Cursing under their breath, Rosetta trudged toward the dock, muttering insults with no particular target—about drowning, useless limbs unfit even for dog food, or gouging out eyes.Entry to the military camp was generally strictly forbidden, especially after sunset.

However, the status of Rosetta Toulon, the Little Duchess Montrosa, was far too noble for a civilian, so even the soldiers guarding the camp didn’t dare stop her.Of course, the presence of the admiral’s aide trailing behind her played a bigger role in that.

As she neared the dock, familiar faces began to appear here and there.Judging by their beaming expressions, they seemed to be enjoying hearty meals and drinks, indulging in satisfying rest.Seeing their carefree faces made the earlier argument with Cardier feel utterly trivial.Rosetta turned around in front of the inn where the sailors were staying.

“I’ll go in alone. Hugo, you can kill some time and come back in two hours.”

“But…”

“It’s something I need to do alone.”

At her firm response, Hugo scratched the back of his head.

“There shouldn’t be any trouble… but if you’re worried, give me your dog tags. If anyone picks a fight, I’ll show them.”

For soldiers, the silver dog tags engraved with their serial numbers were a key means of identification.The main clientele of the taverns and inns on the camp’s outskirts were soldiers, so having dog tags could prevent getting caught up in unexpected trouble to some extent.

Of course, most people with eyes would guess her status just by looking at her face and not act recklessly…But then again, major incidents were usually caused by clueless, tactless fools.Hugo unfastened the dog tags from around his neck and handed them to Rosetta.

“Just be careful not to lose them.”

“In exchange for lending me your dog tags, I’ll lend you this.”

Rosetta pulled a palm-sized object from her pocket and handed it to him.Hugo turned it over in his hands and said,

“This… looks like a marine compass.”

“That’s right. It’s very important. Keep it safe and make sure to return it to me.”

“Understood.”

He glanced toward the inn, where raucous laughter was spilling out, and repeated his instructions.

“I’ll wait at the door. There shouldn’t be anyone foolish enough to cause trouble with the camp so close… but if anything happens, show the dog tags right away. If you don’t come out in two hours, I’ll come in to fetch you.”

“Got it. Thanks.”

Rosetta nodded readily.Given the nature of soldiers who follow orders, this was likely the best compromise Hugo could offer.

When Rosetta opened the creaking door of the inn, a young servant greeted her promptly.

“Welcome!”

She asked for Melvin to be called and ordered a glass of fruit juice.The inn had an overall relaxed atmosphere, so cheerful that it hardly seemed like a place near a frontline base before a war.Rosetta sipped her drink halfway, listening to the distant sound of drums.Soon, Melvin came tumbling down the stairs from the second floor in a hurry.

“Captain!”

He practically rolled down the last few steps, drawing brief attention from those around before they dispersed like a receding tide.Rosetta raised her index finger to her lips and shushed him.They moved to a quieter table further inside.

“I was just wondering how to contact you, and you showed up at the perfect time. Can you believe those jerks wouldn’t let me into the camp, even when I said I knew the captain?”

“What about the net? Did you find out anything?”

“They were selling information in Malandaska. As soon as I got here, I checked the net’s info. It’s just as you said, Captain. Someone’s come forward to buy Kirgos’s relic.”

“Who is it?”

“You set the price at a hundred thousand sol, right? They said they’d pay it all at once.”

“Ha!”

Damn it, it was Nick.There was only one person in the entire empire’s pirate network who could pay that much in one go.A hollow laugh that had been itching to escape since they were on the ship now filled her lungs.Rosetta tapped the table, chuckling, panting, laughing uncontrollably until she was breathless.Nick, that filthy rat, had finally shown his head.She barely managed to stop what was either laughter or sobbing.

“Where’s the deal happening?”

“It’s not far from here. About six or seven hours by skiff? Anyway, it’s an island village not too far away, at a tavern directly managed by the net.”

Rosetta nodded.Just six or seven hours by skiff. That was manageable enough.Whether it was the net, hell, or a prison, if she could kill that rat Nick, was there anywhere she wouldn’t go?

“When?”

