Fisher grabbed him expressionlessly, then forcefully twisted him and stuffed him into his pocket. He struggled feebly a few times, his attempts to resist muffled into indistinct "mmphs" by Fisher’s hand. Once he was fully stuffed into the pocket, he calmed down and didn’t move.
Although Emhardt was chastened, his words continued to fall and even made Fisher involuntarily think of Elizabeth.
The surroundings finally quieted down again, the moonlight gradually deepened. Fisher stood rooted to the spot for a long time, gazing at the cold moonlight, which after a while, seemed to burst out a faintly cold, pale golden light, much like Elizabeth’s hollow eyes staring straight at him.
As if in a trance, he seemed to hear Elizabeth’s fragile and hollow call. His heartbeat also felt as if gripped by her icy, tender hand, spreading a chilling cold. He took a deep breath, trying to reach out and grasp her icy palm, but another call came, dispersing the illusion and interrupting his thoughts,
Fisher blinked and turned to look behind him, noticing that at some point, the tall lady clad in black had appeared at the stairs from the captain’s room down to the deck.
Captain Alagina looked at him with some confusion; evidently, the call had come from her, not Elizabeth.
At that moment, the icy chill in Fisher’s heart gradually dissipated, and the distant golden moonlight also faded to silvery white. He also adjusted his expression...
Ever since escaping Saint Nali, Fisher suspected he might be suffering from "Elizabeth Post-Traumatic Syndrome"; whenever he had a free moment, Elizabeth would shadow him, her fragile, hollow, and utterly cold image persistently haunting his mind, no matter how hard Fisher tried to dispel it.
"Good evening, Captain Alagina."
Thinking this, Fisher greeted her quite naturally.
Alagina’s expression remained steady, standing in the shadows like a noble young master. Her azure eyes, quite bright, scanned Fisher’s rather thin clothes before she spoke up to remind him,
"It’s a bit chilly outside tonight... put on your coat."
Fisher looked at the coat in his hands but made no move to wear it.
Truthfully, when he had tried it on before, he felt a light scent of sea salt on the collar, possibly lingering from Alagina’s hair or skin—either way, Fisher felt uncomfortable wearing it, as if he was in women’s clothes...
It seemed to be women’s clothes indeed, just those from the Sardinia Female Country.
"It’s okay, I need to go back and rest anyway."
Upon saying this, Alagina seemed to regret it.
She felt like she should have said something more instead of just agreeing dryly.
Alagina didn’t really know how to pursue men, having little experience, and even then, only concerning men from the Sardinia Female Country; while she liked Fisher from beyond her own lands, she found it a bit tricky.
She had gathered some advice from her crew before, who mentioned that men from other countries didn’t need to be pursued; instead, they did the pursuing.
But, intuitively, Alagina felt that wasn’t right – she didn’t believe in pie falling from the sky, always feeling more secure in grabbing opportunities herself rather than waiting for someone else to grant them.
"By the way, I forgot to apologize to you."
As Fisher moved toward Alagina, preparing to return to his room via the stairs, he abruptly remembered something and said,
"Ah, you had once entrusted a precious family heirloom necklace to me as a token of our agreement. I kept it at my apartment, but I left in a hurry this time, so I couldn’t bring it. However, I’m unsure when I’ll be able to retrieve it..."
Alagina listened calmly and shook her head, her expression unchanged,
"When my father left me the necklace, it wasn’t meant as a keepsake since he’s always in my heart. Likewise, giving the necklace to a man I admire was his wish, and I feel the same. As long as Fisher remembers our agreement, its purpose has been fulfilled, whether it’s retrieved or not."
"It might be because you were in a rush to leave Saint Nali without the necklace that I happened to meet you at sea. Fate can always be explained, even the Frost Phoenix follows its destined path. So, no need to feel sorry; I’m just happy to see you here and to offer some help."
The night wind, carrying a scent like her sea salt, stirred her hair showing her pale throat and pink earlobe. Fisher had already walked a step or two up the stairs when he heard this, pausing slightly, but he didn’t pick up on Alagina’s topic. Instead, he looked up at the hazy moon night and asked,
"Are you going back to rest?"
"...I still need to inspect the power room. The crew mentioned the steam engine might have a slight issue."