IDHIT C9

Chapter 9

“Angel, lower the gun.”

“But this man—”

Unlike the agitated Angelina, Alexei remained calm.

“It’s a lie.”

“A lie?”

“He made it up on the spot to toy with us.”

“Are you sure?”

“If it weren’t, he would’ve denied it. There’s no way he’d stake his life on a voluntary confession.”

“If you understand, could you please put the gun away?”

With a reluctant expression, Angelina lowered her arm and sat back down.

“Is that a warning not to ask any further questions?”

The silence was answer enough. Alexei slowly closed and opened his eyes.

A drifter like him couldn’t possibly be without a story.

Perhaps it was better not to know if they wanted to avoid becoming entangled.

“Fine. I won’t ask unless you choose to tell us first.”

“Once this job is over, I’ll line my pockets and head back home. Letters from foreigners can make it into the Latria Palace too, right?”

Franz replied with a playful grin.

“I think I know why you’re keeping it a secret.”

Naomi suddenly chimed in knowingly.

Really?

All three pairs of eyes turned to her.

“You’re like me—you don’t come from much. But you don’t want to look like it.”

“Hahaha.”

Franz’s stiff expression relaxed as he laughed.

“I’m right, aren’t I?”

“Yeah.”

“At least I had a home, though. You didn’t even have that, so you ended up wandering?”

“Is a pirate ship your home?”

“Of course. It has rooms, a dining hall, even a bath… it’s got everything.”

“And it moves while you live in it?”

“You can watch the sea from morning till night, too.”

“Sounds like you lived in a better home than anyone.”

“Right?”

Naomi puffed up proudly, shrugging her shoulders.

“Then why are you like this now?”

To Angelina, Naomi was nothing more than an immature girl with a severe case of adolescent rebellion—a pirate’s daughter who could never be on their side. Franz seemed intent on coaxing her with a carrot, but Angelina had no intention of offering one; if anything, she preferred the stick.

“And you—”

“Crown Princess.”

Naomi pouted.

“Crown Princess, why are you like this? Leaving a nice home behind?”

“Because of your father.”

At the blunt answer, Naomi shut her mouth. Her face was full of dissatisfaction, but she had no comeback.

Yes, that’s how it should be.

Angelina finally felt satisfied.

“Angel, try this.”

Alexei tasted the freshly grilled ham, then handed her a piece.

Now that she thought about it, she had forgotten how hungry she was.

The golden-brown ham stimulated her appetite. As she took a bite, the rich flavor of pork filled her mouth. The palm-sized piece vanished into her stomach in no time—yet she was still hungry.

She reached for another skewer when an unexpected voice stopped her.

“I’m sorry.”

It was Alexei.

“I’m sorry… for putting you through this.”

Angelina stared at him wide-eyed as he repeated himself.

This guy… apologizing?

In her memory, the Crown Prince always looked down at her—either with disdain or disbelief. He was never one to bow his head first. She had never seen nor heard the word “sorry” come from him.

“It’s not your fault, Alexei.”

“You were worried even before we set out, and I didn’t take it seriously.”

“I’m fine.”

Angelina meant it.

This was supposed to be the most important wedding and honeymoon of her life. Everything had fallen apart, yet she didn’t harbor even a trace of resentment.

Of course, when she had been tied up in the cargo hold, she had cursed Alexei Werner endlessly in her mind… but that was only because the memory of her previous life’s miserable death overlapped with it.

“Still, it was my negligence. You must’ve been scared.”

“I said I’m really fine.”

Strangely, the fear she had felt at the beginning was gone. If anything, she felt exhilarated. Her heart was pounding in a way that didn’t feel like fear.

It felt like a surge of dopamine—

A sensation she hadn’t felt in a very long time.

The same reckless thrill she used to feel while tumbling around on filming sets—she was feeling it again now.

That was why Alexei’s sudden apology didn’t quite reach her.

Just act like you normally do.

