How the Villainous Consort Avoids His Death Ending - Chapter 20.1
❖ ❖ ❖
The fleet departed from the harbor that night, breaking through the frozen sea surface. Unfortunately, the weather could not have been worse.
A fierce storm swept across the sea, shaking the ship violently. From the sky covered in thick, dark clouds, rain mixed with ice powder poured down in torrents. The cold wind cut against the skin like sharp blades.
“Hurry back to the cabin, Ruellin!”
I nodded quickly to Tristan’s urgent shout and ran to take cover. Behind me, his voice roared through the storm.
“Pull the sails! Secure all the ropes! We have to balance the ship!”
The sailors stumbled and collided with each other as they moved desperately in the rain. I nearly slipped on the wet deck but managed to reach the cabin, gasping for air.
“Ugh… urgh…”
The night sea roared savagely, as if ready to swallow the ship whole. My stomach twisted under the violent rocking, and nausea surged up my throat. Sour bile filled my mouth as cold sweat streamed down my forehead.
Rumble— Crash—!
Another thunderous boom split my ears. My whole body trembled uncontrollably. Then suddenly, I thought of young Constantine. If even I was this frightened, the child must have been terrified.
‘I should have checked on Constantine first…’
Clicking my tongue, I forced myself up.
“Your Highness, are you alright?”
But when I reached the child’s cabin, it was empty. Each time lightning flashed, the vacant space stood out more clearly.
A bad feeling surged through me, and I rushed inside, searching every corner.
Constantine was nowhere to be found. Only the blanket he had been using lay crumpled on the bed. Another thunderous crash came from outside, and the whole ship lurched violently.
“…Constantine?”
The boy was clearly not there. My heart began to pound wildly.
“Constantine!”
I stumbled through the shaking corridor and burst out onto the deck. The moment I set foot outside, a massive wave slammed into the side of the ship.
“Uaaah!”
“Arghhhh!”
With a heavy impact, the ship tilted, losing its balance for a moment.
Everything on deck slid away with the wave’s force. I barely clung to the railing, gritting my teeth as the storm howled around me. Screams and shouts tore through the darkness.
When the ship finally steadied, I heard a faint, almost broken cry between the thunder and rain.
“Waaah…!”
The rain and wind made it nearly impossible to see, but as I ran toward the sound, I spotted a small figure clinging to the railing at the stern.
It was Constantine, trembling as he barely managed to hold on.
My heart dropped at the sight. He must have been heading to the cabin when the storm hit, only to be swept toward the edge by wind and waves.
“Constantine! Hold on tight! Don’t let go!”
His small body hung over the raging, pitch-dark sea, swinging helplessly. If his little hands slipped, the black waves would swallow him whole. Terror and despair filled his wide eyes.
He screamed toward me.
“Your Grace, help me! I’m scared— I’m so scared—!”
There was not a single glimmer of starlight in the darkness around us. I stretched out my hand through the storm toward him. His small, freezing fingers grasped mine desperately.
“Constantine, hold on tight. You have to climb up, now!”
“Hic… D-don’t let go.”
“I won’t, I promise. You can do it. That’s it!”
Using all my strength, I pulled him up over the railing. At last, the pale-faced boy made it over the edge, and together we tumbled onto the deck, unable to resist the force of the storm.
Gripping the railing nearby, I managed to lift myself, but my limbs suddenly went weak. My vision spun for a brief moment.
“Urgh… hff…”
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
