The Pirate King's Daughter - Chapter 52

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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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Episode 52
“You don’t need to worry about it anymore. I won’t give you reason to be concerned. I’m sorry about before—for showing you that violence.”
Guilt was written plainly across Berto’s face.
“I’ll apologize to Dilshard tomorrow. You just focus on recovering and don’t think about anything else.”
Seeing the downcast expression of someone who cared about me made my own heart ache in turn.
“Were you really that worried about me?”
“That kind of feeling was… the first time for me.”
Berto’s low voice dispersed like a sigh.
These were questions and answers he would never have spoken aloud in times past.
“Even knowing you could transform into a fish, it frightened me.”
I wish he hadn’t mentioned the fish part at all.
“You said back then that the power would activate maybe two more times. Did you use it while you were here?”
“Yeah. Once.”
“…Another fish?”
It wasn’t a fish.
As I frowned, Berto asked again.
“Did anyone see? You can’t let the others know. They’ll try to capture you and study you.”
“Not a fish—not a mermaid either. Dilshard and that madman saw it.”
“What was it then?”
“Um, an angel?”
It feels strange saying it myself, but they were genuinely angel wings.
“…Be careful from now on. No matter how strong your abilities are, don’t throw yourself into danger. It’s not without cost. You’ve already used up one activation.”
“You’re right.”
I hadn’t even made it halfway and I’d already burned through two of them.
I was suddenly reminded of how easily I’d returned to the Empire in the original story.
“I should sleep a bit more. You should go and—”
My mind was tangled, so I brushed it aside and opened my mouth, but something touched my lips.
With his eyes lowered, Berto slowly caressed my lower lip with his thumb.
…
Startled by the sudden contact, I merely blinked, and Berto spoke with an expressionless face.
“Your hair was in the way.”
“Oh, um, thanks.”
I gathered my hair and swept it back.
“Get some rest.”
Berto rose from where he’d been sitting on the edge of the bed.
“You too. Sleep well.”
After Berto left, I felt oddly self-conscious and began chewing my lip, when Pudding suddenly popped out from beneath the blanket.
“You awake?”
“Yeah.”
Still dizzy from my fever, I pulled Pudding close and flopped back onto the bed.
“I fell asleep right away and didn’t get to greet our little darling properly. You worked so hard. Thank you for bringing the children.”
It seemed Pudding had also smoothly covered up the Demonic Aura from the treasure, calling it just some strange energy.
“I was so scared.”
Pudding crawled up onto my pillow, grabbed my nose, and nuzzled my cheek.
“I’m sorry. I won’t leave you alone ever again.”
“That’s not it. It was Kies and Berto.”
“What about the two of them?”
Pudding shuddered as the memory came back.
“I’ve lived quite a long time. But I’ve never seen humans so savage and volatile.”
“Really…?”
I was afraid to ask what they’d been like.
If I heard it was because of me, the walls I’d carefully built might crumble too easily.
“Still, they felt like they would save you no matter what. That wasn’t a bad feeling.”
Pudding wrapped my face with its tentacles and let out a long yawn.
“Tatiana, your face is hot.”
“Yeah… my fever hasn’t broken, so that’s why.”
I patted Pudding gently.
“Go back to sleep. We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”
“Mmkay.”
Pudding fell asleep again almost immediately.
I closed my eyes, feeling a strange warmth in my racing heart.
* * *
I was ill for a full week straight.
The physical and mental strain I’d endured up to that point had all collapsed on me at once the moment the tension broke upon meeting the protagonists.
“Captain Jellyfish, are you feeling better now?”
Finally escaping the Infirmary and stepping onto the Beach, Kai came toward me with a wave.
“Thanks to you all.”
“The dress suits you well too.”
“Does it? Thank you.”
I held out the Sky-blue Dress, letting it settle softly around me as I walked.
It was ordinary clothing worn by commoners, but the quality was excellent and I liked it. Drawing a gun would be inconvenient, but the bandages left me no choice.
“Now that I see you’re recovered, we should be heading out.”
“Already leaving?”
I supposed he’d wasted a lot of time coming here on my account.
“Will you miss me?”
“Just… you’ve helped us so much. I still regret making you spend all that money on the Deserted Island.”
