Sea Monster Stew Chapter 14

“Alright then… Here, take this!”

She fabricated an innocent smile and held out two Maple Fruits to the man. 

 

Since he wouldn’t back down no matter how angry she got, her plan was to slay this lecherous man with a pure, naive smile instead.

“You know what these are, right? Maple Fruits. A rare fruit only found in Admiral Moose’s greenhouse. They’re originally Lord Hildert’s late-night snack, but since I owe you a debt, I’ll specially give these to you in secret!”

“Maple Fruits…?”

“I gave you two, so we’re even now, right? Well then, goodbye! Let’s never see each other again, you pervert!”

After handing over the two Maple Fruits, Biche quickly made her escape. 

 

The man, who had been staring blankly at the fruits, shouted angrily at her fleeing back.

“I’ve eaten these pathetic things until I’m sick of them, you idiot! I was just on my way back from eating some now!”

“Don’t lie, you perverted bastard!”

He sure knows how to say things that would get him beheaded in front of others! That’s a delicacy only available to pirate crew officers and above!

Biche stuck her tongue out at the man, who was practically hopping mad. Then she ran at full speed towards Hildert’s bedroom.

The familiar guarding the door greeted Biche, who was gasping for breath.

“Hello. The Vice-Captain is inside.”

“*Pant…* *Pant…* Already…?”

“He just returned. You shouldn’t go in looking like a disheveled mess, panting like that, you fool.”

“Sh-shut up…”

‘He surely won’t notice the missing Maple Fruits, right?’ Biche adjusted the tray holding the fruits and cautiously knocked on the door.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“She was loitering around Admiral Moose’s greenhouse again today.”

“She was talking familiarly with some man…”

“They seemed quite close.”

“The man’s clothes had Admiral Moose’s insignia on them! He seems to be one of Lord Moose’s consorts!”

Hildert listened to the familiars’ reports, his expression souring. 

 

He had been receiving reports of Biche’s every move from the familiars daily.

A disagreeable presence had intruded into Biche’s otherwise repetitively similar daily routine. 

 

‘A man? And one of Admiral Moose’s consorts at that?’

“Does any familiar remember his face?”

“He was very tall.”

“Even taller than Lord Hildert. His build was enormous.”

“But we saw him from a distance, so we couldn’t see his face clearly…”

 

Hildert frowned, searching his memory. 

 

All of Admiral Moose’s male consorts were tall. That woman, after all, enjoyed dragging large, burly men into her bed.

“His hair color?”

“He was wearing a robe hood, so we couldn’t see!”

He sighed, stroking the head of the familiar who had answered in a lively voice. The information was sorely lacking.

‘I’ll have to interrogate Admiral Moose.’

Hildert sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. 

 

The fact that Biche, who never even built relationships with maids her own age, was close with a man was displeasing.

Shortly after the familiars had all withdrawn, a presence was felt outside the door. Soon after, a short knock was heard.

“Come in.”

Biche opened the door hesitantly. 

 

Her hair, clothes, and breathing—none of it was in order. She placed the tray on the table with an awkward smile.

“Y-you’re back early.”

“Is there a reason I shouldn’t return early?”

Feeling irritable, his words naturally came out brusque. 

 

Startled by his harsh tone, Biche hunched her shoulders and entered the room.

“It’s not that…”

“You must have something to confess to me.”

“…Pardon?”

“You’re hiding something from me, aren’t you?”

Before Hildert even finished speaking, Biche’s face turned pale. 

 

Hildert didn’t take his eyes off her, clutching the tray and trembling.

 

Just moments before, he had been furious to the core about Biche conversing with some man. 

 

But seeing her, cornered and terrified like a small animal, his anger, surprisingly, began to subside.

“D-don’t tell me the familiars…”

“Calm down.”

Just as he was about to end the interrogation for the sake of the frightened Biche, she hurriedly dropped to her knees before him.

“I was wrong!”

“Enough. Get up now…”

“I’ll go get the Maple Fruits back from that person, so please, just don’t punish me…”

“…So you’ve been busy causing trouble out of my sight. I thought you were well-behaved…”

In other words, she was confessing to having secretly given Hildert’s portion of Maple Fruits to someone. 

 

This was completely unexpected. Hildert pressed a hand to his throbbing head.

‘Giving such a delicacy, hard for an assistant to even touch, to someone else?’ 

 

Just as he resolved to tighten control over the familiars’ mouths, a question flashed through his mind.

Then, who exactly was the person Biche had gifted those precious Maple Fruits to? The person who made this timid woman act so boldly, who could it possibly be…?

“Who is your accomplice?”

“Eh?”

“I’m asking who you gave them to. Surely it wasn’t one of Admiral Moose’s consorts.”

