plenty of nobles on this ship. Why single us out?”
“Probably because we look the most valuable.”
Angelina followed Alexei’s gaze down to her clothes.
She did stand out.
The dress had been chosen for a wedding at sea, but it was far from modest. Alexei’s outfit wasn’t much different. It wasn’t hard to imagine how they must have looked in the pirate captain’s eyes.
“So what do we do now?”
“We wait.”
“Wait? We don’t even know what they’re going to do with us.”
“They won’t harm hostages worth money. We should stick to my plan for now. That’s the best option.”
The wedding that was supposedly “going according to plan” had already collapsed, yet Alexei was still talking about plans.
She understood he was the sort of person who lived and died by careful planning, but he seriously expected her to sit around helplessly again?
Angelina had no intention of doing that.
“I’m escaping.”
“With what plan?”
“I’ll figure something out.”
She twisted her body against the ropes until she practically looked like a skewer writhing on a spit, but the bindings wouldn’t loosen.
Alexei let out a small sigh.
“It’s useless.”
“So you want me to stay here?”
“I’m saying we should wait for the right moment. Moving recklessly without a plan is dangerous.”
“I’m not sitting around like an idiot. I’ll go alone if I have to.”
Angelina struggled harder against the ropes. Alexei sighed even deeper.
“Hold still. I’ll think of something.”
He looked around the storage room, but there was nothing sharp enough to cut the ropes.
Angelina kept twisting as if she intended to rip the post right out of the floor. But whoever tied them up had done an annoyingly thorough job.
At this rate, it’ll be hard…
She needed to find something sharp. Preferably a knife…
A knife?
“There is a way.”
Angelina spoke while Alexei continued searching around.
“I’ve got a knife in my chest.”
“W-Where?”
“I said I’ve got a knife in my chest.”
Alexei lowered his gaze toward her chest with a remarkably stupid expression.
Her older brother, Marquis Agert, had insisted she carry a small dagger for self-defense just in case, so she’d hidden it inside her corset.
“Stop staring and help me.”
“How? What exactly am I supposed to do?”
“I tried shaking it loose, but it won’t come out. You’ll have to grab it yourself.”
“What?”
“My hands are tied, so you do it.”
“You’re serious?”
“Hurry.”
Awkwardly, Alexei stood and moved in front of her. He crouched slowly, trying to slip his bound hands inside her dress.
Did someone throw a bomb at his face?
Angelina watched his burning-red expression with amusement.
“Do it properly.”
Avoiding her eyes, Alexei fumbled around before finally forcing himself to focus. His breathing grew rough over her shoulder.
“A little lower. Just a little.”
In the midst of unbearable awkwardness and embarrassment, his fingers finally found the dagger.
The knife passed from her chest into Alexei’s hand, then onto her bound wrists.
“Why?”
“If you use a knife with your hands tied, you might hurt yourself.”
This idiot… actually thought about me?
Angelina blinked in surprise but obediently cut through the ropes. Once Alexei was free, he untied her wrists as well.
“Let’s go.”
“Wait.”
Angelina glanced down at her skirt while gripping the dagger.
Alexei noticed the ominous look in her eyes and asked tensely,
“What are you doing?”
“Getting ready to escape.”
She couldn’t run in a dress like this.
Without hesitation, she grabbed the hem of her skirt and sliced upward.
Riiip—
Fabric tore loudly, and Alexei’s jaw dropped.
“There. Much better.”
“…Not bad.”
“See you alive, then.”
Alexei quickly blocked her path with a bewildered expression.
“Where are you going?”
“To escape. The son of Baron Devlia is here. I’ll handle the reckless part myself.”
“How exactly are you escaping alone?”
“I’ll lower a boat and sneak away. Isn’t that obvious?”
Her confident answer left Alexei speechless.
He hadn’t expected her to tremble in terror, but this level of composure felt unnatural too. No matter how bold Angelina was, this had to be the first time her life had been seriously threatened.
So how could she stay so calm?
Maybe it was because she didn’t fully understand the danger.
That was Alexei’s conclusion.
“And if you get caught?”
“Then they’ll catch me again. Still better than doing nothing, right? You said yourself they won’t kill us. Money’s their weapon, remember?”
