In the dim corridor, a blonde girl stood behind a handsome young man, scanning their surroundings as she spoke.
"…Lynn, what we're doing… isn't this a bit…"
Though her tone carried a hint of hesitation, her movements were steady and precise, without the slightest falter.
The girl's name was Aveline.
Hearing her, the young man called Lynn didn't stop what he was doing. He merely tilted his head slightly and gave a brief reply.
"I'll explain soon."
His sharp, serious profile reflected in Aveline's eyes. Even under the faint, murky light, his charm remained undeniable, enough to make her lose focus for a fleeting moment.
Even though they had known each other for months and had already formed an intimate bond, she still found it hard to resist.
Of course, that also had a lot to do with the fact that she had never really tried to resist in the first place. But the situation now was… special.
'No, I can't get distracted… we're in the middle of something important.'
Aveline knew that if she kept looking, she'd definitely get lost in it again. She hurriedly warned herself inwardly, using the cool clarity of her Cryo powers to steady her mind and pull herself back.
She gave a soft "Mm" and resumed her vigilance, but within seconds, a silent wail rose in her heart.
'Ugh… no wonder Marani and the others looked at me like that when I left Natlan…'
'Lynn's unfairly handsome. When it's just the two of us, I can't handle it at all!'
'Good thing "I didn't hold back". If I had kept pretending and then ended up chasing after him later… ugh… I'd be completely humiliated in front of everyone back in Natlan.'
Time passed second by second. Aveline forced herself to focus on observing their surroundings. With the chill of her Cryo element aiding her concentration, the distracting thoughts gradually faded.
But while the distractions disappeared, her doubts remained. Staying alert, she instinctively began retracing everything that had happened since they left the port.
They were currently aboard a cargo ship bound for Fontaine.
Don't get the wrong idea—they had originally planned to take a passenger ship. But by sheer misfortune, they had missed the departure time.
Left with no choice, they decided to wait for the next one. While wandering around the harbor, they happened to meet the ship's captain. Lynn struck up a lively conversation with him, and the captain, being a warm and enthusiastic man, invited them to hitch a ride to Fontaine.
At the time, Aveline felt something was off. But Lynn seemed determined. He ignored her subtle warnings and accepted the captain's invitation without hesitation.
If this had been a few months ago, she would have insisted on her judgment. But after spending those months together, she trusted that Lynn wouldn't make a foolish decision in a situation like this.
So she suppressed her doubts, assuming he must have had a plan.
What she hadn't expected… was that his plan would be this thrilling.
Once aboard, he wasted no time. The moment he moved, he led her straight to the cargo hold.
And that was the problem.
When they had discussed boarding earlier, the seemingly bold and friendly captain hadn't even cared much about fare. His only condition was that they remain within designated areas and were strictly forbidden from entering the cargo section.
Thinking back, Lynn had casually reassured him again and again, yet he hadn't actually made any concrete promises. Given how seriously Lynn took his word, it was obvious now—he had already planned this from the start.
Aveline understood Lynn's personality well. He wasn't exactly righteous, but he would never scheme against innocent people for no reason.
Which meant… there was definitely something wrong with this ship.
But what exactly could it be, for Lynn to act like this?
'Could the cargo be contraband?'
'No. Even if it were, Lynn wouldn't handle it like this. The safest and most appropriate approach would be to report it and let the authorities deal with it.'
'Then… what is it?'
Before she could continue her thoughts, a faint click echoed through the corridor, followed by Lynn's voice.
"All set. Come on."
Aveline turned immediately and followed him through the door he had just opened.
Closing it behind her, she took out a small lantern and lit it. Using the dim glow, she glanced around.
"The humidity's much lower here. The environment's better than the quarters they assigned us."
She commented casually.
That wasn't surprising. On a cargo ship, it was only natural for storage conditions to be better than living quarters.
Meanwhile, Lynn, who had entered ahead of her, didn't slow down at all. He headed straight toward the stacked cargo.
"Aveline, over here."
"Coming."
In the darkness, the piled cargo looked like a single, indistinguishable mass. Only when Aveline approached with the lantern did the outlines of individual crates begin to emerge.
However, Lynn didn't seem to need much light. Even before she arrived, he had already lifted a crate from the edge and placed it neatly onto a small open space. He stepped on it to steady it, all without making any noticeable noise.
"Your sword."
Aveline brushed her right hand lightly across her chest. Just like when she had taken out the lantern, a faint glimmer flashed, and a sheathed sword appeared out of thin air.
Lynn took it and used it as a lever without even drawing the blade, prying the crate open with ease.
Then he stepped slightly aside.
Under the lantern's glow, Aveline finally saw what was inside.
"This is… a kind of drink?"
She frowned slightly.
The crate was filled with bottles of liquid. This type of packaging was common in Fontaine, and the contents looked completely ordinary. Even after picking one up and examining it closely, she couldn't find anything unusual.
But if it were truly so normal, why would Lynn go this far?
She instinctively looked at him, but at that moment, footsteps sounded from outside the door.
They weren't loud, but in the enclosed space, they were unmistakable. The sound drew closer and closer before stopping right at the entrance. A pair of rough hands pushed the half-closed door open.
It was the captain.
The moment she heard the footsteps, Aveline had already extinguished the lantern. But the captain held one of his own, brighter than hers, its light illuminating his seemingly hearty and friendly face.
"Hmph… I knew it. Those brats must've forgotten to lock the cargo hold again."
"Oh? Mr. Lynn, Miss Aveline? Did you get lost? How did you end up here? The cargo hold is messy—why don't you head back to your cabin?"
Every word was smooth and well-placed, the kind that made people want to go along with it, even feel grateful for being let off lightly.
But Aveline wasn't some naïve rookie. Instead, her heart sank.
Friendly?
To her, this felt more like the calm before a storm—a prelude to turning hostile, trying to lure them out to avoid damaging the cargo.
She hadn't forgotten that this ship was his territory.
Fortunately… she had confidence in her own strength as well.
Just as Aveline was about to respond, a soft chuckle sounded beside her.
"Heh…"
It was Lynn. He stepped forward, positioning himself in front of her.
"Captain… at this point, are you still going to keep pretending?"