Captain – Chapter 234 – Ending

“The shackles were opened, the guilt was lifted. With Governor Robert’s help, the truth spread throughout the small town of Loriton. From then on, I was no longer the criminal who had been driven from the ranch for theft and then murdered the estate owner out of resentment.”

“During that time, the Governor treated me extremely well. He provided me with the best food and lodging, taught me to read and observe proper etiquette, and kept me by his side at all times, never leaving me behind even during his most important meetings. He treated me just like a real family member.”

“But beyond what my mother had taught me about honesty and strength, he used many captivating stories to teach me more principles that children shouldn’t understand—like the importance of status and power, or the darkness and cruelty hidden in the depths of human hearts.”

“The most important lesson he taught me was through that monologue about trust and poisoned wine from ‘The Black Lotus and Wine,’ along with his sudden change in attitude toward me. He made me understand what a painful price one pays for placing trust in the wrong person.”

“I’ll always remember the scene that day. It was raining—a downpour just as heavy as when my mother and I were driven from the ranch. Unusually, there were no visitors that day. I sat at the top of the steps in his mansion, on the crimson carpet, staring absently at the rain.”

“Then he came. When I heard his footsteps, my first reaction was to stand up, because he didn’t like me sitting on the floor. But this time, he only said ‘It’s alright’ and sat down beside me. I was extremely surprised, but assumed it was because he was in a good mood that day.”

“After sitting down, he began asking me questions. Those questions were scattered and disorganized, including my life on the ranch, the stories my mother had told me, and the principles hidden in those stories. It sounded as if he cared about my childhood experiences.”

“Since he wanted to listen, I naturally poured everything out. Among the things I told him, he was particularly interested in the legendary stories about my father.”

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“Therefore, even though I was quite resentful toward that man who was supposedly omnipotent in my mother’s stories but in reality was just a bastard who abandoned his wife and child, I eventually told him all the stories my mother had mentioned about him, including, of course, the secret of the box he had left behind.”

“When he heard about the box, he showed no particular expression, only asking if I had accidentally lost it.”

“Although I had no wariness toward him at that time, I was extremely sensitive to everything related to that box. So when I heard his question, I immediately understood his meaning.”

“At that moment, I thought he was simply curious about the whereabouts of the box, or perhaps wanted those priceless jewels. So I didn’t conceal its location. I told him the box was still buried by the well on the ranch, and if he wanted it, I could go get it for him.”

“But in fact, Governor Robert wasn’t short of money. Just that mansion and the collections within it far exceeded the value of those jewels.”

“And just as I thought, he shook his head, saying that it was something my father had left for me and should rightfully belong to me. He was only curious and wanted to see what kind of treasure Captain Gerard had left behind.”

“Out of trust, I didn’t doubt his intentions. I took him to the now-abandoned ranch, went in alone to dig up the box, and then returned to his side.”

“But when I handed the box to him, I suddenly felt uneasy, because that box had already brought me too much sadness and misfortune.”

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“If I hadn’t known that Lady Annisdora’s Box was hidden deep on Satin Island, I might have believed until now that this box was the mythical box that released disasters and curses.”

The story abruptly paused, and what came into Caine’s view were the Captain’s somewhat self-mocking words, like the last light before nightfall, trying to lighten the depressed young man’s mood before being completely swallowed by darkness.

But just as night would inevitably come, the story would eventually have an ending.

“Although that box wasn’t truly the Lady’s Box, unfortunately, my concerns still came true.”

“He took the box, and then opened it in front of me and the guards. After looking through it for a while, he seemed unable to find what he wanted, so he finally lost interest—both in the treasures left by Captain Gerard and in me.”

“After that, he changed, becoming someone completely unfamiliar to me.”

“He dumped those jewels onto the ground where water had pooled, then the box, and finally my last remaining hope.”

“‘Take him away, he has no value anymore,’ he said this way, then never looked at me again. From that point on, the identity of criminal and thief was placed back upon me, and to reduce trouble, I was sent to Norton Prison, which was not far from the small town of Loriton but enjoyed greater autonomy.”

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“Perhaps because of the principles he had taught me, or maybe to defy his will, I didn’t confess to the crimes. As a result, I suffered quite a bit in that hellish place.”

“But as you know, once you enter a prison, many things are beyond your control. Although I kept refusing to confess, that warden eventually branded me and scheduled my execution.”

Reading this far, the First Mate’s blue eyes were filled with coldness.

After the incident at the church, he knew who that prison warden was, but never imagined the man would be so bold as to assign guilt and sentencing without the judgment of an imperial court.

He understood that such things were difficult to prevent and happened frequently in secret, but upon learning of it, he still couldn’t suppress the anger igniting in his heart.

“But to think they could send the great Captain Roy to hell with such a scheme—I must say, they were being too fanciful.”

The young man’s anger didn’t last long, because after those words that made him lose control, what followed was the Captain’s extremely mood-breaking self-praise.

“Well, although I wasn’t a captain at that time, having experienced so much, I wasn’t just a child who could only cry. On the day of the execution, I killed the jailer who often beat me, then easily slipped out of the dungeon using my superior stealth skills.”

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The girl’s words were full of pride, making it seem as if everything that happened was only natural. After all, in the current Captain Roy’s dictionary, there seemed to be no such thing as the word “impossible.”

But Caine understood that for a child who had suffered severe torture, whose body was weak, to escape from a heavily guarded prison, the process must have been incredibly difficult, dangerous, and desperate.

Yet through unimaginable willpower, that child ultimately succeeded, and this was the beginning of the Golden-Eyed Devil’s legend.

“Under the soldiers’ pursuit, I don’t know how long I ran before finally reaching Ilruwin. The story after that, I’ve already told you, so I won’t waste ink repeating it.”

“So Caine, this is what you wanted to know—my unknown past. And I promise you, once everything comes to an end, I will return to your side immediately. At that time, we will complete our unfinished engagement.”

“Love, Elizabeth Roy.”

Translator Note

I hope the end of this novel won’t repeat the tragic end of Roy’s childhood.