CWMBR 150

Chapter 150

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***

Ain's insomnia began on the ship.

At first, he thought it was simply due to the rough sleeping conditions. The vessel was quite large, but it couldn't help swaying with the rolling waves. There were times it rocked so violently he worried it might capsize.

"The weather doesn't feel right."

"It felt off even before we cast anchor."

"Oh, stop talking like that. It's bad luck."

Because the sea was so unpredictable and capricious, sailors tend to believe in all sorts of superstitions. To their eyes, Ain's sudden appearance was an unanticipated variable, a potential threat that might offend the great spirit of nature.

"They don't seem very welcoming."

"Of course they wouldn't. It's like suddenly having to take on an unexpected passenger."

Some time after setting sail, Ain and Fergus sensed this atmosphere.

"And if that passenger is a complete layman, utterly ignorant of shipboard life, they'd be even more of a nuisance."

Adjusting the passenger list for a ship whose preparations were already complete would have been impossible without Ain. Even he had only managed to bring Fergus aboard.

Frankly, he hadn't even considered bringing anyone else. Ain was simply consumed by the obligation to leave Glynford immediately, to vanish completely from Bridget's life.

As long as he remained within Alencia, he could return to Glynford at any moment. So, to truly vanish, wasn't it right to board a ship and create physical distance?

Having thought only that far, the voyage began treacherously from the start. On the rocking ship, Fergus turned pale as a ghost within a single day and couldn't even properly leave his cabin. Ain fared slightly better, but as unusually rough waves persisted, the sailors' glances grew increasingly unkind, making the atmosphere on deck unpleasant. Only because the captain had informed them that Ain was an investor in their business and protected him did everyone remain silent.

As if the unfamiliar environment and unfriendly stares weren't enough, the standard of living—including meals—plummeted to a level incomparable to what he was accustomed to. All he could see was the endless sea, and with the deck being the only place he could go, there were no other options aboard the ship. In that isolated life, Ain suddenly thought of Bridget.

No, it was only natural. After all, she was the reason for this voyage.

"I never knew sailing could be this dreadful."

He hadn't known either. That isolation could be this unbearable.

On a ship where all one could do was think, and even after barely a fortnight, if this was how it felt... How on earth had Bridget endured those months trapped in Breford? Even now, Ain had Fergus, but back then, when she was pregnant, she had no one by her side.

Ain recalled how he didn’t reply to a single one of Bridget's diligently sent letters.

How cruel an act of neglect that had been.

He had even resented the presence of Magnus, who could be considered her only acquaintance. He felt that way even before suspecting Magnus of colluding with Bridget. Simply put, their relationship was that of a doctor and patient, yet his attitude was far too familiar. Magnus acted as if he were Bridget's own parent. That was likely why Magnus's peculiar behavior had been so irritating. Because Magnus seemed so close to Bridget.

Ain sighed.

How petty and ugly his jealousy had become.

"Who knew stepping on solid ground would feel so longed for. It was so obvious I never realized how precious it was."

Beside the grumbling Fergus, Ain gazed endlessly at the boundless sea. His reckless attempt to distance himself physically had ultimately trapped him in the shackles of his own thoughts. The musings that began on the deck continued late into the night, even on the rocking bed. Days passed where he was helplessly submerged in his thoughts, with no escape. By the time he came to his senses, he had reached a point where exhaustion itself made sleep difficult.

After a journey marked by erratic sleep and a monotonous, suffocating time of generally diminished quality, the day they finally reached the new continent, Ain sensed it. Though his body had crossed the sea, his consciousness would never shake off Bridget.

It was the beginning of a long, arduous life in a foreign land.

***

After that first day, unable to even muster the courage to speak to Bridget, Ain frequented the grand theater as an audience member.

Some days he didn't even catch a glimpse of Bridget's hair, while other days he could see her from afar. During this time, Ain learned that quite a few people were looking for her.

He could roughly guess from the flow of patrons entering and leaving the theater, but the reopening of the Glynford Grand Theater seemed to have been a splendid success. Occasionally, guests visiting the theater owner would stop in their tracks, seemingly recognizing Ain's face. For the first while, Ain hadn't even noticed the stares directed at him. It wasn't until someone approached quietly, feigning familiarity, that he became aware of the murmuring crowd around him.

