Captain – Chapter 263 – Pastry and Filling

“You think I’m lying, that after making these arrangements, I truly disregarded whether you lived or died, without considering these things at all?”

Hearing the young woman’s questioning, Robert was like a tiger whose whiskers had been stroked, yet he still suppressed his anger, asking her in a deep tone.

“Child, do you still believe that you escaped Morton Prison back then by your own strength? And that those soldiers pursuing you were truly confused by your mysterious whereabouts, chasing in completely different directions?”

Hearing this, Roy couldn’t help but narrow her eyes and ask: “What do you mean?”

“No, neither is true.”

The Governor pressed his hands on the table, leaning slightly forward, staring directly into those dark golden eyes, and said gravely: “Whether it was that jailer getting drunk on your execution day, the prisoners in Morton Prison suddenly starting a riot, or later when the soldiers’ hounds lost their sense of smell—none of these were coincidences, but my deliberate arrangements.”

“Even during your escape, that one household willing to accept you only agreed to let a fugitive in and show such enthusiasm toward you after receiving my letter and sufficient money.”

“In addition, your sneaking into Ilruwin without being coerced by thugs demanding so-called ‘passage fees,’ as well as that captain willing to accept two underage ship workers according to your proposal—all of these things, do you really think…”

“They were all due to your luck, child?”

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Having said this, looking at the young woman whose eyes kept flickering, Robert slowly leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes with some fatigue: “I was watching you all along, watching you suffer, watching you grieve, watching you helpless, watching you… gradually become strong.”

“During this time, I felt reluctance, regret, and even the impulse to bring you back to my side, but in the end, I still just quietly watched, seeing you board that merchant ship, seeing you plunge into the sea, with no news thereafter.”

As the Governor’s words fell, a brilliant flash of lightning suddenly brightened, illuminating everything near the round table through the floor-to-ceiling window, making both their faces appear snow-white. Then, as if to echo his words, thunder rumbled, lingering.

Those earth-shattering words, those truths deeply hidden in the heart, were like a wooden paddle gently stroking the black, still surface of the sea in Roy’s heart, stirring up ripples.

She stared somewhat absently at the tired-looking Governor, feeling that some previously unshakable beliefs were silently collapsing. The pain and hatred buried in her heart for a full ten years now seemed like a joke.

“So… forgive me, child. I truly, deeply hope that you can return to my side.”

The man reopened his eyes, looking at the dazed young woman, shaking his head gently while quickly adding: “No, not necessarily staying by my side all the time. As long as you’re willing to forgive me, I promise never to harm you or those around you. All this will quickly and peacefully come to an end, and after that…”

“Wherever you want to go, whatever you want to do, I will fully and unconditionally support you. Will you, child?”

Robert seemed to have exhausted all his secrets, expended all his emotions, to the extent that his expression, his tone, his sincere persuasion and plea all appeared so moving, so convincing, as if…

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He truly cared about her.

Another flash of lightning illuminated the black shadow that had returned to the windowsill, awakening the young woman from that beautiful illusion, that sweet dream.

No one noticed the faint golden pattern that flashed briefly on the back of her neck, and even the Governor didn’t see that under the brilliant lightning, those eyes like dying magma had once shone brilliantly, dazzlingly.

In just an instant, Roy returned to calmness. All the emotions in her eyes disappeared, and after glimpsing the returning black shadow, her gaze fell again on the Governor. Her lips curved into a smile that was extremely charming yet utterly distant.

Looking at the young woman’s emotionless gaze and the slightly mocking smile at the corner of her mouth, the Governor frowned instinctively, asking in confusion: “You still don’t believe what I said, don’t believe I did so much for you, sacrificed so much?”

“No, I believe you, Uncle Robert.”

The captain sighed lightly, picking up a pastry in front of her, examining it carefully before saying: “I believe you did these things for me, and I believe you truly invested so much emotion in me, but… what does it mean?”

“Just like the pastry in my hand—no matter how precious or delicious the filling inside, you can’t taste it before taking a bite.”

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Placing the pastry back on the plate, Roy looked up, staring at the man whose expression was changing unpredictably, and said flatly: “Emotions are like this, and so are sacrifices.”

“You silently arranged all this for me, silently endured the surging emotions including self-blame. I should be moved to tears by this, let go of my hatred and disgust, reconcile with you, even share a warm embrace, but… why don’t I?”

“Perhaps you don’t understand?”

After asking, Roy shrugged her shoulders and softly explained the reason.

“Because I truly don’t have that feeling. As I said earlier, your emotions and sacrifices are like filling hidden too deeply under the pastry crust, so deeply that I couldn’t feel them at all. How then can I be moved or understanding?”

“Looking at this whole matter, you never sought my opinion, never cared about my feelings, as if you were a deity on high, determining my fate with the slightest movement of your finger. This, rather than being for my benefit, seems more like self-gratification.”

“In my eyes, everything you did brought me only pain and countless nights of nightmares. So I cannot forgive you… never.”

After hearing the young woman’s words, Robert asked her in a deep voice: “Do you truly feel nothing but hatred toward me, Elizabeth?”

“Don’t forget who carried you out of the dungeon in Loriton, who cleared you and your mother of all charges, allowing you to escape the gallows and death, and who gave you a true new life?”

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“It was you.”

The captain’s tone softened somewhat: “I won’t forget any of this either, won’t forget your kindness to me, but we can never return to how things were, Uncle Robert. This was determined the moment you dropped those jewels and that box.”

“You mean that no matter what explanation I offer, no matter what difficulties I faced, you had no intention of reconciling with me before coming to see me?”

In contrast to the young woman, after hearing her softened tone, the Governor’s expression returned to indifference, his words as cold as snow.

“Yes,” Roy whispered, as if answering his question, yet also as if giving herself a final answer.

“In that case…”

The last warmth in his heart cooling due to this answer, Robert smiled self-mockingly, then sat up straight. His tone no longer contained any gentleness or closeness.

“Why did you come back at all?”