"…"Aquila kept silent at Noce’s words.But her gaze, lowered, sank dark and deep.It was an injury it wouldn’t be strange to die from. Waking up is a miracle.She’d been shot a couple of times in the course of assassin work. But the bullet she took that day felt different from those times. In an instant her limbs locked, hideous pain flooded her whole body, and heat boiled up.Like I’d been poisoned.Turning it over again, she could tell. It wasn’t this man who had done something to her body.The gun she was hit with then was the culprit.A weapon developed in secret? This is a bad sign.It was chilling enough that there was a traitor among her comrades; on top of that, that person had a dangerous weapon unknown to the royal family. She needed to get word to her comrades—to Crown Prince Joshua—at once…Not like this…Aquila clenched her teeth at the blunt ache that flared just from putting a little strength into her arm. Even so, she forced herself to lift her head. And she met the golden eyes looking down at her.Worst situation, worst condition—and… the worst pirate.Her dry lips parted.“Why did you save me?”“Why would you think I’d let you die?”He set the pipe he was holding down on the nightstand. Then he wrapped both hands around her waist and yanked her in.With a whoosh, he came close; her figure filled his eyes whole.“Because you’re mine now, young lady.”“…So then, why did you…?”“We made a promise.”His breath skimmed her profile, and he dipped his head and murmured at her ear.“That all the treasure on that ship would be mine.”“…? What does that have to do with—”“So I took it.”His big fingers slid up over the bandaged small of her back, burrowing into the white hair.At the prickling sensation, Aquila stopped breathing for a beat. Feeling her go a little stiff, he gave a low laugh and drew her in deeper.“The treasure.”For a second, even with both ears hearing it, Aquila didn’t understand.“…Don’t tell me—you mean me?”“Yeah.”“Why am I treasure…?”“Because on that ship, I wanted you most.”“…”What on earth is this?At most she’d expected to hear she was an amusing toy, something taken on a whim to make sport of. She had never imagined hearing that line from Noce Mostro’s mouth.Aquila’s face went steadily pale.And when her rigid reaction dragged on, Noce lifted his head a little.Seeing her looking profoundly creeped out, he knit his brows.“What kind of reaction is that?”“No, it’s just…”Anyone would be like this if the Devil of the Sea called them “my treasure.” Still unable to shake off the shock and string words together, she got a flat stare from Noce.“Doesn’t your heart flutter? Doesn’t it start pounding and all that?”“M—my heart rate did go up a little…”“Yeah?”His look of displeasure melted away; satisfied, he smiled and pressed his nose to the nape of her neck.The hotter his breath touched her collarbone, the more the light drained from Aquila’s eyes.Is this… some new torture that’s trendy among pirates these days?If it wasn’t, there was no making sense of this behavior.But Aquila, who was effectively defenseless right now, didn’t want to sour his mood again. Since the ambush had failed, she would play to his mood as much as possible and pull information out.“Uh… anyway, thank you for saving me…”“If you’re grateful, then stop trying to run.”Sssk. All at once his hand went for the back of her shoulder. Caught off guard by the eased mood, Aquila sucked in a breath.“I can chalk it up to you being too rattled the moment you opened your eyes…”His hand tapped right above the thickest part of the bandaging—the wound that had gone clean through.“But it’d be sad if you finally lived and then died again. Hm?”“…”She couldn’t see over her shoulder, but she could feel a stare like a blade at the back of her head.Light tone, but a warning that was anything but light. Cold sweat slid down Aquila’s spine.So the treasure talk was a joke after all.He wasn’t holding a weapon, but it would be no trouble at all to rip open a barely knit wound.A miracle had dragged her back, but the threat said she could die anytime. That was how Aquila took his words.The next escape attempt has to be careful.She steadied her breathing and managed to answer.“…As you can see, I don’t have the strength. And I doubt I’d be a match for you anyway.”“Good girl.”He laughed low and kissed the nape of her neck.“You don’t have to worry about dying. I can keep you hovering at the level of subsisting.”