How the Villainous Consort Avoids His Death Ending

“The flagship isn’t very large. There isn’t enough space to give you a private cabin.”

Tristan avoided my gaze, staring awkwardly into the air. Well, it made sense. There was no way a ship this small could have multiple private cabins. I had heard there was one spare room, but it would likely go to Constantine.

Of course, I couldn’t insist on having priority over the Crown Prince’s son. Resigned, I suggested an alternative.

“I don’t mind living with the crew. I was the one who volunteered to come along anyway.”

“The sailors sleep on hammocks strung up on deck or in the storage rooms. You’ve barely recovered. Can you live like that?”

“I’m not picky about where I sleep. I’m not a child.”

In my previous life, before I debuted as an actor, I had gone through all sorts of hardships. I even served in the military, so living communally with sailors wouldn’t be anything new.

I added casually, “Don’t think of me as the Grand Consort. Just consider me another sailor.”

“Can you even do a sailor’s work?”

“Of course, I can—”

I stopped mid-sentence. In my old life, when I was healthy and fit, that would have been true. But this body…

‘System. What’s my current stamina? Has it recovered a bit?’

I asked just to check, curious how much I’d improved since the antidote incident that had brought my stamina down to zero. I wasn’t expecting much, though.

[Checking the status window of your character, ‘Ruellin del Elsworth.’]
Name: Ruellin del Elsworth (20 years old)
Stats:
Stamina 4 (Recovering)
Agility 6 (Recovering)
Strength 3 (Recovering)
……..

I was right not to expect much. I muttered gloomily, “That might be difficult.”

“So, you want to be treated the same as the sailors despite being unable to do their work?”

“…”

When he put it that way, I had no argument. Sailor work was heavy labor, and if I pushed myself recklessly in this condition, I might really end up dying at sea.

In the end, I had no choice but to give up. I stuffed my belongings into a corner of the cabin and lowered my head, trudging out toward the deck.

“Set sail—!”

When I looked out over the wide sea, a cry came from the lookout announcing our departure.

The sailors hauled the ropes in unison, raising the anchor. The sails swelled white under the sunlight, filled with wind. Seven ships glided out of the harbor in a line.

Holding onto the railing, I took a deep breath as I watched. It was finally happening—the exhilarating moment of departure, just as planned.

At that moment, Tristan quietly stepped up beside me. The sea breeze ruffled his hair, revealing his clean forehead. I found myself glancing at him before snapping back to reality.

One thought filled my mind.

In short… from now on, I had to share a cabin with Tristan.

How on earth was I supposed to sleep tonight?

After all… that had happened before.

❖ ❖ ❖

There was a reason I had pushed for trade with the northern continent.

The <Instant Death Ending> event had been halted, and Tristan’s affection level still hadn’t dropped into the negatives. The System kept lagging, so I couldn’t tell the exact number.

Due to extreme volatility, the Grand Duke Tristan’s affection level cannot be measured!

Every time I tried to check, the System would respond like that. It honestly felt even more broken since the last upgrade.

At least for now, it seemed I didn’t have to worry about my neck. But people’s feelings could change anytime, and before the Grand Consort from the original story appeared, it would be best for me to step down.

I had been planning to bring up divorce soon, but there was one issue—I had no means to support myself.

If it came to paying alimony, Tristan would rather keep me around forever. My adoptive father, who had always treated Ruellin as a tool, would never welcome me back now that I’d abandoned my role as a spy.

That meant I had to secure not only my retirement funds but also the means to survive on my own.