KMPEG 26

Chapter 26

I let out a sigh without meaning to.

Ugh… I guess I shouldn’t drink any water tonight.

I turned to Frederick and said, “Let’s go.”

Without making eye contact with anyone, Frederick grabbed the bags and stomped up the stairs.

I stood up too. As I passed Tiago, he smiled and said in a low voice only I could hear,
“Sleep well, Delphine.”

I gave him a small nod and headed up the stairs.

When we opened the door to our room, the first thing that caught my eye was a big window. The moonlight was pouring through it, so bright we didn’t even need to turn on a light to see everything inside.

The room was bigger than expected. Just like the innkeeper said, the bed looked like a king-size. There was also a small table and a couple of chairs for tea.

Honestly, the room was surprisingly nice. The furniture was old but clean and well-maintained. The decor was simple and cozy. Compared to what the first floor looked like, this was much better than expected.

Strike—click!

Frederick pulled out a match from his pocket and lit a lamp. There were two lamps: one on the bedside table and one on the wall.

Just those two lights made the room feel warm and comfortable.

As soon as I came in, I plopped down on the chair. Frederick set the luggage between the bed and table and opened it to get out his sleepwear.

“I’m changing,” he said and started undressing right in front of me.

At this point, I was used to seeing Frederick’s body, so it didn’t faze me.

The problem was… I’d never changed in front of him.

“Can you go outside while I change?”

“…?”

Frederick made a face like I was being annoying, then threw himself onto the bed and pulled the blanket over his head.

“I can’t see anything, so just change already. I don’t care. You’re not Charlieda or anything.”

“…You seriously have no manners.”

Oops. I said that out loud. He flinched under the blanket but didn’t respond.

I quickly pulled the curtains and changed clothes.

Once I finished, Frederick moved to the side of the bed closer to the door.

“I’m sleeping on this side.”

“Whatever.”

Honestly, it was weird how I felt so comfortable around him. He was still a guy, but I wasn’t nervous at all. I looked at the huge bed and thought,

I’ll sleep well tonight.

Frederick was clinging to the very edge of the bed. Even just my side had enough space for a queen-sized mattress.

I sat on the bed. All the things that happened today were spinning around in my head. My heart was racing, and my mind was too full—I didn’t think I could fall asleep even if I tried.

“….”

I fidgeted with the necklace Frederick gave me.

This thing has some kind of magical power protecting me, right?

Thinking about how the spirit fire avoided me earlier, even just touching this necklace made me feel a little calmer.

Frederick sat up slightly and blew out one of the lamps. Then he turned his back to me and laid on his side.

“Leave one lamp on. And if you need to go to the bathroom, wake me.”

“Why…?”

“The spirit fire. It might come back for you.”

“Here? At the inn?”

My voice trembled a bit. Frederick replied calmly.

“If that guy downstairs could sense it, that means it’s close.”

“You can just… feel spirit fire like that? How?”

Frederick suddenly threw off the blanket and turned toward me. In the dim light, his messy brown hair and soft eyes looked even more striking.

“I don’t care if you fall for that guy or not. But just so you know—there are rumors he’s a dark mage. Be careful.”

“What? Fall for him? I don’t like guys who openly call themselves flirts, okay?!”

Wait, why was I defending myself? I suddenly felt super annoyed.

But Frederick was already facing away from me again with the blanket pulled up to his chin.

Ugh, why is he acting like this too?

I had the urge to push him off the bed, but he was already so close to the edge that even a small push might send him tumbling.

Whatever. At least he gave me plenty of space. I’ll let it slide.

I got under the covers and pulled the blanket up to my neck. The flickering lamp cast dancing shadows on the ceiling.

Just as I was finally about to fall asleep…

Tap. Tap. Tap.

That sound.

The same sound I’d heard in the carriage.

The spirit fire had returned.

After Delphine and Frederick went upstairs, Tiago downed the rest of his beer. The bitter aftertaste somehow matched the mood perfectly.

Thud!

“Alright, everyone get some rest. See you in the morning.”

Tiago placed his glass on the table and said goodbye to the remaining crew. Their faces were flushed from drinking. They waved at him and got ready to leave.

Tiago grabbed his bag from near the bathroom.

“Hyung, noona, I’m off to bed. My room’s still free, right?”

The innkeeper’s wife nodded while drying a glass.

“Of course. I cleaned the room on the far left.”

Tiago waved to the couple and headed upstairs. The wooden stairs creaked under his feet.

The sound wasn’t like waves crashing on the deck. It was different, but familiar. Every time he heard these creaks, it reminded him he was home.

The Last Tavern was where Tiago had first hidden after escaping slavery as a child. The innkeeper couple—newlyweds at the time—had taken him in.

Thanks to them, he’d made it to the harbor and eventually became the Prince of the Sea.

His parents had died from a plague shortly after he was born, so the couple was the only family he had left.

Creak.

Tiago opened the door to his room. It was just as he left it.

Still, it was spotless—his adoptive mother clearly cleaned it regularly. The sheets had been freshly changed too.

Of course.

Tiago was satisfied. He had multiple ships, more than enough money for life, and plenty of women around to keep him from ever being bored.

But the prophecy… could it be about that woman I met today?

He felt something weighing on his mind.

He opened his bag and pulled out a book hidden deep within his belongings.

The Seer’s Prophecy Book.

The cover looked plain—worn leather with no symbols or markings. It was so used it looked almost blackened.

He smiled and pulled out a feather pen. It looked normal except for the glowing blue pattern on the nib.

He placed the book and pen on the desk, then threw open the curtains and window. Cold forest air rushed in.

The spirit fire is nearby.

He could feel it in the air. But that wasn’t the only thing.

There’s something else… stronger. More dangerous.

He quickly shut the window. He was powerful enough to handle most demons, but he didn’t want to cause unnecessary trouble.

As he shut the window, Delphine’s face flashed through his mind.

She felt like someone from another world.

He sat at the desk and picked up the pen. Time for magic.

As the moonlight poured in, the pen’s nib glowed faint blue—like a firefly.

Tiago opened the book and started writing in elegant cursive.

Scratch, scratch.

Only the sound of writing on parchment filled the room.

“Great and wise Seer, did I meet my fate today?”

The moment the ink touched the page, it shimmered blue. As he placed the final dot, the book absorbed the words like a sponge.

Tiago stared intently as the page slowly revealed a glowing message.

“What is your prophecy?”

Tiago thought of the words he’d never forgotten—the prophecy he’d heard years ago while stranded on the Island of Mermaids. He wrote the exact words:

“A fated stranger brings both light and darkness.”

The writing faded again. Then, new words began to appear.

“You stand at a crossroads of fate. Only those who can endure the darkness may grasp the light.”

“Hmmm…”

The Seer’s words were always cryptic. Tiago set the pen down and looked at the full moon.

A crossroads, huh… If I let her go, I miss my fate. But I also avoid the darkness. Is that worth it?

He stroked his beard thoughtfully. He already had everything he wanted in life. This should’ve been enough.

But deep inside, he always felt a strange emptiness.

“…!”

Just then, the writing on the book faded again—and a second message appeared.

That’s weird…

The book almost never gave two answers.