Chapter 52

– Clapping!

“I… this is way more amazing than I thought?”

“That was such a good song… I don’t really know the lyrics but…”

“Right? It was pure art feeling shivers while listening to it!”

“Indeed, the greatest voice on the continent. It can even move people like us…”

Auriél successfully wrapped up her performance, receiving applause and praise from pirates.

Although the audience was much smaller than usual, just knowing there were people who admired and clapped for her song was enough for her.

However, despite that satisfaction with the audience’s reaction, at that moment, Auriél felt an uncomfortable feeling in her heart for a different reason.

After bowing her head in gratitude to the audience, she headed towards her cabin.

As soon as she opened the door and stepped inside,

she firmly closed the door and collapsed into her seat as if she had lost all strength.

“Gah… gah… gah…”

Breathing heavily, Auriél trembled.

With her face flushed red, she curled up on the floor, starting to shake faintly.

The source of this torment, she already knew.

It was an emotion that could be described as a frustrating and painful…

that could indeed be called thirst.

Even though she sang the hymn she loved so much with all her might,

even pouring out praises to God until her voice broke,

her heart felt emptier than ever.

At the same time, memories began to resurface.

It was…

the first time she had ever experienced something…

that was both terribly sinful and

incredibly blissful.

Recalling that sweet yet fiery moment that made her whole body heat up,

Auriél unknowingly began to bite her nails.

As the moments of conflict and anguish flowed by,

at last, during the late hour when everyone was about to fall asleep,

Auriél started walking down the cabin corridor with hesitation lingering in her heart.

The sense of rejection still lingered.

Though her faith had crumbled, she had once sworn to devote everything to God.

Doubts still lingered in her heart about whether it was alright for her, who was once a pure nun, to succumb to desire.

But…

“But… I can’t… hold back any longer…”

Amidst that deep conflict, she finally arrived at the place.

Standing in front of the door, she felt her last hesitation crumble away…

Auriél gently knocked.

-“Come in.”

“…”

A voice came from inside.

As she entered the room, Auriél’s eyes began to see that man’s figure.

The Pirate King, Ezra Drake.

“You’ve come again today; even though you say you don’t want to, your heart seems to be honest, right?”

“Hehe!…”

Auriél flinched slightly at the Pirate King’s words.

Then, drawn by some force, she cautiously began approaching him, who was sitting on the bed.

At that moment, a voice echoed in the corner of her heart.

It’s not too late…

You should turn back now…

You shouldn’t get involved with this man anymore…

However,

despite those voices, Auriél couldn’t stop moving toward him.

She had already realized the joy.

The pleasure that desire and indulgence with this man brought her.

“P-Please… kindly…”

“Oh ho, even saying that, in the end, didn’t you get the most excited? After screaming your head off, now pretending to be dignified…”

“T-That’s because of you… ugh…”

Even while speaking, Auriél couldn’t fully deny it.

As she blushed and expressed her frustration,

the Pirate King wore a deep smile.

“Well then, come closer.”

“…Yes… Captain…”

Following the Pirate King’s order, Auriél carefully sat next to him.

Then, a large and beautiful sight began to appear before her eyes…

Even against a moment of resistance, she unconsciously reached out her hand toward it.

And.

“Glug….”

The moment she grasped it, she automatically swallowed her dry saliva.

The sensation of her thirst being quenched—a sweet and overwhelmingly blissful feeling—made her hold on to it tightly, starting to lick her lips.

“P-Please give it to me… Your thing… what you have, Captain… quickly…”

Her voice flooded with deep yearning.

It even carried a desperation like searching for water in the desert.

In response to her request,

the Pirate King began to extract the contents from what she held in her hands.

“Well, it’s certainly not going to be that easy! The world that allowed me isn’t a cozy and sweet space that comes easily! I’ll still soar! With a little flutter, I’ll carry my dreams! Just wait a while~ Oh my love!”

A melody and lyrics she had never heard in her life and never even imagined.

Not praise for God, but rather.

A song about overcoming despair to express hope and love.

As she absorbed the lyrics in the gigantic music sheet in her hand and the melody pouring from the Pirate King’s mouth deeply into her mind,

Auriél’s face was filled with unmistakable excitement and thrill.

“Ah….”

“How is it?”

“It’s really… truly a wonderful song… indeed… the world is filled with such vast and beautiful songs! Ah… why did it take me this long to realize that… I lived without even knowing these songs existed… I’ve lost half of my life!”

As she spoke, almost entranced, Auriél began to move her hands eagerly, quickly scribbling music notes.

Having perfectly absorbed the melody with just one listen, she started to infuse her unique interpretation and variations into this splendid song, giving birth to a new piece.

Thus, feeling joy from creating a new “baby” with the Captain’s help once again today…

Simultaneously, realizing that she, who had declared she would only sing for God, was becoming a body that could no longer be satisfied with hymns filled her with deep guilt.

Fueled by her unique passion and talent, Auriél devoted herself to her usual creative activities today as well.

At the same time, she slightly blushed at the gaze of the Pirate King looking at her with a sense of pride…

*

In front of her, Auriél passionately scrawled music notes.

As if possessed by a deity, her hands moved fluidly, arranging…

One could call her work at this level almost composing, and I felt emotions that were hard to comprehend from my perspective, either out of passion or even madness.

‘Surprisingly, modern songs seem to be her taste. Well, not that it’s a problem, but still…’

Since the songs were brought from another dimension, there were no issues related to copyright regardless of how they were arranged or transformed.

The only slightly uncomfortable point for me was that each time I taught her a song, her gaze towards me seemed to grow increasingly serious.

When I first let her know the theme song of the original, she had a shocked expression as if saying, “Are you a genius?” prompting me to hurry and clarify that I didn’t compose it but merely picked it up somewhere. Nonetheless, the feeling that her gaze filled with suspicion was intensifying with time.

‘Well… it’s probably nothing… right?’

Suddenly, the memory of Franklin, who unexpectedly launched a confession attack, popped into my mind, but I quickly dismissed it.

This isn’t some dating simulation, and it’s not like surrounding women would suddenly cling to me just because my affection level rose due to trivial matters.

Above all, I already had a partner.

Extra attention from people would only cause trouble.

So, deciding to look at Auriél, who was fiercely igniting her creative desires, with pure eyes,

I began to expect which song she would produce next.

‘Come to think of it, she only sang hymns during the performance today…? Is she still fine-tuning things?’

Since I was secretly hoping for the songs she had sung after arranging them in front of me, I couldn’t help but feel slightly disappointed.

As I pondered that,

I intended to ask her lightly about it.

At that moment…

-Kbang! Kbang!

A knocking sound echoed in my ears… or rather, it was a sound like someone was about to break the door down.

I frowned slightly and stood up to open the door.

“The door’s gonna break. Knock gently.”

“I’m s-sorry… but there’s something urgent going on…”

Breathless Vice-Captain Lemain stood in front of me.

Seeing her looking so flustered as she rarely did, I began to feel something was off.

And…

“What do you mean something urgent?”

“War… war is about to break out!”

“What?”

Automatically, my brows furrowed at her words.