Side Story 02

-“S-Seduce?”

Riv couldn’t believe her ears.

It wasn’t enough that he called her a witch, but seduce?

They said that the contents of the old book were lewd, but she didn’t know why he called her a witch.

-“But I’m not a witch?”

Despite Riv’s denial, her opponent was firm.

-“You are a witch. No doubt. You’re exuding magic like that of a wizard.”

Their conversation was flowing very naturally.

Riv stared at Lionel’s face in disbelief. This person might not be her husband, but she wasn’t sure how he could be anyone else.

-“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Riv pondered for a while, then asked.

-“Can I touch you?”

-“What?”

The young Lionel was embarrassed.

-“N-No, I don’t mind if you touch me.”

Riv touched his face without a second thought.

Obviously, since he was young, his skin was softer than Lionel’s. While she was at it, she traced parts of the man’s neck, shoulders, and chest.

-“Wh-What’s wrong with you?!”

He was taken aback by her actions. He contemplated for a moment, then moved back slightly.

-“Witch! Are you going to attack me?”

She wasn’t thinking about anything like that, and was shocked when Lionel covered his body. Riv was amused. Seeing his reaction, there was no doubt he was younger than Lionel.

-“You’re a strange woman.”

He glared at Riv as he scooted to the very edge of the bed.

-“I won’t touch you anymore. Be at ease.”

At Riv’s words, he asked with a frown.

-“Why did you touch me, witch?”

-“You look like someone I know.”

-“An acquaintance? Is there another face like mine? This face is not common.”

Even his voice was familiar, and the man’s grimacing expression resembled Lionel’s. He looked like Lionel, fresh out of boyhood.

The man in front of her was an innocent fool. So it was even more interesting.

‘If this is a story, is this man Lionel’s ancestor?’

Riv was having fun. She decided to enjoy these moments until she left the story. Riv rubbed her chin and asked the man.

-“What’s your name? I’m Riv.”

Realizing that Riv was no longer moving, the man breathed a sigh of relief. Still, he moved further away. The man tentatively answered.

-“My name is Lai.”

-“Lai?”

Was it a coincidence that he and Lionel had the same nickname?

Either way, it wasn’t bad for Riv. She grinned and chuckled. Lai seemed curious about her.

-“Is Riv a witch?”

-“Well.”

Riv was not a witch or wizard, even though she had some knowledge about magic. She had no magical powers.

But from Lai’s point of view, she was a witch who suddenly fell from the sky.

Even Riv herself did not know why she was here. She didn’t know where this was.

Lai sighed.

-“This is the middle of the sea, did you fall from the sky?”

-“Sea…”

As expected, she was in the middle of the ocean. Riv took a deep breath as Lai confirmed it with his own mouth. All of a sudden, someone knocked on the cabin door.

-“Captain! Captain Lai!”

-“What is it!”

-“It looks like a typhoon is coming! The clouds look ominous!”

-“Wait there!”

Lai got up from the bed and draped a musty old blanket over her. He pointed to the corner of the bed.

-“Witch, hide here. Don’t make a sound.”

-“Why?”

-“It will be annoying if others find out about you. My subordinates are not gentlemen.”

Lai smiled mischievously. He stroked Riv’s long hair with charming eyes.

Only then did Riv discover the difference between Lionel and Lai. Lionel’s eyes were close to amber, but this man’s eyes were a deep blue.

-“It’s the first time I’ve ever had a woman on this ship.”

-“Huh?”

-“And it’s the first time a woman tried to attack me.”

Riv leaned back slightly. Lai’s strong body grew dizzyingly close, and she realized that her situation had been reversed, unlike before.

It was then.

-“Captain!”

The door to the cabin shook as if it was about to fall off. Lai spit out a light curse.

-“I’m coming. So go away!”

In the meantime, he carefully hid Riv and went outside. She crouched down, held her breath, and waited for a while.

The room became quiet. Of course, the rough shaking of the boat grew stronger as time passed.

The loud voices of men could be heard from the deck outside the cabin. It seemed like they were trying to fight a strong typhoon.

Riv relaxed her stiff body and looked around the small room.

Since Lai was called ‘Captain’, this must be the captain’s quarters.

