How the Villainous Consort Avoids His Death Ending - Chapter 97.2
When I looked again, the enemy ships had grown farther away, yet the movement of the second ship was unsettling. Even taking into account that the wind was not blowing properly, it was excessively sluggish. A chill of fear ran through me, and I looked toward Tristan.
Wooden fragments were still embedded in the back beneath his black cloak. They were somehow serving as a makeshift means of stopping the bleeding, but the moment they were pulled out, an enormous amount of blood would surely pour forth.
Even so, the enemy ships surrounding the flagship were already preparing to throw their grappling hooks. If things continued like this and the pirates, no, Count Dearsby’s privateer crew swarmed aboard, it was obvious they would focus their attacks on Tristan.
I clenched my fists tightly and shouted in haste.
“ Your Grace. The situation is unfavorable right now. We must lower the lifeboat and escape from here!”
“ ……”
I had not expected Tristan to answer. There was no way he would agree to abandoning the flagship and the fleet to flee.
But whether it was the second ship or the third, there were no remaining troops capable of supporting close combat. If this continued, not only Tristan but the entire fleet would be annihilated.
“All hands, prepare for close combat!”
As if he had not heard my words at all, Tristan issued his command to the knights and sailors. At that moment, grappling hooks shot out from the three enemy ships encircling the flagship. The two pirate ships still approaching us also seemed to have cannonballs remaining, as they fired sporadic shots that threatened us.
“And, Mildred.”
The moment he finished giving the brief order, Tristan sharply turned around. Sir Mildred, who had been standing stiffly in place, flinched and snapped his heels together.
“Your Grace?”
“Find Johannes and Gehardt, who went down to the cabins. Escort the Grand Consort and the Crown Prince’s heir immediately and move to the third ship.”
“Pardon?”
A bewildered voice slipped out at the unexpected command. But Sir Mildred seemed to reach a decision, hurriedly saluted, and approached me.
“Please forgive my discourtesy, Grand Consort.”
“Huh…?”
He lifted me straight into his arms. What was this? What was even happening right now.
“Your Grace? Tristan? What is this supposed to…?”
After that, I had no time to grasp what was happening.
When I came to my senses, Sir Mildred was already running with his back to Tristan. In the distance, Gehardt and Johannes were in the midst of lowering a lifeboat, each carrying Constantine in their arms.
The startled child struggled and screamed, but no one looked back. Dozens of grappling hooks thrown from the enemy ships had already caught onto the railings. The deck was plunged into utter chaos as privateer crewmen climbed up the hull and knights fought them off, while a few pirates who leapt onto the deck were shoved back.
In the meantime, the lifeboat was safely lowered beneath the shattered stern. Sir Mildred, carrying me, jumped down first. Johannes descended next along the rope, and then Gehardt arrived, holding Constantine under one arm, causing the lifeboat to wobble for a moment. Gehardt quickly steadied it with practiced hands, and the lifeboat began to cut through the water as it slowly moved toward the third ship.
Though a fierce melee was underway, the enemy could not carry out precise bombardment capable of striking such a small boat. Even as the pirates clearly saw us escaping, they hesitated to jump into the lifeboat, perhaps because three skilled knights were guarding it, and also because the boat was so small that it would surely capsize if even a few more people boarded.
Because of that, transferring to the third ship was not particularly difficult. But still.
“ ristan… Tristan!”
Then what about Tristan, who remained on the flagship?
Why were Constantine and I being sent away?
“Grand Consort, the ship may rock. Please do not move and hold on tightly.”
“But, Sir Mildred. Tristan is still there… Tristan, when will he come down? The flagship does not seem like it will hold for long…”
“Unca… where did Uncle go? Where are we going?”
“Gehardt, Johannes. Hurry. Row, now!”
“Sir Mildred, please wait just a moment…”
No one answered me. Johannes moved his arms in silence, and Gehardt had completely turned his head away from me.
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