Chapter 130: The Galiant Island (6)
L6JkHShirone felt a heavy ache in his heart. How much abuse must a child endure to utter such words?AGOa1V
hrhqJ“From that day on, those words became a sort of spell. Every time my adoptive father beat me, I would say, ‘You can kill me if you want.’ Then he would stop hitting me with an angry look and leave. Hehe, I just lived like that. When I was twelve, thirteen, and until I left home at seventeen.”X4Wr0OM
zPWLB“That’s about my age now.”2BnygW
tBolahg“Yes, it’s the age to open one’s eyes to the world. Then, one day, I finally realized the meaning of what my adoptive father had done to me all along. Or maybe I already knew, which is why I never asked for anything.”wpMQO1
lUKB8yShirone could guess by now. Marsha’s adoptive father had harbored an unthinkable and terrible thought.rPXOI
YqTj93H“Foolishly. If he wanted to, he should have just done it openly. Then he wouldn’t have been entangled in such filth for 17 years. In the end, he was just a pathetic coward who couldn’t do anything. Since then, I started carrying a knife hidden on me. One day, I saw the eyes of my adoptive father as he was beating me. Ah, it was so pitiful I couldn’t bear to watch. So, I just told him.”7CaM
MYdkzMarsha spoke calmly, her emotions restrained.dzUZEFB
qRp“You can hug me.”xqMNdN
9jeBN“Did your adoptive father do that?”fzpzsWG
XGtncs“Hehe, strangely enough, there’s no twist in such stories. He pounced on me as if he had been waiting, and I stabbed him in the throat with the knife. Honestly, I didn’t feel anything. Then I left home and wandered around the world until I ended up here.”jJKGI8
YuHtvcKShirone’s heart was heavy. Hearing the story firsthand from the person involved brought an indescribable sense of outrage, unlike anything he had only read about in books or heard through rumors.c4vIf
Yrj3KFi“Um, I don’t know what to say…”wNT
jTS“It’s okay! I’m getting by now. My adoptive father is dead, but the kleptomania doesn’t go away easily. I’ve had my share of trouble because of it. Sigh.”p7Ff6d7
UUYAs Marsha laughed cheerfully, Shirone felt better too. He admired her for being considerate of others despite what she had been through.23lJp
ae67p9S“If it’s an unforgettable pain, embracing it might be one way to deal with it. You’re doing your best to overcome the pain, and the kleptomania will disappear soon.”f8W4A
eCFVU“Thanks for understanding. If you had any plans to do something to me tonight, you would have been completely fooled.”KSnAwM
GK4“No! I really…”LLbrhW
1esfwkT“I know. No need to blush. Having a brother like you wouldn’t be boring.”PGLiDg
0BZ6V“Me too. In fact, I even thought Marsha really felt like my real sister.”NtqAjsl
BFEuk“Hehe! Thanks.”bpo
bFrShirone was sincere. Having seen the relationship between Rian and Reina, he had thought it would be nice to have siblings.2dyg
fXJWould it feel like this to have a sister? Her every word and action comforted Shirone’s heart.xOP8HuC
smrCfCmIn the meantime, the bartender, who had gone into a room, came out.z55LH4
1H7eThough Shirone didn’t know the details, it seemed that all sorts of information were collected from the room the bartender emerged from.5bLR
uaE1“The Gamos alert has been lifted. Seems he found a woman to his liking and returned to his mansion to throw a party.”g1vS
t0Y“Phew, it’s good it wasn’t too late.”AEcuET
8ztEMarsha glanced at Shirone with a sly look.mCH1U
SUMxC“Hmph, seems you really hated being with me? Just a moment ago, you were using your baby voice, begging, ‘Marsha sis, please become my real sister.’”BcDP
UOS“I didn’t say it like that.”Cijp
6qmBoShirone felt the same regret. It was the first time he had lost track of time talking to a woman, given he wasn’t used to them.oMwn
ww6Gp4But for the sake of the household staff waiting at the villa, holding their stomachs, he had to leave.ZMi
OJK0En“Do you think we can meet again?”Iaf
YtU“Of course. What, afraid I’ll run away in the middle of the sea? If you’re bored, come visit. I plan to stay here for a while.”33P
BdBR“Haha! Then, I’ll take my leave.”B0xs
