* * *

“Come on, come on, get on! Hurry, get on!”

People began boarding the Kiddo one by one. It had only been thirty minutes since something went wrong on the Entoho.

There were a few civilians with minor injuries, but no casualties.

The priests who had been in the lower decks were pretty badly hurt by Fire and the explosion, but they healed each other with divine power and everyone made it out alive.

One of the reporters who had been on the Entoho clung to Julian and asked,

“Wait, Lord Julian Noart? Just how on earth did you…?”

“Well, I was just bored waiting around at Bellotsa Harbor.”

Julian, the owner of the Kiddo, leaned casually on the deck and said,

“They were doing fireworks from the ship tonight, so I figured I’d take my boat out and get a closer look.”

It was, plain and simple, a wasteful flex. Who takes out a ship this size just to see some fireworks early?

But the Noart Count Family’s reckless spending was infamous, so everyone just accepted it.

“But hey, it worked out. If it weren’t for me, you all would’ve been screwed.”

Even as he said that, Julian’s eyes quickly scanned the crowd.

The person he was looking for was Zahid.

Just looking at the Entoho and Karso sinking smoothly was proof enough the mission was a success. But Zahid had taken on the most dangerous role, and Julian was worried his injuries would be severe.

Meanwhile, vines were fishing people out of the water one by one. Yuta was also aboard the Kiddo.

“But Duke Yuta Orgon, why did you even get on?”

“Well, they wouldn’t let me leave the harbor without prior °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° authorization.”

“Ah, right. You do need prior authorization.”

“But when Duke Yuta Orgon… said he’d go with me, they let me sail right away.”

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Julian picked his ear as he recited the answer he’d prepared.

“They just stuck a watchdog on me, that’s all. But seriously, I really did come for the fireworks.”

Everyone knew the Noart Count Family and the Temple were on bad terms, and that Julian went out of his way to mess with the Temple whenever he could.

So it made perfect sense that Yuta would find Julian’s whims suspicious and tag along.

“Oh, thank you! Thank you, Lord Yuta!”

“Thanks to you, Lord Yuta, we’re alive. Thank you so much. And thanks to the Divine Beast, too!”

And the people being pulled out of the water by Liri’s vines all fervently thanked Yuta.

Julian, annoyed, ran his hand through his hair and muttered,

“Shouldn’t they be thanking the guy who brought the damn ship first…?”

That’s when it happened.

Julian, still grumbling, spotted someone in the crowd and his face froze.

He left the reporter on deck and started running like a madman.

He vaulted over the crowded staircase railing, breathless, looking like he couldn’t believe what he’d just seen. He headed for a corner of the deck, away from prying eyes.

As soon as he got there, a familiar voice greeted him.

“Long time no see, Julian.”

She was wearing a maid uniform from the Idra Duchy, but it was unmistakably his sister, Rosie.

“How have you been?”

“Kiddo…”

She wasn’t a kiddo anymore—she was a full-grown woman now, but Julian could only manage that one word when he saw her.

He’d thought a lot about what he’d say when he finally saw Rosie again. But now, none of it came to mind.

He knew Ethan had become an archmage and that Rosie would probably show up soon, but he didn’t expect to run into her here.

His green eyes scanned her skull earrings and ridiculously heavy makeup.

In the end, what came out of his mouth was something he’d never even thought of saying.

“…You’ve changed your style way more than I expected. It suits you.”

“Really?”

“No.”

Just then, a vine swooshed between them.

Rosie looked up.

Far off, Yuta was smiling while holding Liri.

“Hey, come on! Get lost! Don’t butt in!”

Julian waved his hands furiously at the vine, but it kept dodging, as if mocking him.

“Ahem, anyway. That, uh, creative outfit—just a disguise?”

Julian gave up the vine fight and asked.

Rosie slowly nodded and answered.

“Yeah. For now, I think it’s better to move quietly without revealing my identity until I’m back at the Noart estate.”

Zahid, standing beside her, agreed in a low voice.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“Rosie helped me with a few things, and we don’t know how deep the Temple’s investigation will go. It’s better to hide her for now.”

“Oh, so thanks to our kiddo, you’re still in one piece.”

Either way, the Temple was definitely going to be pissed after this.

So it was best not to leave any record that Rosie had been on the Entoho.

Everyone, including Rosie herself, thought her safety was critically important.

Julian leaned in and whispered,

“Then wanna change into something else? How about a Noart maid uniform? I think that’d keep you safer.”

“Ah…”

Rosie fiddled with her skull-shaped ring and murmured,

“I’ll change at Bellotsa. Actually…”

Even if everything ended here, there was one thing still weighing on her mind.

“…There’s someone I want to say goodbye to. Just one last time.”

Rosie’s face looked more conflicted than ever.

“It’s really… really complicated, but still…”

And so the Kiddo, after rescuing everyone, turned its bow back toward Bellotsa Harbor.

* * *

Midnight, Bellotsa Harbor.

A small speedboat carrying the Empress Dowager and Linna’s group docked.

They had originally been the first to escape the Entoho on a lifeboat.

But by chance, Julian’s Kiddo had shown up, rescued everyone else, and made it back to Bellotsa much faster.

Only after hearing that the Entoho had sunk did their speedboat set off to fetch the others.

So in the end, they arrived at Bellotsa Harbor much later than everyone else.

“Ugh, this is exhausting! I’ve been sitting for way too long! And I’ve had enough of this sea breeze!”

As soon as she set foot on land, the Empress Dowager complained.

“Let’s get to the hotel! Call the priests! I’m not feeling well! I’ve been out in this wind too long, what if I’m coming down with something…”

She held her head, muttering.

“Linna, you’re supposed to meet Idra’s maids here at Bellotsa Harbor, right? Wait here with Madam Lorant. I need to go see the priests right away.”

Without even glancing at Linna, the Empress Dowager swept away, attended by her servants. She figured Linna had survived, so there was no need to care for her any further.

Leaving a personal maid behind so Linna wouldn’t be alone—that was the biggest kindness she could think of.

Linna clutched Cashie tightly, eyes darting with worry.

Just like the Empress Dowager said, if she waited a bit, the Idra maids would come to fetch her here at Bellotsa Harbor.

“Meow…”

Linna silently stroked Cashie in her arms.

Standing in the bustling harbor, everything that had happened earlier felt like a dream.

Being falsely accused by Madam Lorant, being rescued by that maid she’d run into by chance—it all felt like it had happened ages ago.

Thinking back, it had probably been the first time in a while she’d genuinely had fun.

Inside the dazzling Entoho, Linna had drunk, laughed, and joined every gathering there was.

But when she thought of the Entoho later, she was sure that just this half-day of giggling with that maid would be all she remembered.

Thinking that made her regret leaving the maid behind on the lifeboat alone.

‘I should’ve gone back to find her, no matter what…’

She’d already heard there were no casualties, but it still gnawed at her.

Not knowing what chaos was coming, not even getting to say a proper goodbye—just chasing after Cashie and leaving her alone with that damn lunatic Zahid.

‘I’m always like this, aren’t I.’

Golden eyes started to fill with tears.

‘I’m always a mess… to everyone…’

That’s when it happened.

“Lady Linna.”

A slow, gentle voice made Linna flinch and turn around.

There stood Rosie, wearing the maid uniform of the Idra Duchy.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep