Chapter 49
“Wh-… mrl…!”
The wall shattered. The small current that had toyed with the shipwreck changed. Water bubbles filled her ears and the sailors’ voices broke apart. Death within three minutes…
“…!”
A strong arm wrapped around her and pulled her close. As if determined to shatter her last hope.
After that, all her senses were a chaotic mess. Ringing and silence, the feeling of water rushing past, weightlessness, light and darkness beyond her eyelids spun around her like a nightmare.
Only later did she realize the air left in her lungs had reached its limit.
“Puh… ha…!”
Her body broke the surface of the water.
At first, she had no strength to look around. She blinked, barely confirming she was no longer underwater, then carefully filled her lungs with air. The air inside the sinking ship, once damp and suffocating, now tasted sweet.
After calming her breath, Alice realized the situation she was in again.
“Put me down… please.”
Her eyes were almost at the same level as usual, so she was slow to notice.
Fiore. He was walking down the cargo ship’s corridor with Alice dangling at his side like a handbag.
He didn’t stop walking as he spoke.
“Yes, ma’am. Where shall I put you down? Option one: the sea. Option two: under the cliff. Option three: the deck. Take your time and choose.”
Ha, even his playful tone today was welcome. She almost wanted to respond in kind.
But Alice couldn’t return an answer.
“Ugh…”
A handful of foam spilled from her mouth, followed by a bubbling, disgusting fishy smell. She hurriedly covered her mouth, but that only made her gag worse.
“Guh, kuhp…”
“Don’t hold it in.”
Suddenly Fiore crouched down and laid Alice face down on his knees, patting her back.
His touch was careful, but his large hand shook her thin body.
Realizing what was happening, Alice clenched her teeth reflexively.
“Ump, kuhp!”
“I said don’t hold it in. Want to suffocate?”
“No…”
“See? Suffocating is awful. Everyone who’s been through it looks really miserable. If you know, open your mouth.”
No, it’s not suffocation I hate. Of course that’s bad too, but right now what I want to avoid most is…
“Stubborn.”
Fiore’s fingers slipped into Alice’s mouth.
They invaded the edges of her lips, swept behind her molars, and with no hesitation disarmed her mouth, forcing it open.
His fingers carefully traced from her palate to the inside of her cheeks. He was checking that nothing blocked her breathing.
His touch was strangely gentle but sometimes rough calluses brushed her tongue, reminding her who owned these large hands.
Her body gradually relaxed.
It was a strange feeling.
‘It doesn’t feel bad. That’s what feels bad…’
He looked tired.
Yeah, she’d been through too much. Compared to that, this was nothing. Really.
When all strength drained from Alice’s jaw,
“It’s time to vomit.”
Fiore’s fingers pushed deeper. Alice’s body stiffened instantly.
“Ugh, ump!”
“Throw up everything in your stomach. There’s a lot of trash around here. If you’re unlucky, you’ll get a hole in your stomach.”
“Ugh…”
Alice accepted this and consciously suppressed her resistance. Fiore moved again.
He didn’t need to push his fingers further. Just bending his index finger inside her mouth pressed her soft palate, triggering her gag reflex again.
It didn’t take long.
Alice completely lost her pride and shame.
Sea foam, unknown seaweed, small wood fragments, half-digested drugs Nathan had given her… her stomach was empty, and her lungs slowly regained stability. Only then did the left hand patting her back stop.
“You did well.”
Her mouth finally freed, Alice bowed her head and muttered a greeting.
“Tha… thank you.”
“That’s that.”
With a click, Fiore crouched before Alice. His large shadow, impossible to contain, covered her like a fortress wall.
“Why did you come to the sea? And why especially under the cliff? Are you trying to break the rules?”
“…”
“Well, actually I’m not curious. I would’ve gone there someday too. Even if you value your life, it’s just a matter of time.”
The absurd response almost made her laugh.
No need to hide it? She had been nervous about being found by him, but the intruders’ actions were obvious.
If so, she wanted to ask instead.
Fiore, who are you?
How did you find this place? And why did you save me again?
‘Fiore…’
There were many questions, but only groans escaped her swollen, irritated throat. She was terribly thirsty. Yet her eyes kept blurring as if trying to squeeze out moisture.
Unable to bear the stinging on her face, Alice rubbed and wiped it, immediately regretting it. Her seawater-soaked sleeve left an indescribable stench and texture.
“Ouch.”
To make matters worse, her lips stung. She must have hit something and gotten hurt while being carried by Fiore.
Feeling pathetic, she was about to laugh when Fiore grabbed her wrist and helped her up.
“Fiore?”
“Get up. Let’s wash up.”
Those were the most welcome words Alice had heard in Reki.
***
The corridor showed more water than floor.
Fiore, like a ghost, found the shallow spots and led the way. Alice followed and soon reached a space larger than the ordinary cabins.
Everything was old, but two chairs separated by a desk and a bed clearly showed the room’s purpose.
It was the ship’s infirmary.
Standing in the corridor, Fiore squeezed Alice’s skirt and said,
“The rainwater barrel in the cupboard is still intact. Filter it once through the makeshift purifier by the sink and wash up. I don’t recommend drinking it.”
“Thank you.”
Fiore didn’t enter the infirmary.
Alice filtered the water and looked around the unfamiliar but professionally familiar space.
‘I don’t know who managed this, but it probably wasn’t with good intentions.’
The drawers bulged with unwashed, carelessly stuffed gauze and towels. Red handprints stained the cloths. The drawers held a variety of surgical tools, showing what this man loved.
‘I don’t know much about ship medicine, but I heard nowadays ship doctors focus more on internal medicine.’
They said the Lumière acted more like a pirate ship. Maybe that’s why the sailors were often injured?
But it was hard to infer surgical treatment from the ragged sailor spirits.
Just as she stopped judging the dead doctor, water filled a bucket. Alice caught the falling water and rinsed her mouth.
‘Ah, I feel alive.’
She had to summon all her willpower not to drink it. Now she wiped her face, rinsed her mouth again, lightly rinsed her seaweed-covered hair, and wet her mouth once more. Only then did her tongue start moving properly.
Almost at the same time, the memory of Fiore’s touch returned.
‘Ha…’
She wanted to bite her tongue. Their first meeting had been far from elegant, but she didn’t want to share such a filthy experience!
Suddenly, facing him again felt burdensome. After a moment’s thought, Alice loosened her hair slightly to cover half her face and chose to walk on.
“Fiore… hmm?”
Fiore, who had been standing in the corridor, was gone.
“Fiore? H-hey, where are you?”
“This way.”
“…You went far. Do you have business there?”
Beyond the corridor, at a distance where it was hard to see his expression, Fiore shook his head.
“No, not really.”
“I got water for you too. Come wash up.”
“No.”
“Huh?”
A sharp answer. Alice flinched. Fiore stepped closer and said,
“I don’t want to go to that room…”
His answer slipped out like a groan through bitten lips. The ease he had earlier was gone. Alice hurriedly waved her hand.
“Ah, okay. I’ll go there.”
Did he have bad memories there?
Before leaving the infirmary, Alice looked once more at the space mixed with filth and cleanliness. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary mobile infirmary…
‘What’s with that door?’
Behind the infirmary wall, a wooden door hung crookedly on broken hinges came into view late.
It was definitely not a place for patients. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have installed a threshold at least 20 cm high.
Maybe it was prejudice, but the darkness between the twisted doorframe and broken door seemed to smell even worse.