jsbBhF9As Shirone hurried out of the bar, Marsha ordered a strong drink with a relaxed expression.p4y9
XWrTjFyAs expected, two men who had been eyeing her approached as if they had been waiting.vUcTvWM
8b3NC“You’re quite a catch. Because of you, I ended up paying more for drinks than usual.”VJHqZ
wILfUCX“Booking a room? This place isn’t safe for a woman alone. How about I join you?”d8PP
gTQUxkxMarsha didn’t even turn her head.JfsAU
IsQZ“Beat it. Before I kill you.”aKE5tdq
kQMU“What? You done talking? Want to get a proper beating tonight?”pIBl0H
tc9One of the men grabbed a bottle from the table and raised it upside down. As the tension became palpable, people around the bar turned their heads.qvzs
O3wV9JFWith all eyes on her, Marsha sighed inaudibly and then suddenly changed her tone, laughing coquettishly.C5gUJ
bnLDe“Hahaha! Fine, let’s go to a room. But are just two of you enough? If you have friends, why don’t you bring them along?”f4x2
1OZ“What, what?”DzhG
4tmPn“Bring them. 10? No, even 20 is fine. I’ll entertain you all night long. I hate it when things get cut off halfway.”SFp
v13IRThe men were displeased without even understanding why. But Marsha knew. When sexual competition intensifies, males reveal their inherent weakness.SLv5QE1
uy1ExjV“What, damn. Is she crazy? Let’s go.”cLdjw
Lbi“Ah, such bad luck.”eY6
7aDgoAs the men walked away, Marsha watched them with a look of disdain and then turned away.Xn71Y
WaxcM1gThe drink she had ordered was already served. Downing it in one gulp, the fire blazed through her throat, warming her senses.H92dC
ITPGNHs“Phew, this is how booze should be. Bartender, one more.”uHs5
jzqTeInstead of serving a new glass, the bartender came over and poured more into Marsha’s glass.odeXQ
LWYQ“Are you Marsha?”Gd4qu3r
IlG“Hehe, is there another Marsha?”a5nbGR1
N5LTm“I heard you’re wanted by the Magic Association and have been evading capture until now. Decided to come in for good?”x1z6
ezQP“No. I’ll leave soon. Just came to settle some things.”ivdq
rRY“Preferably, keep it quiet. If someone of your caliber causes a commotion, it’ll disturb the island. We don’t want the agreement to break. If you promise to cooperate, we’ll let you stay here for a while.”ysL8
YEU5sRr“Forget it. I never planned to stay here in the first place.”aOP6zNz
J1ljoZThe bartender wiped a beer glass until it squeaked. After a long silence, he casually spoke.jBuO
OjsX8i“The boy will be disappointed.”GGbJW
nz1vK“Hehe. It’s okay. At that age, it’s normal to experience heartbreak.”yZFpw7
rAbI thought you both were getting along?”d5RIhp
nL3VwK“It was fun. Ah, to be honest, it was a bit dangerous.”UVhe
vc3UcBcMarsha hugged her shoulders and looked up at the ceiling.WHrbK
kg3Y4Ip“How can there be such disgusting people?”S4df
Q1NLj***xbNx
PvyIThe villa was as quiet as if no one was there.03Fze
Vt2Amy sat on the sofa next to the fireplace, and Rian and Tess couldn’t even bring themselves to start a conversation, wary of her mood.7MrsrN
S5ADcShirone was nowhere to be seen. It had already been 2 hours since he went out to shop; unless he was fetching fish from the sea, it was well past the time he should have returned.SkURy8i
HnvSDZN“Sh-Shirone is late, isn’t he?”GvR
xXIVXTrying to thaw the frozen atmosphere, Tess spoke up and was startled by her own voice, which seemed louder than usual.30uO
1BpM1EYet, Amy remained motionless, staring into the darkness.0GW2
gVqlNT‘Ugh, it’s like walking on thin ice here.’0xVEfG
fWWTess shivered, feeling the cold as if Amy’s bad mood was palpable.eJBlPdr
vICwOf course, as a woman, she could fully understand. Regardless of the trip being for couples, this was supposed to be an exciting first holiday for the two, wasn’t it?THz4JA
3NW‘Shirone, you were too inconsiderate. I’m disappointed in you too. Tch!’MEd
DHdBirds of a feather flock together, and Tess sided with Amy.PZl9i
30h9MrTShe knew how much Amy had conceded to Shirone, even when there was a conflict of opinion at the harbor. Despite that, she readily offered to cook. Men might think that its a small thing, but from a woman’s perspective, it was the most sincere act of wanting to reconcile quickly.fCPp9Yh
