CH 60

Rosen reached out her hand. For some reason, Henry meekly lowered his head and moved into her arm’s reach. She gently stroked Henry’s hair, the same color as Layla’s.

“You make a good case, but I know you can’t do that. Thank you, though.”

“Why are you stroking my hair?”

Henry knew. He could never let her go.

He was a soldier who could not betray his superiors, and no matter how much affection he gave her, Ian Kerner would always be above him. He couldn’t stand the situation.

“You’re pretty nice, unlike my first impression.”

“D*mn, you’re a piece of sh!t.”

His voice was weepy. 

Rosen suddenly felt sorry for Henry. She was not in a position to sympathize with anyone. She should be worrying about herself now. 

“Come to think of it, it wasn’t just because of Layla. I hated seeing you die like this. I didn’t know, but it seems like you’ve always been hated. And I was one of those people… ”

“…”

“They can’t force me to kill you. I won’t.”

But when she saw him shedding tears like that, and hearing him say that he mustered up the courage to set her free, she wondered if it was okay to forgive Henry, even if he didn’t know everything about the world that tormented her.

It seemed that her mind had become a little more relaxed because she had the power of magic. To the point where she could now look down at him, who had been glaring at her all along. Henry no longer seemed like her jailer, but rather a poor child who was forced to board a fighter jet.

It was a bit of a metaphor, but it felt like the first time Rosen bested Hindley Haworth. The moment when an opponent who seemed impossible to beat became infinitely smaller.

“Rosen, the Sir Kerner I know would never act like this… But just once, throw away all your strange tricks to meet him and cling to him with all your heart. Sir Kerner seems a little crazy. In my opinion… I think he likes you.”

“…”

“Am I right?”

“Henry, what time is it?”

Rosen interrupted Henry and asked. The faint smell of alcohol had been emanating from him. Henry might have gotten used to her behavior, since this time he didn’t criticize her for saying something that spoiled the mood. Without saying a word, he rummaged through his pockets to find a watch.

“Have you been drinking? You smell like alcohol.”

“Oh, yes. Why?”

“It’s a bad thing to do while on duty. Did everyone else on deck drink too?”

“Everyone has drank unless they’re homicidal maniacs. No matter who you are, how can you drown a woman in the sea sober?”

It was disgusting. 

However, Henry decided to admit that he drank. A sick child, a weak-hearted child. How did he manage when he saw so much blood during the war and became frozen at the sight of death?

“Did Sir Kerner drink?”

“I don’t know. He has been imprisoned. He is not the kind of person to be like that, but since they threw you into the sea, he might have drank it.”

“I hope so.”

‘Can magic make people sleep?’

Rosen tried muttering ‘go to sleep’ about ten times while watching Henry, but the magic was too difficult, so it didn’t work. 

She would be fine if he fell asleep.

Fortunately, she didn’t have to worry about what kind of magic to use on Henry.

“But why…?”

Henry took a few more steps and collapsed to the floor before he could finish his sentence. The effect of sleeping powder had finally manifested. Rosen caught him so he didn’t hit his head on the hard floor.

The marine beast jumped out of the shadows and licked Henry’s cheek. Soon it crawled to his belt and bit off his gun and watch.

‘Poor guy.’

After she successfully escaped, he would be in trouble along with Ian Kerner. Maybe even demoted. But since he was from a prestigious family, he’d live well regardless. What she was worried about was the trauma he suffered from…

Rosen whispered in Henry’s ear. 

He couldn’t hear it, but she wanted to tell him.

“You are not responsible. Do not suffer. You were young then. It was unavoidable. Of course, you did wrong to me… ”

“…”

“Let’s just say we’re even.”

Rosen stroked Henry’s head once. It was embarrassing and creepy, but she kissed him on the forehead. There was a saying that whoever was kissed by a witch would not drown in the sea. Maybe she survived the winter sea because she was kissed by Emily.

Henry used to be a pilot, and now that his affiliation had changed, he was a Navy man who could easily fall into the sea. If the story was true, Rosen felt like this would help.

“But now that I’m old, I want you to grow up.”

Walpurg only loved girls, so she was not sure the blessing would work. There was a high possibility that it was one of many foundless rumors about witches…

But she still hoped Henry would be okay.

In the meantime, the marine beast urged Rosen to go quickly. Rosen took Henry’s pistol and watch. Ian had a pistol, so she might as well have one. If Henry’s words were true, he was locked up in the engine room, but there could always be another nasty surprise waiting for her.

