***
Two Sides of a Coin (3)
***
He listened to her silently, stood up, and reached out to her.
‘Does this mean that he’s going to help me?’
She stared at his hand for a long time, not knowing if she should take it.
Suddenly, Ian Kerner opened his mouth.
“I’m not offended”.
“Then…?”
“I was perplexed.”
“Why?”
Ian didn’t elaborate and shut his mouth. She didn’t pry either. She gave up on being a desperate woman a long time ago, so it wasn’t good to bother him too much. It was better to make him angry rather than sick of her.
So when he answered unexpectedly, she was dazed, like a fool.
“…I thought you might be right.”
“…?”
“We may have similarities.”
Of course, she had spouted that nonsense to him. But that was never what she meant.
‘How can Ian Kerrner and I be the same?’
She didn’t even know if it was truly his voice that said it or an auditory hallucination.
‘What on Earth should I say?’
Her inner self urged her to sit quietly.
“Let’s go.”
“Where?”
“You have to get dressed. Your dinner party is waiting for you.”
“So you have to go out so I can get changed…”
Ian pulled her out of the tub without waiting for her approval. This time he didn’t pull her chain or hold her hand. An unfamiliar warmth wrapped around her waist. In a moment, she was lifted by him, though it wasn’t a very romantic move. It felt like she was a wounded soldier on the battlefield, being carried to safety. He opened the bathroom door with her slung over his shoulder.
“You don’t have to do this! What’s wrong with you? If you let the crew in-“
“How can I trust you? You have to take off your handcuffs when you get dressed.”
He responded as if she asked something obvious. Her mouth fell open, shocked by the obscurity.
“So it’s not possible.”
“What are you going to do now?”
“I will have to keep an eye on you while you’re getting dressed.”
She snorted. It was funny that he called five crew members useless.
“Put Henry at the door.”
“…I can’t trust Henry anymore.”
She struck him on the back with her handcuffed hands and kicked her legs in a meaningless rebellion. However, Ian Kerner did not budge, and the more she struggled, the less strength she had.
“I knew I was too easy on you.”
When? He didn’t let her take off her handcuffs when she was taking a bath.
“I should have trusted your record a little more. ‘Good at deception, placation, and persuasion. Is intelligent and has excellent speaking skills. Be careful while interviewing. High possibility of getting caught up or persuaded by conversation.’ I guess I didn’t pay enough attention even after reading it. Maybe you really are a witch.”
“How many times do I have to say it? I was tested… ”
She stopped struggling and took a deep breath. Ian abruptly stopped walking. His long shadow was cast on the red carpet in the hallway.
“People call women they fear witches.”
“…”
“You saved Layla Reville, Captain Alex Reville, the sailors, Henry Reville… I am the only one on this ship whose heart is not weakened by you.”
It didn’t matter. She was on guard around him, and no matter what other people thought, it wouldn’t change. He was holding the key.
“So are you afraid of me? You’re afraid I’ll escape?”
“Yes. I’m afraid of you.”
Before she could ask why, he opened another door and threw her on a bed. She grabbed a fluffy blanket to cover herself, reflecting on his words.
‘Is this another way high-ranking people speak? Twisting my words to attack me?’
If so, she was a complete failure. Because she really didn’t understand what he was talking about.
-We may have some similarities.
-I’m afraid of you.
What was wrong with Ian Kerner? It was him who had the key.
He was a guard, and she was his prisoner. He was definitely the one to be afraid of.
“Rosen! I brought a dress!”
“Necklace and shoes, too!”
Five crew members rushed in at once and surrounded her, so her thoughts were cut off. Ian took out a key, released her handcuffs, and left the cabin casually. While the crew was making a fuss and dressing up her body, she stared at him, who was standing like a guard in the doorway.
Ian blew smoke into the air after taking a puff from his cigarette. At first glance, his figure was as tall and straight as a statue, but…
For a hero of war returning home draped in gold, his figure looked lonely.
***
Ian Kerner suddenly felt anxious. The reason for his anxiety was unknown, which made him even more anxious.
He sent trusted crew members to wash a guilty convict. There was nothing that could cause a problem. He didn’t release the handcuffs on her wrists, and Rosen Haworth was neither military-trained nor a witch capable of sorcery.
Was he afraid she’d knock the crew down and make a boat out of soap and escape?
Didn’t he touch Rosen Howarth’s arm himself?
Her arms were skinny and made up of skin and bone. It may be because she was chained for a long time, but she didn’t have a body that could form strong muscles.
Even considering the worst scenario, there was no need to worry. He thought she might try to run away in the short time it took to wash and dress her, so he sent Henry. In addition, they were sailing on a sea infested with beasts. Where would she go if she escaped?
He began to pace around his room again. Why did he get nervous?
Because of Alex Reville?
He was definitely showing excessive favor to the prisoner, but Alex wasn’t acting outside of common sense at all. A captain was the Emperor of his ship, and the unwritten rule of sailors was that they never disclose what happened at sea. Moreover, this was payment for saving his granddaughter. Even if it was known to passengers, it would not be a problem.
Was it because of Layla?
She was a little shaken up, but she was fine. The doctor praised Rosen Howarth until his throat dried up.
Rosen Howarth?
She really only saved Lyla. Henry unchained her at will, but she did not make a fuss or try to escape by holding the child hostage. Rather than asking for excessive compensation, she calmly held out her wrists so she could be handcuffed again.
So, in the end, he made himself uneasy. He stared at the desk, cluttered with papers.
There was a notebook among the official documents, decorated in a familiar typeface font.
It was a crude scrapbook that contained articles cut from newspapers. Ian picked up a notebook that was lying on the edge of the desk. He ordered it to be burnt, but it was still there. There was likely a miscommunication.
‘I saved…’
***
[T/N: The last part T_T I’m not crying. This story is so beautiful :’)]