The Pirate King's Daughter - Chapter 82

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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 82
Perian, who had been pressing his ear against the door, moved with me toward the window to escape again.
“Go first.”
I was just placing my foot on the windowsill with his help.
The door burst open and someone entered.
“There! Ugh!”
The moment the knight who spotted us tried to cry out, Pudding dove silently through the air and attacked him.
The knight collapsed with a heavy thud, and we scrambled through the window ahead of the guards rushing in.
We emerged into a long corridor.
As we hurried past the marble columns, many of them broken, a figure appeared from the opposite direction, forcing us to stop.
“Come here.”
Azael extended his hand toward me.
“The king has been attacked, so the perpetrator must be punished. You must have no connection to this affair whatsoever.”
He spoke with a gaunt face, as though he might collapse at any moment, bearing gunshot wounds to his left arm and right thigh.
“You want to keep me by your side even after I did this to you?”
“Yes.”
Madman.
I understood his reluctance to let go of someone who had brought him joy when he finally finished all his revenge and felt empty—but he was willing to forgive someone who tried to kill him.
I was deliberating how to escape while facing him.
A whistle cut through the air.
“Ugh!”
“Perian!”
An arrow struck Perian’s shoulder, and he collapsed, swallowing a groan.
More arrows might follow, so I quickly embraced him from behind.
“No, let go.”
I ignored Perian’s attempt to push me away and raised the revolver again.
Three bullets remained.
The front sight, the rear sight notch, and Azael’s head aligned in a straight line.
“When I shoot, jump to the side.”
At this distance, with my current marksmanship, I could definitely hit.
It felt as though someone had seized my heart and was wringing it mercilessly.
I ignored that fear and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Bang!
But the bullet was blocked by a shield the knight drew, and we immediately bolted into the desolate garden beside the corridor.
“……Keep her alive.”
At Azael’s command that followed, the knights stopped pursuing us.
Instead, I saw them nocking arrows, so we ran faster.
‘Just a little further.’
The Garden Tool Shed appeared in the distance.
Blood rose in my throat. I didn’t know how I was running, just pushed my legs harder, faster, with all my strength.
“Fire!”
At the loud command, multiple bowstrings twanged in unison as they released.
“Tatiana.”
Perian, who had been running ahead, stopped. He turned and pulled me into his embrace.
“What are you—”
Arrows poured down behind his shoulders, silhouetted against the night sky.
“I’m sorry. None of it was true.”
Perian pressed my head firmly into his chest and kissed me in apology.
“……”
I raised my hand.
And before he could notice, I grasped the arrow embedded in his shoulder and twisted it.
“Aaah!”
The grip that had held me tightened weakened.
I seized the moment when he gasped in pain and switched our positions.
This time, I held him tightly as he fell to the ground.
Thump, thump, thump.
“Ugh!”
“Ah……”
Perian exhaled in disbelief, his breath hollow.
“Gah, ugh……”
I collapsed over him, stifling my own gasps.
With each shallow breath, pain like fire-heated metal tearing through my entire body followed.
My mind began to blur.
“No, no, no. I can’t… no.”
Perian couldn’t even lower me to the ground because of the arrows embedded in my body, floundering helplessly.
As my neck bent backward, powerless, his face came into view.
“I can… I can do this.”
His green eyes widened and wavered, and he continued muttering something, shaking his head.
“Per… ian… ugh!”
Drops fell across my face.
“How dare you……”
Looking up only at Perian, I rolled my eyes to glance sideways.
Azael, supported by a knight, approached with a face full of fury, pushed the knight aside, and drew his sword.
“Summon the healer! Save her no matter what!”
A knight approached to take me away.
“To the Surgery Room.”
Perian held me close, refusing to let go.
“With that shoulder, you’ll operate yourself? Hand her over. We have no time to waste.”
“……”
Perian looked down at my face once, then ground his teeth and handed me over to the knight.
As I was supported to my feet, Azael approached Perian and raised his sword.
