Episode 43
Bang!
The wheelhouse door shook violently, but there was no sign of it opening.
Lu yanked at the handle roughly, but the iron lock remained firmly in place. No matter how much force he used, the door didn’t budge an inch.
“Oh.”
Lu let out a short groan.
“It seems like we’re trapped.”
“I know that!”
I shouted.
“And the water is rising!”
A cold, sticky sensation wrapped around my toes.
Murky seawater was slowly covering the floor of the wheelhouse. The ship was tilting rapidly. This is insane!
“At this rate, it looks like the ballast tank (*a water tank that stabilizes a ship) has been damaged.”
“I already figured that out!”
Was that loud noise from earlier the sound of the tank breaking?
Whatever the cause, we were in serious trouble.
The ship was tilting, seawater was pouring in, and the wheelhouse door was locked.
If this continued, we really could die!
Cursing under my breath, I hiked up my skirt and pulled out the gun strapped to my thigh. I aimed at the window and fired.
“…What?”
But the bullet didn’t come out.
“Damn it. Did it get wet?”
I shook the gun and pulled the trigger again, but there was no response. This is bad.
“Stop. The gun could explode if you keep doing that.”
“What about you? Did you bring a gun?”
“Unfortunately, no.”
“Ugh, why not?!”
“Because I didn’t expect something like this to happen?”
As I yelled in frustration, the ship tilted even more.
I looked out the window.
Beyond the blurred glass, the ship’s railing was slowly sinking into the ocean.
The water had already risen to my waist.
The hem of my dress swayed with the waves, and the cool air was turning into damp, suffocating breaths.
What do I do?
My mind went blank.
No thoughts came to me.
What should I do?
Panic set in, making it hard to breathe.
“Charles. Come here.”
Lu, perched on a slanted shelf against the wall, reached out his hand.
Instinctively, I grabbed it and pulled myself up. On top of the shelf, I could finally catch my breath.
“Hmm. I’ve been thinking about it…”
Lu continued speaking.
“I don’t think there’s a way out.”
I know that, you bastard…
I buried my face in my hands and exhaled shakily.
How did it come to this?
Who trapped us?
No, no.
That’s not the important part.
What mattered now was that because of me, Lu had ended up in this situation.
“Lu.”
“I’m listening.”
Lu brushed back his wet hair and looked at me.
His damp eyelashes moved slowly.
The thought that this might be the last time I saw his face sent chills down my spine. Sweat kept trickling down.
“I…”
I clenched my eyes shut and spoke.
“I’m sorry.”
For some reason, I felt like crying.
But I couldn’t cry—I was the one who caused this.
“I’m really sorry. If it weren’t for me, if I hadn’t come here, none of this would’ve happened. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Lu didn’t respond.
So I slowly lifted my gaze.
He was looking at me in silence.
Droplets of water rolled down his jawline, glistening faintly in the dim light.
And for a fleeting moment, a subtle emotion flickered in his eyes.
But it was gone in an instant.
“Charles.”
He called me softly.
“Are you really sorry? You don’t look that sorry.”
As if I were faking it.
Even in this situation, Lu was still making jokes. It made me furious. Damn it, my head hurts.
“If you’re truly sorry…”
Lu smiled as usual and said,
“You’ll pick out your own wedding dress.”
…What?
“Would Belle Étoile Boutique be better, or Saphir Boutique? I think anything would suit you, but you must have a preference.”
I was momentarily speechless, my mouth opening and closing uselessly.
Who wouldn’t be?
We were literally on the brink of death, and he was talking about this?!
“How… how can you even say that right now?”
“I’d also like you to pick out my tuxedo. Of course, it won’t be to my taste, but it would mean something since you chose it.”
“I said, how can you be saying this right now?!”
I clenched my fists and shouted.
The water kept rising. Even on top of the shelf, my lower legs were now submerged.
“I…”
I clasped my hands together.
“I don’t mind if I die.”
It wasn’t a lie.
Ever since Baylor chose me to survive, I’d realized something.
I was someone who could die at any time.
I struggled desperately to stay alive because I didn’t want to die, but deep down, I always thought it wouldn’t matter if I disappeared tomorrow.
So I had less fear of death than most people.
But—
“I’m scared of you dying.”
I couldn’t bear the thought of Lu dying.
“I don’t want you to die because of me.”
The idea that he could die due to my mistake was unbearable.
Don’t die.
Please don’t die.
I lowered my head and muttered desperately.
“Charles.”
At that moment, Lu called me.
“Look at me.”
I forced myself to suppress my tears and met his gaze.
His usual playful look was gone.
For once, his eyes held a deep, dark shadow.
His faint smile barely concealed the emotions sinking beneath it.
“I…”
His quiet, steady voice echoed through the flooding wheelhouse.
But at that moment—
Boom!
A massive metallic groan reverberated. The ship tilted violently.
Another explosion had gone off.
“Charles!”
I tumbled off the shelf, coughing up seawater as I surfaced.
Thud—my head hit the ceiling. The water had risen dangerously high.
“Come here.”
Lu swam toward me and pulled me into a tight embrace.
“There won’t be any air left soon. You know that, right?”
“I know.”
“Take a deep breath. Then head for the window—”
But I never got to hear the rest of his words.
The water surged over me in an instant.
Gasp—I accidentally inhaled. Seawater rushed into my nose. Damn it.
My vision started to blur.
No, no, not yet…
Then, suddenly, someone grabbed my arm and yanked me upward.
“Charles!”
A gentle hand cradled my cheek.
Even in the freezing water, warmth seeped through.
And then—
Soft lips pressed against mine.
It was Lu.
• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Esraa• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
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