"Bo—Boss…"The sailors on the savage-spirited deck milled in confusion. The man who’d dropped the pole had gone pale enough to pity.The fear rooted in their eyes chilled Aquila to the core. If even his own men looked at him like that, she thought, one wrong move and they wouldn’t even recover bones.And yet he’s watching instead of stepping in. Does he at least value this kid? Or…Or maybe this entire scene was nothing but a trivial joke to that man.Aquila pressed her teeth into the inside of her lip.I’ve confirmed where the lifeboat’s rigged. If I use the kid as bait now to draw their eyes, and move fast…"Miss."Whoosh—The pipe smoke that had felt far off and faint thickened all at once. Aquila held her breath and lifted her head.Wh—when did he…!The man set his foot on the very shroud above the one she clung to and bent his head down. With the sun at his back, he looked down at her, a surprisingly gentle smile on his face."It’s getting dangerous.""What…""Take it."He held a hand out to her.Aquila, who had been staring at his approach like a monster’s, now stared up at him like a lunatic.Was he doing this in his right mind? As if she’d take that hand…"…?"But then she hesitated as her vision wavered.The breath slipping out between her teeth suddenly felt hot. A bolt of realization flashed.He hadn’t been fast.She was slowing.Danger…!By the time she recognized the change in her body, it was already late. From her shoulder, abnormal heat and pain boiled up and swept through her in an instant."Unh…!"Even the feeling in the hand gripping the rope vanished.I’m falling.The moment she realized it, Aquila scraped together what little strength she had left and threw the hostage."Aaah!""Milio!"The sailors below scrambled to catch the falling child.She had no time to see how that ended. The recoil sent her flipping away as well."That’s what I said."Fwip!As she dropped toward the blue waves, a hard forearm caught her waist. Riding a long rope slung from the mast, he’d slid straight down; as she had tucked the child called Milio at her side a moment ago, so he tucked her at his flank and landed steady on the rail."Stubborn, aren’t you. Hm?""…Y—you…"Pipe between his lips, mumbling, he drew Aquila’s glare—strained, but fierce. She wanted to get away from him that instant, but it was impossible. Any attempt to tense her body sent a hideous spasm of pain tearing through her.All she could do was twist her head and force their eyes to meet."What… did you do to me…""Hm? Hearing that’s a little unfair…"At her words, Noce pulled a curious face, then scooped her up and shifted his hold. Aquila had not the slightest desire to be carried by a pirate like a princess, but there was no avoiding it. Cold sweat beading, gritting through the pain, she heard his low whisper at her ear."Faking your name, too.""…What?""Well, I won’t rush you. Either way, you…"His golden pupils, looking into her absurdly twisted face, curved like a crescent moon."…have turned into someone who can’t go without me.""…!"She had to demand what he meant. But her consciousness collapsed faster.D—damn…In the end, Aquila blacked out with only enough left to fist the edge of his coat. He steadied her head before it could loll and let it rest against him.The eyes that had been warm as spring sunlight when he looked down at her went blank the moment he raised his head."Well.""…""…"Every sailor gathered on deck stared at Noce in stupefaction.What was that just now? “Can’t go without me”…?I thought the mood was weird, but…It was real…?He had whispered, but for a few whose senses were developed like beasts’, it was plenty audible. Even those who hadn’t heard the words caught on from the uncanny air around the two of them.Naturally, with everyone stunned, only Noce looked bored, as if nothing were amiss.Siobhan—who had caught the falling Milio—spoke up with a face aged ten years in the space between."I smell blood, Boss.""Ah."At that, Noce noticed the bloom of red spreading around Aquila’s shoulder."The wound tore… troublesome, troublesome."Noce dropped his attention from the crew as easily as a shrug, stepped light onto the deck, and started walking. Milena stopped him before he could vanish into the cabin."Wait, Boss! Don’t tell me you’re going to treat her again?""And what if I am?"At the offhand answer, Milena’s mouth twisted. Even for the Boss, wasn’t this too much? Pointing at Milio in Siobhan’s arms, she shouted:"How can you? Do you know what that