That made Luke a little surprised by Miss Fortune's long-term planning.
If that was the case, she had begun making contact with Gangplank's forces a long time ago. She had also kept it deeply hidden. Gangplank probably still had no idea that she had been watching him for so many years.
After the two entered the deckhouse, Luke caught the heavy scent of perfume.
This clearly was not Sarah's first time here. After entering, she naturally headed down the corridor and went upstairs. She eventually stopped outside a room and pushed the door open without knocking.
The room was illuminated by dim amber lights. There was only one woman inside, reclining against the bed in a simple red-and-black nightgown. Her long legs and shoulders were bare, while two serpentine black tattoos curled around her arms.
She was quite attractive, but just as Sarah had said, everything about her radiated promiscuity.
"You finally made it. I've been waiting for a while. You're never on time."
Marsili first looked at Sarah and complained in a coquettish tone. Then her gaze fell on the man accompanying her, and she immediately froze.
One glance was all it took for her to tumble helplessly into love's trap.
Simply standing there, the impression he gave off was hundreds, even thousands of times better than any of the pretty boys she had played with before.
No wonder Miss Fortune had kept him hidden and refused to bring him out.
So she had secretly been enjoying such an incomparable prize all by herself!
Seeing Marsili staring so intently that her eyes had practically gone rigid, Sarah was not surprised by her reaction.
"Something happened on the way here and delayed us."
"It's fine. I was only teasing." Marsili got out of bed and casually draped a robe over herself. After glancing at Sarah, she looked back at Luke and smiled seductively. "What's your name, handsome?"
"Luke."
Sarah stepped forward, positioning herself in front of Luke, and smiled as well.
"It's getting late. Let's discuss business first."
"Of course. Have a seat. I still have two bottles of excellent liquor from my private collection. We can drink while we talk."
Marsili's expression remained unchanged as she turned and walked toward a cabinet, but she was already sneering inwardly.
She would not even let her look at him for another second. Why had she never realized that Sarah could be this possessive?
It did not matter.
The moment Marsili saw this man, she had already made her decision.
No matter whose man he was, she would get him into her bed and enjoy him day and night.
Merely imagining it was enough to make her wet with excitement.
"Now that I think about it, we haven't seen each other in quite some time," Marsili said as she took out the liquor.
"That's right. It's been more than three months," Sarah replied with a nod.
"I'm surprised you remembered." Marsili returned with two finely bottled liquors and placed them on the table. Looking at Sarah, she smiled and said, "We should stay in touch more often. I've been feeling lonely after going so long without seeing you."
"It can't be helped. We both have our own matters to handle. Naturally, we should meet more often whenever we have time."
Sarah smiled as well, secretly sneering inwardly.
She did not even need to think to know what this lovestruck tramp had on her mind.
"This is Marsili, the woman I mentioned on our way here," Sarah said, introducing her to Luke after sitting at the round table.
Marsili nodded lightly and enthusiastically extended her hand.
"It's our first time meeting. I have a bit of a reputation in the Blue Flame Isles. Come to me if you ever run into trouble."
With Sarah present, she restrained herself and merely attempted a polite handshake.
Sarah gave her no such opportunity. After pouring a glass of liquor, she shoved it into Marsili's hand.
"We haven't seen each other in so long. Let's have a drink first."
Marsili immediately felt displeased, but she did not show it. She smiled and clinked her glass against Sarah's.
"Cheers."
Both women were experienced drinkers. They tipped their heads back and drained their glasses in one gulp, yet neither showed even the slightest sign of intoxication.
"Why don't we have a drink too, handsome?"
Marsili personally poured Luke a glass. However, just as she raised her own, Sarah stepped in again.
"He isn't much of a drinker. I'll drink for him."
"You're practically cradling him against your heart. Are you really going to get jealous just because I talk to him and share a drink?"
Marsili looked calmly at Sarah, clearly unwilling to back down this time.
What a joke. If she could not even get him drunk, how was she supposed to find an opportunity to lure this beautiful man into her bed later?
Sarah smiled softly.
"You're exaggerating. He really can't handle liquor."
"Give me a break. You just can't bear to let him drink." Marsili rolled her eyes, then raised her glass and clinked it against Sarah's again. "No wonder you even dared to go after Borika. Honestly, I understand you."
Before this, she had still been somewhat unable to understand Sarah's actions.
After seeing Luke, however, she understood completely.