Rosen moved toward the stairs leading to the deck.

As expected, people were strewn about the deck. The ship was eerily quiet. She did not avoid the broken glass, but stepped forward onto it. She was carelessly hopeful.

Maybe Ian Kerner had been drinking in the meantime and was asleep in the engine room.

[Rosen Walker! 

She was, in fact, a real witch! 

After the ship was stopped by magic and everyone was asleep, she escaped again! 

War hero Ian Kerner was also helpless to the sudden magic…]

It seemed like a good article. 

What a perfect story.

It would be a perfect excuse for Ian Kerner; that he didn’t know she was a witch and was tricked.

Of course, high-ranking people have no flexibility, and even if they had no choice, Ian was her prison guard, so it would be difficult to avoid being reprimanded. But unless the government and the military went crazy, they wouldn’t shoot Ian just because they lost her. They would have to spend the next ten years spreading propaganda.

Then Ian Kerner would be fine.

Continuing her thoughts, Rosen suddenly remembered an important fact.

‘Sh!t!’ 

Come to think of it, he already made a mistake. He jumped into the sea in front of everyone and rescued her.

Still, would they blame him for risking his life on a mission? People loved him as much as they hated her. That much could easily be forgiven. 

How much did Ian sacrifice for the Empire?

The beast who had been walking ahead turned around and stared at her. It was certain that it had intelligence as well. Its grape-like eyes glared at her as if it had noticed her mind strife with worries about him.

“What, why?!”

“…”

“I will run away! I’m not a fool. Why would I hold back because of my feelings? How else would I have gotten to this point unless I was a little crazy?”

She had no idea, but it seemed like the beast was getting angry. Rosen held out the pistol that was tightly gripped in her hand.

“I would shoot Ian Kerner to death if he got in the way of my escape. But still, the aftermath is a little worrying. He’s weaker than he looked, and I’m worried about Henry too.”

Rosen sighed as she touched the cold pistol in her hand. She had to admit it. 

She liked Ian Kerner.

Of course, that didn’t stop her, but at least she hoped the worst wouldn’t come if she had to point a gun at him.

She didn’t want to kill him with her own hands, let alone the fact that if they got into a gunfight, she’d have no chance against him.

Shaking her head, she cleared her thoughts. In her experience, thinking for a long time didn’t do her much good. 

The more thoughts you have, the slower your steps, and then you lose courage. 

Rosen wasn’t like that.

“Let’s go.”

She turned to the place where the lifeboat she had seen before was located. The beast, who had been running ahead, started following her.

Opening the door on the deck floor, she saw another huge space below. It was a dock. A dusty boat was waiting for her there. She didn’t have the key, but now she had magic. She didn’t know how to steer a boat at all, but she decided she would worry about that after getting the boat free.

Whatever she decided, she had to do it quickly. This prisoner had no time to hesitate.

All she had to do was throw it into the sea. Emily said she would lead her. Rosen grabbed the iron ladder and slowly descended.

‘Now, how do you launch a boat?’

Her guess was that there was an opening on the surface below, and she would just have to push the boat to get there…

The structure of the steamboat was too complicated for her to understand. There were countless levers and gears on the wall. 

‘Which of those levers will open the entrance?’

Unfortunately, Alex only taught her what to do after she got into the lifeboat, not how to get it out. 

It must have been common sense to him.

Ordinary people didn’t know those kinds of things.

“…Do you know?”

“…”

“Can’t you do this by magic?”

“…”

“Yes, I was a fool to ask a beast.”

Rosen decided to start by pushing the boat to the wall. The lifeboat was bigger than she had thought, and it was well-maintained, but it was in close contact with the floor because it had not been used for a long time. She didn’t know if she could do it on her own. She swallowed her fear and put both hands on the lifeboat, and raised it as hard as she could. It seemed impossible to push it alone.

“…Hey, help me.”

The beast nodded and stuck its head under the boat. The sound of the lifeboat dragging on the floor was as loud as thunder. She hesitated at first, fearing that the sound would wake people, but she soon remembered that they took sleeping powder, and continued moving. If it had to be done anyway, it was better to finish it quickly.

At that moment, she felt someone’s presence behind her.

The sound of heels hitting the dock floor was approaching. 

Rosen felt ominous. It wasn’t the light, sharp sound of a lady’s shoes, nor the flat shoes that men normally wore.

It was the dull sound of military boots.