The Pirate King's Daughter - Chapter 81

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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 81
“Oh dear.”
Azael approached me, still bound, and wiped away my tears.
“Every time I see a weeping woman, I think of my mother and kill them all, but your face is truly… delightful.”
His eyes softened and a slow smile played across his lips.
‘A deranged, perverted psychopath.’
My only option was to humor him, save the protagonists, and then fake my own death using what remained of my life to escape.
“If you spare my companions, I’ll do whatever you ask of me.”
“And if I don’t?”
“You’ll regret it.”
Even if I didn’t matter, without them the world would fall apart. Azael would die in the end, and he’d lose everything.
I meant every word sincerely, which is why his sudden burst of laughter caught me off guard.
“Ha! Now I understand. Everything was different. It wasn’t just joy.”
As I glared at him through my tears, he spoke.
“Release her.”
The pressure around my wrists vanished.
“Is the reason you go this far because you love them?”
“…Does that even matter? We won’t see each other again anyway.”
Azael seemed displeased with my answer and let out a soft hum.
“That answers it well enough.”
Then he turned his gaze behind me and asked,
“Well? What do you think?”
Following his line of sight, I was startled to see a figure I had never expected.
“Perian…?”
“…”
Perian didn’t even glance at me, his fierce gaze fixed solely on Azael.
His face was colder than I had ever seen it before.
“I’ve trailed you twice. That night we first met, and now. Yet you still ask me to spare such a man?”
Mere surveillance—if I’d wanted to turn back over something so trivial, I wouldn’t have endured this long.
“Yes. If you touch even his fingertip, you won’t have me.”
“Tatiana!”
At my words, Perian finally looked at me, his eyes bloodshot as he cried out.
This time, I turned away from him.
“Release my companions and Pudding at once from this kingdom.”
After stating my demands, I slowly extended my hand toward Azael.
He smiled as if enchanted and offered me his arm as an escort.
“No! I won’t!”
As Azael handed the vial to an Imperial Guard, Pudding wailed.
Watching Pudding knock down the vial, I had no choice but to speak coldly.
“Don’t think of coming back to me. Follow the others.”
“No, I don’t want to… hic…”
And I spoke to Perian as well.
“No matter how strong you all are, you can’t stand against the kingdom. If guilt weighs on you, that’s your burden to bear.”
“Why would you go so far…?”
“I don’t plan to return, and you must.”
Once Azael made up his mind, there was no other way.
I had to beg for the lives of those who remained.
Perian was a friend, a comrade, and the Crown Prince’s man—he would have to choose his sovereign.
‘Not some undisciplined princess he can never trust.’
I headed toward the carriage with Azael.
All the while, Perian stood with his head bowed, saying nothing.
“Such affection, yet so ruthlessly resolute.”
Azael spoke with admiration as he climbed into the carriage.
“My other companions are safe, aren’t they?”
“Yes. For now.”
Thank goodness. We weren’t too late.
I was trying to quiet my anxious thoughts by telling myself everything was fine
“Your Majesty.”
One of the Imperial Guards stopped the carriage just as it was about to depart.
“What is it?”
“It’s just… the physician’s condition seems unusual…”
The guard, who had remained expressionless and obedient to Azael’s commands until now, fumbled over his words in confusion.
“If the physician is unwell, take him to the Infirmary. Just keep him alive and get him out—”
But as Azael glanced out the window from the corner of his eye, he too froze in shock.
‘This bastard is seriously insane.’
Perian had openly transformed into a woman’s form and was staring directly at us.
He seemed to be trying to draw Azael’s attention, and judging by the man’s expression, he’d succeeded.
“It seems I need to speak with him directly.”
If Azael discovered the truth about Magic, he might bind Dilshard to the kingdom as well.
But if I let Perian go like this, he’d be in danger.
“Go wait in my quarters first.”
Azael opened the carriage door and descended the steps.
And then—click.
“So you’re the only one who can backstab me, are you?”
Even with the barrel pressed against the back of his head, he showed no sign of surprise.
“You should strengthen security at the gates.”
As Azael glanced at me from the corner of his eye, there was no fear in his gaze—only amusement.