The only photo of him released to the press was the very one where he was entangled with Donna Green. And anyone who still remembered that would be, at the very least, someone from the upper class or of comparable standing. 

"Are you truly Lord Wise?"

The man asking the question had eyes brimming with curiosity. Ain recognized the base interest lurking beneath the surface.

Even though he had been away for a while, he had faced people of that sort his entire life. Therefore, ignoring him wasn't particularly difficult. He knew full well what kind of gossip his attitude would generate, but that wasn't Ain's concern. He had already come too far to waste his energy on such petty matters.

However, he didn't want the Grand Theater to become chaotic with hyenas flocking to witness Ain Wise's failure and despair. Thus, he needed to use people for the first time in a long while. Fortunately, the men he had left behind to guard Bridget three years ago when he departed were still there. Quietly disposing of a few individuals proved easy. It wasn't killing people to make them disappear; it was merely a matter of expressing his intentions a bit more forcefully. It wouldn't take long.

Thus, Ain thought he would remain just another quiet spectator in the Grand Theater... but the next day, he faced a cold-faced Bridget.

"Do you have a moment?"

The green eyes staring straight at him belonged precisely to Ain. He never imagined Bridget would speak to him first, so Ain froze stiffly, unable to hide his startled expression.

How on earth should he take this stroke of luck? Was he even allowed to be happy? Lost in such confusion, he realized her gaze was growing colder by the second as she waited for his reply, and hurriedly opened his mouth.

"Bridget, I…………….."

"Excuse me."

But before he could say anything else, Bridget cut him off coldly.

"Your tone is far too familiar. It's unpleasant to hear, I must say."

Bridget's face was etched with blatant displeasure as she made this remark. Her sharp, icy demeanor quickly extinguished the brief spark of joy he'd felt at this stroke of luck.

Ain, feeling deflated, mentally urged himself to snap out of it. Whatever the reason, there must be a purpose behind Bridget addressing him. This was clearly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity he couldn't afford to squander by stumbling over his words like an idiot.

"……Sorry, no. I apologize, Miss Pennington."

Correcting himself immediately with a polite tone, the sharp glint in Bridget's eyes softened slightly.

"Please be more careful in the future."

"Does that mean you'll continue to tolerate me?"

His casual retort drew a faint trace of contempt in Bridget's eyes. Somehow, she seemed to view him as a thoroughly pathetic creature.

How could he spout such nonsense the moment he resolved to pull himself together? Ain regretted his unfiltered words, bit his tongue, then cleared his throat and quickly changed the subject.

"But what is it you need from me?"

He was prepared to listen to whatever she had to say and cooperate fully with any request.

"I've been getting complaints these past few days. Someone says there's a blood-like stench coming from somewhere in the audience."

…………………he was prepared for this.

"But it turns out the same person is always sitting in the area that's consistently pointed out."

………he was prepared, but this……………….

"Yes, it's you, sitting right in front of me now."

"…"

Ain, who had been trembling his lips, quickly averted his gaze. A smell of blood? He never imagined something like that would be noticeable.

Unable to fathom how to explain it, Ain just kept his lips parted. Bridget narrowed her eyes at him.

She spoke coldly, as if she wouldn't wait long.

"Since others are uncomfortable, from now on..."

"I'll be careful."

With the threat of being banned from the Grand Theater hanging over her, Ain quickly interjected.

"I'll make sure... I'll be mindful and careful so other audience members aren't uncomfortable."

"Well. You've already seen the same play several times. Isn't that enough by now?"

Bridget rolled her eyes slightly, glancing at Ain’s hand.

"It would be better for you to focus on healing your wounds rather than watching plays."

Ain belatedly pulled his hand back, but she seemed to have already detected the source of the blood scent. Ain fidgeted with his gloves in silence.

It was embarrassing to be called out for being such a fool, unable to even properly cover up a single trace of blood. It was depressing that this was what their first conversation in three years had come to. Yet, it was also a bit overwhelming that he could at least get the conversation started like this. Besides, Bridget knew he had seen the same play several times. Didn't that mean she was aware of his existence?

Above all, he liked the words telling him to treat his wounds.

Even though it was meant to drive him out of the theater, the way those words were phrased was so tender it took his breath away.