To You Whom I Don’t Love That Much (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 098

98.

The man’s face blatantly dripped with the intent to take bribes through back channels. Still, even if ‘Leah’ had donned the clothes of a common sailor, the external dignity cultivated over twenty years wouldn’t vanish in an instant. It was only natural that someone so obviously naive would see her as a clueless noble girl.

Had she followed her true nature, she would’ve overturned everything, but Rosetta held herself tightly in check. First, she lacked the strength to do so outright; second, she couldn’t afford to waste even a moment bickering. Damn it all—this underling, who in her prime would’ve groveled at the mere sight of her hair, was now the one holding real authority in the alliance.

Even if he was a junior so distant he might as well be fluff, he was currently the one with actual decision-making power. It was out of the question to risk drawing his suspicion and spending the entire voyage trailed by pirate ships. Though she’d half-expected this situation, it still left her feeling sour and resentful, as if something was being taken from her for nothing.

“…Is this enough?”

Rosetta deliberately handed over the jeweled necklace she’d brought. Just before releasing it, she made sure to clutch it tightly with a face dripping in exaggerated reluctance, as though it were her grandfather’s cherished memento. The man lightly bit the end of the chain, then grinned, revealing yellowed teeth.

“Good. One of our ships will escort you through nearby waters. There aren’t too many reckless ones lately, but we can’t say there are none. You said you wanted the fastest departure—so, seven hours from now, just before dawn, should work.”

“Fine.”

“Make sure your ship’s ready to sail by then.”

The man scrawled a hasty signature onto a crumpled piece of paper. The messy handwriting only briefly noted the date and time. Still, holding it in her hand brought her a sense of complete reassurance. The pirates of Villbron might point guns while shaking hands, but at least they didn’t play games with official documents.

“Did it go well?”

As she opened the office door, Turner, who had been leaning against the nearby porch, immediately approached. Ever since anchoring at the Ship’s Graveyard, he’d been so unnervingly attentive wherever she went. Well, she understood—she probably looked less reliable than a newborn chick in his eyes. It was fortunate he hadn’t grilled her endlessly about how she even knew this place. Hiring Melvin seemed to have served as an effective smokescreen.

“Yeah. We’re setting sail in seven hours.”

“You’re going straight back to the ship, right?”

“…….”

Read full content of this chapter on r e d c a t t y . c o m