Chapter 3 (Part 4)

Giving up on escaping Theodore’s embrace, Meia began to pat his back soothingly.

“Are you okay? Grand Duke Theodore? Were you very frightened?”

Meia comforted Theodore like a mother calming a child.

“It’s all over now. You’re safe.”

She was startled by the grown man suddenly hugging her.

As sudden as the hug was, she felt his concern.

“I was so…”

Meia continued to pat his back.

In the middle of the sea, pirates had attacked. It was a tense moment where life and death hung in the balance.

But thanks to Theodore hugging Meia, the tension on the cruise ship’s deck disappeared instantly, replaced by a pink, romantic atmosphere.

‘This is quite the situation.’

The pirates looked at Theodore’s actions with dumbfounded expressions.

The former hostages, seeing the beautiful embrace, let out small excited screams.

“Oh my! He must have rushed in to save his lover!”

“How romantic.”

“I’ve only seen such scenes in plays, but seeing it in real life is so thrilling.”

The only one feeling uncomfortable was Meia.

“Grand Duke Theodore, are you going to keep hugging me?”

Theodore lifted his face from her shoulder, only now truly understanding his own actions.

“Oh my! Look, his face is turning red!”

“He must be embarrassed in front of everyone.”

“What a cute couple.”

The hostages applauded, seeing the blossoming love between the hero Meia and her lover, Grand Duke Theodore, even in the midst of danger.

“Hiccup.”

“Your Grace?”

Theodore’s neck, ears, and cheeks were flushed. His senses were slowly returning to him.

“I’m sorry, Lady Meia. It’s just that, um…”

Meia shook her head and smiled gently, wiping the sweat from his face.

“It’s alright. You were worried, weren’t you?”

Hearing her understanding words, Theodore nodded.

“Yes, I was worried…”

‘I was afraid you might get hurt…’

Meia smiled at the unspoken words of Theodore.

“Thank you for worrying, Grand Duke Theodore. But I didn’t expect you to suddenly come and hug me like this. The pirates are almost all dealt with. Juan has also taken care of the pirate leader.”

Only now did Theodore look up, sensing the icy presence in the air. The numerous floating ice spears were undoubtedly Meia’s doing.

“Impressive.”

As Theodore admired her, Meia reached out and grabbed his collar, pulling him toward her. The onlookers let out excited, screaming cheers.

Theodore was startled, powerless to resist as Meia drew him in.

He tried to calm his pounding heart.

“My lady.”

Just as Theodore’s thoughts were about to wander again, Meia whispered in his ear.

“Now, please take your hands off my waist.”

As soon as Meia spoke, Theodore quickly removed his hands, his face flushing deeply.

He drooped his eyelids in disappointment, having hoped for a different outcome.

The pirates, having lost their leader and realizing they couldn’t defeat Meia, surrendered.

Meia took out magical restraints from her bag and handed them to Juan.

“These are magic sealing cuffs. Put them on that bald wizard, Juan.”

“Yes.”

Juan bound the cuff around the wrist of the bald mage among the pirates.

However, Meia was slightly puzzled. If he was a mage, there were many ways for him to earn money without resorting to piracy.

“Hmm.”

“Miss, is something troubling you?”

“It’s just strange… very strange.”

“What is?”

“Why would a mage engage in piracy like this?”

Hearing Meia’s words, Theodore tried to discreetly approach her, but Juan drew a dagger, glaring at Theodore with a fierce, almost fiery gaze.

“Juan.”

“Yes, Miss.”

“He is the Grand Duke of another country. You mustn’t be too rude.”

At Meia’s words, Juan pressed his furrowed brow and spoke.

“I understand. But the fact that he randomly hugged you does not make me forgive him, just because he is the Grand Duke of a foreign country.”

“I’m fine with it.”

Juan had disdainfully watched Theodore, who had been following Meia around, break through the thick deck door with his sword and enter.

Because Meia had already taken care of everything.

At that moment, Juan had understood Theodore’s approach to Meia.

‘Go ahead and be her shield,’ he had thought with a laugh.

But the actions Theodore took afterward were incomprehensible.

No, he didn’t want to understand.

He had hugged his precious lady tightly. If it hadn’t been for the need to capture the pirates, he would have immediately put a sword to Theodore’s neck. Just thinking about it made him angry.

Theodore kept apologizing to Meia, who had forgiven him.

“I’m sorry. I…”

“No, it’s fine.”

“Lady Meia, you have a big heart. You could have been offended.”

Meia recalled the moment Theodore hugged her.

It felt like a big black retriever, scared, had come to her for comfort.

“It’s true I was surprised. But I wasn’t offended.”

‘Yes, it was cute.’

At Meia’s words, Theodore clenched his fist and tried to hide his mouth, which was rising uncontrollably.

Seeing Theodore suddenly smile with his mouth raised high, Meia asked curiously.

“Your Grace, you look quite happy all of a sudden. What’s the reason?”

“I’m feeling very, very happy.”

Watching this, Juan simply seethed in silent anger. A big, black fly had just arrived.

