How the Villainous Consort Avoids His Death Ending - Chapter 25.1
“By the way, Grand Duke, what is a privateering fleet?”
Constantine, who had been clapping his hands in excitement, whispered this while avoiding Tristan’s gaze. He must have wanted to act knowledgeable in front of his uncle. Now that he was finally a little more relaxed, I bent slightly and whispered into Constantine’s ear.
“It is a fleet that has the right to attack foreign fleets. It is technically a civilian fleet, but it serves the role of the imperial fleet.”
The nations in this world had not yet developed a fully organized naval system. This was true not only for the Rubyere Empire and the allied nations of the northern continent, but even for the Sar Empire of the eastern continent, the most advanced of all.
The age of a formal navy, wherein warships were built and fleets operated consistently in times of both war and peace, had not yet arrived. This was the reason pirates ran rampant and why Hezekia’s fleet had been acting as a mercenary fleet, taking requests to subdue them.
Other noble families or guilds sometimes operated their own civilian ships. Among them, the largest and most exceptional fleet was the Dearsby Fleet, which had originated from pirates.
The imperial family allowed the Dearsby Fleet to use the Empire’s name and called them a privateering fleet, in exchange for allowing them to raid foreign ships and paying taxes to the imperial household. In other words, they were a pirate group sanctioned by the Empire. Their targets were limited to foreign nations such as those in the northern continent or the eastern empire.
Based on the vast wealth they had accumulated through privateering, the pirate Dearsby had won the Emperor’s favor. The Emperor cherished his own consort so much that he gave her to Dearsby as a nominal wife, granting him the title of Imperial Count in return.
Of course, Countess Leander Dearsby mainly lived in the Imperial Palace, remained the Emperor’s consort, and was the hidden power within the palace. Officially, however, she was also the wife of Count Dearsby. The Dearsby privateering fleet had always been the backing force supporting the Second Prince Everett.
To run into that fleet here of all places. My heart felt like it was sinking. I tapped the ship’s railing lightly with my toes for no reason and awkwardly averted my gaze.
But then an even bigger problem followed. Tristan, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke.
“It seems Everett personally set out on this voyage.”
“What? E, Everett?”
Why was Everett here? Startled, I stuttered without meaning to. Tristan seemed not to hear me at all.
His sharp eyes were fixed on the flagship of the privateering fleet as if piercing through it. I followed his gaze.
A tall man stood proudly at the prow of the flagship.
The man’s thick, dark brown hair fluttered in the sea wind. Thanks to his slightly upturned lips and the gentle smile on his face, his impression appeared mild at first glance.
However, in the cold sharpness of his fierce, upturned eyes, there was a chill. He gave off an atmosphere like a blade honed to a deadly edge, as if he could turn cruel at any moment.
The privateering fleet glided gracefully as it passed before our ship. When the distance between the ships grew close enough to touch with one’s feet, Everett slowly turned his head, as if sensing someone watching him.
The moment our eyes met, a cold tension ran down my spine.
Everett slowly curled his thin lips. The expression on his face resembled a predator that had spotted its prey.
“Look who it is, Ruel. You have become even more beautiful since I last saw you.”
His chilling gaze swept slowly up and down my body. It was an arrogant and piercing look, as if dealing with a cheap toy.
“It has been quite a while since I last heard from you. Why so indifferent. Did I do something to disappoint you?”
His tone was shameless, as if addressing a lover while standing in front of my own husband.
From my perspective, it was nothing but absurd.
I was not the original Ruellin, and for someone like me who had only recently transmigrated into this body, Everett was neither an unforgettable former lover nor a master to whom I had pledged loyalty.
Everett pretended to be friendly, but the gaze he directed toward me contained contempt and disgust. Being treated as worth less than a pebble on the roadside was enough to make my mood sour.
That was when the system window suddenly appeared with a cheerful chime.
[Checking the status window of Everett van de Rubyere, the main villain of Chronicles of the Sword.] Name: Everett van de Rubyere (26 years old) Position: Second Prince of the Rubyere Empire, Minor Count of Dearsby Epithets: “The Empire’s Bastard”, “Blood of the Pirate”, “The Witch’s Lover”, “The Crimson Prince” Abilities:
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