Captain – Chapter 444 – Emily York

“Emily York?”

Muttering the name of their young master’s fiancée that she had just learned from Sand Fox, Roy pinched her chin in thought for a moment, feeling increasingly that the surname sounded familiar.

“She’s the eldest daughter of the York family.”

Seeing her reaction, Sand Fox couldn’t help but recall when she had responded similarly in Yadris upon hearing of Don’s arrival. He silently sighed at her “limited knowledge” and added: “Surely you know the York family, nominally ranked alongside the Anderson family.”

Even with the young lady’s background pointed out, Roy still thought for quite a while before exclaiming in realization: “Oh, I was wondering why it sounded so familiar. The York family, isn’t that the one that back then…”

At this point, the captain suddenly stopped speaking.

Sand Fox, who had been listening intently, waited for a long time without hearing the rest. Looking at Roy who was covering her lips with her finger, he asked suspiciously: “Back then what? I don’t recall any intersection between them and you.”

As the Black Raven Society’s representative brought to the forefront, Sand Fox naturally had varying degrees of interaction with multiple powers, or at the very least, had investigated their relationship networks and economic trends.

He knew clearly that in the Federation, there were some families led by the Anderson family that maintained close ties with the Southern Islands, but this did not include the York family with their ancient and orthodox bloodline who viewed pirates as a scourge. They absolutely could not have any connection with Roy.

Or at least, no positive connection.

“Uh, it’s nothing major, don’t overthink it. We have no grievances with the York family.”

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Roy waved her hands, laughing it off while thinking to herself how small the world was.

She had just finished impersonating a member of the Anderson family’s branch when she met Don, and after pretending to be the eldest daughter of the York family, she now encountered the real one.

“Is that so?”

Clearly not believing the captain’s words, the young man frowned, looking her up and down, suspecting that her attendance at the gathering, so meticulously prepared, might involve borrowing someone else’s identity for some nefarious purpose. But upon further reflection, he dismissed this conjecture.

Because no matter how well-crafted her disguise, she couldn’t possibly fool the sharp-eyed family head.

And if she couldn’t fool him, it all became meaningless.

Although silently convinced that the captain was feeling guilty about something, Sand Fox couldn’t discern what issue lay between her and the York family, so he could only warn with a stern face: “Captain, I must caution you that Don and Miss York are engaged and truly in love. Please don’t cause any trouble.”

“Most likely, the two families will set a date for their wedding around the festival season.”

“How could someone as ‘law-abiding’ as your captain cause any trouble…”

The captain defended righteously, though the sheepish expression on her face made these words less than convincing.

Before she could finish, Roy suddenly realized something and asked somewhat frantically: “What did you say? Wedding?”

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“What else?”

Puzzled by the girl’s intense reaction, the young man took a sip of wine and explained: “They’ve been engaged for nearly four years. If not for Don’s personal reasons, they would have married long ago.”

Hearing this, Roy couldn’t help but exchange glances with her First Mate, both seeing the surprise in each other’s eyes. Only now did they roughly understand the reason why Don had decided to return for the gathering.

So it was for the wedding?

Pursing her lips, Roy waved at the confused Sand Fox, indicating he was no longer needed here and could go accompany the York family’s eldest daughter. Then, leading Caine forward, she slowed her pace only when they approached the great hall’s entrance, muttering continuously under her breath.

She spoke of things like “forgetting friends for beauty” and feeling she had been presumptuous.

“In my view, our Young Master Anderson never planned to leave with us after his return.”

Chewing on some dried fruits, the captain spoke indistinctly. From her expression, she didn’t seem particularly angry, though her tone carried a sense of disappointment, feeling that all her preparations these days had been in vain.

“But this is as it should be. He was never one of us to begin with. If he were to fall out with his old man over some notion of ‘freedom’ and betray the heart of that girl, that would truly be absurd.”

Raising her eyes toward the palace, looking at the light symbolizing wealth that shone through the open gates, Roy sighed lightly and said: “If this is indeed the outcome, it’s not too bad.”

The young master of the Anderson family, having enjoyed his dangerous and exciting voyage, returns home to continue preparing to inherit the family business, while also marrying his beloved fiancée. Meanwhile, the Mermaid continues to receive the protection of this enormous family as it once again sets sail on its destined journey.

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From any perspective, this wasn’t a bad ending.

At least, it was far better than Don abandoning his family and betraying his love for so-called “freedom.”

“Captain, don’t be too happy too soon.”

Looking at the girl feigning “wistfulness,” Caine reached out and took the crystal glass she was about to grab. Under the captain’s fierce, biting gaze, he filled it with fruit juice and handed it over, while reminding her: “Whether Anderson wants to leave or stay, nothing is certain yet.”

“Right now, these are just our own speculations.”

Seeing her protest ineffective, Roy reluctantly took the crystal glass, drained the fruit juice in one gulp, then looked at her First Mate and countered: “His fiancée is already here. What other thoughts could he have?”

The First Mate didn’t answer, but continued on his own: “Whether people are cut from the same cloth isn’t determined by external factors like family background or position, but by what’s in their hearts. Otherwise, how would there be so many laudable encounters in the world? How would so many people gather on the Mermaid?”

“Or even… rare magical creatures?”

Lowering her eyes to look at the crystal glass, watching the droplets sliding down its inner wall, Roy pondered for a moment before laughing softly: “That’s true. Otherwise, we two wouldn’t have ended up together.”

“Then by your reasoning, is it possible that Don, in returning home this time, might be planning to obtain Miss York’s blessing and then slip away again? If that’s really the case, I’d have to say I underestimated him—he’s far more devious than I thought.”

“Or perhaps he plans to lure the girl onto the ship as well?”

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After speaking, the captain shook her head, casting these wild speculations from her mind. She asked her First Mate to pour her another glass, treating the fruit juice as wine, and said: “Never mind, we’ll talk when we see him.”

“Otherwise, we might find it was all just fantasy in the end.”

With these words, the two no longer discussed matters concerning the ship’s doctor. Instead, they truly acted like invited guests, or rather, uninvited “outsiders,” wandering around and sampling food, euphemistically calling it “appreciation.”

Time flowed by moment by moment, but even as the Anderson family’s private meeting time had passed halfway, no family members were seen walking along the main path into the hall—presumably there was another entrance.

It was worth noting that when Roy and Caine had set out, there were still many people visiting Mr. Rowell.

From this perspective, the people of this family didn’t seem to place much importance on those old, unspoken rules among the upper nobility, and even for gatherings, they didn’t strictly adhere to time.

This perhaps had something to do with the Anderson family’s origins as a lawless mafia.

The two hours in the cold wind weren’t particularly short, but they weren’t torturous either.

Before Roy could enjoy all varieties of pre-dinner refreshments or grow tired of the ever-changing courtesies among the dignitaries, accompanied by the clear chimes from an old clock tower not far from the palace, the private meeting attended only by family members ended, and people began moving inward.

At this point, the grand gathering truly began to unfold.