dVceG7Yet, Shirone was over an hour late compared to Rian. Getting lost might be a reason to worry, but it was Amy’s expectation for him to handle even such minor issues responsibly.Zfa
rv63“Ah, I’m hungry. Why isn’t he coming? Should I go look for him?”vb2ij
2emY7bIRian mumbled, holding his stomach without any tact. Not having set meal times, enduring for an hour was already a long wait for him.WdqpI7B
XH44fi“Nevermind. We might just miss each other.”zodHK
o8c9D“Really? Then can I eat the potatoes I brought?”dHqIcH
uNNWBqrTess glared and shouted.ay3
WRi6UX“Why are you so thoughtless? Think about Amy.”HyfO
WrhO“What’s so serious? Shirone had more to deal with than me. It’s normal for him to be late.”qai
Jn1hTess was infuriated. Although Shirone wasn’t her partner, having empathized with Amy, she even found Rian detestable.pQ3KR7
DRwXA“Even if Shirone had more to do, he’s smarter than you, so it’s only normal for him to return sooner. So, it’s a serious issue! You just go munch on potatoes or chew on turnips in the corner.”l7xpS
ph01K“Why are you so angry? What did I do?”HY0
7ykjkewRian scratched his head like a bear. Indifferent to the insults hurled at him, he couldn’t exactly be called selfish.zY9
aRdFor the first time, Amy spoke up, trying to smile apologetically for ruining the mood.FXcp
FrI22“Sorry, it’s my fault. You guys go ahead and eat. I’ll wait for Shirone.”5zrDeu
u5MDaD“We can’t do that. It was supposed to be a cooking contest.”RVINmi
WWrr“But Rian is hungry. It’s Shirone’s fault for being late anyway. Let’s just consider it our loss.”AXUeWSn
AdxTess tried to console Amy with a tearful expression.QdvrcxZ
SdLaB“It’s okay, Amy. Honestly, I’m not even hungry. Just deal with that glutton somehow.”e81pR4
sDgj4fRian was indeed chewing on a raw potato in the corner. Unable to even perform Schema but possessing equivalent physical strength, he required several times the calorie intake of an average person to maintain his massive strength.TGa
vmJWOjAs silence ensued without a resolution, Amy propped her cheeks on her knees, resting her feet on the chair.JnIw
uVBcSq‘Why isn’t he coming? Is something wrong?’0kU7
14HShirone wasn’t one to break promises. Nor was he foolish enough to waste time due to a mistake.gip5H
JnbThere must have been an unavoidable circumstance.bqIB9
E2pnziBut no matter how much she tried to compose herself, she couldn’t help feeling neglected.EuEx5mb
GjsVzo‘You’re the one who brought me here. Besides you, everyone else is someone I met today.’dPRLr
xTLVShe felt lonely. Although she had become friendly with Rian and Tess, their partnership had a level of understanding that Amy couldn’t intrude upon.WbJeb5
5yx0eLThump, thump. Thump, thump.W8Gq
V2aSomeone knocked on the door. Tess’s face lit up, and Rian clenched his fist, thinking he could finally eat.LETo
iY4L“Shirone? Wait a sec…”I1LM
3RdYBefore Tess could finish, Amy walked to the door. With her eyes narrowed, she flung open the door and yelled.fcG3
LhcIU6“Hey! Where have you been all this time… Huh?”zDR
FktmVONAmy blinked, the door wide open.nfAjZM
zKvVggEIt wasn’t Shirone. Nor was it a stranger. It was someone who definitely shouldn’t be here.t4oc
9RO6XVjZis, who had argued with them at the harbor, stood there.L7FT
GrFHa7M“What? Why are you here?”lYkLd
RvjZis’s face turned red. Of all people, he hadn’t expected her to answer the door.eSG1
KibRecalling the day’s events made his teeth clench, but seeing her in casual clothes, his heart fluttered again.ditHLhY
YwtoRegaining his composure, Zis looked around the villa with a brazen attitude. Despite the pain in his abdomen from Falcoa’s beating, his expression remained unfazed.0d4EV2
VaxmxgC“Wow, this place is really nice. Nobles are different, aren’t they?”hXp
zmrN“What do you want? How did you know we were here?”a2K
HXWLH“I asked around. For the ruler of the harbor, Zis, finding this place was no big deal. Now you know how well-acquainted I am with the island, right?”R7IfLa
ooPyylv“So? You came all this way just to show off that one trick?”4al53
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