How the Villainous Consort Avoids His Death Ending

In the end, I squeezed my eyes shut and held back a sigh. I had only been struggling in every way I could to avoid a gruesome death ending, yet at some point, life had begun to flow in such a strangely twisted direction.

❖ ❖ ❖

The stars spread across the night sky, glowing faintly. The waves, which had occasionally grown rough, had also calmed, making the night unusually quiet and peaceful.

The voyage had continued smoothly for several weeks. The sailors were at ease, and the navigator surveyed the horizon with practiced familiarity. It was only the second time we had taken this new route to the Eastern Continent. Unlike the previous journey, when everyone had feared the unfamiliar waters, everything now felt stable.

But misfortune always strikes when one least expects it.

“Dark clouds are moving in. Their speed is not normal!”

The lookout stationed in the watchtower suddenly shouted sharply. His tearing cry echoed across the once quiet deck. In an instant, the relaxed expressions of the sailors turned tense.

Startled, I looked up into the sky and saw dark, ink colored clouds rising far to the north. They were rapidly swallowing the sky in real time. Low thunder rumbled and shook the distant sea.

Tristan pulled me close by the shoulder and urged me urgently.

“Ruellin, go down to the cabin.”

“Your Grace…”

“I will remain on deck.”

Tristan was the admiral, and it was only natural for him to take full command when facing a storm. He had held the bow of the ship in the same way during the last such incident.

Even knowing that, my feet would not move. I kept glancing back, hesitating again and again.

Before I could even make it below deck, the situation changed drastically. Violent winds began lashing the masts. Torrential rain poured down mercilessly, sweeping across the deck. From the pitch black sea, enormous waves rose and surged as if they would swallow the entire fleet.

“Lower the sails! Everyone, hold the ropes tight! Turn the ship diagonally and brace!”

Tristan’s calm commands cut through the driving rain. Though soaked from head to toe and pale faced, his eyes showed no sign of wavering as he directed the fleet. Even so, the deck grew increasingly chaotic.

Towering waves struck the ships one after another. The entire vessel rocked violently, as if it might capsize at any moment. I clung desperately to the railing, but my body kept lurching.

A sudden surge of water slammed into the side of the ship. The sound of the mast splitting rang out with terrifying clarity.

“The mast… the mast has broken!”

I barely managed to swallow the scream that almost burst from my mouth. The sailors were completely panicked. Some collapsed while clutching the sails, their faces filled with despair. My own heart grew heavy in an instant.

Yet Tristan alone remained resolute, his gaze fixed forward as he continued issuing commands.

“The storm will soon retreat. It will not be long. Stay calm! Everyone, hold your positions.”

Time passed as slowly as eternity.

I could not tell how much time had gone by. At last, the storm began to ease little by little. The rain weakened, and the waves gradually lost their strength.

I lay sprawled on the deck, gasping for breath as I stared up at the sky. Tristan stood beside me, gazing beyond the sea.

A weak voice slipped out of me without thinking.

“It seems it is finally over.”

“Yes. You did well, Grand Consort.”

“Me? That is a joke…”

This time, all I had done was stumble and roll around. I let out a faint laugh and waved my hand weakly. Tristan’s lips curved slightly upward. I stared blankly at the small smile lingering at the corner of his mouth, then suddenly came back to my senses.

It did not take long to realize that something around us felt wrong.

“Your Grace?”

“……”

Tristan slowly scanned the surroundings with a hardened expression. The sailors who turned to look at us had unease flickering in their eyes.

I pushed myself upright and steadied my breathing, following his gaze. A strange sense of discomfort crept coldly along the back of my neck.

At last, Tristan’s low voice fell heavily.

“The Sea of Death.”

That was the source of the unease. The sea breeze that had once softly brushed my cheeks had vanished completely, without the slightest movement.

Driven by the storm, we had been pushed into the Sea of Death. That is to say, we were trapped in a windless zone.