Even she would probably have made the same choice without hesitation.
Sarah drained another glass, a trace of coldness appearing on her face.
"He tried to touch someone who belongs to me. Naturally, he needed to be prepared for the consequences."
Watching from the side, Luke could not help admiring Miss Fortune's acting skills. He continued playing the role of a decorative pretty face and did not say a word.
"How commanding." Marsili laughed, then gave a displeased huff. "In the end, I'm still the one who has to clean up your mess."
What truly displeased her was that Sarah still had not allowed her to exchange a single sentence with Luke.
Luke knew it was finally time for him to step in. He picked up the glass that had been sitting untouched in front of him.
"Miss Marsili, allow me to thank you on her behalf."
"What an affectionate couple you two are."
Marsili's gaze moved back and forth between them. Then she brightened, picked up her glass, and said, "Since you're thanking me, shouldn't you show a little more sincerity? She said you can't handle liquor, so I insist on seeing you finish that entire glass in one gulp."
As she spoke, she poured more liquor into Luke's glass. Ordinarily, a glass would only be filled once, but she kept pouring until this one was almost overflowing.
Once she finished, Marsili fell silent.
"Aren't you making things difficult for him?"
Sarah showed a displeased expression and cast Luke a concerned look. As always, her acting was impeccable.
Marsili smiled faintly.
"Liquor only becomes enjoyable once you really get into it."
"It's all right."
Luke exhaled as though preparing himself. He raised the glass, furrowed his brow, and emptied it in one breath.
Sarah had already witnessed his acting skills before.
The moment he finished drinking, his face visibly turned much redder.
She inwardly snorted. With acting skills like those, there was no telling how many innocent girls this man had deceived.
Seeing Luke finish everything in one gulp, Marsili smiled even more brightly.
"Impressive."
As she praised him, she raised her own glass and drained another serving, still without showing the slightest sign of drunkenness.
She then began discussing business with Sarah.
"I'll settle the matter with Borika for you. When the time comes, I'll personally explain everything to Gangplank. To be honest, I've disliked that bastard for a long time. Looking the way he does, he still had the nerve to entertain indecent ideas about me."
Marsili's expression turned sour at the mention of Borika.
"Then I suppose I helped you vent some of your anger. Thank you."
Sarah smiled, but there was little genuine emotion behind it.
Marsili failed to notice. She was constantly watching Luke while her mind raced, trying to figure out how she could persuade Miss Fortune to lend her this beautiful man for a few days.
Judging by how unwilling Sarah was to let him suffer even the slightest discomfort, they were probably still in their honeymoon phase.
Perhaps Marsili could wait a while until that honeymoon phase ended, then make her request.
Miss Fortune now owed her a favor. Asking to borrow him for a couple of days would not be excessive, would it?
Even if Sarah had grown tired of him by then, Marsili would not mind in the slightest. She could never grow tired of a man of this caliber, no matter how many times she played with him.
If Miss Fortune refused, she would think of another method.
If nothing else worked, she would simply take him by force.
Marsili had already made up her mind. She felt that if she could not have this man, her longing for him might drive her insane.
It would have been fine if she had never seen him. Now that she had, she absolutely had to get her hands on him.
Thinking this, Marsili smiled without revealing her intentions.
"Although you did help me vent my anger, that is a separate matter. Borika still carries some weight with Gangplank. If I suppress this matter for you, you should give me something in return."
"Don't worry. When the time comes, I'll make sure you're satisfied. When have I ever disappointed you?"
Sarah smiled and raised her glass.
On the day she dealt with Gangplank, Marsili would not escape either.
Marsili had remained at Gangplank's side for years. When Sarah's home island was destroyed, Marsili had undoubtedly taken part.
Sarah would show no mercy to anyone who served Gangplank.
For now, however, she needed Marsili to influence Gangplank on her behalf, so she had no choice but to maintain this false friendship with these people.
"In that case, I'll look forward to your gift."
Marsili's smile grew even more seductive. The robe draped around her body slipped from her shoulders, leaving her clad only in a thin nightgown.
She had clearly done it on purpose, deliberately displaying her figure in front of Luke.
A cold gleam flashed through Sarah's eyes. She inwardly cursed the woman as a whore, but continued calmly drinking glass after glass with her.
The two women behaved like intimate friends who had known each other for years, their bright, pleasant laughter occasionally drifting out of the deckhouse.