But perhaps her sincerity didn’t reach him either, as his expression remained stiff.

“Don’t worry. As soon as dawn breaks tomorrow, we’ll send a distress signal. We’ll be rescued and return home.”

“……”

“There’ll be ships passing by—merchant vessels or passenger ships. Why are you looking at me like that?”

“It’s nothing.”

Even with the plan already derailed, he was making another one… such a rigid man. She couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud.

Angelina looked up at the sky instead.

“The stars are incredibly bright.”

“……”

Though she was still hungry and so sleepy her eyelids threatened to close, the stars glittered like diamonds.

Why did this moment feel more romantic than all those days surrounded by expensive clothes and luxuries? Why did she feel so free?

“We’ll go back tomorrow, or the day after, right?”

“Of course.”

“We should… we have to.”

For safety, and to rescue those still captured on the pirate ship, they had to return.

But… did they really?

As Angelina wrestled with her true feelings, sleep overcame her.

She felt something draped over her shoulders.

It was warm—strangely romantic.

The next day,

the sun did not rise.

Or rather, it had risen, but was hidden behind clouds.

Contrary to Alexei’s expectations, it was hardly a hopeful sign. Because of this, the two men clashed fiercely over their escape plan from early morning.

“It’s better to wait for a rescue signal.”

“And how long will that take? With the sky like this, the signal won’t even be seen.”

“Exactly why we should wait quietly. If we force an escape in this situation, we could run into a storm. That boat won’t handle it.”

Alexei’s reasoning made sense, but—

“No. What if the pirates catch us again? The sea is unpredictable. If we wait for clear weather, we might end up dying here.”

Franz’s argument resonated more with Angelina. She preferred action over waiting in any situation—just like she had on the pirate ship.

“I’m hungry.”

Naomi abruptly cut through the tension.

“We’re in the middle of a serious discussion. Could you not interrupt?”

“What am I supposed to do if I’m hungry?”

“You can just endure it for a bit—”

Grrr—

Angelina’s stomach betrayed her with a loud growl. Naomi burst out laughing.

“Shall we circle the island first? Before we get too hungry to even move.”

Franz smoothly shifted the mood.

“We can decide whether to leave the island or wait for rescue after that.”

“Alright.”

Time to explore.

Their goal: find food.

Franz tied two long, thick branches together with straw and carried a sack in one hand. Alexei and Angelina armed themselves with a gun and a sword respectively. Naomi tucked a telescope under her arm.

The forest was deeper than expected, and the island larger than they had thought. Strange trees and plants they had never seen in any botanical guide grew densely around them.

“That looks delicious.”

Angelina pointed at a cluster of round, red berries in the bushes. Naomi hesitated.

Red berries.

Her father had once said they could kill people.

While Naomi hesitated, the future Crown Princess reached out her hand.

Gulp.

Naomi swallowed.

It’s just one berry… what could happen? And even if something does—what does it have to do with me?

She glanced at the Crown Prince watching Angelina.

Maybe it’d even be better this way.

A woman with a bad personality doesn’t suit a noble man like him.

A voice whispered in her mind.

Holding her breath, Naomi watched as the red lips, as vivid as the berry itself, began to part.

“Wait.”

Franz stopped her hand.

“Don’t eat just anything.”

“Why?”

“Because the most tempting-looking fruits can be poisonous.”

This time, the Crown Prince stepped in, removing Franz’s hand as he spoke.

Tch.

Pushed aside by the men surrounding Angelina like knights guarding a queen, Naomi stepped back, chewing her lip.

Would it be wrong to say she felt disappointed?

But it was the truth. Anyone in her position would’ve done the same.

“That really looks good, though.”

“It’s practically begging you to eat it.”

Watching the naive woman hesitate, Naomi found her foolish. What could someone who spent her days attended by maids and dancing waltzes possibly know? Aside from being born into privilege, they weren’t that different.

Her sharpened thoughts slipped out of her mouth.

“I could’ve killed you. What a shame.”