chapter 34
The atmosphere shifted.
Not violently—
But enough.
The soldier's urgent voice still echoed between them.
Soldier: "Commander… we're in trouble."
Guinevere straightened immediately, all traces of ease vanishing from her expression.
Guinevere: "What happened?"
The Princess stepped forward beside her, calm but alert.
Princess: "…Report."
The soldier swallowed hard, still catching his breath.
Soldier: "Up ahead… the path is blocked."
A pause.
Then—
Soldier: "It's the ocean."
Silence fell.
Marco frowned slightly.
Marco: "…Ocean?"
The soldier nodded quickly.
Soldier: "A massive one. It stretches across the entire route. There's no land path forward."
Chris let out a low whistle.
Chris: "Well… that's inconvenient."
Guinevere crossed her arms.
Guinevere: "…How far?"
Soldier: "Too far to go around. And the currents are rough. Crossing without preparation would be dangerous."
A brief silence followed.
The wind swept across the open land, carrying the distant sound of crashing waves.
Faint—
But real.
The Princess's expression didn't change.
But her grip tightened slightly around the reins.
Princess: "…Then we'll need another way."
Before anyone else could speak—
Marco suddenly stepped forward with a grin.
Marco: "Actually…"
He glanced back toward Chris.
Marco: "Chris has something to say."
Chris blinked once.
Chris: "…You could've just let me say it myself."
Marco shrugged.
Marco: "Where's the fun in that?"
Chris sighed dramatically before stepping forward, brushing a hand through his hair.
Chris: "Lucky for you all, this is the Ocean of Forose."
A faint smirk appeared.
Chris: "And I know this place pretty well."
That immediately caught everyone's attention.
Guinevere narrowed her eyes slightly.
Guinevere: "…You do?"
Chris nodded confidently.
Chris: "Yeah. There's only one proper way across that ocean."
He paused intentionally.
Chris: "A ship."
Marco smirked.
Marco: "Very helpful."
Chris ignored him completely.
Chris: "There's a port nearby," he continued, more serious now. "If we move quickly, we can reach it by tomorrow. I can arrange a ship for us."
His eyes shifted toward the Princess.
Chris: "…If you want."
Silence settled briefly.
The decision was obvious.
The Princess didn't hesitate.
Princess: "…Do it."
Simple.
Direct.
Guinevere nodded once beside her.
Guinevere: "Make it fast."
Chris grinned.
Chris: "Already on it."
━━━━━━━━━━
The port was alive with movement.
Waves crashed steadily against the docks while ships swayed gently with the rhythm of the sea.
The scent of salt filled the air.
Sharp.
Heavy.
Crew members moved endlessly between the ships, voices overlapping beneath the cries of distant seabirds.
Ropes tightened.
Wood creaked.
Water crashed against the harbor walls.
By the time they arrived, everything had already been arranged.
Chris walked ahead comfortably, completely at ease.
Chris: "Told you."
He glanced back with a grin.
Chris: "Easy."
Marco looked around, impressed despite himself.
Marco: "…You've got connections."
Chris smirked.
Chris: "I've got skills."
Guinevere's sharp gaze swept across the port carefully.
Guinevere: "Stay alert."
Chris leaned slightly closer as they walked.
Chris: "You worry too much."
Guinevere didn't even look at him.
Guinevere: "And you don't worry enough."
Chris grinned wider.
Chris: "That's why I balance things out."
A pause.
Then—
Chris: "…Also makes me more fun to be around."
Guinevere finally glanced at him.
Guinevere: "…That's debatable."
Marco snorted behind them.
Chris only laughed.
━━━━━━━━━━
One by one, they began boarding the ship.
Boots struck against wood.
Armor shifted.
Ropes strained beneath tension.
The soldiers boarded first in disciplined silence.
Marco followed, stretching slightly.
Marco: "Finally. Something different."
Chris climbed aboard easily before turning back out of habit—
Offering his hand.
Not to everyone.
Only—
Guinevere.
Chris: "For balance."
Guinevere looked at his hand.
Then at him.
