Captain – Chapter 223 – Unfinished Answer

The young woman’s request was accepted.

At the Admiral’s command, most soldiers withdrew from the hall, leaving only himself and several officers, including the Colonel, standing at the entrance.

The Governor and Bishop stood just a few steps ahead of them, quietly watching the man and woman at the podium, occasionally whispering to each other, showing no intention of turning around.

“Why are you being so patient this time? With your usual temperament, you should have interrupted me the moment I said I was willing to go with them.”

Stroking her First Mate’s face, Roy slowly leaned forward until she could feel his warm breath, then gradually stopped. She gazed into those azure eyes just inches away, her deliberately lowered voice tinged with amusement.

Gently holding the Captain’s hand against his cheek, Caine lowered his gaze slightly and said with indiscernible emotion: “Once you’ve made a decision, not even ten horses could pull you back. Since that’s the case, what meaning would there be in my trying to stop you?”

“It works occasionally, doesn’t it? Like when your possessiveness flares up, or when you put on that cold face and demand I follow the Ship Doctor’s dietary rules—I always comply with you then.”

Seeing the young man not responding, the girl added with a smile: “But some major decisions must be made by me, after all, I am the Captain of the Mermaid.”

“But your decision concerns the crew’s vital interests. They should have the right to know, instead of being kept in the dark every day, like… pawns to be manipulated at will.”

Hearing Caine’s rare criticism, Roy’s smile diminished slightly, the mischievous expression on her face fading away, replaced by a faint disappointment: “Caine, do you also believe I’m the cold, indifferent, selfish devil they call me?”

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After a long silence, the First Mate lowered his head, pressing his forehead against the girl’s, and said softly: “No, I just feel that even after experiencing so much together, receiving your promises time and again, I still seem unable to penetrate your inner heart, so… I’m a little frustrated.”

Hearing the slight bitterness in the young man’s words, the Captain laughed as if she’d heard a joke.

“Is that so funny?” the young man asked helplessly.

“As the one closest to the lonely island of my heart, you’re crying to me that you can never reach its shores. Isn’t that funny?”

“I didn’t—”

Caine paused, then somewhat awkwardly tried to refute, but before he could say the words “cry out,” the girl’s voice sounded again by his ear.

“Enough, don’t argue about trivial matters like a child. We don’t have much time now, so you must remember everything I’m about to say.”

The Captain’s transition was abrupt, catching people off guard, but having been with her for so long, Caine had gradually become accustomed to her rapidly changing “faces.” So he merely responded lightly and then silently waited for her to continue.

“I once told you that not knowing the complete truth isn’t necessarily a bad thing, at least it can spare the crew from depression and panic.”

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“Therefore, even in normal times, I only selectively inform them. Like how they know the Mermaid’s destination this time is Satin Island, and know the secret of the Acherousian Lighthouse, but don’t know about the existence of the Lady and the Death Silence.”

Roy spoke quickly. After finishing this, she paused, with more self-mockery in her tone: “I admit that in the past, I did indeed treat the crew as tools, but after experiencing the betrayal of the old crew and… the departure of that little bastard, I tried to trust those around me, even though it wasn’t easy.”

“And the reason I kept this from everyone this time, even from you, is because this matter has nothing to do with the Mermaid. This is my own affair, it’s between me and that person who made me endure ten years of heartfelt suffering, who made me unable to escape that dark past even in my dreams…”

“A personal vendetta.”

When uttering these two words, the Captain’s voice was calm, but beneath that calmness hid a moving tempest.

“I had intended to resolve things with him myself, but the problem is, his target this time isn’t me, but Governor Naren, or even Auran’s old Emperor.”

Upon hearing this, Caine’s gaze slightly tensed: “Father and… His Majesty?”

“Yes, three days ago, I received his secret letter. Although I don’t know how he guessed we would be engaged at Sanderwina Cathedral, he solemnly vowed that halfway through the ceremony, soldiers would burst into the church to arrest me in the name of apprehending an imperial criminal.”

“At that time, he hoped I would leave with them and find an opportunity to escape en route, thus confirming the identity of the Golden-Eyed Devil and implicating the Howard family in collusion with me, thereby forcing the Governor to resign. He also promised me that after everything was over, he would ensure your and the Governor’s safety, as well as the continuation of the Howard family.”

Hearing this, the First Mate had basically pieced together the whole story. He calmly said: “Captain, the ‘he’ you speak of… should be Governor Robert, right?”

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Hearing the name from the young man’s lips, Roy showed no surprise, just smiled and said: “Bull’s-eye.”

Though he had guessed it, when everything was confirmed, Caine still felt somewhat dazed.

As one of the Empire’s power elite, that Governor wanted to harm his father, to break the already precarious balance at Auran’s highest levels. Beyond that, he had also cultivated his own forces within the military.

Such a man, who simultaneously controlled political power, military might, and harbored unknown ambitions—where exactly would he lead the Empire?

“I understand your concerns, but rest assured, I won’t act according to his wishes. On the contrary, whether it’s the grudge between him and me, or his ambitions and pursuits, I will end them in my own way…”

“In a pirate’s way.”

“So, during my absence, you need to watch over our ship and always be mindful of the Governor’s safety. It’s not an easy task, but I believe you can handle it. Additionally, in the Captain’s quarters, under the pillow on my bed, I’ve left you a letter.”

“In it are all the truths you want to know, but I find difficult to speak aloud.”

Like a curtain call line, after saying this, Roy leaned forward and kissed the young man on the lips. But this kiss wasn’t romantic; it only added to the sorrow of parting.

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Their lips met briefly and separated.

To outsiders, this young couple had merely exchanged some intimate words and expressed their feelings with a kiss, unaware that in that brief moment, the girl had revealed the most important and secretive intelligence, and declared her stance.

With a final nod to her First Mate, Roy walked toward the hall entrance.

She stopped before the Bishop and Governor, curtseying to them, and only after receiving their nods of acknowledgment did she pass through the path they cleared, arriving before the Admiral and the group of officers.

Just as she was about to leave the hall, Roy paused slightly, turning sideways. Her gaze traveled past the officers and the two dignitaries, falling distantly on Caine, who had his head slightly lowered, seemingly immersed in her earlier words, or perhaps weighed down by the separation and the dark truth.

“Caine.”

The girl’s melodious voice echoed through the spacious and quiet hall, crossing countless pews, finally reaching Caine’s ears.

Seeing her First Mate look up, Roy’s lips curved upward slightly, displaying that mischievous smile he knew so well, and gave her answer that had been interrupted during the engagement ceremony.

“I do.”