The Pirate King's Daughter - Chapter 24

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 24
“That’s your name?”
I asked again in disbelief at the jumbled combination of sounds, and the jellyfish bobbed its head in confirmation.
“The Contractors gave it to me.”
“Oh, you startled me. Then can I give you a new name instead?”
At that, the jellyfish fluttered up excitedly.
“You’re going to name me? Are you taking me with you?”
Perhaps because we were connected as it said, I felt a twinge of concern. It was like having a puppy that only I could see.
“I have no choice. And compared to the burdens I’m already carrying, you’re far too small to matter.”
“I’m so happy. What will you call me?”
“Pudding. How does that sound?”
“Um…….”
Gone was the flush of excitement from moments before—now it gave an ambiguous response.
“What, you don’t like it?”
“No, I mean…… is there nothing else?”
“You don’t want something like Theodor, Elianus, Ordre—some aristocratic name like that?”
“Yes!”
“No. Those are the surnames of the Incompetent Triplets. Just be Pudding. I like pudding.”
Berto cut in from beside me.
“Why am I incompetent?”
“It happens. If you don’t like Pudding, would you prefer Fry?”
“I’ll just be Pudding. Fry is the worst.”
It was my surname, after all. But honestly, it didn’t matter much. I’d have no use for that name going forward anyway.
“Then Pudding, I’m giving you your first task.”
“A task?”
“Steal a robe to cover your face.”
With the prison escape successful, the time for theft had arrived.
* * *
I’d worried whether it would return safely, but my sweet little Pudding came back not only with a robe but also a handful of gold coins.
“Let’s fill our bellies first.”
We went to the Inn and ordered a mountain of food. We hadn’t eaten properly during our time locked away.
As my hands were beginning to slow once my stomach grew full, voices from the neighboring table drifted into my ears.
“There was another attack early this morning, I heard.”
They were talking about the main characters.
“Another one? Where this time?”
“Some Salon, they said. You know, one of those places where the high-ranking people gather to talk.”
“No casualties, I presume? As usual?”
“That’s right. To be honest, I find myself rooting for those pirates. The Salon owner is apparently the lady’s wife.”
“The lady’s?”
The man spreading the rumor leaned in close and whispered quietly to his companion, who seemed to have misunderstood.
“That greedy Navy base commander.”
I didn’t know how they’d figured it out, but my group’s choice to target the commander’s assets was truly impressive.
“Where should we look for them?”
I asked Berto.
“We can only try to predict the next location. If the Navy hasn’t caught them, finding them ourselves won’t be easy either.”
But finding the location proved difficult nonetheless.
What we could do was limited, given that we had to hide our faces and knew no one in this place.
If only we had more money, we could hire an information broker.
Clink.
“There they are.”
The men who’d been gossiping about the attack suddenly pointed at something.
They weren’t alone. Every man in the Inn turned to stare at the same spot.
‘Did I accidentally walk into a place where celebrities frequent?’
I turned my head to follow their gaze, and my eyes went wide as saucers.
“Insane…….”
Even Berto, who rarely let his expression show, couldn’t hide his shock and stood slack-jawed.
At the end of everyone’s stares were three extraordinarily beautiful women.
And I recognized one of them. The female lead—Serena.
The sharp-looking women moved with graceful steps, climbing the stairs as if heading to their room.
Berto and I, having been standing dumbfounded, suddenly rushed after them.
“Hey, wait. Are you two stalking us?”
Two men who’d been eating blocked our path. Apparently it didn’t occur to them that what they themselves were doing was stalking.
“They’re our companions.”
I pushed Berto aside and spoke.
At that, the creaking of the wooden stairs fell silent.
I looked up and met eyes with the silver-haired beauty. The composed, princess-like expression on her face shattered completely.
“Tatiana!”
The silver-haired princess lifted her skirts and came rushing down the stairs with abandon.
“Are you hurt?”
She seized my arm and spun me about, frantically checking that all my limbs were properly attached and functioning.
“I’m fine, really.”
Up close, she was even more beautiful. Even I, a woman, felt myself captivated.
“Fine? Your cheeks are hollow.”
Serena frowned and touched my face.
Behind her, the brown-haired girl who embodied sunshine itself looked at Berto and spoke.
“Berto seems more energetic somehow. Come to think of it, for a woman, his build is truly threatening.”
That was likely because he’d awakened his aura.
After they finished their examination, I opened my mouth.
“Are you all safe? With the attacks lately…….”
But I didn’t finish. There were too many eyes around us.
“Let’s go upstairs first.”
The princess pushed down my robe to cover my face and led the way.
* * *
“Can’t you show me just one more time?”
“No.”
Keis, now back in his male form, shook his head firmly at my request.
“Tatiana, cross-dressing is quite a shameful thing. Of course, there are those with impure intentions who make it a hobby, but most are embarrassed by it.”
Perrian explained kindly.
It wasn’t really cross-dressing—just becoming a woman. And a stunningly beautiful one at that.
It was disappointing, but I couldn’t press someone who was clearly unwilling.
“Impure? At least I’ve never used the Honey Trap to extort money from anyone.”
Dilshad fired back at Perrian’s jab.
I’d wondered how they’d afforded such an expensive Inn room and fancy dresses—turns out they’d trapped some poor fool and squeezed him for coin.
“Extort? He gave it willingly.”
Perrian said this with shameless innocence.
Somehow, the others had been far busier than Berto and me, locked away in prison.
“During the attacks we delayed the execution, but without a way to get you two out, we were troubled. I’m grateful the prison escape went smoothly.”
Keis steered the conversation away, clearly uncomfortable with the cross-dressing discussion.
“How exactly did you escape? With it being a joint base, security should’ve been tight.”
And I felt a guilty pang, sneaking a sidelong glance at Berto.
Berto had said he wouldn’t ask me anything, but that didn’t mean he’d cover for suspicious behavior to the lord he served.
“The building connected to a sea cave, and during the escape we rescued that jellyfish and got its help.”
Despite how tense I’d been, Berto’s explanation was simple.
“I actually have a proper name. Would you mind not referring to me that way?”
Pudding glared at Berto.
Ever since I’d grabbed it by the hair and Berto had hurled it aside, its gaze toward him had been icy.
Yet with me, the one it had actually fought, it seemed to have warmed up right away after I gave it a name as my Contractor.
“I’ve been curious—what is that thing anyway? A magical beast?”
With a soft splorch, something shot from the tip of a tentacle at Keis.
Keis sidestepped neatly and opened his mouth again.
“Judging by its temperament, it’s definitely a magical beast.”
“As expected, Tatiana’s pets are never ordinary.”
Perrian seemed amused by the situation and chimed in with a grin.
“Tatiana, are these rude males really your companions? The perverted ones who turn into females whenever they please?”
Seeing the three about to bristle at the word “perverted,” I pressed Pudding’s head down firmly with my finger.
“Don’t say that. They’re all so kind and talented—such wonderful friends for putting up with me, who can’t do anything, and taking me all the way home.”
Berto had left the decision to me, but Pudding needed the other group’s agreement for it to join us.
“What do you mean you can’t do anything? You saved that fool’s life.”
Pudding spoke as if offended.
Somehow, knowing I had someone in my corner made my heart tighten.
“What happened?”
At Keis’s question, I hurried to speak.
“Nothing much—you mentioned the sea cave, didn’t you? We had to dive to get out, so I just helped a little then.”
I was afraid the story of my transformation into a mermaid would come out.
“An ordinary person helping a Navy commander with diving?”
Perrian pointed out the inconsistency keenly.
“That’s what happened.”
I floundered for an explanation, but Berto suddenly cut in.
A subtle tension passed between the two. Then Perrian simply shrugged it off.
“Well then, that’s fortunate. Thank you, Tatiana.”
The gratitude felt oddly hollow.
Even though allies owed each other thanks for help received, being thanked by proxy left me feeling unacknowledged still.
“Sure.”
I curved my lips into a soft smile.
‘These are people I’ll never see again anyway.’
As long as I traveled with them until the final stop, it was actually better to owe them a debt.
“By the way, Dilshad, do you have Artifacts for Berto and me as well? We’ll need to change our appearances to go outside.”
“Of course.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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