***

“…My lady! My lady!”

…What is this? My body feels cold yet warm. And…

“Please come to your senses!”

Among the murmuring echoes, that voice rings out the loudest. A familiar voice.

But this person isn’t the type to sound so desperate?

“Please wake up…”

I opened my eyes in disbelief.

“…Mikhail, cough hack ugh.”

“Are you conscious?”

“Did you, cough, just say what I think you did?”

I kept coughing from my sore throat. Oh god, I really thought I was going to die.

When I suddenly lifted my head, I saw Mikhail with a disheveled appearance and dejected eyes.

“Is that really important right now?”

“When it’s you of all people calling for me desperately, then yes, it’s important.”

“I didn’t call desperately.”

I couldn’t help but smile. Seeing that cold response assured me I was indeed alive.

I ignored the onlookers and looked straight at Mikhail.

“Right, Mr. Hasloff must have been worried when I wouldn’t wake up after risking his life to save me.”

If something had happened to me, Duke Rabius’s fury would have fallen on Mikhail, so it was natural, but still.

“Thank you for saving me.”

I stared into his worried grey eyes while speaking.

But Mikhail made a somewhat peculiar expression.

“I don’t know where to start correcting you, but… first of all, I’m not the one who saved you.”

“Huh?”

Come to think of it, Mikhail’s clothes were barely wet.

I slowly looked him over.

Though he had removed his shoes, presumably to jump in, that was all.

“Even though my memory is hazy, I don’t think I swam out on my own…?”

Thud.

Only then did I realize the source of warmth I felt despite being cold.

A large pure white uniform jacket adorned with small medals and decorations.

Clean, and even carrying a pleasant scent.

“Um… whoever’s clothes these are, thank-“

“I’m glad you’re awake.”

“…?”

Would someone explain why Admiral Aquilus is standing before me, completely soaked?

Would someone tell me this jacket on my lap isn’t his…?

But the large uniform jacket, which was retrieved by someone who appeared to be his grey-haired adjutant, fit perfectly on the Admiral’s shoulders.

My current dazed state isn’t just because of the surreal physical contours visible through the Admiral’s white shirt.

“I must be seeing things. I should probably faint again.”

“Stop talking nonsense and get up.”

Mikhail coldly commanded as he grabbed my shoulders and easily lifted me up.

“Oof.”

Even though I had worn a dress good for activity, it was still a dress after all, so it must have been heavy when wet.

“You’re surprisingly strong.”

“If there are any blankets or towels, please.”

Ignoring my comment, Mikhail turned to address the fishing spot staff.

“Here you go! Take this!”

Louisa rushed over and handed Mikhail a large towel she had received from the staff.

I mumbled thanks, and Mikhail quickly wrapped me up like a mummy with the towel.

“I’m grateful, but I can’t move my arms like this.”

“Just stay still.”

His grey eyes beneath long lashes watched me like I was some troublemaking cat.

I lowered my eyes slightly, then carefully rolled just my eyeballs to look at the figure behind Mikhail.

Soaked from head to toe. The possibility that the Admiral got drenched somewhere else is… unlikely.

“….”

“….”

He received a towel from his adjutant and slowly dried his wet hair.

It felt like my lifespan was being shaken off along with those water droplets.

It was because the Admiral kept staring at me intensely with an unreadable expression.

‘Did he notice that I avoided his hand?’

I wouldn’t have any explanation if he asked why I did that.

I’m breaking out in cold sweat despite being already soaked.

“Mi-Mikhail, step aside for a moment. I need to greet the Admiral.”

Mikhail looked up and saw the Admiral standing behind him.

Their eyes seemed to meet briefly, then Mikhail gave a short bow and helped me stand on my own.

“Callia Rabius greets Admiral Aquilus.”

I lifted my soaked skirt with my towel-wrapped arms and curtsied.

“Thank you for your kindness.”

Though I really don’t want to believe it, circumstances suggest this man rescued me from the sea.

I don’t understand why he jumped in himself when it would have been difficult to save me without touching me.

‘…Did he perhaps touch me a little? How much of my lifespan is left?’

There was no immediate response to my words of gratitude.

Growing very anxious, I carefully lifted my head. His height made my neck ache.

“Lady Rabius.”

His low voice made me flinch. Deep blue eyes were piercing straight through me.

Not only his inhuman good looks, but the pressure from that gaze was enough to take my breath away.

‘Damn. Do I have some talent for getting marked by powerful people wherever I go?’

Getting marked by the Emperor in the capital wasn’t enough, now I’m marked by the Admiral in the south.

I couldn’t tell if my body was trembling from cold or fear.

The Admiral, watching me shake, slowly parted his firmly closed lips.

“You seemed quite absorbed in fishing.”

“I-I unintentionally caused a commotion. I’m sorry!”

The people who were so noisy earlier hadn’t left, but they were all silent like they had zippers on their mouths.

Of course, their eyes were busy darting between me and the Admiral.

“The apology.”