woman just did to Milio!""Ah—ah! I’m fine, really…!""Don’t say nonsense! There’s no way you’re fine!"Blood aside, she’d cherished the child like a younger brother. The fact that that gentle kid was trying to stop her even now only burned Milena worse. Naturally, her anger swung even harder toward the woman in Noce’s arms."Say you saved her once out of pity! But now? She’s a human who pays grace back with spite! Tossing her straight into the sea wouldn’t be enough—!"Noce, who had been listening quietly, moved. His step, tap-tap, came on; Milena tensed for a heartbeat, but didn’t back down. From the side, Siobhan raked a dry hand over his face, but she felt she’d said what had to be said.That’s right. Humans are a selfish lot. Leave her and who knows what she’ll pull next…!"Milena."Stopping just at her nose, Noce tipped his head."…!"Milena’s breath seized shut by force.Thoom…!An unseen pressure pinned her shoulders and wiped out the feel beneath her feet. His face stayed expressionless—no trace of killing intent."Seems you can’t read the situation, either."But every nerve she had stood on end and told her: he could erase her here and now without a trace."She didn’t do anything to you, did she?""Ah… ugh…""Quit getting mad on your own and running your mouth about tossing her into the sea, will you?"The phrasing was mild, but each time that flat voice slid into her ear, ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) her fingertips twitched.Fixing the frozen Milena with narrow eyes, Noce spoke again."Milio.""Y—yes! Boss!""Do you feel the same as Milena? Think we should toss this young lady into the sea?"Naturally, every gaze swung to the child. Sheltered in Siobhan’s arms from Noce’s deadly pressure, Milio looked more awkward than afraid.But they answered distinctly:"I don’t think so. It was the Boss’s plan from the start, anyway…""…Huh?""Plan?""What is…?"At that, the expressions of the sailors—including Milena—turned bizarre. Even Siobhan blinked, as if that was the one thing he hadn’t expected. Then, with a no, surely not look, he glanced down at Milio."…Milio. Did you get kidnapped on purpose?""Uh, yes. The Boss asked me to… Wait, you didn’t all know?""Would we?!""What do you mean, what!"In unison, everyone barked. Milena too.Sweat beading, eyes huge, Milio craned stiffly toward Noce."Boss…?"Isn’t this not what you said from the start—that stare was full of it. Noce answered with the same steady blandness:"Well."Aquila, already unconscious, had no way of knowing.That on a peaceful, cloudless day, only the Mostro Family’s ship had a typhoon tearing through it.***It began like this."Milio.""Eep—Boss!"Up on a small kitchen ladder, stirring a cauldron-sized pot of stew, Milio jolted, tail sticking up.Noce had approached without a sound and now leaned in the doorway.When did he leave the cabin? I couldn’t smell smoke at all, I had no idea…But the fluster lasted only a moment; Milio climbed down and pattered over. Eyes shining, they tilted their head far back to look up at Noce’s far-away face."Do you need something?"To Milena and Milio—who had once been seized on a slave ship and suffered—Noce was the hero who’d rescued them and crushed the evil humans in one sweep. On top of that, he’d taken the two of them, with nowhere to go, aboard this ship.Unlike the child’s face, overflowing with admiration and goodwill, Noce’s showed no readable expression. But he soon gave Milio’s head a perfunctory rub.The gesture held no affection or fondness; it was careless. Even so, Milio’s face flushed as if it would pop.He looks… in a good mood, somehow.Everyone aboard knew it well. Outsiders called them the Mostro pirates—or Family—but in truth their Boss, Noce Mostro, didn’t much care about them.Even so, those he’d saved at their most miserable moments were drawn to linger at his side like the pull of the sun. The reasons varied: to repay a debt, to be drawn by his strength, to be acknowledged.The youngest aboard, Milio, was on the repay-the-debt side. It was enough just to have him eat the food they made. And at times like this, when a hand ruffled their hair, it felt like receiving a prize.Milio… you’re definitely a sea-otter beastfolk, so why are you getting more and more like a puppy…Um, is that a compliment?No, it isn’t.Milena, the sister-figure, looked on with a grimace, but what did it matter. Milio thought the strong, cool Noce was the best.

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