MTFBMP Chapter 42

 

‘Next on the list of people I care about is…’

 

It would have been reassuring to see Dion and Jade’s names on the list, but alas, their defenses were too high.

 

And Dion, despite spending every morning together, hardly ever got the chance.

 

Bam, bam, bam—

 

As I stomped my foot, I thought of Dion.

 

I’ve been having breakfast with Dion since I got on the boat. Dion preferred to write down the information as I gave it to him.

 

“I think it’s because I showed him the parchment with the holes in it in the first place.”

 

Our trust in each other was at an all-time low.

 

“Ha, my bad karma.”

 

Sighing, I knew enough about Dion that I wasn’t too scared.

 

“I’m glad he didn’t keep pushing back.”

 

It was a little scary when he snapped at me for calling him captain.

 

Earlier, after breakfast. I smiled when I found a piece of parchment slipped under the bathroom door.

 

The note was brief, saying that there was warm water and that I could take it from there. The note was so freshly scribbled that the ink was barely dry.

 

On the boat, I was lucky to be able to wipe myself down with a little water. 

 

Always having access to a decent amount of hot water was a luxury among many. 

 

Now, thanks to Dion, I was able to enjoy a bath at least every other day.

 

‘On days like today, it would have been nice to hear it from him.’

 

As I always thought, Dion would always leave me a note after he finished using the bathroom. 

 

When I found the note, it was as if he wanted me to use the bathroom if I could, or not.

 

It was a thoughtful gesture, but a bit lacking.

 

“No, I’m glad I did, and I should be grateful.”

 

This was all because someone else had taken the trouble to heat the water. I became an unnoticed member of the crowd. 

 

I was reminded that I was already being pampered.

 

“I should leave now.”

 

Once again, I spoke into thin air and sat upright. Throughout the bath, Adele was on my mind.

 

‘I wonder how I’m going to appease him today.’

 

As I thought about it, Adele had been subtly demanding more and more from me as the days went by. It took quite a bit of strength to push him off after only a few days of constant physical contact.

 

Every time we met, Adele would start creeping up on me, asking for something extra.

 

‘All these guys are asking too much of me.’

 

Dion was asking for information, and Adele was asking for contact.

 

If anyone asked me which was more troubling, it was the latter.

 

Although I hadn’t yet permitted a deeper contact beyond lips, Adele wanted more every day. It took a lot of courage for me to give him my lips.

 

‘I’m sure that face and body are mesmerizing.’

 

Yesterday was the worst, but so were the other days.

 

At every opportunity, Adele would nibble at my clothes or try to trap me with one leg between his. 

 

When that was thwarted, Adele would hold me from behind, bury his face near my shoulder, and hold on for dear life.

 

The beast’s breathing in the back of my throat slowly faded over time, desperately ignoring any possible physiological events that might have occurred in the meantime.

 

“It wants, and it asks.”

 

Whether it’s animal instinct or a subconscious manifestation of his past splendor, I don’t know.

 

If I had known this was going to happen, I should have made sure Adele’s past was well-organized. I thought to myself.

 

‘But at least it stops when I tell it to stop.’

 

He turned away from the warning signal, which had already fallen, through cloudy eyes.

 

“My cut hurts, ouch.”

 

Later, down in the basement, I reminded myself of what I had to do.

 

In the short time I had, I needed to pacify Adele as best I could, and I wanted to check on the other beasts in case the party was noisy.

 

The animals under Adele’s control were generally docile. They would lean against me or nuzzle me, just like Adele.

 

It was an unspoken rule from the beginning that when I finished checking on the animals, I had to look at Adele the last time or else he would throw a fit and refuse to open the cellar door.

 

It took some convincing to persuade him that the other animals didn’t need to be taken care of.

 

“Adele, you’re too jealous.”

 

Ouch. My stomach lurched slightly to one side for a moment, then back again. I knew this was Adele’s response.

 

I giggled, then suddenly felt embarrassed and rolled my eyes.

 

“Well, to say the least, it’s a bit much to ask for a kiss every time we say goodbye, don’t you think?”

 

The color of my cheeks, which had been soaking in the warmth of the water, was growing a little brighter.

 

“You should restrain yourself, Adele, from demanding more than you deserve from beasts that can’t speak.”

 

I lectured him, casually, since I couldn’t see him right now.

 

This time the boat tilted the other way and came back. The water overflowed slightly out of the tub. 

 

The water level had gradually dropped, and now it was barely above my chest.

 

I wanted to hold on a little longer, but it had been a while. The water had cooled down a lot.

 

No matter how much I promised the day before, Adele would insist on not letting me go because I was late, and then the party would be over before I could see it.

 

Besides, there was a chance that Dion would barge into the room.

 

“Adele, are you sure you’re closing the door?”

 

There was no response to this question, but Adele was the only person I could trust.

 

“Hold on, I’ll come out.”

 

The door between Dion’s cabin and the restroom wasn’t properly locked, perhaps because the restroom was designed with the captain’s private quarters in mind.

 

At first, I was nervous because I didn’t know when Dion would open the door, but now I often forget that he’s even on the other side of the door.

 

And while I have a lot to hide, Dion has even more to hide.

 

‘He still thinks I’m a man.’

 

The chances of him walking through the door were slim to none.

 

“He’s a child of aristocrats, so he would have some manners.”

 

Living as a man and being a woman are two different things.

 

‘It’s so tiring to live a life of deception.’

 

All the time I was so tense that I had no energy left. I felt heavy and limp, like I had weights on my limbs.

 

“Maybe I shouldn’t have pushed myself so hard in the first place.”

 

Getting Rhodon’s name was a bit of a stretch. It was a good thing to quickly become acquainted with the crew, but it was a burden to get too close and pretend to be friendly.

 

Sneaking down to the basement was getting harder by the day.

 

“No, it’s better now because I can be prepared.”

 

Trying to think as positively as possible. I pulled myself together and hopped out of the tub.

 

After lightly tidying up the bathroom, I wiped the water off my body. Dion had even let me use a cotton cloth, which looked quite luxurious.

 

“Thank you again today, Captain.”

 

I thanked Dion, who was nowhere in sight, and reached for the clothes I’d left behind.

“You mustn’t peek, Adele.”

 

The words were a reminder. There was no response from Adele.

 

“Adele?”

 

Usually, at this point, Adele would answer by tilting the boat. Sometimes, but not often, he would speak directly to me.

 

“Are you sulking?”

 

Immediately, I knew I had to go and comfort him.

 

The first thing I did was grab my pants and put them on. It was a quick process with no hassles at all. 

 

The top, however, took a little more effort.

 

“Hmph.”

 

The first thing I had to do was bind my chest. Underneath my usual vest and shirt. 

 

Normally, I would have worn the underwear I’d brought with me from the inn, but I’d lent it to Adele, so I had to do the next best thing.

 

Taking a deep breath, I quickly wrapped the bandage around my chest. 

 

It was the same bandage Dion had given away in excess when he’d offered to treat the wound.

 

The bandages were much more uncomfortable and cumbersome, but I had no choice but to wear them. 

 

There’s no telling what could happen when you’re walking around uncovered. I couldn’t just walk around unprotected.

 

“Phew…”

 

With the bandage, I had to force myself to squeeze it tighter until it was too firm. 

 

Every time I took it off, I felt an indescribable sense of release.