Chapter 29
“Look over there! It’s Kanoe Bluebell, the runaway of love!”
Splaash!
With a single mighty wave, the shabby pirate ship wobbled and was shoved back.
From beyond the horizon, only the pirates’ screams faded away. But from another side, more stubborn pursuers came charging in.
“Isn’t that woman the Lover of the Storm?”
“She’s worth a bounty of 20,000 gold!”
This time, a fierce gust of wind struck the bow head-on. The makeshift deck rattled, an oar flew off, and was instantly swallowed by the waves.
“Seriously, why are there so many pirates out on this sea?!”
I gave a hollow laugh. Just thinking about it made my cheeks burn. How many more times was I going to have to hear that embarrassing nickname…
“Do pirates usually talk that much?”
Wouldn’t it be smarter to sneak up and ambush? Who would just stand there and take it when they shout their approach like that?
“Of course! A declaration of war is the foundation of battle.”
Lucas nodded seriously at my question. For all his cheek, he really had been a pirate, and there was a sort of pride in that way of fighting.
“Of course, I always thought that kind of fighting was tacky. That’s old men’s stuff~”
“Seems you’ve forgotten your own past.”
“Ahem.”
Lucas cleared his throat and quickly returned to scrubbing the deck. Fast only at times like these, really.
We had left Muia Island and were once again sailing toward the Sea of Silence. I’d considered drifting aimlessly with no set destination, but that was impossible.
Because no matter where we went, pirates kept coming after us.
“Half the pirates we’ve caught around here turn out to be from the Aquileia Empire.”
The cabin door swung open, and Ian appeared with his sleeves rolled up. His shirt was unbuttoned a few notches, his outfit much more relaxed than before.
“The other half are pirates from other nations.”
He set aside the cloth he had been using to wipe his hands and stepped onto the deck. Casually, almost absentmindedly, his gaze lingered on me.
“That’s right. The sea is vast, and everything is connected!”
Jelly leapt up and chirped back, darting around Ian’s ankles, tapping them twice before spinning in circles like a puppy begging for praise.
“That’s right, Jelly.”
Ian bent down with a faint smile and pressed a fingertip gently on Jelly’s head. Its soft tendrils twitched and quivered as if in delight.
“Haha. This thrill… Having a subordinate is the best.”
“Even if it’s a jellyfish? I like it better than when I was in the navy.”
Ian chuckled again, and I couldn’t help but laugh along.
The pirates were annoying, yes, but that was all. The sense of peace after such a long time made my heart soften.
I leaned lazily against the railing and stretched. Beside me, Ian spoke.
“Kanoe, your bounty has doubled, so even foreign pirates will start taking interest. Some will hunt you just for that.”
“They must have way too much time on their hands…”
“It just means the bounty is immense.”
20,000 gold.
Even back when I ran a hotel, I had never touched such a sum.
Unless you were Aurelian, who ran the Opulentus Bank and dominated imperial trade, you’d probably never even glimpse such money in your lifetime.
“But why did only my bounty increase? Yours stayed the same, Ian.”
“…That’s probably because of my family’s influence.”
“Well, true. If it’s someone like Frederic, I suppose that makes sense.”
Still leaning on the railing, I tipped my head back and stared at the sky.
Suddenly, a memory of some economics book I once read floated up. Back then, I had been desperate to find any way to earn money.
And now? Now my head was worth an unimaginable fortune.
“….”
I reflexively touched my neck. Then I looked up at the warmth on my wrist.
“…Ian?”
He was gently pulling me closer, his hand wrapped around my arm.
“You looked like you were about to fall.”
“…Ah.”
I glanced at the surging waves behind me and nodded. Since awakening the water ability, the sea felt safer to me than anywhere else. But to someone else’s eyes, it must have looked dangerous.
“Thank you.”
Over Ian’s shoulder, Lucas was sneaking glances at us while pretending to scrub the deck harder. As if to say, I’ll stay out of the way.