“If you’ll miss me, why act so cold? Anyway, so heartless.”
Why does he keep saying I’m heartless? Where would you find someone as warm and affectionate as me?
“I will miss you. I don’t have many friends. It would’ve been better if we’d met somewhere else.”
His deliberately grumpy expression brightened.
“You’re heading East, right? We’re going that way too, so we might run into each other again.”
The odds seemed quite low, but I’m not a heartless person.
“Perhaps? Bonds aren’t easily severed, after all.”
Kai grinned with the clean, sharp expression of someone drawing a line with a pen nib, and then suddenly pinched both my cheeks.
“Hey!”
With my words coming out garbled, I asked what he was doing, but he turned away and waved.
“I think a farewell here is fitting then. Let’s see each other again next time.”
And with that, Kai left swiftly.
“We need to leave soon too.”
Perian, who’d been seeing off Kai’s Pirate Crew alongside me, approached quietly and spoke with a serious tone.
“No. You’ve been injured twice in just three months and you’re still trying to push yourself?”
“Ha ha…”
Since it was Perian who’d been caring for both me and Dilshard, I couldn’t argue to leave quickly this time.
As I smiled awkwardly, Kies approached, grabbed mine and Perian’s shoulders, and separated us slightly as he spoke.
“Everyone gather in the Dining Hall if you have nothing pressing. We need to settle this.”
Kies glanced at the Pendant I was wearing.
Inside the Pendant lay a piece of Treasure that had grown quite large, now containing both my own fragment and the piece that Od had possessed.
Five people and one jellyfish—all of us gathered around the round table once more.
Kies asked, looking at Pudding.
“You said that Treasure isn’t a mineral and that you can’t determine its exact nature, right?”
“Yeah. When Tatiana held it, it definitely gave off a noble aura, but when Dilshard had it, it felt incredibly ominous.”
“Does it differ depending on the person?”
“I think only Tatiana is different.”
“Why?”
Perhaps it’s because I possess the power Lucas gave me. Because I hold the strength of a Transcendent Being, I am not controlled by it.
“Because Tatiana is special?”
I was startled and stared at the back of Pudding’s head in front of me.
I’d clearly told it not to mention anything about me to the protagonists.
“Special? How so?”
Perian asked, not understanding.
Glancing sideways, I saw that Kies and Berto, who’d already witnessed me transform into a mermaid and fly through the sky, didn’t seem particularly curious about it.
“The fact that she made a Contract with me is what makes her special. I don’t make Contracts with just any human.”
At this shameless answer, I exhaled a sigh of relief internally.
“So if I make a Contract with you, I won’t be affected by the Treasure?”
Kies asked.
“Who knows. But when I was holding it, I wasn’t affected by it at all.”
It was a hypothesis I’d never considered. The Transcendent Being I was connected to wasn’t only Lucas.
“Let me touch it.”
At that, Perian rose with a determined expression and approached.
“Are you insane? Absolutely not.”
Dilshard, who’d already experienced being controlled by the Treasure, stood up and blocked his path.
“The object is too dangerous to discard carelessly. We need to run tests to determine its safety. If we do it while Tatiana maintains contact, it might be fine.”
“What are you planning?”
Even with Perian’s explanation, Dilshard didn’t relax his frown and asked.
“First I’ll touch it while Tatiana wears it, and if nothing goes wrong, I’ll try putting it on while holding her hand. Of all of us, I’m the easiest to restrain if something happens.”
“So the weakling has his uses.”
Pudding whispered into my ear.
“Kies, what do you think?”
As Perian asked, Kies looked at me as if seeking permission.
“Are you alright with this?”
“Yeah. Since we don’t know what might happen, I need to find a way to handle this Treasure myself too.”
Perian came closer.
Though he’d been the one to suggest it, he appeared quite tense, probably because of what had happened between Dilshard and Od.
“I’m going to touch it.”
A pale, outstretched hand moved slowly toward the Pendant I was holding.
His fingertips made contact and carefully lifted it. The Treasure inside tumbled with a soft clink.
“How is it?”
I asked with tension, as soft green eyes beneath long lashes appeared and disappeared.

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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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