Leaving behind a quiet declaration, Natasha brushed off the butler’s shoulder a couple of times before stepping away from him.

Then, as if it was her own, she handed over the map to Gordon with a natural gesture.

“This is a gift. Even though we think differently, we are on the same boat, so it’s only right to share the spoils.”

Despite feeling like he had swallowed sand in his mouth, Gordon managed to open his lips.

This was all he could think of and all he could say at that moment.

“The Grand Duchess will return. She certainly will.”

And instead of further arguing, he returned the map back to the treasury. Natasha didn’t make any objection.

She simply nodded gracefully and retreated with a butterfly-light smile.

“Please continue to take good care of Evergail, Sir. I’ll also do my best as the mistress.”

Whoooom.

The sound of a boat horn echoed in the distance, and waves brought froth onto the sandy beach.

The harbor of Putua was peaceful as always, except for one man crying out in despair.

“It’s over… I’m finished… Oh…”

Ironically, even a passing bird seemed to sympathize with his plight.

A blob of bird droppings landed right by his eye. Tears or droppings, it was unclear which, began to run down his cheek.

Convinced he was the most unfortunate person in the world at that moment, Dion lamented.

“Ah… it’s all dark, so dark… I can’t see anything… Is this… my future…?”

He knelt down and collapsed, his vision blurring. Occasionally, glimpses of the blue ocean peeked through his hazy sight.

“Ha… such a disgustingly beautiful color… Should I just jump in…”

Overcome with resignation, he suddenly felt a strange impulse. It didn’t seem like a bad idea after all.

No one was there to scold him for madness, so why not?

He had to wash off the bird droppings anyway. Jumping up, he plunged into the water without hesitation.

“Where are you! Where on earth are youuuu!! Where are youuuuu!!”

Dion screamed to the sky like a lost animal before burying his head in the undulating waves.

That’s when it happened.

“Cough, cough!”

Suddenly, his neck was tightly gripped. Someone was pulling him forcefully out of the water. He flailed his arms desperately, but to no avail.

When he finally regained his senses, he was back on the sandy beach.

The man who had dragged Dion, continuing to grip the back of his neck, unceremoniously dropped him.

“Cough, cough, gasp…!”

After spitting out a mouthful of water, Dion looked up at the man and exploded in anger.

“What are you doing!”

“What am I doing?”

The unfamiliar voice fell. To Dion’s surprise, the voice was remarkably calm for someone who had just tried to murder someone.

“If saving a drowning person means this, I should have just let you drown. Take off that seaweed on your head and talk, why don’t you.”

The man who saved Dion was none other than Eugene.

Eugene had reached a point of searching even the remote beaches to find Helena.

He happened to come across Dion. Before he realized it, his body had already moved into action.

Thinking only of Helena, every splashing figure seemed like her.

By the time he was close enough to realize it wasn’t her, he couldn’t leave a dying man behind, no matter how cold-hearted he was.

But Eugene soon regretted his hasty decision.
In return for the favor he had shown, all that came back was an ear-piercing irritation.

“What’s the matter with you, attacking me and choking me all of a sudden? Do you have a grudge against me? Even if that’s the case, shouldn’t you try to resolve it through conversation first? How can I talk if you strangle me like this? Besides, who exactly are you? I’ve never seen you before. Are you trying to extort money or something as a reward for saving me?”

“You try to kill yourself, and I save you, only to be met with such lack of grace.”

“What, what did you say?”

“Don’t squawk. It’ll be faster to shut your mouth than cover my ears. That seems to be the quicker solution.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake. Unbelievable, really. Who said I was trying to die? You were the one who almost killed me just now!”

Despite the pounding of his tiny heart, Dion was surprisingly bold. Annoyance was evident in his upward glance.

This prompted Eugene to ask in a slightly subdued tone.

“……Weren’t you trying to end your life by entering the sea?”

“What, so everyone who goes into the sea is trying to die? I was just… the bird…”

“The bird?”

“That’s… the bird…”

Midway through his defiant response, Dion clamped his mouth shut. He couldn’t bring himself to say he’d been hit by bird droppings. Any excuse would be better than admitting to that.

He hastily cobbled together any response.

“I was just going in for a wash.”

“……Are you trying to say you’re a fool who bathes in the sea?”

“It’s a preference, respect it, will you?”

Dion grimaced as he brushed the sand off his clothes.

Eugene’s eyes flickered faintly with interest as he observed Dion. Despite his disheveled appearance, the nobility in his accent and gestures shone through.

‘This is going to be bothersome.’