"I’m just a woman from the Female Country with no grand ambitions... Maybe Helena is right, my ambition can’t keep up with my talent, I just want my crew to have a good end, to be with you, and beyond that... Fame and eternal glory hold no temptation for me..."
"But it might also be because of my laid-back attitude that I caused my father’s death, made the crew who could’ve stayed in Sardinia follow me around, and maybe even made you look down on me... I know, Elizabeth is an Empress of Nali, being with her would be much better than with a pirate like me who has nothing, wouldn’t it?"
Perhaps it was meeting Helena today that plunged Alagina back into the quagmire of the past. She hadn’t been able to stop her father’s suicide, nor could she change the situation of the Hammond Feudal Country, let alone hold onto the people around her... This plunged her into a swirl of disdain and lack of self-confidence, and for the first time revealed her sensitivity and suspicion...
But from an outsider’s point of view, had Alagina really not done enough?
Perhaps for a few, like Helena and Ossie, it was so.
In Helena’s eyes, as Edras’s daughter, Alagina clearly had countless better opportunities to save her father Edras, but she failed to turn the tide; Ossie thought the closest person to her, Alagina, had failed to detect her subtle feelings, resulting in a slight resentment...
But these comments were all in hindsight. Helena only saw where Alagina, as Edras’s daughter, had fallen short, ignoring that she endured the same shame and bullying in the Hammond family as her father did; she had to stand up, to train, to defeat her sisters, to defeat her mother...
Ossie only saw Alagina as the Guardian Lord but overlooked that she was also a captain, a leader of fugitives...
Alagina had many things to consider, and at least in Fisher’s perspective, Alagina had done her utmost, yet she still reflected upon herself, feeling down because of others’ assessments...
"As the saying goes, ’Under the burden of a great name, one cannot dwell at ease for long’", and Fisher believed that Alagina had done very well.
"Nobody’s perfect, and as a woman of Sardinia, you shouldn’t be more reserved and insecure than the ladies of other countries..."
With a low voice, Fisher reached out and pulled her cheek to face him, waiting until her sea-blue eyes fully reflected his appearance before he continued,
"No matter what others say, no matter what you think of yourself, in my eyes, the so-called Iceberg Queen should be you... Your crew trust you so much, and they have never been disappointed by your actions. You should have a basic understanding of this and keep striving on this foundation."
"At least that’s what Fisher Benavides, a gentleman from Nali, thinks, just for reference. But speaking of which, the doubts and questions you just had about me made me quite angry, so I must give you some punishment."
Alagina’s earlobes grew redder, seemingly not understanding the meaning of "punishment" in Fisher’s words, but her heartbeat quickened, the frost in the room completely melted away, turning into drops of water that dripped down from the windowsill, making a "drip, drip" sound that accompanied her accelerating heartbeat.
"Um... does what you promised me earlier still count?"
"Promised you... something?"
"Um, regarding whether you were on top or beneath."
It wasn’t until reminded by Fisher that Alagina seemed to suddenly recall the embarrassing words she had said before. The blush on her earlobes spread unchecked to her beautiful profile, tinting her normally frosty complexion with an alluring pink hue.
She pursed her lips, the sea-blue in her eyes melting from the warmth of Fisher’s gaze, conveying a look full of passion,
A lock of white hair fell down the side of Alagina’s face but didn’t hide the slight upward curve of her red lips, the innocence she couldn’t bear to face directly, the increasingly distinct scent of fresh sea salt, the elusive gazes that left Fisher’s breath growing heavier.
Alagina was just too adorable.
Thinking so, Fisher gently cradled her chin and aligned her profile with his own, leaning in slightly to kiss her cool lips.
Alagina’s body, which had been facing away from Fisher, turned unconsciously towards him. Now, with her back against the wall and her unheld hand instinctively wrapping around his waist, she drew him closer, unwilling to let go as she savored his taste.
It wasn’t clear whether the women of Sardinia were the winners, or the gentleman from Nali, or perhaps this was the true definition of a win-win?
The two people in the room were both overwhelmed, leaving only Emhardt’s Book Brain on the table stunned.
It suddenly opened its mouth wide, its eyes bulging, about to rebuke this indecent scene, when Fisher distractedly grabbed and held it.