I hazily stared at the ceiling and froze on the spot. More precisely, I couldn’t move. All I could think of was the fear of getting impaled by a knife that flew through the air. So I simply sat motionless and refused to stand.

   The rain spa.r.s.ely fell apart into tiny droplets and hit my face along my line of sight.

“Get down.”

   Wolf ordered in a hushed voice.

   I stuffed the bread away and crawled towards one of the walls. While being wary of his surroundings, Wolf pulled out yet another knife. With two knives in hand, he glared steadily at the ceiling.

   I had gooseb.u.mps from the lingering tension in the air.

   Everything was silent. Only the howling gusts of wind and fluttering tree branches could be heard. But there was a constant thumping in my ear, ever increasing in loudness, getting faster and faster. It wouldn’t go away even when I shut my ears. Then I realised it was my own heartbeat, loud enough to be heard through my own rough breathing.

   I’m scared. I’m so scared. No… No more!

   Pathetic pleas and desperate whining filled my head. From the pirates raiding the s.h.i.+p to this, it’s been one predicament after another. I was at my limit.

“!”

   My fleeting consciousness picked up a soft sound.

   Wolf and I watched as a small nut rolled

onto the floor.

   *fuuu*

   We both let out a sigh of relief.

   At that moment, the doors and windows were blown off their hinges with a loud bang.

“Wah!?” I leaked a scream.

   The wooden door was obliterated by a force from outside, turning it into splinters that littered the floor. Without a moment to spare, yet another thin knife came flying in. Wolf was too slow to react and received a shallow cut, barely avoiding the knife. Soon after, he lost his footing.

   A man rushed through the opening and came inside the room. He gracefully landed, his hood and long coat fluttering in the wind.

   The man shortened the distance without a single wasteful movement and kicked away one of Wolf’s knives. Wolf tried slas.h.i.+ng with the other but the intruder avoided it by a hair’s breadth.

   Wolf was at a disadvantage so he took some steps back and retreated a safe distance.

“That getup… I think I’ve seen you on the s.h.i.+p before, or is it my imagination?” Wolf spat out. There was no answer.

   The intruder didn’t seem to be shaken, but instead it was me who was confused.

   What do you mean you saw him on the s.h.i.+p before?

   Was the intruder on the same s.h.i.+p as us?

   I caught a glimpse of the man in a corner of my memory. I felt like I had seen him

him somewhere before but my fuzzy head couldn’t make out anything.

   Perhaps he had always watched us… Or rather, aimed for us.

   But aim at who? Wolf or me?

   And why did he come for the kill now of all times?

   On the s.h.i.+p, Klaus was always with me, but even then I thought there were many chances to strike. Back when the pirates were attacking the s.h.i.+p, he could have just conveniently faked an accident.

   So why now?

   As I was contemplating my life, the fight continued.

   A larger knife swung against a darker, slender one. I had imagined that Wolf would have the upper hand for close combat, but it was regrettably an even fight.

   Wolf clicked his tongue in irritation and thrust his knife at the intruder’s face. But he only managed to snag the hood as the intruder evaded the attack and in turn grabbed Wolf’s arm. Wolf’s stomach then received a heavy knee kick.

“Kuh-!” A grunt escaped Wolf’s lips.

   The intruder twisted Wolf’s arm and knocked the knife out of his hand. He pushed Wolf down with ease and pressed his slender knife against Wolf’s neck.

“…”

   Checkmate. The fight was over.

   Wolf was a member of the Kua Clan, a clan of pharmacists, not a mercenary nor a knight. But since he survived the pirate onslaught, I didn’t consider him to be weak. However, he didn’t even scratch

even scratch the intruder, let alone disturb his breathing. Wolf was the one that fell in the end.

   Perhaps it wasn’t Wolf that was weak, but the intruder was too strong.

“You…”

“Don’t move.” The intruder shut Wolf up.

“Next move and I will kill.”

   ‘Kill.’ The word rang repeatedly in my head.

   My heart pounded like crazy and sweat flowed from my forehead down my cheeks.

Whwhat should I do? What do I have to do!?

   I didn’t want Wolf to be killed, but I didn’t want to die either.

   Against the overwhelmingly strong intruder, the only one who can move was just a frail little princess. How would we ever survive?

   Think! Think carefully. Don’t I have any trick up my sleeve?

   The intruder won’t kill Wolf right away.

   The same probably goes for me.

   In other words, he was probably here to gather information from both of us.

   Therefore if I gambled my life I would have a fifty-fifty chance of success.

   Looking around, I saw Wolf’s knife not far away from me. Would he notice if I reached for it?

   Or should I escape?

   But to play that hand I must be certain that I was the one the intruder was after. Otherwise, if I left by myself, Wolf might still be killed since it would hinder the chase to hunt me down.

   I couldn’t come up with any bright ideas and time was running out.

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was running out.

   If only I could create a distraction and give Wolf some opportunity…

“And you there, please behave yourself too.”

   My escape plan was easily seen through.

   I slowly raised my face after he called me out.

   The intruder removed his hood and revealed his l.u.s.trous black hair. Red piercing eyes and long eyelashes decorated his face. Was it because of the eyes? He certainly looked like a sleepy cat.

   That cold and calm expression of his contradicted the situation we were in, where even the slightest mistake would cost someone their life. A male voice repeatedly muttered in my head as I stared at his appearance.

‘So tired~.’

   With those sleepy eyes and that drowsy look on his face, it was a habit of his to always groan those words out loud.

   The figure in front of me and that of my memories were one and the same.

“…Crowe?”

“!?”

   The intruder’s eyes widened at the name I unconsciously uttered.

   Wolf didn’t miss the chance to counterattack. He swiftly grabbed the intruder’s arm and pulled it in for a headb.u.t.t.

“Take this!”

“Kuh!”

   The agonising cry stopped short and the knife slid down his hand. Wolf grabbed the knife and forced the intruder down on the floor. Wolf stared down the enemy from the top, pressing the knife against his throat.

“The tables have turned, eh?”

   Wolf laughed as he spat out a broken tooth.