MTFBMP Chapter 44

“You may recall that this ship had a separate owner, and this is a memento from his wife.”

 

What do you mean, why kill Iris, who’s still alive and well?

 

Unable to follow the topic, I could barely speak, with a million question marks hovering over my head.

 

“When you’re dressed, I’ll reintroduce you to the crew, and we’ll drop you off at Pirate Island.”

 

“What? You said you weren’t making a stop, did you change your mind?”

 

“No, I haven’t.”

 

“But…”

 

“I’ll make it to the Empire.”

 

\Dion cut me off, leaving me to my own words, and a short silence hung in the air. 

 

I swallowed dryly, then opened my mouth cautiously.

 

“What if I never come out?”

 

“Well, you’re pretty familiar with sailor-style disposal, aren’t you?”

 

It didn’t sound like a joke.

 

“That’s the last condition I can offer you.”

 

With that, Dion left the room.

 

“What the hell is going on?”

 

Dumbfounded, I stumbled back and flopped onto the bed, leaving the dress I’d been given aside as I tried to process what had just happened.

 

“What the hell was Dion thinking?”

 

Why he’d suggested this, I couldn’t fathom.

 

“And why is Iris’s dress on this ship?”

 

Even without listening to Dion, it was obvious that the dress looked like it belonged to Iris. 

 

Even the canopy on the bed seemed significant now.

 

The room looked more like it had been prepared for a woman than a man.

 

“Am I to assume this ship was dedicated to Iris?”

 

Iris had disappeared in disgrace from the Imperial Palace, so it would have been necessary to store her things in secret, which, given the clothes in the closet, wasn’t a far-fetched notion.

 

Again, I examined the dress. A brilliant amber jewel was pinned as a brooch on the chest. 

 

It was one of the jewels considered sacred by the imperial family.

 

Not only did it have the golden color that symbolized imperial status, but it was also expensive because it condensed and stored the essence of an old tree. 

 

It was also a forbidden gem, not to be handled by anyone other than royalty.

 

Since Iris would not be able to obtain it herself, it would be a gift from the Duke. It was a gift from the Duke because it reminded him of Iris.

 

The dress must have been prepared for a special occasion. An engagement or wedding party, for example.

 

“Why would you make me wear something like this?”

 

Leaving the dress where it was, I scrambled to my feet and headed for my desk. I needed to look at the picture frame that Dion had been comparing me to.

 

The figure in the frame was, of course, the Duke of Noir, but the worn portrait set aside in front of it contained an unexpected figure.

 

A younger Simon stood tall, a family portrait with a woman holding a baby next to him.

 

The baby, of course, was me.

 

And then…

 

My jaw dropped in disbelief as I read the letter, which was folded and tucked neatly behind the portrait. I covered my mouth with my hand because I thought I might scream.

 

“Are you mistaking me for the heir to a pirate island?”

 

Simon’s letter caught my eye, saying that he was taking good care of ‘her’, the Duke’s lost family member. 

 

‘I will love and protect her as if she were my daughter’, he added.

 

Officially, the Duke’s fiancée was dead, and his child was missing. It was all false, but Dion could easily be misled.

 

“But who is this woman?”

 

A woman holding a baby, supposedly me.

 

That was not Iris by any stretch of the imagination.

 

✨

 

The dress didn’t look any better.

 

I grabbed the portrait and the letter, then returned to the cabin to pack my bags.

 

‘I hope nothing has happened to Adele.’

 

I headed straight for Adele. My heart was racing. 

 

My quick pace was turning into a trot.

 

The door to the private entrance to the room, where Adele should have been holding on, opened easily. I was so worried that something had happened to Adele.

 

In my panic, I didn’t pay attention to my surroundings like I would have otherwise. 

 

I rushed straight for the door to the basement, but ran into an unexpected obstacle.

 

“What is this?”

 

A huge oak barrel stood in front of the door to the basement prison. 

 

I grabbed one of the barrels and shook it, but it was full and wouldn’t budge. I shook them as hard as I could and heard water gurgling inside.

 

“Why is something that should be in the kitchen here?”

 

It was a keg. At the mention of the kitchen, something came to mind.

 

“It couldn’t be Rhodon.”

 

So far, I hadn’t had a clue.

 

“Adele!”

 

When I called, there was no answer. Neither did he send another animal nor tilt the boat. I continued to call for Adele, raising my voice.

 

When I finally reached over the oak barrel and knocked on the wooden door, there was still no answer. I grew nervous that someone else might pass through here.

 

Frowning and biting my lip, I realized that these barrels were not what I was used to seeing and knowing.

 

“What’s wrong with the color?”

 

At first glance, they looked like they had been painted white. 

 

But upon closer inspection, I realized that the wood itself was white.

 

“Birch?”

 

It was the same wood that had bound Adele’s wings. This couldn’t be a coincidence.

 

“Yikes!”

 

At once, I pushed and pulled at the barrel as hard as I could, trying to create a gap.

 

“Please move!”

 

Just when I thought I had created a gap, just a fingernail’s width.

 

“Huh?”

 

Through the crack, I saw something shimmering. I thought it was a fleeting illusion, but then the light flashed again, a second later.

 

At first, I thought it was Adele’s feather, but I quickly realized it wasn’t his warm golden color.

 

“Blue?”

 

It was more of a blue color, like a spark of electricity. 

 

There was only one creature in the area capable of such a glow.

 

‘Ghostbird.’

 

There was another flicker of light, just in time.

 

This time, the light was a little stronger than before, and with a thud, the barrels shuddered and were pushed aside. 

 

It was only a finger’s breadth, but it created a gap.

 

“Adele?”

 

I called out quietly, just in case.

 

— Are you outside?

 

Adele’s voice came through clearly, as if he were right in front of the door.

 

“Adele! What’s going on? Are you still there?”

 

— Thank goodness you’re okay. There’s a gap, and now I can see you again.

 

“Adele, can you see me?”

 

— Yes.

 

Although I still couldn’t see him, Adele’s words were comforting.

 

— What had happened?

 

A lot had happened. My identity was revealed to Dion, and I was threatened. 

 

On top of that, Dion was very mistaken.

 

Here I was, thinking I was going to run away with Adele, only to be stopped by this giant keg.

 

“I’m fine.”

 

Still, I decided to reassure him. There was no need to alarm him now.

 

“So, Adele, what happened?”

 

— Someone other than Master tried to open this door. When they realized it wouldn’t open, they put something in front of it.

 

Since then, he says, he couldn’t see beyond the door, as if it was blocked by something.

 

— It’s strange that my vision is blocked by a mere piece of steel.

 

Adel had apparently reverted to his animal state, and I could hear him growling. I tried to think of a way to calm him down.

 

“Anthele, why are you here?”

 

“Hic!”

 

I was startled out of my thoughts by the polite voice calling me.

 

“Jade?”

 

“The ship’s party has already started, come on up on deck.”

 

Jade didn’t even bother to listen to my answer, just kept talking to himself. 

 

Even though he asked questions, he didn’t seem to be expecting an answer.

 

“…Okay. We should go, but why are there barrels stacked up here?”

 

“You mean kegs?”

 

Jade’s eyes flickered from me to the barrels stacked beside us, then back to me.

 

“I pulled them out of a nearby warehouse. We might run out of booze for the party.”

 

Both Jade and I must be feeling it. That the other wasn’t telling the truth, and here we both needed to back off.

 

“Would you like to come up on deck with me?”

 

Jade walked past me and politely extended an arm to show me the way. 

 

It was a typical butler’s gesture.

 

— I’m fine, Master.

 

Adele’s voice came through the gap.