“They said they’d wait exactly three days—seventy-two hours. So, let’s see…”

Melvin pulled a grimy notebook from his pocket, licked his fingers, and flipped through a few pages.

“It’s been two and a half days since that info hit the net, so we’ve got just about twenty hours left. You’re setting sail now, right? I’ve already prepared the ship.”

She hesitated, unable to answer immediately.To be honest, Kirgos’s relic was still tucked in her bosom.The dagger was strapped to her calf, and the gun Cardier gave her was tied to her thigh.There was no reason she couldn’t leave right now.Even with Hugo guarding the inn’s entrance, she could slip out through a back door, a window, or even the kitchen’s side door.

In about two hours, he’d notice she was gone, but by then, the ship would already be long gone.Since she’d left by boat, pursuit wouldn’t be easy either.For so long, she had yearned and waited for this moment.There were so many questions she wanted to ask Nick, that rat, once she caught him.

“I left the token behind.”

But the lie slipped out before she even realized it.

“What? What did you say?”

“How was I supposed to know if you got the info or not? Who carries something like that around?”

“Well… it is worth a hundred thousand sol.”

Melvin nodded, accepting her explanation readily.Rosetta mentally calculated the remaining time.

“It’s eleven now… I’ll head to the dock by six in the morning.”

“That long? What if we’re late?”

“I need that much time. I have to slip past the soldiers’ eyes too.”

“Got it.”

Once she made up her mind, her fingertips trembled.She had planned and prepared for so long, but she had never even thought about what life would be like after meeting Nick.

She had long abandoned any hope that her attempt to kill Nick would succeed.She was simply walking the path of destruction fate had laid out for her.Even if she succeeded by some million-to-one chance, the net wouldn’t forgive someone who used them “this way,” and if she failed, Nick wouldn’t hesitate to slit her throat.

So, seven hours.That was all the time left for her life.

“I’m going back to Siclid.”

Cardier, who was filling out paperwork at his desk, looked up a beat late at Rosetta’s declaration.It wasn’t that he hadn’t heard, but rather that the sudden statement puzzled him.

“You don’t like that?”

“Of course I don’t mind. It’s what I’ve been waiting for.”

At her prodding, Cardier set down his quill and spoke.He rose from his chair and walked over to her.His large hands gently cupped her cheeks, lifting her face.His blue eyes narrowed, as if trying to discern her true intentions.

“But I’m curious why you suddenly changed your mind.”

“I’m sick and tired of worrying about you here.”

Rosetta swatted his hands away, speaking as if she were truly fed up.Cardier, caught off guard as if she’d hit a sore spot, let out a hollow laugh.

“You’re going to forget all about me while you’re in Siclid?”

“Yeah. I’ll probably have a few lovers too.”

“…That stings a bit.”

Rosetta bit her lip, then smiled, crinkling the corners of her eyes, so he wouldn’t suspect a thing.

“Then make sure I can’t think of anything else right now.”

Rosetta reached out, wrapping her arms around his neck.Cardier, bending to match her height, chuckled and playfully nipped the tip of her nose.His perfect eyes curved into a stunning smile that caught her gaze.

“You call that seduction?”

“You’re going to fall for it anyway.”

“Well… true.”

He gave a soft, fond laugh and pulled off her hood.The loosely tied ribbon came undone easily, revealing the white dress clinging to her curves.Cardier’s kisses trailed delicately along her cheeks, her small chin, and her slender neck.Suddenly, he bared his teeth, biting and grazing her skin.Rosetta hurriedly swallowed a moan.

“Ugh…”

Each time he bit, faint red marks bloomed on her pale skin.His lips traveled down her neckline, lower and lower.From her collarbone to the soft swell of her chest, down to its peak…He grazed the sensitive part protruding through her clothes with his teeth.Her tender skin, caught between the rough fabric, was bitten and sucked.The vivid sensation turned into exquisite pleasure, pushing her to her limits.Her body easily succumbed.

“Hn, ah…!”

A sound, half-moan, half-scream, spilled freely from her flushed lips.Trembling, she pressed herself closer to Cardier.With one hand, he grasped her waist and lifted her lightly, as if it were easier than bending down himself.Her surprise at the sudden shift in perspective lasted only a moment.