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chapter 23
The day had been long. Watching the blue sea, Ananta had quietly bought a few extra pieces of bread and some leftover fruit without Rinka noticing, and the two of them filled their stomachs before walking back down the path.
“Wow, it’s really ugly.”
“It’s a symbol of my family, passed down through generations since my father…”
“You mean it looks like a hammer. Its head is huge.”
Rinka awkwardly smiled at the shopkeeper’s reply and gently tapped a brooch shaped like a small monster with a big head and tiny body.
They took a different path down this time and came across countless souvenir shops.
Rinka wondered why they sold souvenirs in a place only pirates seemed to come. Ananta explained that not all pirates lived on ships.
“Some only go out to sea at certain times, like fishermen, and some operate merchant ships, traveling only within Lavanto.”
“People really do have all sorts of jobs.”
“I’m not sure you can call being a pirate a job… And many of them also have families living on the continent.”
“Oh, families…”
Now that she thought about it, of course. Not all pirates had lived their lives alone. They must have families, but they probably didn’t bring everyone along on the ship—the sea was too dangerous.
“Captain?”
“Me?”
“Yes. Do you have a family?”
Rinka, looking at a brightly red-painted monster figure, asked casually, as if it didn’t matter to her that he didn’t answer immediately.
“Captain?”
“Oh.”
He hesitated for a moment, unable to answer easily, then gave a fleeting smile. It was less a true smile and more a habitual expression.
“I don’t have a family. The house I lived in as a child… still exists, though.”
“Ah, really? That’s similar to me. I have a house too. But I left without even being able to pack because of some crazy person.”
“Crazy person? Who was that?”
“I don’t even want to think about it. He’s the one who made the navy chase me.”
“Oh, the one you mentioned before.”
“Yes, that’s the one. Anyway, I’d like to visit home sometime, but I’m not sure I’ll get the chance.”
It wasn’t just about wanting to go—she had to. She had never been to Cader except at the port, so whether it would be possible was uncertain.
“Oh, it’s beautiful.”
As they walked, Ananta would point out things and ask if she wanted them. Rinka chuckled.
“You ask if I want everything I touch.”
“You’ve been looking amazed all this time but haven’t bought anything.”
“I don’t need them. When I settle on the continent, and I have something like this, I’ll probably wonder what it is.”
Indeed, Lavanto’s souvenirs were all strange.
Still, she hoped she could get just one.
Ananta looked at Rinka walking ahead of him with a hint of regret in his eyes.
Then, suddenly:
“Captain, look at this. Isn’t it pretty?”
She pointed to flowers—rare even in Lavanto—magically enchanted to stay fresh for a long time.
“It’s amazing that there are flowers here too.”
Rinka crouched in front of the shop, staring at the carefully arranged flowers.
“You like flowers?”
“My mother did. But you know, even though Cader is a port city, it’s rural, so there weren’t many shops selling flowers, and almost no flowering trees in the mountains.”
Cader territory.
Even Ananta had never been there. It was a port so bare that, at most, you could buy ingredients like flour. And with the navy suddenly on the move, they couldn’t stay long.
“Shall I buy some for you?”
“They look expensive. It says they’re magically enchanted.”
“Expensive, huh… You have no idea how much money I have.”
“Still a pirate, though.”
“If I can’t buy a few flowers, then I should quit being a pirate.”
Ananta’s boast made Rinka finally burst out laughing. Her laughter was bright, like the sound of water droplets bursting.
Ananta couldn’t take his eyes off her face for a long time.
When they returned to the ship, the sunset painted the sea gold. A few crew members tidying the deck noticed Rinka and greeted her with teasing smiles.
Their eyes went to the bouquet of colorful flowers she held.
It was only natural—after all, the captain had gone out with just one crew member, hadn’t returned until evening, and came back carrying all these flowers.
“Captain, did you go on a date with Rinka?”
“I was worried when I heard she was kidnapped, but it seems nothing happened.”
“Look at the flowers. Looks like the captain bought them.”
Like relatives seeing their daughter’s first date…
Rinka blushed and looked away. When she was alone with Ananta, she didn’t mind, but facing others, she couldn’t speak a word. She simply lowered her head and walked to the captain’s quarters.
Fortunately, Ananta couldn’t follow immediately.
He had to check the items they had just traded and the ones purchased for the voyage. He left her with a message to rest while he headed toward the deck, promising he’d come soon.
Rinka entered the room alone.
As soon as she closed the door, her emotions surged as if a dam had broken.
“Haa…”
How had she been fine just a moment ago?
Maybe she only realized it because of the crew’s teasing.
She went on a date with the captain… with Ananta.
A date… right?
No, it was definitely a date. She even got flowers!
No, stop thinking about it. He probably didn’t mean anything serious.
She sighed softly, kicked off her shoes, and flopped onto the bed.
The soft comforter embraced her back, and her heart, which had been calm for a moment, began pounding wildly again. It raced unnaturally fast, like after running.
“Ah, why am I like this? Over something so trivial.”
Though it was hard to convince herself it was trivial.
Rinka closed her eyes and took a deep breath, but it did nothing. The strange feelings she had felt all day kept resurfacing.
The conversations as they walked, recommending his favorite foods, his confident face promising to buy anything her eyes landed on, his sudden gesture of giving her flowers, the laughter that came out without thinking.
Each moment was vivid in her mind, making her face flush again.
‘But more than that…’
She found herself thinking of Ananta all day without calming down. She didn’t understand why.
They had only spent about half a day together, she had only bought some flowers, and listened to his stories—how could she care so much?
Why did she keep thinking about just one person?
Rinka knew what this state was called.
No way.
No way…
She shook her head. It couldn’t be. She didn’t want to admit it.
But it was useless.
She wanted to deny it, but the feelings only grew stronger.
Of course… she also knew her gaze toward him had subtly changed.
But she convinced herself it was only because of that handsome face!
Rinka pulled the comforter over her face and curled up.
Through the gap in the window, she noticed a familiar shadow moving on the deck.
His silver hair gleamed gold in the sunset.
She stared blankly at him, and quietly muttered:
“…Heart disease, maybe.”
Honestly, if that were the case, it might be less embarrassing.
