Chapter Title: The Price of Betrayal
It was a futile hope. The place where the carriage stopped was exactly where Flavia least wanted to be.
"Get out. I'll remove the blindfold, but don't make any loud noises." Flavia, trembling, stepped out of the carriage and couldn't breathe properly as she took in the scene before her. Porto Niro. The least populated of the ten ports around Fornatie. It was also the most crime-ridden port because it was close to the slums of Kimora. The port was filthy. The air was filled with the stench of fish and rot. A dilapidated lighthouse flickered weakly in the distance.
"Follow me." Aegir escorted Lady Flavia toward the dock. Though his manner was polite, like that of a bracciere escorting a noble lady, his firm grip made escape impossible. Flavia, like a fish caught on a hook, was dragged along helplessly. Eventually, a long, slender ship appeared before her eyes.
"Board it." It was an old galley. Her fear had become reality.
"No… No!" Flavia screamed. She struggled desperately to break free from Aegir, but the young man easily twisted her arm into submission. At that moment, an incongruously cheerful voice sounded.
"Ah, Lady Flavia! We've been waiting for you!"
"…!" It was Gigi Manfredi, Cesare's secretary. Yawning openly, Gigi approached with a sleepy expression. Under normal circumstances, Flavia would have frowned at his rudeness, but now she cried out to him like a drowning person grasping for a lifeline.
"You! Please take me to the lord! He'll understand if I explain! I can explain everything!" Gigi raised one eyebrow quizzically, still yawning.
"Huh? What do you plan to explain at this point?"
"I-I was only blackmailed!" Gigi scratched his ear.
"You should have told the lord immediately, then."
"T-That's because…"
"No need to answer. I know. You couldn't because you were the first to reveal the lady's identity."
"It was all for the lord!" Flavia screamed. Gigi snorted.
"The lord understands that to some extent. It's understandable for a retainer to be anxious when the head of the family refuses to marry. That's why he overlooked the connection with the Grand Duchess." _He knew all along?_ Flavia's face twisted in shock.
"Then why…?"
"Why do you think?" Gigi laughed like a little devil.
"Omertà. You broke the most important rule."
"…!" _Omertà._ The code of silence. A vow of obedience never to reveal what one sees or hears to outsiders. This is the bond that holds all noble families together, and breaking it results in certain retribution. Gigi, smiling, and Aegir, expressionless, no longer seemed like their usual selves. They were executioners.
"I just gave a hint!"
"A pretty detailed hint, it seems. Well, it's not my concern. Let me explain quickly so I can catch a nap!"
"If I disappear, the Grand Duchess will definitely…"
"That's the lord's problem to solve. And honestly, you're not irreplaceable."
"…!" Flavia was struck speechless by his harsh and biting words. Gigi chuckled and yawned again.
"Ah, I'm so sleepy. If you're done making excuses, let's proceed. Let's see… The ship you'll board is the _Veterano_, built in 840."
"No… No…"
"The supplies include flour, hard bread, salt, sugar, biscuits, jam, fresh water, coal, chicken, duck, olive oil, lemons, limes…" Aegir firmly held Flavia, who was trembling like a sick goat, as Gigi quickly finished the explanation.
"…So! You'll take these supplies and make your way to Sorok alone!" Flavia, panting, couldn't even form a coherent sentence. Though she had never done hard labor, she had basic knowledge of navigation as a noblewoman from an island nation. Galleys were only used for coastal voyages. Taking such a ship on an open-sea voyage would be disastrous if the waves got rough. And Sorok was the farthest point from Santnar. Moreover, the galley before her was nearly a century old, and most importantly, lacked a figurehead of a mermaid—the goddess's symbol for safe voyages.
"If you return safely, the lord will consider it the sea goddess's will and forgive you." Flavia immediately fell to her knees before Gigi, clasping her hands in supplication. Her face was already tear-streaked.
"Please give me a chance to explain to Lord Cesare. Please…! Please!" But Gigi remained indifferent to her pleas.
"Who told you to break omertà? You should've stopped at just harassing the shoe shiner." Yawning, Gigi stepped back.
"Explanation over. Let's proceed, Aegir!" Without a word, Aegir firmly bound Flavia's wrists with a cloth and tied her to the ship's mast.
"No! Let go! Save me! Please…!" Ignoring her struggles, Aegir easily dragged her onto the deck. Tying one of her wrists to the mast, he jumped nimbly back onto the dock. Instead of rowers, a magical stone began to move the ship. Gigi waved cheerfully.
"Have a safe trip! Watch out for the sea goddess's jealousy!"
"Noooo!" The ship, carrying only Flavia, set sail. As expected of a galley, it moved quickly. Her screams soon faded into the horizon.
---
Adèle awoke in the now-familiar soft bed. Her whole body felt stiff. She hadn't noticed it before, but her body must have tensed up unconsciously from the shock of the previous day. As soon as she sat up, Epony entered the room.
"Miss, you're awake." Epony, seeing Adèle, quickly approached like a squirrel.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Yes. And you?"
"Of course. The water is heated, so please bathe. Given what happened yesterday, it would be best to have breakfast in your room. What would you like? If your stomach feels unsettled…" Epony seemed bustling. Adèle shook her head.
"It's fine. Just the usual."
"The chef will be pleased." Humans are creatures of habit. Adèle, swaying in her thin white negligee, adeptly headed to the bathroom. Yellow rose petals floated in the tub. The rose scent mixed with the steam, spreading throughout the room. Adèle, without a hint of shame, allowed Epony to assist her in undressing and stepped into the tub. _Such a pleasant scent._ Muttering that, Epony responded.
"The roses were flown in from the nearby village of Topolo this morning. Their roses are exquisite."
"Topolo…"
"Have you been?"
"A little." Adèle had briefly been to Topolo when she worked as a drug courier. To Adèle, Topolo had seemed like a dreary town. Naturally, since she had only seen the back alleys. _A village could be known for its roses and its tobacco. How interesting._ Adèle pondered this as Epony brushed her hair. To wash, they used pink-tinted salts and milky white soap with a lovely scent. In the fragrant bubbles, Adèle felt drowsy as she finished her bath. Epony applied violet oil to Adèle's hair, twisted it into shape, and styled it. Adèle waited in a thin robe, sitting on the porcelain chair in the toilette room, until Epony brought her clothes.
"Thank you for waiting." Soon, Epony brought the day's attire. A light green sarasa dress printed with butterflies and flowers. Epony set up a partition and applied fragrant oil to Adèle's body, then helped her into the dress.
"Is anything uncomfortable?"
"The chest feels tight."
"It's Lady Catarina's dress, so it can't be helped. She was quite slender. You are slender too, but you're taller and have a fuller chest." Epony spoke to Adèle through the mirror.
"But I think the young master will soon allocate funds for your wardrobe."