“…Does he have awareness, or none at all?”
Lucas still thought we were lovers. Since we hadn’t even told Lloyd the truth, of course he would.
But that made things rather tricky.
“…It’s amazing he hasn’t figured it out yet.”
Was our acting really that good? I turned my gaze back to Ian, who was looking at me with gentle affection.
Softly, I whispered:
“Ian. Isn’t this exhausting for you?”
Maybe it was because he’d spent so long as a naval admiral, but Ian played the role of my lover with incredible thoroughness, as if following strict regulations.
Always kind, always attentive, mindful of Lucas’s gaze.
“If you’d rather, we could drop Lucas off at another island. I’d feel a little guilty, but—”
“No.”
Ian shook his head firmly. His quick response left me blinking.
“…Even if he’s a pirate, he’s useful. He knows his way around a ship.”
“Well, with how wild his imagination is, I doubt he’ll suspect anything.”
“If you’re worried for me, don’t be. I’m fine.”
After a pause, he added:
“…It’s better not to do things that weigh on your heart.”
Oh. So that’s it. Tilting my head playfully, I asked:
“Because you’re thinking of me?”
“I already know you’re soft on kids.”
He glanced toward Jelly and Lucas. Mischievous troublemakers, yes, but too endearing to truly dislike.
“You’re right. Back when I ran the hotel, there were often children among the guests.”
Even through all the repeated regressions, some memories never faded.
“…I guess that’s why.”
No matter how much time passes, people always linger in the moments they laughed and cried the most.
It was then—just as the sea seemed quiet again—that another pirate ship rose behind the waves.
“Light-blue hair…! Over there, it’s Kanoe Bluebell!”
How did they all say the same thing? Without even turning, I lifted my hand.
Splaaash—!
A surge of water shot upward. The current, precisely controlled, slammed into the ship and swept it away. Pirates went tumbling into the sea.
“Still, isn’t it strange? The seas are crawling with pirates, but the navy is nowhere to be seen.”
We hadn’t seen even a hint of naval presence on our way here. If the pirates knew where we were, then surely the navy should too.
“True. Perhaps the high command gave them other orders…”
Ian frowned faintly, eyes narrowing as he looked out over the waves. Only the water shimmered now, the pirates gone.
“Maybe their strategy has changed.”
I nodded, but unease lingered in my chest.
A bounty of 20,000 gold on my head. Pirates suddenly swarming. The navy, vanished.
Slowly, I retraced my past. All those countless regressions. All the times my end had always been the same.
Execution.
Why was it always execution?
Why… was the Empire so desperate to catch me?
I knew Aquileia was strict about ability-related crimes. But for them to conduct such a massive hunt and put such a bounty on me was unprecedented.
Well… there was one precedent.
The Ruler of the Horizon. A name that shook the Empire itself.
But unless you were that kind of overwhelming threat…
Ah.
If I had been classified as a potential threat to the Empire, and this time they had confirmed it, then…
“This might be Rev’s doing.”
Rev already knew I had awakened the water ability. If that fact reached the emperor, it would explain why everything had suddenly escalated.
“…You mean the head of House Valentir?”
Ian’s expression hardened instantly. His voice dropped lower, colder than usual.
“That man was once your friend, wasn’t he?”
His lips twisted faintly. His eyes, shadowed, turned toward me.
Something in his demeanor was different from usual. Curious, I nodded slowly.
“…Well, I suppose you could call us friends.”
“If this is Valentir’s doing, then we’ll be seeing him again.”
“Looks that way. Not that I’m eager for it.”
A chill wind curled around him. Silence lapped at us like the ebb of a wave.
“Then I’ll just have to try harder.”
His fingers brushed my cheek. Carefully, he tucked a loose strand of my hair behind my ear.
The gesture was practiced, tender, as though we really were long-time lovers. Affection lingered in his face.
“So they won’t see through us.”
That much was already more than convincing…
But for some reason, the words caught in my throat and never came out.
