Gunther Burke roared at Kenneth, the first mate. He was in an extremely foul mood from the moment he heard Aslan’s order to formally greet the Princess of Hereis. Having a woman on board was already bad luck, and now they were supposed to exchange greetings with her too. Wasn’t that just asking for the Siren’s curse?

That wasn’t the only thing that bothered him.

“They should have thrown her in the cargo hold, but instead they had Roxon set up a proper feast?”

Timo flinched under the sharp glare and looked away. He tried to move quietly without drawing attention, but on a cramped ship like this, there was no way it could go unnoticed. On top of that, word spread that Aslan stopped by the cabin several times a day and stayed for long stretches, and the pirates’ discontent was boiling over.

“Has he lost his mind over a woman?”

“If you don’t want a knife in that empty head of yours, shut that mouth.”

“What?”

Bang! Gunther Burke slammed the table and shot to his feet. The impact sent shattered pipe fragments flying in every direction. Bjorn wore a thin smirk and flicked away a piece of debris with his finger.

“Even a dog can run its mouth, Gunther Burke.”

“You son of a b*tch, I’ll kill you……!”

“I feel like I’ve heard that about ten times now. Haven’t I, Sean?”

“You……!”

“Both of you, stop it this instant!”

Kenneth raised his voice at the scene. Bjorn, satisfied that he successfully got under Gunther’s skin, closed his mouth without protest, but Gunther’s agitation didn’t settle so easily. Just as Gunther reached for the sword at his hip, swearing he would kill that bastard today, the door opened.

“……”

A suffocating silence fell over the room at the sight of Canasia, entering on Aslan’s arm. Canasia held her chin up and swept the room with a composed gaze. The woman who stepped into the meeting room without so much as a footfall looked not like a prisoner but like the embodiment of a siren.

The rumor that the Princess of Hereis was beautiful was well known, but Canasia’s beauty, when she made the effort, far surpassed anything the pirates imagined. Even Timo, who went in and out of her cabin every day, stared at her with a dazed expression, while Aslan pulled out an empty chair and spoke.

“Allow me to introduce you. This is the princess of the Kingdom of Hereis─”

“My name is Canasia Hereis.”

“It is an honor to meet you, Princess.”

Bjorn was the first to bow, then nudged Sean Walter in the ribs.

“How do you do? I’m Sean Walter.”

A man with dark hair and an earnest face bowed his head politely.

“I’m Timothy Roland, Princess.”

Timo introduced himself with a goofy grin. Canasia acknowledged his greeting with a light nod and moved her gaze. An elderly man with sharp eyes looked her over and spoke.

“I am Kenneth, first mate of the Abyss.”

He looked to be around sixty. A first mate who practically ran the ship was surely as seasoned a sailor as Jeff Dawson. Just from the fact that he sat in the highest seat aside from the head, he was clearly someone the pirates trusted considerably, and Canasia decided there was nothing to lose by making a good impression. 

She answered warmly, “A pleasure.”

It was a friendly reply, but the old man gave only a lukewarm nod. He seemed cold, but an older sailor would be more sensitive to superstition, so a reaction like this was understandable.

The introductions went more smoothly than she feared, and Canasia relaxed and looked at the last man. Gunther Burke sat breathing hard with a face full of resentment. Aslan, watching from one step behind, pressed him to introduce himself.

“Gunther, your turn.”

“……F*ck, this is pathetic.”

“Gunther Burke!”

Aslan raised his voice and stepped sharply toward Gunther Burke. But Canasia took her seat as though she couldn’t care less.

“I’ve been on the ship for quite a while now, so the late introduction is on me. It’s not a pleasant meeting, but let’s call it fate.”

If he’s going to disrespect me, I’ll simply treat him like he doesn’t exist. She dismissed Gunther Burke and swept the room with a dignified gaze. Whether they understood that this was a meeting with the Princess of Hereis and not a prisoner, everyone except Gunther Burke refrained from showing open hostility.

Aslan, reading Canasia’s intent, gave Gunther Burke a hard shove on the shoulder and returned to his seat.

