Chapter 28
“Well, anyway.”
Lloyd let out a sigh, uncrossed his arms, and slowly placed his hands on his hips. There was a gentle warmth in his steel-gray eyes.
“This is the first thing you’ve ever said you wanted to do, so of course I’ll help.”
His voice had softened completely. Neither too much nor too little—just right.
“Do your best.”
As I looked at the two of them, I wondered. Would their milestones always point to the same destination?
And now, I thought I understood. They didn’t have to.
Because during a long journey, filled with meetings and farewells, a friend was someone who could always push you forward, even if you walked different roads.
“…Thanks.”
Lloyd extended his fist, and Ian met it with his own.
A short silence passed between them. The sound of gentle waves filled the gap.
Inside the cabin, Lucas, who was checking the relief supplies Lloyd had brought, pretended not to see a thing.
“But Lloyd, how are you planning to get back?”
The easy smile froze on his face. The proud shoulders he held so straight suddenly stiffened.
“…Huh?”
Lloyd glanced back and forth between me and Ian. Then he tilted his head back to look at the sky, and then down at the sea again.
With an exaggeratedly serious face, he lowered his voice.
“…Well, I’ve got a secret weapon hidden away—”
“You don’t have anything like that.”
So he didn’t even think about how to return? Lloyd, who had been acting so dignified, finally pulled a pitiful face.
“Ian, take me with you… please.”
Silence hung in the air for a moment. At the absurdity of it all, I burst out laughing, and Ian chuckled too.
Honestly, now I understood why Ian found him such a nuisance.
“Extra! Extra!”
The Aquilea Empire, capital city of Calenon. As usual, the area in front of the Veritas newspaper building was in an uproar.
“Hot off the press from Veritas! Fresh breaking news!”
The boy hawking newspapers shouted so loudly that the entire street buzzed with excitement.
Noble ladies rushed to buy the paper, and merchants scanned the headlines with mouths agape.
The most sensational topic in the Empire—the scandal of Ian Frederick.
<Breaking News! Ian Frederick Spotted on Muia Island with Kanoe Bluebell!>
<Why Did the Two Go to Muia Island?>
<Exclusive Interview with Café Owner! “Them? Oh, yes! They ordered drinks from our café and I delivered them myself. They looked very close! But then, something must have happened because the gentleman suddenly came looking for the lady. Turns out she was kidnapped by pirates….”>
<Aquilea Navy Found Them But Ultimately Lost Track…>
Dozens of pairs of eyes moved busily across the crowded headlines. Voices and gazes crossed over a single sheet of paper.
“What is the imperial family doing if they still can’t catch these criminals?”
“Sir, you don’t understand! Love blooming in the midst of crisis—how thrilling is that?”
“Exactly! He destroyed a pirate crew to save the one he loves! Isn’t that just the most romantic thing ever?”
To the common folk, it was nothing more than entertaining gossip.
But among the powerful nobles of the Empire—
“Frederick is finished now.”
“Oh my, really? The other prominent houses must be thrilled to lose a competitor.”
The five Honored Houses that protected the Aquilea royal family. And those eligible to join their ranks—the Great Houses.
The Fredericks had been the closest to claiming a seat among the Honored Houses in the next generation.
But this sudden scandal involving Ian Frederick might crush that possibility entirely.
If Frederick fell, who would take that empty seat?
Houses seeking to seize the opportunity, and those scrambling to sever ties with the sinking family, all moved quickly.
“Isn’t Oplentus the next closest to becoming an Honored House?”
“What about the Valentirs? They’ve been gaining momentum lately.”
“Well, didn’t they sponsor Kanoe Bluebell as well?”
“Yes, but they also have strong ties with Helenium.”
One lady in the conversation clasped her hands together and laughed gracefully.
“Oh my. This is getting quite interesting.”
As whispers spread through the street, a man strolled leisurely toward the newsboy.
“Would you like a paper, sir?”
