Chapter 185

I thought I would never see that man again.

As I watched her, standing in front of me with long silver hair and red eyes, Lemain felt her heart start to flutter.

He really came.

I had heard whispers that he would come, yet I had never truly believed that he would…

And there he was, right in front of me.

So familiar, so confidently standing, just like always.

Feeling my heart race at that undeniable fact,

I also felt a pang of sadness as I silently listened to the conversation between my mother and that man.

The Pirate King glanced at me a few times,

But then he turned away, as if uninterested, and continued his conversation with my mother.

While it was natural that his appearance had changed, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment.

How wonderful it would have been if he had recognized me even in this situation… that kind of regret lingered in my thoughts.

‘Well… It’s probably impossible anyway…’

The appearance I had changed to with the necklace was completely opposite to how I looked now.

My hair color, skin tone, even the color of my eyes had changed entirely,

And though my facial structure wasn’t drastically different, it was definitely noticeable.

Even a simple change in attire and makeup can make it hard to recognize someone,

So in a situation like now, no matter how sharp one’s eyes may be, recognizing me would be nearly impossible.

Acknowledging that it was an unavoidable circumstance, Lemain continued to listen to the two talk in silence.

But then…

“That foul-mouthed lady couldn’t possibly have many friends.”

‘Huh?’

“With her arrogance and self-will, plus her insatiable greed for money, I’ve had a tough time dealing with her.”

‘No way this jerk…’

The man started casually airing his grievances right in front of mom.

It wasn’t supposed to happen, but while watching him chatter away as if discussing a colleague,

I desperately held back the urge to throw a punch at him.

But then…

“That’s why… I think it would be hard to take responsibility without me.”

“!”

Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted as those words spilled from his mouth.

Hearing that he needed her, Lemain felt an overwhelming mix of joy and sadness rise within her.

I understood the meaning of his words.

She had cherished the time spent with this man, the Pirate King, Ezra Drake.

But the truth was, she could no longer return to that place.

The fact that she was the princess of this country didn’t matter much anymore.

The biggest problem was… she could never go back to her past self.

With her false appearance and false identity,

Now that everything had disappeared,

Lemain resolved, driven by the guilt she’d been carrying in her heart.

To end her ties with them today.

As an atonement… this would be the last time she would see them again.

As she was suppressing her feelings of sadness and trying to maintain her silence, suddenly…

“!”

“….”

The Pirate King was staring directly at her.

Wondering why he was looking at her, a slight unease began to emerge within her.

“Then… can you come back? Lemain.”

“!”

Ezra Drake spoke to her with unwavering tone.

As he clearly referred to her, her heart began to race again, yet she swallowed those feelings and replied in her most serious voice.

“What are you talking about? I’m sorry, but I….”

“I’m sorry, but we’ve come too far to hide now.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re crying right now…”

“Ah…”

Realizing it belatedly.

A single tear had slipped down her face the moment he spoke.

Feeling that warm liquid on her trembling fingers, Lemain finally acknowledged her own tears.

Though it wasn’t much, she could not deny this evidence,

Lemain found herself unable to refute any further.

“…How did you know?”

It wasn’t just because her emotions had stirred that it led to this moment.

Thinking back, he must have known all along.

The silver-haired woman standing before him was indeed Lemain, who had drawn him here.

That was precisely why he had let words fall intentionally,

And in the end, he was ready to deliver the decisive blow to her.

How could that be possible?

The Pirate King answered that question.

“It was the smell… I could smell it on you. The smell of the sea.”

“Ah…”

It was a vague remark, yet having lived so long by the sea, Lemain couldn’t help but understand what he meant.

Those who have lived by the sea for years naturally carry that scent with them.

Just like how scholars steeped in books smell of ink.

Once that scent clings to the body, no matter how often you wash, it doesn’t truly disappear.

For those with sharp senses, they might recognize it.

“Besides, while talking with Her Majesty, I kept watching your reactions. That made me sure. You are the one… our companion, Lemain.”

