Daphne woke with a start in a warm embrace. Curled up against Karl, she felt an unfamiliar sense of safety wash over her—then noticed his arm still draped over her. Her cheeks warmed.
"You're awake?" Karl's voice was gentle. "Does anything still hurt?"
"I'm fine," she murmured, face still crimson. "It's late. I should… get to work."
"Not today," Karl said, ruffling her hair. "First day off for the new general manager. Rest."
She tried to protest, but her stomach betrayed her with a soft growl.
"See? Breakfast first." Karl grinned. "Then you can yell at me for keeping you in bed."
Hours later—after many "just one more minute"s—Karl carried Daphne to the dining room.
"Look at you two. Do you know what time it is?" Aili teased, helping Daphne to a seat.
"He's a liar," Daphne huffed, flustered but smiling. "He promised he'd behave."
Karl raised both hands. "Guilty. To make up for it—news: I'm flying to Amazon Lily to bring Hancock back. Then, in two days, we head home to Tiger Roar Island."
Aili's eyes lit up. "Finally! I miss Uncle and Auntie, and Sister Lujou."
"Pack tonight," Karl said. "We move soon."
That afternoon, the shipyard thundered with work. Pica was already shaping foundations, and the Seven Water craftsmen were laying out gantries and rails.
"Progress?" Karl asked.
"On schedule," Jerry reported. "I'll have these twenty-seven master shipwrights each take in apprentices. We'll need depth fast. If I find talent on Fishman Island, I'll bring them too."
"Good. Start scouting island kids as well. We'll grow this from the ground up." Karl clapped him on the shoulder and took to the sky.
With Hancock's log pose in hand, Karl sprinted across the clouds for most of the day. Amazon Lily's emerald cliffs rose from the Calm Belt, ringed by fewer sea kings than Tiger Roar's waters.
He slipped into the palace quietly, landing just outside the empress's chambers.
"Who's there?" A crisp voice—then the door swung open.
Hancock stood framed in the light, eyes widening—and then she launched forward, tackling Karl with the unstoppable force of a long-kept promise.
"Karl! You finally came!" She squeezed him so hard his ribs protested.
"Easy, Empress." He laughed, steadying her. "If someone barges in, your image—"
"No one enters," Hancock called out. "Sanda Sonia, keep the corridor clear."
"Understood, Sister!" came the muffled reply from beyond the door.
Karl brushed a stray lock from Hancock's forehead. "I'm taking you to Tiger Roar Island. Time to meet my parents."
Hancock's composure—so flawless in battle—flickered. "M-meet… your parents?" She pressed a hand to her chest. "What if they don't like me?"
"They'll wonder how I landed someone out of my league," Karl said, deadpan.
Hancock's ears turned pink. "You're insufferable… and I missed you."
"Likewise." He exhaled. "I flew half a day to say that."
"Then rest," she whispered, fingers lacing with his. She glanced at the door, then back at him. "We have time before dinner."
The door clicked shut. Curtains fell. The clamor of the palace faded to a hush as the sun drifted across the sky.
…Time passed.
When evening lamps bloomed along the corridor, Hancock finally leaned against Karl's shoulder, cheeks still warm, eyes bright. "You really are impossible," she said softly—but the smile wouldn't leave her lips.
"Tomorrow," Karl promised, "we depart. Amazon Lily to Jaya, then straight to Tiger Roar. You'll be with family soon."
Hancock drew a steadying breath and nodded. "Then I'll prepare. And… thank you for coming yourself."
Karl squeezed her hand. "Wouldn't have it any other way."
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