Guinevere: "…I can manage."
She stepped past him without taking it.
Chris blinked once.
Then chuckled quietly under his breath.
Chris: "…Yeah. Figured."
But he didn't seem annoyed.
If anything—
More interested.
━━━━━━━━━━
The Princess approached next.
The wooden boarding plank shifted beneath her step.
Subtle.
But enough.
Her footing slipped slightly.
Just enough for her balance to give way—
Then—
A hand caught her instantly.
Firm.
Steady.
Warm.
The Princess froze.
Her breath caught softly.
Slowly—
She looked up.
John.
His grip remained steady.
His expression calm.
John: "…Careful, Princess."
His tone was controlled.
Neutral.
Nothing more.
But for a moment—
Everything around her blurred slightly.
Her lips parted.
Princess: "…John—"
Then—
He let go.
Immediately.
Cleanly.
Stepping back as though creating distance on purpose.
John lowered his gaze slightly.
John: "My apologies."
Princess blinked.
Princess: "…What?"
John: "I overstepped."
Princess frowned immediately.
Princess: "No, you didn't—"
But he had already stepped away.
John: "Please board safely, Princess."
Formal.
Distant.
Cold.
And just like that—
He was gone.
━━━━━━━━━━
From the side, Chris noticed the exchange immediately.
His eyes shifted between them.
Curious.
Interested.
Then quietly—
Chris: "…Well. That's awkward."
Marco elbowed him lightly.
Marco: "Don't start."
Chris smirked faintly but stayed silent.
━━━━━━━━━━
The Princess remained still for a moment longer.
Something felt wrong.
Subtle.
But undeniable.
She stepped onto the ship carefully this time.
Her movements steady.
Her thoughts anything but.
Her gaze drifted across the deck.
John stood further ahead now.
Back turned.
Silent.
Distant.
Different.
Her fingers tightened slightly at her side.
Princess (quietly): "…Why?"
Why did it feel like something had changed—
Without her realizing when?
The sea stretched endlessly before them.
Wide.
Uncertain.
And somehow—
So was he.
And somehow—
So was she.
━━━━━━━━━━
The ship creaked softly beneath shifting weight.
Ropes tightened overhead.
Wood groaned against the waves.
John stepped fully onto the deck, movements steady and controlled.
But inside—
Nothing was steady.
Nothing was calm.
John (thinking): …This is better.
Simple.
Necessary.
His grip tightened slightly.
John (thinking): She's the Princess.
A pause.
John (thinking): And I'm nothing like her.
His jaw tightened faintly.
John (thinking): I was getting ahead of myself.
Behind him—
A quiet cough broke the silence.
Sharp.
Contained.
John glanced back.
Tomasi stood a few steps away, one hand covering his mouth with a cloth.
His posture looked weaker than before.
His breathing uneven.
Even without seeing clearly—
John knew.
Blood.
Tomasi lowered the cloth slowly, pretending nothing had happened.
Their eyes met briefly.
Neither spoke.
But something passed silently between them.
Understanding.
Then—
Esabell's voice interrupted.
Esabell: "John, wait."
John turned slightly.
Esabell carefully stepped onto the deck beside him, her expression gentle but observant as always.
She stopped beside him.
Esabell: "…Are you okay?"
John nodded too quickly.
John: "I'm fine."
Esabell tilted her head slightly.
Esabell: "…You don't sound fine."
John exhaled quietly, eyes drifting toward the sea.
John: "It's nothing."
A brief silence followed.
Then softly—
Esabell: "…Did something happen?"
A pause.
Esabell: "…With the Princess?"
That made him stop walking for half a second.
John: "…No."
Then quieter—
John: "…Nothing happened."
Esabell studied him carefully.
Esabell: "…Don't tell me you already gave up."
John let out a quiet breath.
John: "It's not like that."
Esabell: "Then what is it?"
The sound of waves filled the silence between them.
Then finally—
John: "…I think I shouldn't push something that isn't there."
Esabell frowned slightly.
Esabell: "…You're deciding that already?"