“Sure.”
The man, smiling languidly, reached out. His movements were slow, almost lazy. He took the paper from the boy and lifted his head slightly.
The sunlight caught his dark brown hair. Through his half-lidded eyes, an olive-green gaze skimmed the headlines.
“Ah… what a shame, reading such dreary news on such a beautiful day.”
Stretching lazily like a cat, he murmured:
“It’s all so meaningless.”
The corners of his eyes drooped in quiet melancholy. Holding the paper loosely, he turned his head toward the crowd with an easy grace.
“Don’t you think so, everyone?”
A breeze ruffled the dark brown strands at his nape, revealing his face.
People reading the paper began whispering behind their hands as recognition dawned.
“That’s him. That guy—Frederick’s…!”
“Oh! Calenon’s troublemaker?”
“Shh! Don’t say that out loud!”
The man smiled as if he’d heard it all. But his expression said he couldn’t care less.
“Well, the world’s still worth living in, I suppose. The sunlight doesn’t seem to hate me yet…”
His voice was slow and smooth, almost hypnotic. He folded the paper as if all of this were just a dull play.
“Damian! Where did you go? We were supposed to have lunch together!”
The man—Damian—turned his languid smile toward the woman hurrying up to him.
“Ah, right. What was your name again… Lucy?”
“It’s Ruby! Ruby!”
“Sorry, Ruby. Shall we head to the restaurant?”
As he wrapped an arm around Ruby’s shoulders, Damian glanced back over his shoulder.
“Well then, keep your armchair debates for your own homes.”
Waving weakly, he turned his back on the crowd.
Maybe I should’ve asked for a bigger ship.
Back then, I only thought about escaping alone, so I figured this would be enough.
The precious little boat Lloyd gave us—compared to a great warship, it was like a minnow beside an orca, but it had everything we needed.
A tiny kitchen, a sturdy sail, and even a cabin to shelter us from storms.
The problem was…
“…I didn’t see anything.”
Click.
I shut the cabin door and turned around. The problem was, there was only one cabin—meaning zero privacy for anyone.
“…”
Standing in front of the door, I hung my head. Something tickled faintly behind my ears. I rubbed my cheek with the back of my hand.
I said I didn’t see anything, but I saw everything. Ian changing clothes inside.
After spending days together even on a tiny raft, you’d think this wouldn’t be a big deal.
But this time was different. Back then, I didn’t care about his past. Even if I knew, I ignored it.
“You can come in. Were you waiting?”
Ian, buttoning his shirt, opened the door and peeked out. I forced a smile to say it was fine.
“No, I was just thinking… Maybe we should’ve gotten a bigger boat?”
I tried to sound casual, but the image wouldn’t leave my mind—the scars across his back and shoulders. Deep, shocking marks of an old wound.
“Ah, is this about the scars?”
“…Yeah.”
How did he know? Before I could answer, Ian smiled lightly, as if it were nothing.
“One came from a fight with my brother. The one on my back happened during training.”
“You must have fought your brother pretty hard.”
What kind of fight leaves scars like that? A duel to the death?
“Yeah, something like that.”
His reply was calm. His voice walked the fine line between warmth and indifference.
I wondered if he knew how bitter his expression looked whenever he mentioned family.
“Kanoe, you wear your feelings on your face more than I expected.”
“I don’t think so—”
I was about to deny it when a familiar voice rang from outside the cabin.
“Nuna! Nuna! Look what Jelly and I found!”
“Fufu, the master’s face came into view, so I snatched it up at once.”
The two of them came running like best friends now. Tilting my head, I accepted the damp piece of paper they handed me.
“Nuna, your bounty went up.”
What they proudly brought me was a bounty poster—with my face on it. I stared at it in disbelief and read the words aloud.
<Lover of the Storms, Kanoe Bluebell. Age 22.>
Along with a newly added title—
<Bounty: 20,000 gold>
My bounty had doubled.
