95.

“Pardon me, but it’s dangerous to stand so close to the railing.”

He answered with his fists clenched tightly at his sides. His expression was filled with worry, as though he wanted to grab her at once and push her to a safer spot. He added one more sentence, clearly deeply concerned.

“You might fall into the sea. Please come down here.”

“Ah… I’ll come down.”

Ro instantly put on the elegant demeanor of a noble lady. After all, if he was Cardier’s aide, that made him a naval officer. He watched anxiously as Ro stepped down from the railing. His arms trembled slightly, as if ready to lunge forward the moment she slipped even a single step.

In truth, he could have offered her a hand by then, but Ro had the impression that he was making a conscious effort not to come too close to her. When she finally reached the lower deck, he smiled.

“You’re safe now.”

His smile was bright, oddly gentle for someone of his build. Despite his plain face, his polite manner carried the sharp, disciplined air of a seasoned naval officer. It was easy to see why Cardier, who was usually so guarded, had kept him as a long-term aide. Ro smiled back.

“Thank you for your concern.”

“It’s nothing at all.”

He grinned widely, showing his teeth as he added,

“If anything happened to a noble lady, I’d be dead too.”

“…What?”

Hugo instantly looked flustered, as if he’d said something he shouldn’t have. Ro didn’t miss the opening and immediately questioned him.

“What do you mean by that?”

“A-Ah, nothing. It was nothing at all.”

“…”

Nothing, indeed. It sounded like anything but nothing. And now he couldn’t even meet her eyes, sweating profusely—something that seemed highly suspicious. Ro eyed Hugo up and down with deep suspicion. Could it be… that this man, who had sobbed and pleaded to be taken along…

Ro narrowed her eyes and took a bold step forward, closing the distance until she stood right before Hugo’s chin. As she approached, Hugo turned deathly pale, as if he might faint. He quickly dodged backward, reacting as if Ro were carrying some contagious plague.

N-No… my lady, w-why are you suddenly—”

His voice trembled, his face drained of all color up to his neck. He stammered, his panic evident. Ro crouched slightly, then lunged at him like a flash. Hugo barely dodged, scrambling backward as if preparing to flee all the way to the edge of the deck. He then hid behind a stack of wooden crates, peeking out only with his eyes.

W-What on earth are you doing all of a sudden?!”

…Seeing him act like this only deepened her certainty. Ro narrowed her eyes further.

“Did Cardier send you?”

“A-Ah, no! Never!”

“Did he order you to watch my every move?”

“That’s absolutely not it!”

He sprang to his feet, waving both hands in denial.

“More precisely, not to watch—but to protect you…”

Then, as if realizing his mistake, Hugo clamped his mouth shut. His expression turned utterly defeated, as if he knew it was already too late. It was utterly exasperating. Ro folded her arms and shifted her weight to one leg.

“Since when have you been watching me?”

“…”

“If you answer honestly, I won’t report it to him.”

“Really?”

Ro nodded gently with a kind expression. Hugo’s face brightened, clearly relieved by her words.

“S-Since right after the lieutenant departed, my lady. Whenever you left the estate, I was always nearby.”

“Then… could it be… you’re here for the same reason this time?”

“Yes.”

“And the shoulder injury.”

“If I didn’t want to lose my shoulder and die, I had to report it as a training injury and stay behind…”

Hugo blurted out a crude military slang, then, realizing it wasn’t appropriate in front of a noble lady, quickly shut his mouth, looking sheepish.

Now, things were starting to make sense.

“Exactly what orders did he give you?”

“You really won’t tell him?”

Ro casually nodded without much sincerity. But that alone made Hugo’s expression light up instantly—apparently trusting that a noble lady wouldn’t lie. How naively foolish. Whether Ro inwardly cursed him or not, Hugo puffed out his chest proudly.

“To protect you so that not even a single hair on your body is harmed. He said he’d kill me if even a fingertip of yours was touched.”

“…”

“He said he couldn’t trust any of the others, and that only I was worthy of the honor of protecting you.”

