‘Let’s focus.’
There was no need to tell Nereus the truth. How shocked would he be if he knew not only about my return but also about the fate of the Caelum Pirate Crew? This was unnecessary information, so it was better to keep it to myself until my death.
I lightly shook my head.
‘Telling him wouldn’t help in any way.’
As the orchard keeper staggered while bundling the supplies, Nereus easily picked up the tied bundle.
“Heave-ho, my princess is going to get dirt on her shoes on the way back~ What a shame~”
“My shoes already got dirty because Dad put them down.”
“………..”
“Who even told me to wear white shoes today? Whoever picked out my outfit did a terrible job.”
“The way you talk! Why are you so lacking in cuteness?”
“…Nereus, do you dislike me if I’m not cute?”
Nereus’s expression subtly changed at my question.
‘What’s with that look? If a child saw it, they’d be scared and start crying.’
After furrowing his eyebrows slightly and staring at me in silence for a few seconds, he finally opened his mouth.
“How could I? You’re my daughter. No matter what you do, neither I nor the others will ever dislike you.”
“Really?”
“Of course. Besides, you’re way cuter than I was at six, so don’t worry.”
I couldn’t imagine Nereus at six years old, so I scrutinized his face and then nodded.
Somehow, it seemed like he’s always had this atmosphere and personality since birth.
“That makes sense.”
“You little brat!”
“But don’t worry. Even though Dad looks super intimidating, I still like you a lot~”
I said it with the intention of teasing him, but Nereus replied nonchalantly.
“Not surprising.”
“Huh?”
“You’re the only brat who doesn’t cry or freeze up when looking at me.”
Nereus smirked and gestured for me to follow him.
“Come on, let’s go.”
Even his smile, for a fleeting moment, looked like that of a villain. I prayed there were no guards nearby.
But to be honest, Nereus had such a villainous appearance that, regardless of whether he smiled or not, any guard who saw him would surely try to detain and interrogate him.
And Nereus wasn’t the type to let such treatment slide. It was obvious he’d retaliate, driven by his twisted logic that being wronged had to be avenged. He couldn’t stand being stifled.
‘Please, God, let us pass peacefully.’
Unaware of my admirable thoughts, Nereus just continued walking away. I hurriedly moved my feet to follow him.
Or at least, I tried to.
Suddenly, I felt a rough and urgent presence, my vision blurred, and my stomach churned. My body lifted off the ground, and I felt something sharp against my neck.
“You crazy pirate bastard!!”
“………….”
“XX! Pretending to be human, huh? Pirates can die on ships, you know! Honestly, isn’t dying better for the world?! And you survived? Why the hell are you coming after me?!”
“Huh……..”
I was quickly taken hostage, and Nereus looked at the orchard keeper holding me with a baffled expression.
“Isn’t your business thriving thanks to that criminal bastard?”
This orchard was in such a remote location that it didn’t receive proper protection. And hiring private soldiers was expensive, so those who wanted to save money often made secret deals with pirates.
For pirates, timely supply of goods was crucial, so if someone harmed one of their regular trading partners, they would chase them to the ends of the earth and eliminate them—a kind of unwritten rule.
As villains, it was ridiculously hard for them to earn the people’s trust, so once they considered someone as their own, they would protect them at all costs.
In other words, making a regular deal with pirates was a gamble, but it allowed you to get your goods at a slightly lower price while also getting protection and earning money.
‘But after this betrayal, it’s no wonder Nereus is furious.’
I continued to observe the situation calmly, still a hostage. Nereus’s face was stern, but he didn’t seem particularly worried.
“Lala, close your eyes.”
“Okay.”
Without questioning him, I immediately closed my eyes. Then, a loud bang—! I heard a gunshot.
“It sounds like it was fired from a distance.”
“Aaaah—!!”
A man’s agonized scream rang out, hurting my ears, and I began to fall to the ground. However, I felt strong arms catch me securely.
‘This feels like déjà vu.’
“Oh dear, the medicine fell to the ground.”
Nereus smiled faintly as he looked down at me, cradled in his arms.
“What now? Lala, it looks like not only your shoes but also your clothes are going to get dirty.”
Nereus was holding the now-dirtied supplies, so his arms were covered in grime, which meant that being in his embrace was making me a bit dirty too.
“I’ll just say it was Dad’s fault.”
“Oh, blaming someone else?”
I didn’t respond to Nereus’s playful question and instead turned my gaze toward where the orchard keeper had fallen, but Nereus covered my eyes with his hand.
“Ugh, ugh…”
I could hear painful groans coming from below. Nereus held me even tighter, almost suffocatingly, as he walked away.
“Let’s go far, far away.”
“Dad, what about the supplies?”
“Oh, don’t worry. The porters will be here soon.”
‘Of course.’