“…”

The last conclusive confirmation from the Pirate King.

Upon hearing that, Lemain put on a stiff expression for a moment, then…

“Ha… Haha…”

She started to chuckle with her trembling voice.

Her eyes filled, tears brimming.

“Really… you….”

With a voice full of joy, Lemain stepped forward.

Feeling the warmth she had longed for,

And the familiar aroma of the sea from him.

She embraced the man who had recognized her all the way over here.

“I’m sorry… I’m really… truly sorry…”

“Then you should apologize! You went and hid your identity and appearance, leaving without a word. Do you know how worried everyone was because of you?”

“Sniff… sniff…”

The Pirate King spoke playfully as he ruffled her hair.

Looking at his face, which always bore a smile,

Lemain realized that all her worries until now were meaningless…

The fact that this man in front of her wouldn’t care about such things was a comforting revelation.

“Let’s go back, to our home.”

“…Yes. I’ll… go. No question about it.”

Feeling the burden in her heart, the feelings of guilt beginning to dissolve with his words.

She accepted it, feeling a happiness she had never felt before.

“Well then, is that the end of the story?”

“!”

“! Um… Hmm…”

The delayed voice of my mother rang out.

Feeling my face burn at her gaze reminiscent of dripping honey, I took a slight step back.

“Now then, since we have a precious guest here, we can’t just leave things as they are, can we? I’ve ordered the feast to be prepared, so enjoy yourself to the fullest today.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“Th-thank you, Your Majesty.”

An unspoken agreement about the series of events between us.

Feeling another wave of relief and joy, Lemain beamed at her mother sitting on the throne.

*

“Ugh… Huh…”

With a flushed face, Nelson gasped.

Covered in sticky, white liquid, she cried out with a strained voice.

“Stop!… That’s enough! I can’t take in anything bigger than this anymore!”

“Oh come on, don’t whine! The illustrious Nelson shouldn’t bow down to this level.”

“I agree. A Grand Admiral should be able to take this much without a problem. With that in mind…”

As those words were spoken, Lemain and Franklin slowly pushed the large object they held toward Nelson.

With wide grins on their faces, they forcefully inserted that ghastly thing into her.

And then…

“Damn it!!!”

In the end, Nelson let out a string of curses as she shoved that long object inside her.

The white liquid it contained flowed into her body.

“Glug, glug! Ugh… Ugh!!!”

“Nelson… how crude.”

“Hey! Get a bowl over here quickly! This girl’s about to puke!”

Just so you know, it’s the upper hole.

“…Hey, take it easy. It’s fine to let off some steam, but don’t kill her, will you? After all, she’s our little sister.”

“Yes~ Captain!”

“Don’t worry~ I’m making sure to keep it under control so she won’t die!”

With a half-drunk slur, the two girls were laughing as they wildly paid back the debts of the past.

Leaving them behind, I stepped outside onto the terrace to catch some fresh air.

I had overcome a significant hurdle for now.

Of course, there were still many mountains to climb, but having passed the most difficult one should ease my mind a bit.

As I felt a wave of relief, I began to cool off the tipsy feeling setting in.

At that moment…

“How intriguing. I didn’t expect that child to be transformed like this.”

“! Your… Majesty…”

“Call me ‘Mother-in-law.’”

“Excuse me?…”

“Just kidding. I hope we get the chance to make it a reality someday.”

“…”

With a light smile, the Empress Mina threw out a joking statement that didn’t feel like a joke.

From that, I could clearly tell that this woman was undoubtedly Lemain’s mother, and I fell into a moment of silence.

Then…

“Well then… aside from my daughter’s story, I’d like to confirm something personally.”

“Confirm? What do you mean?”

With a thought about how we probably didn’t have much to say aside from Lemain’s story, I looked at her with a questioning expression.

Then, with a calm smile, the phrase that came from her lips was…

“let it go… let it go…”

“!?!”