Callista was vomiting again the next morning due to seasickness. By that time, Denovan was the only one awake among their group, aside from the pirate crew members.

  "Are you sure you're okay, Callista? You look even paler than yesterday," Denovan asked, glancing at her with concern.

  Callista weakly waved her hand. "I'm fine," she muttered—only to immediately vomit again.

  She thought otherwise. Forced to wake up early just to throw up the delicious meal she had eaten last night, she was now suffering under the scorching sun, looking so haggard that no one would give her a second glance. And yet, Denovan still had the nerve to ask if she was okay? She mentally cried at her misery. Of course, she wasn’t!

  While Callista cursed her situation internally, Denovan saw things differently. To him, she was exaggerating. The so-called "scorching heat" wasn’t even making him sweat, and he certainly didn’t look haggard.

  Even sickly, Callista still had an almost ethereal glow. Her pale lips and drowsy eyes did little to diminish her beauty.

  Denovan shook his head, amused by her pitiful state.

  "Whoa! What happened to her?"

  Denovan turned to see Ivan stepping onto the deck, closing the door behind him.

  "She isn’t having a good morning," Denovan answered, glancing at Callista.

  "Wow, you look like shit," Ivan commented bluntly.

  Callista responded by raising her middle finger.

  "Rude," Ivan scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Isn’t Ignis awake yet?"

  Denovan shook his head. "You know how much of a heavy sleeper Ignis is."

  "Anyway, it’s a shame you can’t appreciate this view, Callista," Denovan said, looking out at the vast ocean and breathing in the salty air.

  "I know, right? You rarely see anything like this in the Capital," Ivan agreed.

  Callista glanced at both of them, her expression blank. They were reminiscing as if they had just spouted the most profound wisdom—when, in reality, it was complete nonsense.

  In her eyes, there was nothing to appreciate when she's already feeling shitty as it is.

  "Oh my, are you okay? You don’t look so good, Callista," a new voice interrupted.

  They turned to see Marin approaching with a concerned expression.

  "You should’ve woken me up," she worriedly said before pulling something out of her pocket and handing it to Callista.

  "Thank you," Callista hoarsely replied, swallowing the pill without hesitation.

  "By the way, the crew seems really busy today," Denovan noted, watching the pirates move frantically around the ship.

  "Oh, before we reach Laguna Island, Caspian’s father returned from his journey with a treasure haul. He’s in high spirits, so they’re preparing for a feast tonight," Marin explained.

  "A feast? That means beer, right?" Callista’s eyes brightened.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  "I heard the Village of the Sea is famous for its beer," Ivan added.

  "How are you even asking about alcohol when you're seasick?" Ivan shook his head in disbelief.

  "Where’s the Pirate Lord, though? I haven’t seen him since yesterday," Denovan asked.

  "Well..."

  Their attention snapped toward the door as a man with facial hair and a scar over his left eye stepped onto the deck, a wide grin on his face. Caspian followed closely behind him.

  "HAHAHAHA! We should celebrate! Celebrate!" the man bellowed.

  "F-Father, I know you're happy and all, but we still have several days of travel left. Our supplies weren’t meant for a feast like this," Caspian protested.

  His father squinted his eyes, crossing his arms. "Then we just need to reach Laguna Island faster, don’t we?"

  Caspian hesitated before nodding.

  "Attention, crew! We arrive at Laguna Island tomorrow morning—pronto!"

  Caspian was stunned by his father’s sudden command. The crew, however, erupted in cheers.

  "HAHAHAHA! Loosen up, Caspian!" his father said, patting him roughly on the shoulder.

  "I see you're in a good mood, Uncle," Marin greeted.

  "You know me so well, Marin. Not like someone who questions my every decision," the man said, shooting a pointed look at Caspian.

  "Because you never think things through," Caspian muttered with a sigh.

  "Anyway, Uncle, these are Callista, Ivan, and Denovan. The other two still asleep are Anastasia and Ignis—the princess and the young duke," Marin introduced.

  "The princess and the young duke?! Oh my! I wasn’t expecting to have VIPs aboard my ship! HAHAHAHA!"

  "Thank you for letting us travel with you, Sir," Denovan said, bowing slightly.

  "That’s nothing! HAHAHAHA! We don’t get many visitors out here!" the man laughed heartily. "Name’s Herald! Captain of this ship!"

  "I’m Denovan, and this is Ivan," Denovan introduced them.

  "And I’m Callista. Nice to meet you, Captain Herald," she greeted.

  Herald paused for a moment, then burst into laughter.

  "I see! I see! Make sure to have fun, kiddos!"

  Callista mentally added Herald to her ever-growing list of annoying people, right above Ivan, because of his obnoxiously loud voice.