It was just as I thought; there was indeed a sniper stationed far away. No wonder Nereus had seemed so nonchalant about bringing me to a place like this—someone was already watching over us.
“Weren’t you scared?”
“I knew you’d save me, so I wasn’t scared.”
“This brat, who do you take after to be so gutsy?”
Although his tone was scolding, he seemed pleased. Nereus only released my view after we had moved some distance away.
Then, I saw a scrawny man with black hair running toward us from afar.
“Oh.”
“Huff, huff. I’m sorry I’m late.”
“Where’s Lamis?”
“My senior told me to run ahead, and he’d follow slowly.”
“That lazy… What kind of sailor casually strolls over when the captain is calling?”
It was hard to tell whether Nereus was trying to use polite language in front of me or not. He muttered curse words in front of me so naturally that I realized he wasn’t even aware he was doing it.
‘He just doesn’t realize he’s doing it.’
Something else caught my attention more than Nereus’s behavior. A man with black hair and a frail body, with eyes that slanted upward, looking more fragile than a jellyfish drifting in the sea.
“Dexter?”
“Huh? Why are you calling me, Lala?”
Dexter had a long rifle slung over his back, completely out of proportion with his small frame.
‘I never knew what Dexter did…’
I thought I knew my family well, but I had no idea he was a sniper. I had vaguely assumed he was just a handyman, but it turns out he’s such a skilled sniper that Nereus trusts him with his back.
Who would have guessed that this crybaby, who looked like he’d faint at the sight of a drop of blood, was the top apprentice of Caelum’s best marksman, Lamis?
‘I’d seen him occasionally handling guns or coming out of the powder magazine, but I never imagined this in my wildest dreams.’
My mouth fell open. Nereus casually reached out to press my jaw shut and told Dexter to pick up the fallen supplies.
Dexter naturally took on the role of a porter and cautiously asked Nereus:
“Cap… Captain, so what do we do with that bas…. I mean, that man?”
‘He was about to say bastard, wasn’t he?’
I was used to Nereus’s cursing, but it was the first time I’d heard Dexter do it. He always spoke so gently in front of me.
“Lamis will bring him in. With a bullet in his leg, there’s no way he can walk properly.”
“That’s true. Should I shoot his other leg too?”
I shuddered at the rather grim conversation.
“Lala, are you cold? Should I cover you with my jacket?”
A moment ago, Dexter had been speaking to Nereus in a dry tone, but now he was speaking to me with infinite gentleness, worried about me.
“No, I’m fine.”
“Let me know if you get cold. It would be a big problem if you caught a cold.”
Dexter slightly lifted the corners of his mouth as he looked at me, then suddenly snapped his head to look in a particular direction.
“Captain.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“What is it?”
Wondering why the two of them were talking without including me, I looked at them curiously. Nereus, noticing my gaze, explained.
“It’s nothing serious, just a small presence nearby.”
“A presence? Isn’t that dangerous?”
“No~ The sound is too faint. At most, it could be an eight- or nine-year-old.”
Nereus smiled and strode toward the direction Dexter had been watching.
“Oh.”
“………!”
There, a very pretty boy was lying on the ground.
‘That’s only the second time I’ve seen someone so beautiful.’
Although I had seen many attractive people before, this boy, despite his young age, had a beauty that seemed to surpass human limits. He looked like a sculpture crafted from a fragment of a god.
‘If he’s this beautiful with his eyes closed, how stunning must he be when they’re open?’
I marveled softly, then realized something.
“…He’s collapsed?”
Yes, the boy was lying on the ground. His face was slightly flushed, and he was breathing heavily, looking every bit like a patient.
For a moment, I couldn’t grasp the situation, as he looked like a young angel fallen from a painting. How could I make such a rookie mistake?
“That sound Dexter heard was him collapsing.”
“Dad?! A kid has collapsed, and you’re so calm about it—!”
I shouted and yanked Nereus’s hair hard. Nereus exaggeratedly winced and pulled my hand away from his hair.
“That’s because we’re going to take him with us!”
“When we first arrived at the orchard, was that what you were mumbling about? Right?”
“Hah~ A sharp kid like you, I don’t mind that.”
Nereus chuckled as he picked me up in one arm and slung the blonde boy over his shoulder. The boy let out a small groan, clearly uncomfortable in that position.
“But why is such a young and sick kid out here all alone?”
Nereus’s nonchalant response made me momentarily forget my anger. At this age, a child should definitely have a guardian with them.
To my question, Nereus responded as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“Because he was abandoned.”
“Huh?”
“Remember those wagon wheel tracks?”
“Yeah.”
“That was the wagon that came to abandon him.”
“Those bastards.”
“Watch your language, my daughter. At this rate, I’m going to get killed by Isaac or someone else.”
“How could there be such despicable people in the world?”
“You’re not wrong, but somehow it feels like you’re talking about me, and that makes me a bit nervous.”