Angelina grinned brightly.
Alexei grabbed her wrist again.
“Come with me.”
“Well, I’d certainly prefer that.”
“I’ll lead. Stay close and be careful.”
“Okay.”
Then—
“Shh.”
They heard movement outside.
Their eyes met instantly.
Angelina tossed the dagger to Alexei and grabbed the nearest large wooden fruit. Alexei pressed himself beside the wall near the door.
Click.
The door opened.
Angelina swung the fruit with all her strength at the figure entering.
Thunk!
The person collapsed, clutching his head.
Alexei immediately pinned him against the wall and pressed the dagger to his throat. Groaning, the man slowly opened his eyes.
He was young. There was a faint smell of alcohol on him.
After catching his breath, he noticed the severed ropes on the floor and gave a small laugh.
“I suppose I interrupted something.”
“Correct. So stay quiet until we escape.”
At Alexei’s gesture, Angelina picked up a strip of fabric torn from her skirt and moved toward the man’s wrists.
“W-Wait. There’s been a misunderstanding.”
The man resisted while speaking urgently.
“I’m not a pirate. I’m a hostage too.”
“A hostage that smells like alcohol?”
Angelina raised the cloth toward his mouth.
“Wait, wait. I can explain.”
“Go ahead.”
At Alexei’s permission, Angelina lowered her hand.
“I don’t exactly look like a noble, do I? They were planning to throw me overboard, so I told them an illustrator’s ransom would be worth more. Then I drew Captain Blasque looking heroic and told them it was his glorious battle scene. He loved it. Invited me to their party, bought me drinks. I came to the storage room on an errand.”
“You’re an illustrator?”
“Yes. I dabble in writing too.”
“Your name?”
“Franz Boyle.”
“Franz Boyle?”
Alexei frowned.
“I was commissioned to paint the imperial crown prince couple’s wedding.”
The two men locked eyes.
Franz gave an awkward smile, and Alexei slowly lowered the dagger.
“A painting? Who commissioned it?”
Angelina asked sharply.
“I think His Highness already knows the answer.”
“What’s going on? You knew about this too, Alex?”
“…”
“Everyone on this ship is a noble except the servants. Even if it was a commission, how did an illustrator get onboard?”
“My mother arranged it.”
Alexei answered calmly.
“But the imperial family already has official painters. Why him?”
“She decided he was more suitable. Since this wasn’t happening at the palace.”
Angelina frowned, unconvinced.
“We don’t have time for this,” Franz interrupted. “The sailors are completely drunk right now. If we’re escaping, this is our chance.”
Rubbing the side of his head once, Franz searched through the storage room. He tucked several fruits under his arm and started walking away.
“Help us escape.”
Alexei stopped him.
“Why should I?”
“That’s an order from the Crown Prince.”
“I’m not from Latria. I don’t take orders from anyone.”
Franz replied lightly.
“Help us.”
This time it was Angelina who spoke when Alexei hesitated.
“You don’t want to stay on a pirate ship forever either.”
“No. But I also don’t want to risk myself for no gain. I finally managed to win the captain over. If I get caught escaping now… the price of coming back will be too high.”
“Which is exactly why you should come with us. Alone, you’ll get caught. But with three people, we can escape.”
Franz stared at Angelina, who spoke with complete confidence, one hand planted on her hip.
When the tabloid first approached him for an article illustration, Franz had thought it was a joke.
So he refused.
Even when an imperial secretary personally came to see him, he still refused. Secretive imperial business never ended well.
The more he refused, the higher the reward became.
When he still rejected them, they even threatened permanent expulsion from the country.
Leaving wasn’t the problem.
Never being allowed back was.
He had wandered through many nations, but none suited him as well as Latria.
Eventually the article was published.
Then the imperial palace approached him a second time—this time asking him to paint the Crown Prince couple’s wedding.
Franz gladly accepted.
There was no reason to refuse enough money to live comfortably for an entire year.
So he boarded the ship.
And saw the Crown Prince couple for himself.
Only then did Franz realize—
The future Crown Princess was the very same woman he had illustrated in the scandalous tabloid article.
The imperial family had commissioned that scandal in order to force the marriage through.
And the Crown Prince himself knew the entire truth.
