Captain – Chapter 442 – Frightened Fox

Caine ultimately couldn’t dissuade the girl.

Although Roy admitted that the potential commotion tonight would bring no benefit to the Mermaid, and even carried enormous risk, and that in this matter, they didn’t have any justification whatsoever.

But she still insisted that personal will was most important, that even elders shouldn’t interfere, just as she wanted to escape from Robert and that devil to control her own destiny.

Of course, there was another reason.

That was, although the ship’s doctor wasn’t very likable most of the time, he was still one of their own.

Even if not entirely voluntarily, this young master had experienced many dangers alongside the Mermaid, had saved many lives, including Roy’s own.

After the battle to reclaim the Mermaid, she had fallen unconscious from blood loss. If not for the ship doctor’s emergency treatment to stop her bleeding, the consequences would have been unthinkable, not to mention countless instances of nursing her back to health.

Through all these experiences, the ship’s doctor had earned not only the crew’s respect but also the girl’s acknowledgment.

She would say he was a genuine, indispensable member of the Mermaid, like Old John, Lance, and many others she trusted. Therefore, she would respect the ship doctor’s choice.

If he wanted to stay, she wouldn’t force him, but if he wanted to leave with them, she wouldn’t frown in the slightest.

Even if the outcome might not be good, even if it might mean losing the Anderson family’s support.

But whatever happened, she wouldn’t abandon him.

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Faced with the girl’s reasoning, the First Mate frowned, and though he still felt it was inappropriate, he didn’t object further until the carriage reached its destination, only saying not to make too big a scene.

Such matters involving family and principle were always tricky; one misstep could lead to serious consequences. Even someone as reckless as Roy could only take things one step at a time when handling this.

This was what they called improvising.

The voices outside the window grew louder as the carriage slowly came to a stop.

Soon, a servant’s voice was heard requesting permission. After the two granted it, he opened the carriage door and respectfully helped them down.

Descending from the carriage, Roy and Caine had walked only a few steps before treading on soft red carpet. Following the carpet’s path, at the end of the densely packed crowd stood an extremely majestic palace.

In scale, it could even rival the main hall of the Auran royal palace.

This was the venue for the Anderson family’s annual gathering, located in the southeast of the estate. Following the direction it faced for thousands of miles would lead to the Federation’s assembly chamber.

Whether this was a display of contempt for the assembly was unknown.

The two followed the crowd toward the palace, which appeared in a dark golden hue under the starlight and lamplight. Just reaching its vicinity took nearly ten minutes, indicating the considerable distance.

All along the way, red carpets were laid out with tables set up, covered with pre-dinner refreshments of numerous varieties, almost encompassing specialties from all over the world, for guests to whet their appetites.

In the cold winter wind, not to mention hot dishes, even cold dishes would lose their flavor after sitting out for a while. To solve this problem, the Anderson family’s solution was simple and decisive.

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Every dish, every bottle of wine was replaced after its optimal time for consumption had passed.

“Extravagant, no, wasteful—it’s just too wasteful.”

Chewing on a cookie and recalling the table of dishes that had been cleared away earlier, Roy mumbled indistinctly, disregarding etiquette, with a wine glass still in hand, completely ignoring the gazes of others.

Now, at the beginning of the banquet, a private meeting involving only internal members of the Anderson family was being held in the palace. Any outside guests, regardless of status or how close their relationship was with a family member, had to wait obediently outside the hall, even if they were the family head’s confidants.

However, those who came to attend the gathering naturally understood the rules.

Ordinary residents of Hipalia, uninvolved in the later grand affairs, didn’t care at all. Even those accustomed to luxury had donned their cloaks early, holding crystal glasses, wandering back and forth in the cold wind, seeking out people of similar status and objectives for small talk.

At first glance, it truly appeared warm and lively.

“Eating is fine, but drink less wine. Captain, don’t forget we might have important business tonight.”

Following beside the captain, the First Mate certainly wouldn’t be like her, seeking food everywhere due to gluttony, nor like those dignitaries posturing with half-full wine glasses. He merely frowned and admonished.

“Yes, yes, yes, but even so, one needs to eat and drink well to have the strength to handle affairs, right?”

Seeing the captain perfunctorily responding without putting down her wine glass, Caine sighed helplessly. While she was selecting food and off guard, he easily “plucked” the glass into his own hand.

“What are you doing?”

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Facing the girl’s angry glare and questioning, the First Mate placed the wine glass back on the table, pushing it far beyond her reach, and calmly said: “No more drinking, lest you become drunk again.”

“Are you ordering your captain?”

Hearing this, Roy narrowed her eyes like a wild cat ready to pounce, asking in a dangerous tone.

“Don’t try that with me.”

The First Mate poked her forehead with his finger and said flatly.

For this tactic the girl had used when they first met—either asserting her captain’s authority to intimidate him or picking fights when upset—the young man, who now understood her well enough, obviously wouldn’t fall for it again.

Like punching cotton, the captain had built up her anger with nowhere to release it. After feeling uncomfortable for a good while, she reluctantly moved to another table, then with lightning speed grabbed another glass near her, raising her chin at the First Mate.

“Try again, I have plenty of glasses.”

Looking at the girl’s childish behavior, Caine held his forehead, not wanting to create a scene with her in public. Though he had been a pirate for some time, he still had some dignity.

Smiling triumphantly, the captain turned with feigned elegance, intending to find a wine “worthy of herself.” However, before taking a few steps forward, her initially raised gaze froze on what lay ahead.

In this moment of distraction, her wine glass was confiscated again.

Even after the glass was placed back on the table, Roy showed no reaction. The First Mate walked out from behind her, followed her line of sight to a young couple, and asked: “What is it? Do you know them?”

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Waking from her daze, Roy blinked, looking at the young man dressed in a pure black tailcoat, leaning on a black wooden cane, speaking eloquently to the girl before him. A smile difficult to interpret spread across her face: “I only know one of them. What a coincidence to meet him here.”

It took just a moment to discern that the girl was looking at the young man, but the problem was that Caine had no impression of him whatsoever. So he raised an eyebrow and asked: “Captain, who is that?”

“That’s our future financial backer.”

Smiling mysteriously, Roy patted his shoulder, declared with conviction, then walked toward the young man, her steps quickening, showing no intention of greeting him first.

Just like an assassination common at noble gatherings.

The difference was that the young man wasn’t like those muddleheaded nobles who never knew what killed them. Almost instantly, he sensed something amiss and cast a glance at the captain.

Then his expression changed, becoming like autumn’s withered yellow leaves. Suppressing his alarm, he said a few words to the girl before him, then turned to leave. If he weren’t attending a banquet and trying to avoid causing a disturbance, he probably would have broken into a run, regardless of dignity.

Unfortunately, whether running or walking, he clearly couldn’t outpace the captain, whose physique was almost monstrous.

The young man weaved through the bustling crowd several times, even deliberately circling back using passing servants as cover to evade the girl’s pursuit. But in the end, before he could breathe a sigh of relief for losing the girl, he looked up to see the pirate smiling maliciously.

Startled by the ghost-like appearance of the captain, the young man instinctively raised his hands protectively in front of him, exclaiming in panic and poorly chosen words: “C-Captain, spare me!”

Just like a trembling fox.