“Subsisting… Not a cure?”Forcing herself to ignore the ticklish sensation, Aquila asked. If she was going to escape, this wretched condition had to get better first. And the only person who could help with that was the man in front of her.“Hm…”Instead of answering right away, Noce eased back from her a little. He picked the pipe back up.One arm around a woman with his front gaping open, the other hand lighting tobacco—he exuded a lazy, lulling seductiveness. If most women saw him, they might flush red.But what held Aquila’s focus wasn’t his solid muscle or shoulder blades; it was his lips, from which thin, whitish smoke unfurled.Sensing that blatant stare, Noce curved his mouth in a strange smile, then spoke slowly.“Even with how long I’ve lived on this sea, it’s a toxin reaction I’ve never seen. Humans, I swear—real good at making entertaining things.”He spoke as if he weren’t human.Self-awareness in spades, huh.The man before her was a monster—or a demon.Without noticing the thought behind Aquila’s even expression, Noce went on.“I’m slowing the progression by unfair means, but a complete antidote is impossible. A doctor inland would say the same. Of course, you’re more likely to die before you even make it inland.”It was only the assertion of a pirate captain—no doctor or apothecary. Even so, Aquila’s chest dropped like she’d been sentenced to death.…Calm down. You’re still alive. You can still try anything. For now…Without showing her agitation, she asked, steady:“May I ask how you’re slowing the progression?”At that, he flicked the ash from the long stem and set the pipe down. Then all at once he pulled at the back of her neck.Their lips were about to come together so naturally when she wedged a palm between them.“What are you doing?”“You asked how I’m treating you.”“What does that have to do with this—”In that instant, as if something clicked, Aquila’s eyes trembled—just a little. Head still tilted right before her nose, his golden eyes curved gently.“My bodily fluids have a healing effect.”“Bodily fluids…?”“Mm. The bodily fluids you’re thinking of.”Smack. He nuzzled her palm with his lips and then slipped the tip of his tongue out and licked. At the rough, wet feel, Aquila startled and dropped her hand.“You were out cold, so feeding you was quite a hassle.”He lazily smiled, licking his own lips for her to see.“You drink well, young lady.”In that instant, Aquila’s body moved before her mind could think.Snap…!Noce caught the fist aimed straight for his face, easily, and blocked it, smile unbroken.“A few kisses and you can move this much—convenient ability, isn’t it?”“Don’t spout impossible nonsense…!”“It isn’t nonsense. It’s fact.”As she tried to clench her fist again, he simply wrapped her up. With his other hand he felt along her shoulder.“Otherwise there’s no way this wound would have healed in just three days.”She froze. Aquila’s breath hitched.Three days?She’d thought at least a week had gone by. Only three days?…Come to think of it, I’m not that hungry.If she’d been out for long, hunger the moment she woke would’ve been normal.Unbelievable, but a few pieces fell into place, and confusion loosened her fist. Only then did Noce release her wrist and add:“Well, the only thing healed is the external trauma.”“…”“You shouldn’t push yourself. If the poison flares, you’ll collapse again like before.”Aquila didn’t answer; she stared straight at him.He met that look without a flicker. Alien gold and lustrous red tangled in the air.“…Is this an ability?”“Right.”His golden eyes curved slyly, and Aquila swallowed a hum.I’d heard there are, now and then, those among the non-humans who have abilities…On this ship where every sailor was beastfolk or otherwise non-human, it wasn’t surprising that the captain was the same. But only now finding out he even possessed a rarely seen ability—that was surprising.If even Aquila, who worked under the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Leandro, hadn’t known, then likely no one inland knew this.In other words, it was without question tremendous intelligence, and yet…Who would believe it.It doesn’t fit. God, it doesn’t fit at all.The Mostro Family’s captain, Noce Mostro, has a healing ability?Isn’t that far too altruistic a power for a man like this to have…?

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