The Pirate King's Daughter - Chapter 56

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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 56
I entered the dining hall and sat at the table with an awkward smile under Berto’s and Perian’s gazes.
“I can’t believe you’re still moping over that.”
Dilshard then set a bowl of Tomato Stew in front of me, grumbling.
At the sight of him continuing to bristle, I glanced sideways at the two subordinates of Kies.
Berto, who had been sitting on the sofa polishing his sword, finished up roughly and came to the table, speaking with casual ease.
“You must’ve been shocked. I was surprised too. But that doesn’t make the broken engagement disappear as if it never happened.”
Why was he bringing up the broken engagement all of a sudden?
“That’s funny.”
Perian closed the book he’d been reading and spoke.
“What? That I’m not a lunatic?”
“No, that you’re both such pushovers. When you drank poison and still took his side, I really wanted to punch you. Do you know how much trouble I went through to save you?”
He really knew how to leave me speechless.
“You were worried about Kies even after going through something like that. It’s so maddening—your stubbornness matches his exactly.”
“It’s not Kies’s fault.”
Any father mad enough to confine his own daughter over something like that would have locked her away for plenty of other reasons too.
“But to trust so blindly and then fail to see through a fake—I never expected our supreme commander, who held my life in his hands, to have such poor judgment.”
Perian joked lightly that it had been a close call.
‘They’re all treating me the same as usual.’
I should do the same since I’m grateful.
“You all didn’t recognize that I’d become a different person either. And wasn’t the fake actually less gaunt than I was in a single night?”
I’d been truly skeletal back then.
…….
When Perian fell silent, Berto spoke as if in my defense.
“I only saw that fake twice.”
For some reason, his face looked a bit flustered.
In truth, not recognizing her made sense. She wasn’t just a similar person—she was a Demon who had mimicked my appearance exactly.
“But you all believed it so easily. Such absurd nonsense.”
At my words, Berto and Perian exchanged glances.
“Actually, there are things that make sense now. The fake and you had such different personalities. And it’s not as though history lacks examples of those in power using doubles.”
I never expected Perian to say something like that.
“So now you trust me?”
Everything except the Demon part had been laid bare—my question came without hesitation, and Perian paused.
He removed his Glasses, rested his chin on his hand, and smiled meaningfully.
‘I shouldn’t have asked.’
Of all people, I had to ask Perian.
“Eight years ago, that was before we even met. How would I have known?”
“Me…?”
That was right.
“Don’t you remember? When we met fighting pirates on Hiberi Island, you said my name the moment you saw me. You seemed to know an awful lot about Berto too.”
This one’s mouth was the problem.
I’d even aroused suspicion the first time I met Dilshard by shouting at him to run.
“Perian, stop.”
When Berto stopped him with a firm voice, Perian laughed brightly and shrugged.
“But I do believe what you said yesterday. That’s something no one could know without experiencing it themselves.”
It wasn’t quite the same as saying he believed me because I was me.
“Psychological counseling isn’t really my field, but if you need it, tell me.”
“I’m fine.”
Would I really want your advice if I weren’t?
Contrary to my cynical thoughts, my heart felt somewhat relieved.
The secret I’d wanted most to hide had been exposed, yet everyone believed my words, and none of them took it too seriously—it was comfortable and I felt genuinely grateful.
The only problem was Kies.
After that day, he became rather strange, and it had become quite troublesome.
“Where are you going?”
We were all resting and spending time separately in the dining hall when I stood up.
Kies rose and followed me, asking the question.
“To have some coffee.”
As he awkwardly sat back down, Dilshard, in the middle of feeding the fish in the tank, shot a sharp remark.
“Dial it back. You’re not a dog with Separation Anxiety. How much longer are you going to keep this up? Where exactly would she go in the middle of the Sea?”
He spoke harshly, but the symptoms had gone on for over two weeks now, and even I was getting tired of it.
“Tatiana has a gift for disappearing even in the middle of the Sea. Third parties should stay out of it.”
Was he taking a dig at what happened when I was taken by Popo?
“If you’re anxious, don’t make it hard on Tatiana—get treatment from Perian instead.”
Perian, who had been trimming herbs, spoke up readily.