John lowered his gaze.
John: "I was probably forcing it."
A faint humorless smile appeared.
John: "Talking too much. Getting too close."
A pause.
John: "…It wasn't my place."
Esabell stopped walking entirely.
Esabell: "John."
He didn't look at her.
Esabell: "That's not how it looked."
John gave a small shrug.
John: "…Maybe to you."
Esabell immediately stepped beside him again.
Esabell: "No. Not just to me."
John stayed silent.
So she continued.
Esabell: "You really think she didn't notice you?"
"You really think she didn't care?"
John's expression barely shifted.
But his voice softened.
John: "…It doesn't matter."
Esabell frowned deeper.
Esabell: "Of course it matters."
John shook his head slightly.
John: "No."
A pause.
Then quietly—
John: "She's the Princess."
Simple.
Heavy.
Final.
John: "…And I'm just a commoner."
The words came out softer than expected.
But heavier too.
John: "Nothing can happen between us."
Silence followed.
Only the endless sea remained.
Esabell looked at him carefully.
Then sighed.
Esabell: "…You're thinking too far ahead."
John didn't answer.
Esabell: "You're deciding the ending before anything even begins."
Another pause.
Esabell: "And honestly… I think the Princess is just hesitant."
John blinked slightly.
John: "…You think so?"
Esabell shrugged lightly.
Esabell: "I'm guessing."
John looked away again.
John: "…Then maybe it's better to stop."
Esabell immediately grabbed his sleeve lightly.
Esabell: "Wait, wait—listen to me."
John sighed.
John: "What?"
Esabell looked directly at him.
Esabell: "…Did she ever tell you to stop?"
John hesitated.
John: "…No."
Esabell: "Did she push you away?"
Another pause.
John: "…No."
Esabell raised a brow.
Esabell: "Then how did you reach this brilliant conclusion?"
John exhaled quietly.
John: "…The marriage."
Esabell frowned.
Esabell: "That engagement is basically broken already."
John: "But she never really responded to anything."
Esabell immediately crossed her arms.
Esabell: "Because people express feelings differently!"
John fell silent.
Thinking.
Then slowly—
John: "…So what should I do?"
Esabell stared at him.
Esabell: "Isn't it obvious?"
John exhaled before nodding slightly.
Esabell looked ahead toward the endless sea.
Then back at him.
Esabell: "Sometimes reality isn't as fixed as you think."
John didn't answer.
He stepped further onto the deck.
Solid wood beneath his feet.
Stable.
Certain.
Unlike everything else.
Esabell smiled faintly.
Esabell: "…Just don't run away from something before you understand it."
A small pause.
Then softly—
Esabell: "…It doesn't suit you."
And with that—
She walked away.
Leaving him standing there in silence.
The sea stretched endlessly around them.
Wide.
Unpredictable.
John lowered his gaze slightly.
━━━━━━━━━━
The ship drifted further from shore.
Waves rolled steadily beneath it.
Dark.
Endless.
Most of the crew had settled into position.
Voices faded.
Movement slowed.
The journey had begun.
And slowly—
The world grew quieter.
Below deck—
Where sunlight barely reached—
Water lapped softly against the wooden hull.
Rhythmic.
Gentle.
Almost peaceful.
For a moment—
Nothing moved.
Nothing changed.
Then—
A ripple.
Small.
Faintly glowing blue beneath the water.
Something brushed against the side of the ship.
Once.
Then again.
A soft scratching sound followed.
Quiet enough to mistake for shifting wood.
But it wasn't.
From the dark ocean below—
Something stirred.
A thin shape emerged first.
Then another.
Small.
Unnatural.
A slick black limb gripped the edge of the hull.
Slowly—
Carefully—
It pulled itself upward.
Water dripped silently from its body.
Another climbed beside it.
Then another.
Tiny.
Unseen.
They slipped silently over the edge—
And onto the ship.
Above—
Nothing changed.
The crew remained unaware.
The sea stretched endlessly around them.
And somewhere in the darkness below—
Something had already begun.
...CHAPTER 34ENDS...