Adjustment period (not really) (Part 5)

Lucia observed the scene.

“Your Highness, leave the scuttling of the ship to me.”

The Prince of Britannia finally lifted her head from where she had been burying her face in dismay.

“Are we truly going through with this?”

“For Your Highness’s happiness, scuttling the ship is akin to burning our bridges!”

‘Burning bridges? It sounds as if I won’t return to Britannia if the marriage doesn’t happen. How terribly embarrassing!’

Yet, she imagined herself the next morning, able to declare to Princess Fubai with righteous indignation: “It’s not that I didn’t want to leave! It’s just that the ship sank, so I had no choice but to stay!”

‘Wouldn’t that save face? It would be absolutely perfect.’

“Then… I’ll leave it to you. Just make sure no one finds out. After all, if news gets out that we scuttled our own ship, it would be a bit…” she said, covering her lips with a fist, her words muffled.

“Don’t worry, I guarantee it will be done without a soul knowing.”

After Lucia walked out and closed the door, she let out a sigh.

‘A pair of hopelessly stubborn tsunderes.’

Meanwhile—

The small rabbit-eared maid, Luo Bing’ai’er, had specifically changed into stealthy night clothes.

Under the cover of a dark and blustery night, she infiltrated the docks.

“Is this truly the Prince of Britannia’s ship? I must not scuttle the wrong one.”

She double-checked the lion-shaped figurehead, then stealthily boarded the deck.

‘Where should I begin drilling?’ she wondered, glancing around.

To her surprise, a voice suddenly rang out from above!

“Who’s there! What are you doing lurking about?”

Luo Bing’ai’er looked up.

Another figure in black had appeared!

“Tsk, don’t ruin my plans!” Luo Bing’ai’er retorted impatiently.

“Ruin what plans of yours? Oh, I see. Could it be that you’re trying to steal something from the ship? Hmph! I’ll catch you first, then we can talk!”

Lucia, perched high on the mast, drew her sword with a sharp shing!

Then, she descended from the sky.

Without a word, Luo Bing’ai’er drew her twin blades, ready to meet the attack!

The two of them… began to fight.

Immediately, the deck was filled with the glint of clashing blades.

The two exchanged blows, their weapons sparking with every collision.

It was astonishing that Luo Bing’ai’er, who could trip even on flat ground, fought with such ferocity when serious.

Lucia, clearly no pushover herself, proved to be her equal. The two were perfectly matched!

The battle reached a fever pitch.

With a swift swoosh, Luo Bing’ai’er thrust a blade at Lucia. The edge grazed past Lucia’s ear, tearing her mask.

Lucia, in turn, ripped off Luo Bing’ai’er’s hood with a rip, revealing her pair of rabbit ears!

“!?”

Lucia gasped in surprise, leaping backward to create distance.

“Aren’t you the Head Maid of the Francian Royal Family?”

“Aren’t you the Prince of Britannia’s maid?”

Only after recognizing each other did they cease their fighting, leaving an incredibly awkward silence.

“I’ve long heard that the Prince of Britannia’s swordsmanship is unparalleled in Britannia. I never imagined even his maid would be so formidable.”

“Oh, hardly. I’m not even a tenth as skilled as my Prince,” Lucia replied with pride.

“Why were you wearing a mask on your own ship?”

Lucia stammered a counter-question.

“What about you? Lurking around like that, I thought you were a thief!”

It was unexpected that Luo Bing’ai’er, who only transformed into a different person when fighting, was normally such a natural airhead!

In just a few words, she inadvertently sold out Fubai.

“I am under the Princess’s orders to scuttle your ship.”

“What a coincidence. I’m also acting under my Prince’s orders.”

Luo Bing’ai’er spread her hands, still clutching her twin blades, and questioned them.

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s get to work!”

“Right, right! Let’s do it! I’ll scuttle the fore cabin, you take the aft!”

However, their fight had long since alerted the soldiers.

No sooner had their words fallen than they found themselves surrounded.

‘This is terrible…’

They glanced around.

Escape was impossible, and they certainly couldn’t fight their own people.

‘It’s going to be difficult to explain this to the Princess (Prince).’