“It’s okay……”
Perian looked at me.
He smiled warmly and brightly, as he always did, as if to say everything was fine.
That was when I understood. I had been mistaken. The mask he wore had come off long ago.
‘No.’
I don’t know where the strength came from.
Forgetting the pain, I shoved the supporting knight hard and ran toward Perian.
And the moment I pushed him away.
“Gack—”
My mind went blank. Something hot struck my throat and spurted out.
Looking down, I saw something piercing through my chest. Blood mixed with what had spilled from my mouth dripped down the crimson blade.
The sword clattered to the floor.
“Ah… ah……”
Azael, who had collapsed to the ground, stared at me in panic.
The world spun. Someone caught me.
“Why, no, no. Please. Don’t, don’t do this.”
Perian, with a wet face, blocked the wound, desperately trying to stop the bleeding.
‘I won’t die.’
So don’t cry.
I wanted to explain the situation, but my eyes kept closing.
“Tatiana, please. I was wrong about everything. Please, please don’t go. No. I’m sorry. I was wrong.”
“Per……”
“Don’t speak. I can do this. It’s okay. I can. If we just go now, it’ll be fine.”
As he moved, holding me, the sound of splashing water reached my ears.
“Per, ian. I’m… okay.”
At my words, Perian froze, as if time itself had stopped, forgetting even his tears.
My body wouldn’t obey, so I barely managed to lift my hand and wipe the tears from his cheek.
His pupils shook violently. He knew I was dying.
‘It’s fine.’
But I couldn’t hold on much longer. My arm fell away, and I opened my eyes wide and beautiful, the way he had always smiled at me.
Then I closed them.
“……”
My senses were fading.
“Tatiana.”
The pain that tore through my body and the iron-tinged scent vanished.
And just as my last remaining sense of hearing was growing faint.
“I love you.”
He murmured it blankly.
Words that tumbled out unconsciously, unguarded.
Hearing them, my slowing heart suddenly beat hard, and blood rushed powerfully through my body.
Everything became clear again.
“I love you, Tatiana.”
Perian’s heart, his dry parched lips—everything was vivid.
A salty taste came to me on his warm breath.
There was no more pain.
My mind grew sharp, and I felt the strength of his embrace, the gentle touch of his hand, the endless salt flooding in, but I waited quietly.
And finally, the warmth against my lips receded.
I opened my downcast eyes and blinked at him. Perian’s soaked face met mine, his eyes trembling.
“……”
I pushed away the unaware Perian and pulled out all three arrows embedded in my body.
‘My body feels so light.’
The third ability was probably……
I picked up the sword from the floor and tossed it lightly, catching it again with a whistle.
‘Time to awaken offensive power.’
The wounds where the arrows had struck and the sword wound were healing steadily.
As I had always done, I naturally acquired my new ability and approached Azael, who was still in panic, gripping his head.
“Don’t. Don’t do it. I can’t.”
I swung the sword casually at the muttering Azael, and his clothes tore with perfect precision while his body remained completely unmarked.
Terror-stricken, he finally looked up at me.
“Give me the jewel.”
“How… how is this……”
“Divine Will.”
I twisted my lips into a crooked smile.
“You’re f***ed, you b*tch.”
And so I safely obtained the third piece of treasure.
Taking the still-dazed Perian with me, along with Pudding, I headed toward where the others were.
* * *
The banquet was supposed to be held outdoors at the Artificial Lake.
But instead of glittering decorations and dancing nobles, an army had gathered there.
“Pudding, stay here and look after Perian for me.”
“No.”
I spoke to Pudding, but the reply came from Perian.
He held my hand to keep me from running off, cold sweat beading on his skin.
He couldn’t even remove the arrows to stop the bleeding, and the constant movement was making it harder to endure.
“Don’t you trust me yet?”
“That’s not what I meant—!”
“Don’t worry. You saw I don’t die.”
The ability was still active. But as before, it wouldn’t last long.
“Just be patient a little longer. I’ll come back with the others.”

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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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