“The Princess of Hereis has agreed to cooperate with our operation.”

“Cooperate, did you say?”

Kenneth’s thick eyebrows twitched as he repeated the word. Aslan nodded and continued.

“As soon as we reach port, we’ll announce that we have the Princess of Hereis, and demand that Philkennon bring the ransom himself if he wants her back. The moment Philkennon shows up, we attack.”

“That plan is absurd. It’s obviously a trap to anyone with eyes. Do you think Philkennon will accept that offer?”

Kenneth shook his head. Sean Walter spoke up.

“With eyes on him, he’ll at least have to pretend to accept.”

The union of Eldos and Hereis was a topic drawing attention not just from the two kingdoms but from neighboring nations as well. When news spread that Aslan kidnapped the Princess of Hereis, the Empire would take great interest too.

Philkennon once took a Princess of Hereis as his queen only to sacrifice her a few years ago. Concerned about his reputation, he would move according to their plan. That was Sean’s calculation.

“What’s so great about the princess of some pocket-sized country that we should stake our lives on such a flimsy plan?”

Gunther grumbled with an irritated expression.

“Philkennon isn’t an idiot. Thinking that kind of bait will work is just stupid─”

“It seems being a pirate means knowing one thing and not the other.”

“What?”

Canasia spoke to Gunther Burke with a cool expression.

“You’re right that Hereis is a small kingdom. That’s exactly why, to keep the kingdom alive, it has actively pursued marriages with other nations. My sister did, and so have I.”

She swallowed a sigh and continued, “Eldos, on the other hand, is a newly risen kingdom without a long history. It made many enemies in the process of rapidly expanding its territory, and geographically it is separated from the continent, which limits how far it can extend its influence.”

Sean Walter nodded in agreement.

“The reason Eldos wants to join hands with Hereis is also to advance onto the continent and broaden its influence.”

“That’s right. The Empire and Varna have no reason to form a marriage alliance with Eldos. They won’t be pushed around by Eldos either.”

Bjorn picked up her line of thought. Canasia added, “If Hereis were to fall into genuine danger, there would be no shortage of nations willing to step in. Even Philkennon would find that a burden.”

“So what’s your point, f*ck.”

Gunther muttered with a sour expression.

“You still don’t understand? Then again, it would be hard for someone who does nothing but piracy to grasp a complicated political situation. If you don’t know, just do what Aslan tells you.”

“What? Is she seriously─!”

Crash! Gunther Burke shot up from his chair. The chair toppled over with a loud clatter. He moved to lunge at her with murderous intent, ready to grab her by the throat, when Aslan spoke.

“Take one more step from where you’re standing and I’ll throw you to the sharks, Gunther.”

“Hah, of all the things to hear…… has he completely lost his mind over a woman?”

“Keep talking if you want to find out how many pieces your tongue gets cut into.”

Fire flashed in Aslan’s eyes. Gunther Burke’s clenched fists shook. Canasia curved her lips lightly and addressed the others.

“The fact that I was chosen as the Queen of Eldos, and the fact that I’m sitting here now because you captured me. That is my value. Is that explanation enough?”

“More than enough.”

Bjorn cut in with the answer.

“Everyone except one person will have understood. There’s no point in trying with someone too dim to follow even a simple explanation.”

Gunther, realizing that ‘one person’ meant him, grabbed Bjorn by the collar.

“You…… f*cking bastard!”

Bjorn didn’t back down and pulled a dagger from his pocket. The atmosphere looked ready to erupt into a brawl, and Kenneth raised his voice.

“What is this behavior in front of the captain! Stop embarrassing yourselves and sit down!”

Gunther’s hand on Bjorn’s collar shook. He looked ready to throw a punch at any moment, but with Aslan glaring at him with murderous eyes, he had no choice but to let go.

“F*ck.”

Gunther spat the curse and shoved Bjorn away. Bjorn brushed his wrinkled shirt lightly with his hand. Gunther Burke breathed hard and glared at Canasia.

‘Rotten woman.’

Should I just kill her?

A dark smile crept across Gunther Burke’s face.