Louis froze.
Secret? What secret do I—
His pupils shrank.
Holy hell… she found out I'm a transmigrator?
Robin believed Louis' secret was that he was an ambitious schemer plotting to overthrow the captain.
But in Louis' mind, there was only one possible answer.
A single-choice question with only one option.
If someone said he had a "secret," what else could it possibly be?
If there was only one secret, then what Robin meant was obvious.
Robin took a slow sip of red wine, her lips brushing the rim of the glass.
If I expose your secret, even without proof, Captain Medica will become wary. Your scheme will collapse. So now… are you going to kill me? Or are you going to kill me?
She had no evidence. Even if she spoke up, at most Medica would become cautious. That alone would be enough to ruin Louis' "plot."
But in truth, she didn't want to expose him.
She wanted leverage.
A simple exchange of interests.
Meanwhile, Louis was already panicking.
How did she find out? That's impossible… I haven't revealed anything. But I don't have any other secret!
There was only one solution.
Find a secluded place.
Kill her.
Then defect from the Tequila Pirates.
Cold sweat rolled down his back as he suppressed the killing intent surging in his chest. He forced a crooked smile.
"Talk outside? Sure."
Robin sensed the killing intent instantly.
It startled her.
This man was strong. Stronger than she had expected.
No wonder he dared to covet the captain's position.
"Vice Captain," she said lightly, "don't harbor any improper thoughts toward a weak girl like me. What if… I accidentally spread your secret?"
Her words only deepened Louis' misunderstanding.
He immediately felt a sense of déjà vu.
Wasn't this the classic trope?
The villain seizes a secret. The cornered "good guy" tries to silence them. But the villain reveals that if they die, the secret will be broadcast to the world. And thus the "good guy" slowly falls into darkness…
Bah. I'm not the good guy. I'm a pirate. I'm already the villain. What am I afraid of?
The overwhelming familiarity of the situation made his thoughts spiral.
Wait a minute. This feels like something straight out of my previous life. Could she… also be a transmigrator?
His mind exploded.
Heh. So you're one too. Then you definitely can't live.
One mountain can't hold two tigers.
…Wait.
She's a woman.
Doesn't matter.
What if she's some top-tier transmigrator big shot? What if this is some "real" crossdressing trick? The kind you can't undo?
What am I supposed to do—start talking about how "the taste of witches isn't bad" like some lunatic emperor?
No.
Kill first. Think later.
Louis had already reasoned it out.
If someone in his previous life suddenly claimed he was a transmigrator, he wouldn't believe it anyway.
So better not say anything.
Just eliminate the problem.
Meanwhile, Robin was calculating as well.
If I use his ambition as leverage, he'll be far more useful than Medica. There are things I can't entrust to others. Under my control, he won't dare question me.
She knew she lacked solid evidence. If she exposed him, it would only create suspicion.
So the atmosphere needed to stay… mildly harmonious.
Better to show goodwill first.
Two people.
Two entirely different assumptions.
Both wildly overthinking the other.
Before they fully left the crowd's sight, Robin spoke softly.
"You're plotting to take the captain's position, aren't you? Don't worry. I won't always stand in your way."
Louis:
(= – =)
(?_?) …What?
Me? Plotting the captain's position?
Did you mix up the secret? Or the person?
He stared at her, stunned.
Relief flooded him.
So that was it?
That was the "secret"?
He had scared himself half to death.
He suddenly felt this woman might simply be insane.
His shock and confusion, however, were interpreted by Robin as the perfect reaction of someone whose hidden ambition had been exposed.
She believed his heart must be in turmoil.
In reality?
Louis almost wanted to laugh.
I just constructed five million words of backstory in my head analyzing whether you're a transmigrator and how my identity was exposed… and this is what you say?
What kind of imagination does it take to think I'm scheming for the captain's seat?
He felt emotionally betrayed by the sheer absurdity.
Everyone knew Louis Badel was the captain's most loyal confidant.
…Well, technically not loyal.
But he clocked in, worked overtime, fought hard, and did his job properly.
And now she was accusing him of a coup?
"Evidence," he scoffed. "You need evidence."
He let out a quiet breath, mocking smile forming on his lips.
"You think I'm harboring ill intent toward the captain? I don't know how wild your imagination is, but are you stupid?"
But Robin had seen the sequence:
Shock.
Confusion.
Then mockery.
She had also overheard him ordering extra lifeboats and rum earlier.
Emergency escape plans.
Water supply for retreat.
Classic preparation for a failed coup.
Robin trusted her own judgment completely.
She had no intention of arguing.
Calmly, she said:
"Regardless. Help me with a few things, and I'll leave once we reach the next island. I only need passage off this island. After that, whatever you do is none of my concern."
Help you? Dream on—
Wait.
Leave?
You're leaving?
In that case…
Louis' mood flipped instantly.
"Deal," he said quickly. "Once we reach the next island, you disembark immediately."
He answered so fast it was almost indecent.
Robin glanced at his barely concealed excitement.
A quiet laugh echoed in her heart.
And you claim you don't covet the captain's seat.
If you didn't… why did you agree so quickly?
Author Note (Adapted Smoothly for English Audience)
Many readers questioned this scene.
When writing it, the idea was simple:
From Louis' perspective, there is only one secret—his transmigrator identity.
As readers, we know that. He doesn't know what others know.
In his mind, if one transmigrator exists, there could be a second.
Also, the inspiration plays with a common trope—characters believing multiple people have transmigrated when, in fact, none have.
So when Robin says he has a "secret," to Louis it's a single-choice question with only one possible answer.
As for strength levels: earlier chapters established that both Louis and Medica roughly know each other's general power, just not exact limits.
This chapter was drafted while outlining the story, so some logic edges might feel rough. If there are minor inconsistencies, that's simply part of serial writing—sometimes readers notice things the author hadn't overanalyzed at the time.