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Whenever they docked at a port, Rumie would always visit a cathedral.
“Captain, are you going to pray again?”
“Why don’t you come with us this time?”
Whenever they set foot on land, the navy usually sought out drinks or women.
But Rumie would always smile and shake his head. And, as always, he went to the cathedral.
Rumie liked the quiet and solemn atmosphere of the cathedral. The colorful sunlight streaming through the stained glass made him feel naturally ascetic.
He took off his white naval cap and walked steadily to sit on a long pew. Then, he clasped his hands together. Just before praying, he recalled the prayers he had offered up until now. For the past few years, Rumie’s prayers had always been the same.
Please let this feeling end.Let the misplaced desire that arose when Danae Windsor appeared before him run dry.Please let me see Dana as my sister again, as I did when we first met.
At first, Rumie only regarded Dana as a cute little sister. That was truly how he felt at first.
“You really feel like my older brother to me.”
So he replied, “I feel the same, Dana.” It was sincere. He even wished that Dana, not Allice, were his real sister.
Allice had always been peculiar from a young age, and they had never truly connected. So, Rumie was happy when Dana appeared. He was genuinely happy to have a cute little sister who followed him around like a duckling. But then…
“You know, Brother. I’ve met a guy I like. And he says he likes me too.”
Well, if he had truly thought of her as his sister, he should have been happy for her when she said that. But Rumie wasn’t happy. Instead, he was plagued by a bone-deep sense of loss that kept him awake at night.
“I love you, Dana.”
“I love you too, Raios.”
Even when Dana didn’t cross through the dimensional gate, and Raios held her back in this world, he wasn’t happy. Instead, his head ached with sharp jealousy.
When he begged her not to go, she just coldly brushed his hand away.But she’s staying because her lover told her not to go.What a great love that is, Rumie had sneered inwardly.
And at that moment, Rumie realized that his one-sided love was turning into hatred. He was so disgusted with himself. That’s why, since then, he has often visited the cathedral to pray.
I don’t want to hate the woman I love.
I don’t want to one-sidedly love a woman who is already engaged.
I don’t want to secretly desire my cousin who treats me like her real brother.
For the past few years, those had been his only prayers. But today, Rumie’s prayer was different.
“I want to call you by your name when it’s just the two of us.”
On that island, Dana had called his name. And she had held his hand like lovers just beginning their relationship.
Of course, Rumie knew. That Dana hated him. She despised him for all the times he had cruelly acted out, unable to overcome his jealousy. So maybe she was playing a prank on him, or perhaps she was seeking revenge. Or maybe she had some ulterior motive. Still, it didn’t matter.
Please, let there be even a shred of sincerity from Dana.
Rumie thought it was shameless to pray for that. But it didn’t matter.
A command was issued from Crown Prince Raios. He was to ‘capture alive’ the barbarian ship commander who repeatedly invaded the empire’s territorial waters, provoking them—’ without harming him,’ ‘in a friendly manner,’ and ‘with the enemy’s consent.’
It was an impossible order, akin to an exile, telling him not to return to the capital for several months. But Rumie wasn’t surprised. It wasn’t the first time he had received such a ridiculous order.
“Rumie, it seems you’ve really gotten on the bad side of His Highness.”
Even his grandfather, Duke Rolland, the Supreme Commander of the Navy, acknowledged this.
“Just pretend to follow that order for a month or two, as you usually do. After that, I’ll file a complaint.”
And the crown prince would, after a time, grudgingly cancel the absurd order to ‘not harm,’ ‘act friendly,’ and ‘get the enemy’s consent.’
So, as Rumie had done in the past, all he had to do was endure a little longer. He was a soldier, and no matter how unjust the order, he had to obey. But
[I feel like I’m going to die from missing you.]
In front of that letter, every reason he had to endure vanished.
Late that night, Rumie Windsor silently swam through the black sea and secretly infiltrated the enemy ship. He crept up behind the unsuspecting enemy, who had grown complacent with the empire’s slow response.
He covered their mouths.
“Be quiet.”
Then, he slit their throats with a dagger.
“Enemy attack!”
“The empire army has infiltrated!”
After being discovered too late, he dodged a hail of bullets, hiding and reappearing like a ghost, always ensuring to kill his target when he did.
“Mo-Monster!”
During the process, Rumie was shot in the shoulder, chest, and thigh, but it didn’t matter. It had always been this way.
“You coward b*stard, do you call yourself a soldier!”
After slaughtering all the enemies, he succeeded in forcing the captain to surrender by cutting off one of his arms.
“To sneak in like an assassin and kill everyone—you’re a disgrace with no honor—uugh!”
In the end, he had no choice but to cut out the captain’s tongue as well.
The barbarian captain, who had lost an arm and a tongue, lost his mind from the pain and was unable to give any coherent testimony. This was precisely what Rumie intended.
To return, he needed to manipulate the truth. Thus, Rumie abandoned his honor as a soldier. But that didn’t matter.
“There seems to have been a coup within the barbarians.”
He returned to his ship, dragging the barbarian captain along.
“The barbarian navy did this to their own captain.”
Of course, no soldier believed those words. But that didn’t matter.
The crown prince probably wouldn’t believe it either. But that didn’t matter either.
“Escort him to the capital.”
“What about you, Captain?”
“I’m going ahead.”
With those words, Rumie spurred his horse with all his might. It was a journey that should have taken half a day, but he rode without stopping for even a second and managed to reach the mansion by dawn. That was a journey impossible for an ordinary person. Sure enough, as soon as he arrived, the horse foamed at the mouth and collapsed. But that didn’t matter.
Rumie kept moving as if possessed by a ghost.
Dana was calling out to him.
[I miss you,]
No, Dana missed him.
Rumie sprinted through the garden, leaping over the walls of the Windsor mansion. He couldn’t waste time entering through the proper procedures.
[When will you return?]
With every step he took, his heart pounded. The words from Dana’s letters echoed in his mind.
[Don’t you miss me?]
Was she teasing him? Maybe.
[Please come to me quickly.]
Was she using him? Maybe.
Rumie scaled the wall of the building in one swift motion and reached Dana’s bedroom window. “Dana.”
Tap, tap, tap. His fingertips tingled as he tapped on the window.
[I feel like I’m going to die from missing you.]
Was she trying to hurt him? Maybe.
“Dana. I’m here.”
But it didn’t matter. Rumie was fine with it.