But the room was small, and there was nothing in it except for Lai’s old clothes. Except for the bed, there was no place to sit. And the bed was a plank lined with blankets.

The floor shook violently and irregularly.

‘I’m glad I didn’t get seasick.’

How much time had passed since Lai left?

The bright room suddenly darkened. The shaking of the floor became stronger, and when it became difficult to stay upright, Lai came in and turned on the light. His body was soaked from head to toe, water dripping from his body.

-“It’s raining heavily.”

The weather looked worse than Riv felt.

Lai spoke as he shook the water out of his hair.

-“A huge typhoon is coming.”

-“A typhoon?”

-“If my men know that a woman is in my cabin, they won’t stand still. There’s an unwritten rule that says you can’t transport women on pirate ships. Besides, you’re a witch.”

Lai’s words were serious. He feared that his little boat would sink at any moment. Riv knew it was a story, so she didn’t take it too seriously.

-“Witch, can you stop the typhoon?”

-“I’m not a witch.”

Riv firmly denied.

Real witches who could stop typhoons and change the weather were rare. Those with such powers were called archmages.

-“If you can’t stop the typhoon, keep hiding. And stay calm.”

Lai turned around and hurriedly changed his clothes.

His wet body had a lot of fine muscles, but at the same, a lot of scars. Riv’s eyes widened at the sight of the scars on his back.

-“Lionel?”

-“What?”

Lai looked back. He furrowed his eyebrows in annoyance.

-“My name is not Lionel.”

Lai had the same face as Lionel, and even the location of his scars were the same.

What if this wasn’t a coincidence?

What if she projected the image of her husband onto Lionel’s ancestor?

Riv thought she should have some fun with this story.

-“Lionel, no, Lai. I want to go to the bathroom.”

-“Women are too much work. Hold it.”

-“I can’t.”

Lai sighed and gave up on changing his pants. He checked outside for a moment, then came back and beckoned to her.

-“Everyone’s outside, so it should be fine for now.”

Riv was finally able to get out of the cabin.

When they stepped out of the cabin, the ship shook so badly that it was difficult to stand upright. The ship was ridiculously small and would likely turn into wreckage at any moment.

Riv hurried outside instead of to the toilet, which was located further into the hull of the ship.

-“Wh-Where are you going?”

Lai hurried after her. He tried to grab Riv’s hand and pull her back, but he missed.

She suddenly jumped above deck.

-“A woman?”

The eyes of the men on the deck widened.

-“Captain? Who is this woman?”

Riv turned away from them and stared at Lai.

Heavy rain hit her face. In order for her to be heard, she had to shout with all her might.

-“Lionel, what can you do for me if I stop the typhoon?”

Lai seemed to have gotten used to being called Lionel. He shouted back while holding onto the railing and ropes of the swaying ship.

-“Anything I can do… with my body.”

He didn’t have any worries. In the face of a typhoon, all his subordinates had to do was hang on.

Riv wondered if she could stop the typhoon.

-“I will try then.”

Riv was once a witch.

She had forgotten all those memories, but she was powerful as long as she was here.

She strode towards the front of the ship.

A strong wind and high waves shook the ship, but she was not affected by the shaking.

-“If the typhoon stops…”

Maybe this story would end.

Riv turned to Lai, whom she was projecting Lionel on to, then she smiled.

In real life she was not a witch, but she could be one as long as she was here. She could feel power here.

When Riv moved her hand, the world seemed to stop. The wind dissipated and the waves stopped thrashing.

When the typhoon dispersed, the sky was revealed.

It was a bright day.

-“Th-The typhoon is gone?”

Ignoring men’s buzzing voices, Riv smiled.

The woman in a white dress with dark hair was a mystery to the sailors. Lai’s eyes twinkled as he looked at her.

-“Witch, be my bride.”

Riv laughed.

-“I am a married woman.”

With those words, Riv realized that her body was blurry.

Her body was then thrown out of the book.

***

When she opened her eyes, she was in the first floor drawing room overlooking the terrace. She was sitting in an armchair holding a book. The tea in front of her had gone cold.

“Riv? Why are you sweating like this?”

Anna asked worriedly. Riv wiped the sweat off her forehead.

“I think I had a dream.”