Surely he won’t say he’ll take my life in exchange?

“Should come from me, for startling you.”

Surprised by his unexpected words, I blinked, and the Admiral even took off his outer coat to put it around me again!

“Oh my…”

That wasn’t my voice.

It was a sigh from among the spectators, who seemed to have grown even more numerous than during ‘Callia Rabius’s Extraordinary Fishing Show.’

“If-if you do this, your clothes will get wetter.”

The uniform jacket that had felt merely grateful earlier now felt like a straitjacket.

“That’s nothing compared to a duke’s daughter falling into the sea.”

Despite the considerate content of his words, the speaker’s face remained mask-like and inorganic.

“No, it was my fault for getting distracted while fishing. You even tried to catch me.”

Before I finished speaking, the corners of the Admiral’s mouth, which had been set in a straight line, lifted slightly.

Noticing that made chills run down my spine. I’m not sure why, but something seems to have gone wrong.

‘This won’t do. I need to get out of here first.’

As my eyes wandered looking for an escape route, I spotted the huge storage bucket half-filled with fish and water.

Yes, that’s it!

“Ah! I just realized that because of me, other members couldn’t properly enjoy their fishing!”

I clapped my hands and exclaimed.

“As an apology for causing a disturbance, I’ll give all the fish in that huge storage bucket to everyone here today – both the club members and the naval officers protecting the south!”

Since the fish I caught today were apparently rare ones of the grouper class, the effect of this flex was incredible.

“All those fish…?”

“They said she was evil, but it doesn’t seem so?”

“Fishing Queen! Fishing Queen! Fishing Queen!”

“Senior’s generosity is wider and greater than the sea!”

“Callia Rabius! Callia Rabius!”

Hehe, good. Now I can slip away under the pretense of distributing fish to those people-

“The duke’s daughter has quite a generous heart.”

What is this person trying to say now!

“It’s nothing compared to the navy who protect the imperial citizens from fierce pirates.”

I tried to slip into the crowd after returning his coat while putting on such an act.

However.

“Lieutenant Ron, the duke’s daughter seems to need rest, so I’ll leave the distribution to you.”

The Admiral ordered the brown-haired naval officer who had confronted me earlier.

“Yes, sir! I’ll distribute fairly and report back!”

“Good. Make sure to inform the naval officers that it was donated by the duke’s daughter.”

“Understood! Thank you, Lady Rabius!”

Lieutenant Ron, the brown-haired officer, shouted while looking at me with a face that seemed to regret his previous narrow-mindedness.

‘This isn’t what I wanted, damn it.’

Just when I thought I’d found a way out, it was blocked right in front of me.

“Your complexion doesn’t look good.”

“Haha, it’s a bit cold. I should probably withdraw and rest.”

Unable to tell the Admiral it was because of him, I tried to make an excuse and bolt.

“I think the same.”

“Yes, then I’ll take my-“

“There happens to be an empty naval residence nearby, you can rest there.”

If someone else had said it, it might have sounded like a pickup line, but the Admiral’s attitude was matter-of-fact, without any hint of ulterior motive.

“Even with his germaphobia, the Admiral is so kind…”

“Though merciless to enemies, he’s so cool showing consideration even for small things toward civilians…!”

Everyone seemed to respect his character; no one appeared to doubt his intentions.

But perhaps because I had something to feel guilty about, I found it very suspicious.

“I appreciate your consideration, but I came with Louisa, so I can go to Count Elkanto’s residence.”

“You mean Lady Elkanto.”

“Yes. Louisa?”

But looking around, Louisa was nowhere to be seen.

She had just handed me a towel moments ago, where did she go?

“Then, to Lady Yuno’s mansion-“

“Callia, you’d have to stay in wet clothes for at least an hour to reach our mansion.”

Maribel winked at me as she said that.

I wanted to tell her that wasn’t it.

“Then I’ll just return to my residence.”

“My lady, it’s quite far from here to the villa. Rather than risk catching a cold-“

I looked at Mikhail with tearless crying eyes. Mikhail flinched and changed his words.

“…It would be better to change into the spare clothes in the carriage and rest comfortably at the Rabius villa.”

When we return, I’ll write to Duke Rabius asking him to give Mikhail a bonus.

Nodding in agreement with Mikhail’s words, I said to the Admiral.

“I’m truly grateful for your consideration, Admiral, but I cannot commit the discourtesy of using a facility meant for naval officers as an outsider.”

“It’s my personal residence, so there’s no need to worry.”

“How could I dare use the Admiral’s residence-“

“I would feel uneasy if the duke’s daughter caught a cold when I was the cause, so I’d appreciate it if you’d do this.”

Damn. If I refuse after he says that much, I’ll just look like the bad person again.

In the end, I had no choice but to grit my teeth and say:

“Then I’ll just dry off and leave right away.”

“I’ll show you the way.”

“…Thank you.”

I’m not sure if what’s running down my cheeks is seawater or tears, but it’s very salty.