Time passed slowly. They were nearly out of things to discuss, yet Sarah still had not seen Luke make any attempt to administer the drug.
Had they not been in the middle of a delicate operation, she truly would have dragged him outside and demanded an explanation.
Had he become so engrossed in watching two women talk that he had forgotten his role?
"Maybe I'm just too... happy. I think I drank a little too much."
At last, Marsili began to sway. Her eyes grew unfocused as waves of drunkenness continually surged through her.
Had seeing Luke excited her so much that she had gotten carried away with the drinking?
Her head buzzed, and Marsili spoke drowsily.
"It's getting late, Fortune. I want to rest."
Sarah stood. She was more than merely tipsy herself, but her alcohol tolerance was excellent, and her mind remained clear.
"Then I'll be heading back."
"Don't worry... I'll take care... of your problem."
Marsili spoke in a daze. She staggered to her feet, took a few steps, then collapsed directly onto the bed and began snoring, completely defenseless.
She genuinely could not imagine any reason Miss Fortune would have to harm her. They had known each other for so many years, after all.
They had also just reached an agreement, so she naturally had no reason to be suspicious.
Only after confirming that Marsili had fallen unconscious did Sarah turn toward Luke with an irritated expression.
"What took you so long?"
Luke replied innocently, "I had to find an opportunity. You two were drinking and having such a wonderful time that I couldn't get a word in. You were the one who decided to pretend I couldn't handle liquor."
"If I hadn't said that, she would have stripped you naked and thrown you onto the bed by now!"
Sarah snorted and continued irritably, "Didn't you notice the way she looked at you? She practically wanted to swallow you whole."
"I noticed." Luke sighed gloomily. "Unfortunately, I'm used to it."
Seeing him flaunt his good looks so shamelessly made Sarah want to shoot him in the face.
She also suspected that this bastard had deliberately waited because he wanted to see what she looked like after drinking too much.
She had consumed seven or eight glasses of strong, high-quality liquor. Her stomach was now filled with the burning fumes of alcohol. Had she not possessed such a high tolerance, she probably would have collapsed like Marsili.
"I have medicine that sobers you up. Want one?"
As Luke spoke, he casually took out a bottle of sobering medicine.
Sarah stared at the bottle in his hand, her mind abruptly grinding to a halt. A murderous gleam gradually appeared in her beautiful eyes.
"You had medicine like this, and you didn't bring it out earlier?!"
She glared at Luke through clenched teeth, feeling flames of rage rising through her chest. Her entire body trembled with anger, and she wanted nothing more than to pounce on the bastard and bite him to death.
This damned asshole had medicine that could sober someone up. Why had he not taken it out two days ago?
He had clearly done it on purpose!
She finally understood. She understood everything!
When dealing with this man, she absolutely, absolutely, absolutely could not allow herself to be deceived by his outward appearance.
Beneath that handsome face lurked a soul so shamelessly despicable that it defied belief!
"Would you believe me if I said I forgot?"
Luke coughed as he poured one of his homemade sobering pills out of the bottle.
"What do you think?"
Sarah sneered, snatched it from him, and tossed it into her mouth, grinding her teeth so hard they creaked.
At that moment, even the bitter taste spreading through her mouth could not compare to the fury burning inside her heart.
"Calm down. I didn't expect the consequences to be that serious," Luke said consolingly.
He would have been better off keeping his mouth shut.
The moment he spoke, the anger Sarah had just managed to suppress surged upward again.
Had this bastard taken out the sobering medicine sooner, would those rumors now spreading like wildfire throughout Bilgewater even exist?
Damn him!
Sarah silently added this incident to his growing list of offenses and swore that she would settle the score with him someday.
For now, however, this was not the time to discuss it.
"About how long will she be unconscious?"
After calming herself and regaining her composure, Sarah asked the question.
Only then did she notice the bitterness lingering in her mouth and immediately seek something to wash it away. She grabbed the glass in front of her and brought the liquor inside toward her lips.
Only after her lips had already touched the rim did Luke notice and warn her.
"That's my glass."
"Pfft!"
Sarah immediately sprayed out the liquor she had just taken into her mouth.
Luke reacted quickly, gracefully slipping aside and avoiding the spray.
Sarah lowered her gaze to the rim and fell into a brief daze.
The opposite side of the rim was dry.
That meant the place she had drunk from perfectly overlapped with the exact spot Luke had used.
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