Chapter 27

I was staring at the three of them in confusion when Linus urged Larienne forward.

“Lady Toned, quickly, Ayrbet…”

“Yes, Your Grace. Ayrbet, I heard your seasickness is bad?”

“No, seasickness isn’t the important… urk. I mean, what’s happening… urk. Please save me, Larienne.”

No matter how serious the situation, you can only think properly when your body is functioning.

I clung to Larienne, covering my mouth, and she immediately took my hand and drew up a silver light.

The healing power rising from Larienne’s body traveled through our joined hands, and I felt like I could breathe again.

So healing magic works on seasickness too. Hallelujah.

“I’m fine now. Thank you, Larienne.”

“I’m glad. Tell me anytime if it gets bad again.”

“I will. Really, thank you.”

After thanking Larienne, I took advantage of my nausea easing to think as clearly as I could.

Dungeon strategy was important, but I also needed to check how far the original plot had progressed.

Heide and Larienne wouldn’t even look at each other, acting awkward, so something must have happened…

According to the original story, Larienne does not poison Heide’s drink tonight.

Gentle-hearted Larienne could never bring herself to kill someone, but Duke Toned, who doesn’t even understand his own daughter, pushed too hard.

Since Heide survives, Duke Toned’s scheme to eliminate both the emperor and the crown prince was doomed from the start.

In this situation, if the emperor were assassinated, Duke Toned would naturally be named the culprit, so Larienne warns Heide of the danger.

“Your Highness, I must see His Majesty.”

“At this hour? He must already be resting. Let us visit him tomorrow.”

“I want to see him now. It has to be now.”

I remember a conversation like that.

Realizing something was wrong from Larienne’s tone, Heide goes with her to find the emperor, and she saves the wounded emperor with her healing power. That is the event that is supposed to happen tonight.

But what are they doing here?

Is the emperor going to die tonight? Did he already die?

I need to send the two of them back immediately, but the dungeon Treasure Island cannot be cleared quickly.

We have to endure here for days until the ship reaches the island.

Last time, it took a week.

The progress bar in the status window was at 70%, which meant it would take another day or two for the ship to arrive.

At minimum, we cannot leave for two days.

Once I organized all of that in my head, the conclusion was clear.

“We’re screwed.”

Yep. Screwed.

The stabilization of this world and my sweet reincarnation life were both screwed.

If the emperor dies and the crown prince goes missing, the imperial palace will fall into Duke Toned’s hands.

Then the story will derail completely from the original, and stabilizing this world will become impossible.

I felt so empty that only hollow laughter escaped me.

While I was losing my grip on reality and Linus was worrying over my dazed state, Heide looked around and murmured in frustration.

“First the garden, then the cave, and now the sea. Where are the monsters?”

“There are no traces of monsters inside the ship.”

At Linus’s answer, Heide’s face twisted in dismay.

Earlier, he said he had been dragged into the dungeon while with the royal guards.

The fact that the groom left the bridal room on his wedding night to find the guards meant the warning scene with Larienne had played out as in the original.

He must be feeling trapped and frustrated, having been pulled into a place like this on his way to prevent the emperor’s assassination.

Heide leaned over the rail, peering anxiously into the water.

“If they’re not on the ship, are they underwater? Why are they not appearing?”

There were no monsters on the ship nor in the sea.

Not yet.

Once the sun sets and night deepens, they’ll come pouring out endlessly.

Not knowing that and only growing more impatient, Heide looked ready to dive into the ocean to find monsters himself.

I perched on the railing and blurted out without thinking,

“They’ll appear at night, so don’t waste your strength, Your Highness.”

“How do you know that?”

The moment I said it, I realized my mistake.

With my mind all over the place, I’d slipped up, and Heide immediately caught it.

Faced with a question I couldn’t answer, my eyes darted around.

“I’m asking you, Lady Titanoa. Tell me how you know that.”

Heide is normally polite and patient, but given the circumstances, he had clearly lost his composure.

As he pressured me with a harsh tone, Larienne stepped in front of me.

“Your Highness, Ayrbet only expressed an opinion. Why are you upset?”

“It wasn’t just an opinion. She spoke as if she knew something. Didn’t she say monsters would appear at night?”

“Monsters always appeared here. But since there are none now, she must have guessed they’ll appear when the environment changes. Isn’t that right, Ayrbet?”

I grabbed the lifeline Larienne threw and nodded quickly.

“Yes, exactly. A guess. Just a guess.”

Even with my enthusiastic agreement, Heide didn’t drop his suspicious gaze.

So Larienne positioned herself in front of me, blocking his line of sight entirely.

Heide narrowed his eyes at her, but Larienne didn’t budge, and eventually he gave up his questioning.

I’d always thought so, but Larienne is quietly strong, and Heide unexpectedly loses to her every time.

Larienne glanced back at me with a relieved expression.

She must have stepped in to help hide the fact that she thinks I’m some kind of prophet.

That misunderstanding is deeply unfortunate, but she did save me.

Heide stared resentfully at the endless horizon and muttered.

“Where in the world are we going?”

This ship is headed to Treasure Island. The name is Treasure Island, but there’s no treasure, only a hell overflowing with monsters, Your Highness.

I wanted to tell him that, but this time I held myself back.

Last time, I tried everything, turning the wheel, lowering the anchor, but the ship’s course couldn’t be changed or stopped.

Once we arrive, everyone will understand what kind of place it is.

Even if we’re doomed, I should at least watch my mouth. While I was thinking that, Cheryl, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly spoke.

“Lady Toned.”

What now.

Cheryl strode toward Larienne, face twisted in annoyance.

I didn’t know what she planned to do, but whenever Cheryl acted on impulse, the results were never good.

I moved to grab her before anything happened, but before my hand even reached her, she declared solemnly,

“I get seasick too.”

Larienne, the living Bodhisattva of the Dioretta Empire, froze for a moment before drawing up her healing power.

As the silver light flowed through, Cheryl’s face visibly relaxed as the seasickness faded.

She repeated deep breaths a few times, then said to Larienne,

“The healing power of House Toned is impressive. No wonder His Majesty covets it.”

The words themselves sounded like praise, but the tone was unmistakably provoking.

Because of that power, Larienne had been forced into a marriage she never wanted, and her expression hardened as she replied,

“If I could give it away, I would. I don’t need it.”

“Shame. I do.”

Cheryl said it not with mockery but with genuine regret.

The depth of her longing made me feel sorry for her and terrified at the same time.

If taking that power were possible, she would have killed Larienne to get it, without hesitation.

Cheryl stared at Larienne with dark, unreadable eyes before speaking again.

“Well, whatever. I’ve found another way.”

“Another… way? What do you mean?”

“His Majesty seems to have something in mind. You’ll find out soon.”

“What are you talking about? What did His Majesty say?”

Larienne asked urgently, but Cheryl only shrugged and changed the subject.

“Even if things go wrong, I’ll spare you. Since you cured my seasickness.”

Cheryl Sidonia, who never forgets a favor, smiled like a mischievous cat and turned away.

“What do you mean by that? Answer me!”

Larienne shouted at Cheryl’s back, but Cheryl clearly had no intention of responding.

I felt bad for Larienne, frustrated and stomping her feet, but I knew exactly what Cheryl meant.