Captain – Chapter 257 – The Approaching End

Rain drops pattered against the glass window. The candlestick on the wooden cabinet cast a warm glow, and the small yet elegant bathroom was filled with misty steam and the subtle fragrance of violets. Occasionally, gentle ripples could be heard from the copper bathtub etched with rose patterns.

Pale golden hair hung over the edge of the tub, trailing down to the clear water’s surface, spreading out among the violet petals like another, more brilliant flower.

The young woman’s forehead rested lightly against the nearby arched window, her eyes closed, as if lulled to sleep by the rushing sound of rain and the embrace of warm, clear water.

If that was all, this would have been a rather dreamy, exceptionally serene scene. However, the little creature that had just settled beside the young woman clearly had no intention of maintaining such an atmosphere.

With a splash, water droplets scattered everywhere as black feathers trembled, many landing on the captain’s cheeks and turning her softly floating hair into a tangled mess.

With a deep sigh, Roy opened her eyes and looked at the soaking wet raven, asking irritably, “Didn’t I prepare a basin for you? Why must you insist on squeezing in here with me?”

Hearing this, Alfie tilted her little head, pretending not to understand.

“Following me all this time, you haven’t learned much, but you’ve certainly mastered acting and being shameless. If you weren’t female, I’d pluck every feather from your body.”

The young woman pursed her lips, then breathed out contentedly: “To be honest, I haven’t enjoyed such luxury in a very long time. Even in Yadris, let alone on the Mermaid, it would be difficult to find so many violets for my bath.”

“Yes, yes,” the raven mimicked, before starting to splash around again.

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Raising her hand to block the water droplets stirred up by the little creature, the captain’s slight annoyance faded, replaced by relaxation and nostalgia: “Robert’s trick is quite effective. In the past, after soaking until I was warm all over, all I wanted was to sleep—who could think of anything else?”

“Or perhaps in his view, this arrangement would make me remember his kindness more, remember the comfortable life here. This way, even if I still harbored resentment, much of it would be soothed, and I might even be calm enough to meet him. After all…”

Lifting some clear water, watching the tiny petals swirling within, Roy smiled lightly and said, “He still thinks of me as a child, that child who would be utterly devoted to him for a few treats. But what he doesn’t know is that child was strangled by his own hands in that prison long ago.”

“So… it’s time for him to meet the person I’ve become.”

Patting Alfie, Roy stood up, left the tub, and dried herself with the towel hanging on the wooden cabinet. After briefly drying her hair, she put on the snow-white short shirt and trousers specifically prepared by the butler.

Understanding, the raven shook the water from its body and flew back to the young woman’s shoulder, looking at her reflection in the mirror and softly calling, “Looking good, Captain.”

“Yes, not bad.”

Smoothing out non-existent wrinkles on her clothes, Roy smiled with satisfaction before pushing open the wooden door and leaving the bathroom.

Outside was a long corridor with crystal chandeliers overhead casting brilliant light. On both sides stood properly dressed servants, ready to attend to her at any moment. Looking ahead, the ceramic-tiled floor was so clean it clearly reflected the surroundings.

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Nodding with a smile to the servants who glanced her way, the captain passed between them, walked through the side hall connecting to the bathroom, then through a corridor carved with various reliefs, and finally returned to the main entrance of the mansion where the old butler waited patiently.

Seeing the approaching young woman, the old butler smiled and said, “You’re much quicker than before, miss.”

“When I was young, I was certainly more playful. Sometimes when tired from playing, I would stare out the window lost in thought, unconsciously forgetting the time.”

Hearing the old man mention the past, Roy explained with a wry smile, then looked at the carriage still waiting at the bottom of the steps and said softly, “Besides, it’s already so late, and Uncle Robert is still waiting to see me. I can’t be as willful as I was before.”

“Having experienced so much, I should understand what matters most, shouldn’t I?”

Hearing the young woman’s meaningful words, the old butler’s aged eyes dimmed slightly.

He opened an umbrella for her, walking down the steps with her while gently saying, “I think in the master’s eyes, you are still a child. You needn’t be so strict with yourself. This way, when you meet, there will be less awkwardness.”

“I understand. Don’t worry about it.”

Hearing the old man’s earnest words, knowing he was still concerned about their meeting, Roy shook her head helplessly and reassured him.

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Seeing them approach, the servant waiting by the carriage politely opened the door.

Roy stepped out from under the black umbrella, moved forward a few steps to the carriage door, and turned around with her hands behind her back, allowing raindrops to fall on her still slightly damp hair.

“This is far enough, Grandfather Butler.”

The young woman smiled and said, “It’s getting late, you should rest now.”

“If nothing unexpected happens, from now on you’ll have to take care of two people’s lives. It will be more tiring, so you must take care of your health.”

The captain had always been skilled at acting. Even that old man who handled the Empire’s secret affairs and had seen through countless people’s thoughts was almost deceived by her, let alone this kind-hearted old butler before her.

Moreover, she was impersonating her former obedient, caring self, naturally revealing not the slightest flaw.

Hearing the young woman’s concerned words, the old man smiled and nodded, remaining where he was without any intention of following further.

Bending to enter the carriage, waving one last time to the old man through the window, Roy finally leaned back against the carriage wall and sighed with relief.

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“It seems I’m still quite good at charming my elders, except for some… improper old men.”

The captain boasted to the raven with a smile, only to be mercilessly contradicted: “That’s deception, that’s deception!”

Lightly tapping the little creature’s head, Roy justified herself righteously: “What do you know? This is called a white lie.”

As the door silently closed, the sound of a whip cutting through the air came from the front. The carriage began to move slowly, soon leaving the courtyard in front of the main house and disappearing behind the walls.

The scenery outside the window kept changing.

From the pale red brick walls of the courtyard, to the lake darkened by night, to the vast sea of flowers in front of the Governor’s residence—these scenes deeply buried in the young woman’s memory were awakened one by one. The once blurred figure of that man also seemed to gradually become clearer with all of this.

When the soft light penetrated the dark rain curtain and fell on the ground outside the window, the carriage began to slow down. Roy knew that this journey—spanning a full decade, crossing through varied scenes—

Had finally approached its end.