Captain – Chapter 629 – Answer and the Kiss

Have you truly seen clearly into your own heart?

Perhaps because she had never thought about this question while seeing Caine, confirming he was alive, and bringing him here, the young woman couldn’t help but be stunned when she heard the old man’s gentle words.

Then came silence, a long silence.

The question wasn’t complex.

The answer was simply yes or no, and long ago, Roy had already thought deeply about it, even laying it out directly and honestly before her first mate.

Telling him that she didn’t know.

Perhaps that answer, her true feelings, could only be revealed at the journey’s end.

To this, her first mate was willing to understand and made a pact with her that before reaching their destination, he would accompany her without abandoning her, until that final moment.

Roy would naturally never forget that pact.

She even remembered, on that night when her heart was in turmoil, when she asked him if what she was doing was irresponsible and selfish, Caine’s answer.

“No, it’s not, Captain. I’m equally curious about the mystery hidden at the journey’s end. Though I may have some selfish motives, I think…”

“When that time comes, no matter what your choice is, I won’t regret having loved you so deeply.”

Those gentle words from long ago seemed to echo in her ears again, causing the young woman to unconsciously turn her face toward her first mate beside her, while thinking with complex emotions.

Perhaps it was because of this promise that she kept escaping again and again…

Escaping that question, escaping her own heart?

Feeling the guilt and self-blame in the captain’s eyes for choosing to ignore this all along the way, as well as the struggle that wasn’t much but existed genuinely because of all their past, Caine couldn’t help but gently close his eyes, but opened them again after a moment.

Rеαd οո KαtRеaԁіnɡCαfе

His azure eyes showed no disappointment, still gentle, just like returning to that night.

“Captain, I told you, no matter how you choose, I’m willing to support you.”

“If tonight you still can’t make up your mind, then it’s fine to put it off again. Let’s continue forward first, and wait until our main business is concluded before coming back to…”

Though he was willing to say this, though he knew this was just repeating the promise he’d made before, the young man’s voice still dropped low.

No matter how willing he was to understand, no matter how much he wanted to suppress it, he still couldn’t hide his disappointment.

Only before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by the captain’s soft words.

“Idiot.”

Looking at her first mate who had suddenly stopped talking and, after brief bewilderment, began to show renewed radiance on his face, Roy smiled without any helplessness, only satisfaction.

Satisfaction at having fooled him once again, satisfaction at…

Having someone love her so much.

Yes, it really was hard to choose.

Because laid before her was the past—from her earliest childhood memories to being the golden-eyed devil, free and unrestrained—and the future—a brand new unknown beginning with her current identity and the people around her. This would be a difficult problem for anyone.

Oh, except for the Great Captain—someone as old-fashioned and heartless as him would definitely choose the first option.

But who taught her that despite seeming heartless and once yearning for that kind of powerful indifference to everything, in reality, no matter how she tried to learn or pretend, she simply couldn’t do it?

She was strong enough, never weak even when bleeding and near death, yet she would still grieve from love.

Like on the Mermaid when watching that dying little bastard, like in that abyss when feeling her father’s warmth and reluctance to let go, like after falling from the sky when learning that the gentle night had perished forever, when learning he might not return either.

Reаԁ oո ΚatRеaⅾіոɡСαfе

So many, countless moments.

In the end, no matter how she changed, she was still herself, still that youth in the old bishop’s eyes who pursued strength with all his heart yet still desperately yearned for love.

If so, wasn’t that crossroads that had once troubled her so much actually the same path?

Then just walk it—what need was there to choose?

“I think so, Grandpa Cappe.”

Feeling Roy’s gaze upon him and hearing her natural, affirmative response, the old man’s face regained its gentle smile. At this moment, the image of that child in his eyes finally merged with the young woman before him.

Never to be separated again, and no need to be separated.

“I knew you already had an answer. Asking was just to help you see more clearly.”

The bishop placed the holy book aside and shakily rose to his feet, waving his hand to indicate the young woman needn’t help—he wasn’t yet so frail.

“So you won’t get along poorly later and then blame me for it.”

Watching the old man walk around the altar and stand on the platform, hearing his seemingly experienced complaints, Roy and her first mate exchanged glances before she asked curiously:

“Grandpa Cappe, may I know how you guessed my choice? And from your tone, it seems you’ve encountered quite a few such situations.”

“Are there others… like me?”

Thinking that perhaps there were people in the world with different experiences but similar circumstances to her own, the captain felt somewhat strange, yet also inexplicably relieved.

So I’m not the only one who would choose this way?

“How did I guess? Do your little thoughts need guessing?”

Rеαⅾ οո KаtRеadіոɡCаfe

The old man smiled and shook his head. Standing beneath the solemn cross in the gentle warm light, his features became much more sacred, truly like a messenger sent by the divine.

“I can sense that you became as you are now because someone interfered with your fate—or as you pirates would say, you were cursed.”

“But now, that curse is obviously gone, yet you still remain as you are.”

“Isn’t that your choice?”

Hearing this, Roy suddenly understood many things.

If after First Mate Isaac had erased the devil’s mark for her on the ice sea, she hadn’t changed back and could still excuse it as being unable to do so.

Then when she truly awakened, even knowing that Caine might very well not return and she would lose her reason for maintaining her female identity, yet still didn’t think of changing back but went to find him instead—there was no reason left to explain this.

It turned out their journey had already reached its end.

In her heart.

“Of course there are people like you. I’ve even received many foreign guests who don’t count as human—as long as they come with sincere hearts, what does it matter?”

Hearing this, even someone as worldly as Roy couldn’t help but widen her eyes slightly, looking with amazement at the old man who took up an old registry and gently leafed through it.

She felt his thin, slightly hunched figure seemed ever more towering in her eyes.

Come to think of it, this church situated in the islands really was an excellent place for those heterodox believers or beings seeking ceremonial significance to hold weddings.

“Well then, let us begin. The sooner we finish, the sooner I can rest.”

The old man’s voice finally carried some weariness, interrupting the captain’s wandering thoughts and making her feel quite guilty. She quickly stepped forward with her first mate.

Looking at the two who had stepped before the platform, this venerable old man didn’t perform those complex proclamations, first seeking opinions and having them sing something like “The Reverent Wedding Song,” but directly entered the stage of fulfilling the marriage vows.

Rеaⅾ οո ΚаtRеαⅾiոɡCafe

As if on the islands, everything would be simplified.

However, before this, the old bishop still solemnly inquired about Caine’s name, identity, and family background, though he should have known all this long ago.

During this process, he quietly listened to the young man’s account, using a rarely-used scrutinizing gaze to examine him thoroughly from top to bottom, inside and out.

As if he were entrusting one of his treasures to his hands forever.

To this, Roy felt more warmth than nervousness—warmth she hadn’t felt in a long time from an elder who truly loved her.

Of course, some bitterness was unavoidable too, because the old man’s “forever” was truly forever.

The kind of forever that meant eternal separation between heaven and earth.

Finally, Caine finished speaking.

Facing this young man who had lost some of his military sternness but still showed his fundamental integrity from the heart, the old man nodded satisfactorily and picked up a white feather pen from beside him, slowly writing both their names in that old registry.

This meant the Holy Church recognized their status as husband and wife.

For believers, this was even more important than the legal tokens of the Empire or Federation.

“Then, you two, congratulations on your marriage.”

After registering their names, the old man put away the registry and pen, smiled at them both after his congratulations.

“Please kiss.”

Translator Note

You may kiss your captain