MFLWTS 37

Chapter 37

In the end, I ended up taking a nap.

“Should’ve just slept properly at night…”

A gentle breeze slipped in through the half-open window. I sat up and looked outside—white sails were fluttering in the wind.

Judging by the sun hanging directly above, it must’ve been around noon. I quickly tied up my messy hair and left the cabin.

Standing on the stairs leading up to the deck, I looked at the ship with pride.

The ship Anselro had gifted me had three whole cabins. That was excluding the kitchen and shared living area—three private rooms.

The bright sun above, the blue sea stretching endlessly. A spacious ship where everyone could have their privacy. A human life, with freedom included!

Everything I had wished for was here.

Yawning lazily, I stepped onto the deck. The familiar stillness, along with a pile of ropes left behind in the rush to set sail, greeted me.

“Luca, go clear away those ropes over—”

Ah.

The words slipped out naturally, and I closed my mouth. Of course, no one answered. Lucas hadn’t boarded this ship.

Quietly, I approached the pile of ropes and began tidying them up one by one. Once the tangled mess was sorted out, cleaning tools scattered underneath came into view.

Normally, I wouldn’t have bothered noticing things like that. Lucas had always picked them up silently.

It hadn’t even been that long since he was around. But strangely, the absence of him weighed on me.

“…Getting a ship doesn’t mean the work disappears.”

“That’s right, Master. Isn’t it only natural you need at least one underling to boss around?”

The jelly, who had been splashing around beside the ship, leapt onto the deck and said shamelessly.

“You’re enough as my underling.”

I poked its round head, and it curled into its mushroom-shaped cap.

“Aren’t I your partner, Master?”
“…That’s true.”
“Then is Ian the underling?”
“…Ian’s more like an ally.”

The jelly, who had been asking riddles with sparkling eyes, nodded knowingly. Its smug expression was irritating.

“In any case, Master’s grand dream is still a long way off!”
“…What dream are you talking about?”

I tugged at its cheeks until they stretched, but the creature only chuckled creepily.

“Have you woken up already, Kanoe?”

A low voice cut into our bickering.

Turning my head, I saw Ian standing with the sail behind him, adjusting the ship’s direction with his fingertips as though reading the flow of the wind.

“The sun’s already high in the sky.”
“I heard sea otters usually sleep around thirteen hours.”
“…”

I squinted at him. Who did he think made me nap in the first place? It was because I couldn’t sleep last night.

“I didn’t mean it as teasing.”

Seeing my sulky stare, he smiled quietly and added,

“You look better than you did this morning, after resting.”

Then he handed me a mug he’d been holding. A faint peach aroma drifted up to my nose.

“Hydration’s important out at sea. Drink it.”

I hesitated, and Ian spoke again.

Slowly, I brought the cup to my lips. A refreshing sweetness slid across my tongue, the chill of ice chasing away the midday heat.

“Did you make this yourself?”
“I could probably sell it for a silver coin a cup, don’t you think?”

I looked at him suspiciously.

“Planning to open a café now?”
“Haha, hardly.”

He let out a light laugh.

“Miss Nana gave it to me. Said to drink it along the way.”
“Ah.”

I lowered my head a little. No wonder it tasted familiar. The sweet aroma tickled strangely at my chest.

I raised the mug again and downed it in one go. The cool sensation sank deep into my lungs, as if it washed away something still lingering inside me.

When I put the mug down and turned, Ian was quietly watching me. I tilted my head slightly at him.

“Sometimes, I have no idea what you’re thinking.”
“…Pardon?”

He kept his gaze fixed and spoke first.

“But when I look closely, your thoughts tend to show up on your face more often than not.”

I instinctively touched my cheek. So that’s why he’d been staring earlier?

His lips curled upward. Slowly, he raised his hand, slicing through the air between us.

From his fingertip, a thin thread of wind flowed, drawing a faint crack in space.

“This is as far as it goes.”

I followed the invisible line with my eyes.

“You draw lines like this, act all uncomfortable…”
“…”
“…but when someone actually crosses into it, you can’t push them away.”

I frowned faintly. Honestly, his powers of observation were annoyingly sharp.

“…Pretend you didn’t notice.”
“Then don’t make it so obvious.”
“Damn it.”

This was exactly why I hated perceptive people. I swallowed the words that had risen up to my throat, embarrassed.

“It’d be nice if Master were as simple as a sea squirt.”

The jelly, nibbling on dried sardines, chimed in.

“Exactly.”

Ian gave it another sardine and nodded playfully. Figures, that jellyfish must’ve been bribed by food.

“There’s no need to make a big deal of it. The more someone gives, the more expectations come with it.”

At last, I sighed and admitted,

“And for the one receiving… the more you get, the more you feel you have to meet those expectations.”

I’d received so much. The Valenteer family’s sponsorship had ensured I lacked nothing, and thanks to Rev, who treated me like family, I’d known warmth.

Tiana too. Because of her, a carefree friend, I’d been able to run the Bluebell Hotel.

But their goodwill wasn’t pure kindness.

It was more like an investment. Like nurturing a sapling, waiting to see what kind of fruit it would bear.

And if that fruit proved useless, the stem would be cut down without mercy—cold, merciless investment.

“Whether it’s kindness or goodwill… in the end, it only becomes a burden.”

…And in the end, it becomes shackles for both sides.

Instead of saying that aloud, I stretched and smiled.

“See? Nothing important. Just trivial talk.”

Ian listened quietly, saying nothing. Silence fell, familiar and strangely comfortable.

As the sea breeze cooled, he spoke again.

“Kanoe. Did you know?”
“…Know what?”
“Sea otters hold hands when they sleep.”

I narrowed my eyes. Was this sudden nonsense meant to comfort me, or was it serious?

“They do it so they won’t drift apart while sleeping.”
“And what does that have to do with—”
“Didn’t you say you wanted to float on the sea like an otter, drumming your belly?”

I opened my mouth soundlessly. The words I’d said the first day I met him at Marina Harbor floated back to me in his voice.

“Then surely you’ll meet an otter to hold hands with.”

He tilted his head, looking at me. His eyes curved softly, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

“What’s that supposed to mean.”

A breeze stirred, carrying the peach fragrance lingering in the mug. Something heavy inside me seemed to ease a little.

I exhaled a beat late, laughing lightly.

“Alright then, shall we get moving again? How far until the Silent Sea, I wonder.”

Stretching over the railing, I gazed out at the wide ocean. Thanks to the nap, we hadn’t traveled far.

“…Wait, Kanoe.”

Ian, who’d been staring out across the water, suddenly stopped me.

“What is it?”
“Someone’s coming.”
“What, pirates again?”

I immediately turned to where he pointed. Through the sea mist, a swaying shape came into focus. Slowly, a familiar figure emerged.