“The Infirmary is always open to anyone. I’ll be more professional than a layman, so come by and be comfortable with it.”
“I don’t need it.”
“If you don’t need it, then keep it under control.”
I inwardly cheered for Dilshard as I set down the coffee on the table. Then, as I moved to stand again, Kies rose.
“Where are you going?”
“To the bathroom.”
“Hey.”
At last, Dilshard couldn’t hold back and lowered his voice menacingly.
Kies, clearly irritated that Dilshard kept interjecting, raised his three-eyed stare sharply.
“Both of you, stop……”
An Aura and Vines seemed ready to rampage at any moment, and just as I was about to stop them both, Berto approached.
I looked back to see him with that usual expressionless face, mortifying whoever looked at him, regardless of whether the Crown Prince was about to fight or not.
“You go to the bathroom.”
Yeah, I do need to go. But could I really leave with this atmosphere?
“You didn’t even recognize her after meeting again, and now what—you’re pulling that nonsense? Ah, you won’t recognize her next time either, so you’re going to follow her around like a lost puppy?”
At Dilshard’s words, Kies’s jaw tightened.
“Enough. You’re fighting over something so trivial, it’s childish.”
I quickly pushed Dilshard’s shoulder back slightly.
That last remark was basically picking a fight.
“Final warning. Don’t get between us.”
Kies pulled my hand, drawing me away from Dilshard as he spoke.
Dilshard’s gaze landed on the hand he’d seized. As he tried to grab my other hand, not backing down, Kies stopped him short.
‘These idiots.’
I knew they didn’t get along. But did they have to use me as an excuse to fight?
“Don’t lay a hand on my Fiancée.”
“……?”
I’d been about to scold them both in anger, but I snapped my head toward Kies so fast it made a sound.
I wasn’t the only one.
Even Berto, who had been preparing to intervene, and Perian, who had been watching leisurely, all focused their eyes on Kies.
“Why am I your Fiancée? We broke our engagement.”
The ferocity drained from his face in an instant, replaced by shock.
“……That’s something your Double did. The person involved never consented, so of course it’s null.”
This was rather sudden.
There was no benefit to Kies in maintaining an Engagement with me. Unless it benefited his side somehow.
Besides, an Engagement in this place carried a different weight than in modern times.
In modern times it’s merely a verbal promise, but here it was a sort of contract with written agreements passing between families.
“Duke Fray and His Majesty have already given their approval. Besides, the Engagement itself was more in my family head’s authority than my own consent.”
As I laid it out precisely, Kies’s hand tightened.
“……So you want to break the Engagement with me?”
No, the Engagement is already broken. I’m the one who went through it.
But because Kies was acting like he’d just been dumped, I couldn’t bring myself to object.
“It was so long ago……”
I opened my mouth, oddly feeling as though I needed to justify myself, and I noticed three people watching with different expressions.
“Kies, let’s talk outside.”
I pulled Kies toward my room.
‘There’s no privacy here at all.’
Even if Berto and Perian got along with Kies like friends, there was still his status as Crown Prince to consider.
“Is it because I didn’t recognize you and let you go?”
The moment the door closed, Kies asked urgently.
He seemed to be thinking that if he simply removed what his Double had done, then our relationship would start fresh from the day we parted.
But unlike ordinary heirs of houses, we had become engaged after falling in love.
‘What matters isn’t the house’s approval—it’s what the person actually feels.’
We no longer loved each other.
“Too much time has passed.”
The original me had waited and waited for Kies to say those exact words.
But because I hadn’t told him the truth, it fell to me. Yes, I knew—every word was right, but I couldn’t fault myself for any of it.
The me back then would have fallen apart if Kies hadn’t believed in me.
It was a time when I barely held on with the smallest hope that Kies would look at me again. I couldn’t destroy that with my own hands.
“……Did I arrive too late?”
But I had changed now.
And the same was true for Kies.
I didn’t think that simply because the truth had surfaced, the feelings that had already vanished would return.
Unless it was regret.
“We’re grown now. But because I went through something like that and grew, even knowing how fragile emotions are, I need certainty.”
Our love will be eternal. I don’t care if I fall into hell as long as I’m with you.
Knowing it was a lie, I was naive enough to be swayed by such words.

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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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