‘How do I shoo away this fly?’

Juan fell into troubled contemplation.

The urgent pirate cleanup operation began to wrap up quickly.

The captain and first mate rushed to Meia.

“Thank you.”

“We are grateful.”

She hadn’t done it to receive gratitude. It was something she had to do.

She was aware that people would now praise Meia Hatzbellua as an incredibly righteous person, but Meia herself knew she was not that virtuous.

She had acted only because she had first considered the disadvantages she would face if she did not deal with the pirates.

If she didn’t attack, she would be attacked. That was the kind of person she was.

“Juan, bind the pirates with the power of shadows and hand them over to the guards when we arrive at Teillon. The wizard will be handed over to the Mage Tower.”

“Understood.”

Juan gave Theodore one more silent glare before disappearing into the shadows.

Aethon let out a light sigh at the sight.

“So the Shadow Clan truly does follow the person they’ve sworn lifelong loyalty to, no matter what.”

Meia smiled in response to Aethon’s words.

“Juan is like a ‘family’ to me.”

To Meia, having someone like family, bound to her with infinite loyalty and affection, was her greatest weapon. Even if the world was divided, they would stand solely on her side.

Meia remembered the day she first met Juan. It had been an unusually bright moonlit night.

When everything was asleep and shrouded in darkness, Meia had still been awake, studying late into the night.

Her nanny Yudy and the maids were quietly keeping watch by her side.

Thud.

While studying, Meia heard something collapse behind her.

She turned around and saw her nanny and the maids lying on the floor.

Looking at the dark figure who had done this, she spoke calmly.

<Did you knock them out without killing them?>

<…>

<Thank you. If you had killed them, I would have been very distressed. They are like family to me.>

Juan was greatly taken aback that the small girl in front of him, whom he had expected to tremble, was speaking so calmly.

<Was the security in the Ducal residence this lax? Or are you exceptionally skilled?>

<I came here to kill you. Aren’t you afraid?>

<Why would I be afraid?>

<Do you have any last words before you die?>

Meia put down her quill and stood up, speaking.

<How many assassins like you do you think I’ve encountered?>

<What?>

<How much were you paid to kill me? Or were you promised something else?>

<That’s none of your business.>

Juan had a sick younger sister, Agnita.

The Shadow Clan was a very small ethnic group, and Juan and his sister were half-bloods of humans and the Shadow Clan. Juan inherited the powers of the Shadow Clan, but his sister did not.

As a result, the Shadow Clan blood and the blood of an ordinary person clashed within her, and her body could not bear it, so his sister continued to be ill.

The cost to suppress the Shadow Clan blood in Agnita’s body was quite expensive.

Juan had sold himself to earn money to save his sister. Fortunately, he was able to earn a decent amount of money through assassination jobs using the powers of the Shadow Clan. And this was the last job.

If he killed Meia Hatzbellua, he would no longer have to worry about money and could save his sister.

<What’s your name?>

<You don’t need to know. I’m going to kill you.>

<You’ll kill me? And what will you gain?>

Meia spoke to Juan in an amused tone.

<I am the Lady Hatzbellua. The only thing I can’t obtain in this world is time.>

At those words, Juan hesitated.

Meia did not miss that moment of hesitation.

<I can make you well-off. Even if you betray them, I can make sure you don’t suffer any consequences. Are they holding your family hostage? Do you have a large debt? If you want, I can even make you a dead man and help you start anew. Several assassins who have come to me have received my help.>

Juan looked at Meia, standing in the gradually brightening room, and answered.

<I can’t trust you.>

In the eyes of the target of assassination in front of him, Meia, there was no emotion to be read. The atmosphere emanating from her was quite sharp, but at the same time, gentle.

It was not the aura and atmosphere one would expect from a young girl.

Meia stood up from her seat and approached Juan with a gentle tone.

<No one can keep a secret. If their mouth is quiet, their body will speak, and eventually, their secret will leak from somewhere.>

<What do you mean?>

<As soon as you’re assigned to deal with me, you’ll also be dealt with. You’re a witness and the perpetrator, after all.>

Juan’s eyes began to waver. He hadn’t even thought of that.

<I’m from the Shadow Clan. I can hide in the shadows.>

<Don’t you have any family?>

While he could hide like that, his sister could not. Juan became confused by Meia’s words.

<I can protect your family. I promise. To you, who are in the darkness, I can be as generous as you need. But those who turn their back on the light will regret it every time they see the light.>

Meia approached Juan even closer and held out her hand.

<If you make the wrong judgment, ‘fate’ will swallow you up.>

Meia was clearly telling Juan not to make the wrong decision of trying to kill her.

And Juan reached out his hand to avoid being swallowed by fate.

<My sister is sick. I need money. I don’t have a home or food.>

Meia smiled brightly and said.

<I’ll help you. Would you like to become like family to me, both you and your sister?>

Thus, Juan and Agnita became like family to Meia.

Thanks to Meia, Agnita quickly regained her health.

To them, Meia was a home to return to, and a parent who cared for them.