  And just like that, the day passed quickly.

  ---

  Soft, glowing lanterns hung from the ship’s masts, resembling fireflies in the night. They illuminated the calm sea, casting a warm glow over the pirates who laughed and cheered, raising their wooden beer mugs in celebration. Music played, and the crew danced beneath the clear night sky, the full moon watching over them.

  "They’re fun to watch, aren’t they?" Anastasia mused, leaning against the railing beside Denovan, who was nursing a drink.

  "You don’t see moments like this often," Denovan agreed.

  They both glanced at Ivan, who was dancing wildly among the pirates as they played various instruments. The sound of thrle lute was especially louder than the others, it seemed like Ivan was having fun dancing with other drunken crew members.

  "Just imagine this in the Capital—people having fun, free from the burdens of noble titles and politics," Anastasia sighed, a wistful smile on her lips.

  "It would be peaceful," Denovan admitted.

  "And stupid, if I may add," a new voice cut in.

  They turned to see Callista standing nearby, arms crossed, a beer in hand.

  "Do you ever say anything nice?" Anastasia asked, narrowing her eyes.

  Callista shrugged. "I’m just stating facts. The corruption in the Capital hasn’t changed, even with your father on the throne. And yet, no one seems to feel threatened."

  Anastasia’s expression darkened. "Are you saying my father is useless?" she asked coldly.

  Denovan immediately stepped in. "Calm down, Lady Ana." He turned to Callista, frowning. "That was rude."

  "But am I wrong?" Callista smirked.

  Anastasia clenched her teeth. "Then what are you trying to say?"

  Callista took a slow sip of her drink. "Maybe the problem isn’t the ruler. Maybe it’s the people. Ever heard the saying, ‘A rat can’t be tamed’? Maybe that applies to the Empire, too."

  She finished her beer and then gestured toward the other end of the deck. "By the way, Herald’s calling for you. He’s telling some story, and my ears are bleeding from his loud voice."

  Without waiting for a response, she walked off.

  Anastasia and Denovan exchanged looks.

  "Seriously. Why can’t she just deliver a message without adding unnecessary commentary?" Anastasia muttered, rubbing her temples.

  "Then she wouldn’t be Callista," Denovan chuckled, noticing that despite her sharp words, she wasn’t actually angry.

  Somehow, they were getting used to Callista’s bluntness, her sharp tongue, and the way she seemed to always have something to say.

  Denovan wondered—when had it started? When had they gotten used to Callista being there?

  They sat beside Ignis and Callista just as the Pirate Lord finished his story. “Look who’s here!” he cheered when he saw Anastasia.

  “I assume you got your father’s permission to visit Laguna Island despite the dangerous circumstances, am I correct, Princess?”

  Anastasia nodded. “Yes, although he was a little reluctant at first.”

  “As expected from that bastard! HAHAHAHA!” Herald roared, leaving everyone stunned.

  “F-Father!” Caspian exclaimed in shock. “Please don’t address the Emperor like that!” He turned to Anastasia, his face filled with horror. “I’m so sorry!” He bowed repeatedly, but Anastasia shook her head with a smile.

  “It’s alright,” she assured him, motioning for him to stop, though she was truly stunned by Herald’s words. “I heard you attended the Academy with my father, and judging by how you speak about him, you must have been quite close.”

  “Oh, yes! Allister has always been stingy and had a knack for pissing everyone off! HAHAHAHAHA!” Herald laughed heartily.

  “I-Is that so?” Anastasia chuckled, a little taken aback.

  “But I must say, young lady, Allister is a great ruler,” Herald added, his tone turning more solemn. “The Empire still isn’t perfect, but it’s nothing like before—when people could barely breathe freely, always looking over their shoulders for knives aimed at their backs.” He smiled, as if lost in reminiscence.

  Anastasia was surprised by his sudden shift in tone but smiled. “It’s nice to hear my father’s hard work hasn’t been in vain.”

  “But what did you mean by ‘dangerous circumstances’?” Denovan asked, recalling Herald’s words.

  “Don’t get me started on that,” Herald grumbled.

  Caspian answered in his stead. “Tourists from different regions have been disappearing lately. It’s gotten so bad that the village head has stopped letting outsiders in.”

  “That’s why we asked you to join us. We can’t let the royal family be in danger,” Marin explained, giving a glass of water to Caspian who was sweating profusely from his Father's antics.

  “And I appreciate that,” Anastasia replied, chuckling.

  Meanwhile, Callista stole a glance at Marin, her gaze lingering for a few seconds before she looked down. Ignis, sitting beside her, noticed the corners of her lips curling into a villainous smile.