“H-how do you… know that, Lord Hildert…?”

Hildert decided to stop questioning her. Her pitiful face, drenched in tears, confirmed that it was indeed the correct answer.

He lifted her chin with one hand. Her helplessly raised face was cold to the touch.

Hot tears streamed down onto the hand cupping her cheek. The green eyes following his actions were now soaked not with despair, but with fear.

“Calm down.”

He bent slightly at the waist to meet her gaze.

“Breathe properly.”

He placed a large hand on her chest, which was shuddering with intermittent, shallow breaths, and patted it. 

 

The soft sensation wrapped in the coarse fabric was satisfying, but he had no leisure to enjoy it now.

Only then did Biche look directly into his eyes. 

 

He slowly bowed his head towards her, dripping with tears. The magical power he had wrapped around her was distinctly palpable.

‘She’ll probably never understand, her whole life, with what feelings I’ve protected her with my magic.’

A heavy silence passed. How long did he stare expressionlessly at Biche, who was trembling? Hildert adjusted his posture and spat out an indifferent remark.

“Shall I pose a riddle?”

“Yes…?”

“It’s a very famous riddle from my homeland, Whecoca.”

‘Why a riddle all of a sudden?’ Biche nodded, tears still dripping.

“Yes…”

“A certain couple was sailing together across the vast ocean.”

Hildert crossed his long legs as he explained.

“The voyage took longer than expected, and the food they had prepared ran out. The husband, weary from hunger, regained his strength after eating a meat stew his wife made.”

 

He paused for a moment, then continued with a hardened expression.

“But the moment the husband finished talking with his wife, he jumped into the sea. Now, why did the husband take his own life?”

“…You said the food was all gone.”

Biche muttered, bowing her head deeply.

“But where did the meat for the stew suddenly come from…?”

“You can only answer all questions with yes or no.”

‘What in the world is this?’ Biche bit her lip, trembling. 

 

She wondered why this stiff man was doing something he never usually did. Moreover, the riddle sounded familiar, as if she’d heard it somewhere before.

She’d rather be punished. 

 

The situation of kneeling before an expressionless man and solving a riddle was even scarier.

“…Did the wife obtain the ingredients during the voyage?”

“Correct.”

“Th-then, the meat in the stew must have also been obtained in the middle of the ocean?”

“Yes.”

“…Did the husband, after asking his wife about the stew’s ingredients, fall into shock?”

Hildert nodded silently. 

 

Biche fidgeted with her hands, thinking hard. 

 

As she thought, the riddle felt familiar, like she’d heard it somewhere. But she couldn’t remember the answer.

“Shall I provide the answer for you?”

Biche wiped her tears and glanced up at him cautiously. ‘Now he wants to give the answer himself? It’s not like he’s teasing me.’

Resentment reared its head, but Biche made an effort not to show it and nodded.

 

“Yes…”

“The wife made the stew using the meat of a sea monster she caught during the voyage. The man, unable to bear that fact, ultimately threw himself into the sea.”

Biche’s eyes slowly widened. Hildert stared piercingly into her two eyes, then smiled a bitter smile.

“Having filled his stomach with that lowly, filthy thing, it’s only natural the man couldn’t endure the self-loathing and gave up on life.”

Biche clutched her trembling hands tightly, waiting for him to finish speaking. It was painful to listen to.

It was just a riddle. And she wasn’t even a full monster. Yet, his words felt as sharp as blades.

“What about that man you gave the fruits to?”

Hildert whispered, slowly stroking Biche’s cheek.

“If he knew your true nature, would he writhe in self-loathing? Or is he a different kind of man from the one in the riddle?”

Biche blinked vacantly, chewing over his words. It wasn’t just a simple riddle. That statement was clearly a chilling warning.

‘He knew all along. He knew my true nature… Could it be that he knew and still took me as his assistant?’ Biche clenched her trembling hands tightly and suppressed her tears.

“You knew? That I was…”

“A half-breed, you mean.”

Hildert cut her off, removing his hand from her cheek. Biche unconsciously gripped the hem of her skirt tightly.

“…There’s a perfectly good word for it: mixed-blood.”

“Your mouth is still alive and well, I see.”

He straightened the waist he had bent and let out a stifled laugh. Biche gritted her teeth and glared at him.

‘Why on earth did you desire a half-breed like me? Was suppressing your naked lust purely because of self-loathing?’

‘Why? As you yourself said, no matter how hungry you are, you can’t fill your stomach with something low and dirty?’

Just as she painfully swallowed the sarcasm she couldn’t spit out, her body was suddenly lifted. 

 

Hildert grabbed her by the waist and threw her onto the bed as if laying her down.