“I’ll take the advice. So, what now?”
“A hostage situation, obviously.”
I descended from the carriage with my gun trained on Azael, moving toward Perian and Pudding.
“Release them.”
Azael nodded and the Imperial Guard unstopped the vial.
Pudding hid her form and flew to my side in an instant, her poisoned tentacles already poised to strike.
Perian approached me as well, but his gaze remained hostile.
Even after saving him, he still looked at me like that.
‘At least there aren’t many Imperial Guards, thankfully.’
Four total. They’d be far stronger than ordinary soldiers, but in this situation the small number worked in our favor.
“Bring my companions. They’d better be unharmed.”
“Tatiana.”
Perian, now shifted back to his male form, approached and whispered into my ear.
“Threatening the king is dangerous, but he won’t simply bring them here.”
Doing so would give him time to scheme.
‘Then I’ll make him desperate.’
I lowered the gun without hesitation.
Bang!
“Ngh—!”
I shot his left arm without warning, and Azael bit back a cry, clutching the wound.
“Your Majesty!”
“Don’t come closer. Next time it’s your head.”
I spoke to the guards standing frozen and helpless.
“You know gunshot wounds are a race against time, don’t you? You there—go fetch my friends.”
One guard rushed off immediately while Perian bound the remaining three.
“Haa… this is quite… painful. I underestimated you.”
Azael’s face had gone pale, cold sweat beading on his brow.
“Did I become the Pirate King for nothing?”
“Ha. Right. But truly, do you think you can escape this kingdom unscathed after pulling something like this?”
I’d have to find a way. Keep Azael as a hostage, or if that failed—
‘Kies comes from a military background, so he’ll have a plan.’
But the situation was too urgent to even think of a backup.
I was waiting for the others to arrive when it happened.
“Tatiana!”
“Agh!”
An arrow flew from nowhere, and Perian grabbed me, diving to the ground with me in his arms.
Azael stepped back as if he’d been waiting for this, ordering them not to kill me.
“Tatiana, we need to run.”
“Cowardly bastards!”
Perian pulled me up while grabbing Pudding’s tentacles just as she was about to take flight.
‘That bastard.’
Thanks to that, I was able to shove him away and raise my gun.
The gunshot rang out again and the incoming arrows stopped mid-flight.
“Your Majesty!”
“Kill all the crew except the Pirate King.”
‘I missed.’
As Azael’s voice echoed behind us, Perian and I ran with all our might.
Through the sprawling Garden, Perian ran ahead but kept glancing back to check on me, while the footsteps of countless guards grew ever closer behind us.
“Pant… pant. Pudding.”
At my call, Pudding turned instantly and spread all eight tentacles wide. Thin poison spines shot out rapidly, piercing the pursuing guards.
We seized the moment to slip into the nearest structure.
Unlike the ornate buildings outside, this vast palace looked like an abandoned ruin, completely unmaintained.
“Tatiana, this way.”
Perian pulled me into a room on the first floor.
The stale air and darkness left us dependent on the faint moonlight seeping in from outside.
“We can’t hide here long. Change back to male form and swap clothes with me.”
“Everyone already saw me transform into a woman.”
I could buy time, but Perian could not.
“Hurry.”
Perian’s expression turned coldly impassive as he began unfastening his shirt buttons.
“…”
Should I have never threatened Azael from the start? What other option did Perian have?
But such thoughts were useless now.
I turned my back to Perian, gathering my hair as I prepared to remove my dress.
“Undo it for me.”
The gown was a formal ball dress that required considerable help to remove properly.
“…”
Just moments ago he’d been rushing me, but now Perian hesitated without saying a word.
When I glanced back, his usually steady eyes were unfocused and wandering.
‘Why is he acting like he’s seeing me for the first time?’
He’d seen and touched me countless times while tending my wounds.
“Hurry.”
Perian squeezed his eyes shut and exhaled sharply before fumbling out his hand.
His usually smooth, decisive hands now moved clumsily and hesitantly.
“How exactly does this even work…?”
“Four of you, head upstairs!”
The moment Perian opened his mouth, the guards’ voices called out from outside.
His hand came up to cover my mouth and pull me into his embrace.

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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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