Ro snorted. What? He couldn’t trust the others? Of course, that part was probably true. Unlike Cardier, whose inner thoughts were impenetrable, this man wore his heart on his sleeve—so much so that it practically dripped out of him.

It was infuriating that he had sneaked aboard so cleverly, but it was done now. She couldn’t just abandon an imperial naval officer at sea, and besides, Cardier’s overprotectiveness hadn’t started yesterday—it had been going on ever since she came back from the dead. The real issue, however, lay in her own fragile heart, which foolishly took even this man’s presence as proof of Cardier’s affection.

Her heart, which she had tried so hard to keep steady, felt like it might shatter and spill out. At the thought of this sea swallowing him whole, she wanted to burn it all to ashes. Yet when she recalled the days they’d spent together, riding the same waves, she felt utterly lost. Ro lowered her head, her arms wrapped around herself. She could no longer pretend to be composed.

Were you feeling this way too?

“U-Um, perhaps I said something wrong…”

“…”

“P-Please don’t cry. I-I must have a handkerchief somewhere…”

“No.”

Hugo fumbled around looking for a handkerchief, then awkwardly lowered his hands when he saw Rosetta lift her head—her eyes completely dry, not a trace of moisture. Ro remained silent for a while, gazing at the horizon before speaking.

“Do you have any questions about the route? This isn’t a place where naval vessels often pass.”

“I signed the agreement stating I wouldn’t object to any route. And besides…”

He glanced at Ro, his cheeks reddening.

“There must be a reason you chose this route. Still… some of the crew find it a bit dangerous.”

“Some? Who exactly?”

“The navigator Melvin, the boatswain, and the helmsman…”

Hugo quickly listed a few names while glancing around. …She had thought him dull, but his ability to sniff out pirates was nearly that of a hunting dog. Yet at the same time, he firmly believed she herself was utterly noble and had absolutely no connection to piracy—was that innocence or naivety? Either way, there was no need to shatter the illusion he held.

“You’re right. I would have taken even greater risks to save my husband.”

Hugo nodded deeply, as if profoundly moved by her words.

“Yes. No matter what happens, I will protect you, my lady.”

Though it sounded like he had left out the part: “Because I don’t want to die.” Ro patted Hugo gently on the elbow.

“I trust you.”

Just as Hugo blushed once more at her kind words, a sharp bell rang out from the crow’s nest—a signal that they were nearing their destination. Snapping back to attention, they noticed the fog had drawn much closer. Half the ship was already enveloped within it.

Ro stretched her arm out toward the edge. Her fingertips were swallowed by the thick mist, then gradually her elbow and shoulder disappeared. At last, they had entered the domain of the Grave of Ships.

* * *

As they entered the fog, the waves grew fiercer. The sea, once deserted, now showed occasional signs of people passing by. The problem was that these “people” were all pirates. Fortunately, no one approached to provoke them first, thanks to the admiral’s flag flying on board. There were a few vessels that drew near in a somewhat threatening manner… but even that, by pirate standards, was merely a casual greeting.

The closer they got to the Grave of Ships, the denser the fog became, making navigation impossible beyond a certain point without relying on the compass. Melvin had already furled most of the sails half an hour ago to slow the ship, and now steered with extreme caution, visibly tense. Beads of sweat rolled down Melvin’s jaw.

To be honest, the waters near the Grave of Ships were treacherous even for skilled navigators. She wished she could take the helm herself, but with her current condition, even holding it briefly was too much.

“I see something!”

Two sailors scanning the distance with lanterns suddenly shouted. Ro immediately lifted her gaze from the compass. From within the fog, a figurehead carved with a terrifying mermaid’s face abruptly emerged. At that moment, Ro let out a breath of relief. It seemed they had found the entrance after all.

“It’s the entrance. Don’t worry—keep moving forward.”

“…Huh?”

But the very next moment, Melvin, startled by another figurehead suddenly appearing from the left, sharply turned the wheel to the right. Several crewmen screamed.

“C-Collision!”