Tie returned together with Marbas.

"Papaaa! Grandpa! Uncles!"

Seeing her glowing face from afar, Edmund burst into laughter.

"And what has our niece brought us this time?"

Tie ran up and dumped a huge pile of something in front of the five men.

Tesetan, startled, lowered his half-finished glass onto the deck.

"Tie wants to play gostop!"

What Tie scattered across the deck was none other than hwatu cards.

The cards created through Marbas looked surprisingly authentic.

"Looook?"

After glancing around at everyone, the girl proudly declared:

"Now Papa and Tie will show everyone how to play!"

Fwoooosh—

A damp wind swept across the deck.

"Papa, this is nightdaysleep!"

Hearing that shout, Tesetan let out a heavy sigh.

Without meaning to, he was reminded of life back in Jongno.

Tie had spent most of her time there with Chae Boksu or Jeong Myeongcha.

Because of that, she occasionally picked up things she absolutely should not have learned.

"Eight! That’s one hundred per point!"

"......Daughter. What do you mean, one hundred per point? Papa told you that kind of thing never ends well!"

"No! It’s okay! Grandma from Room 107 said ten thousand per point is bad, but one hundred per point is okay!"

Tesetan secretly swallowed a groan.

But after a moment, he changed his mind and looked at Tie.

"Fine. But Papa isn’t going easy on you."

After all, the girl had probably only picked up bits and pieces from watching over someone’s shoulder.

If she lost a few rounds, she would quickly lose interest and move on to another game.

But that assumption turned out to be a catastrophic mistake.

Some time later.

"......"

Tesetan swallowed with a dry throat and pressed a hand against his forehead.

Tie burst into ringing laughter.

"Mwahaha! Papa got pibak!"

"I know."

"And no gwang either, so it’s gwangbak too!"

"......I know that too."

"You must be saaad. Tie has double points and triple points and all three birds together too!"

Tesetan lifted his head in disbelief.

"How did you even do that? No, do you actually understand what you’re doing?"

Tie crossed her arms proudly.

"Hmph. Grandma said Tie has talent! Papa doesn’t understand anything."

Marbas looked at Tie with pure pride.

"Amazing! To completely master such a complicated game!"

"Hehe."

"So then... approximately thirteen points multiplied by eight..."

Marbas clapped his hands while looking at Tesetan.

"Congratulations, father of Young Lady. Your daughter has just cleaned you out for one hundred four points."

"Wait."

At that moment, Edmund approached.

"Let me join too, niece. I think I roughly understand how this works now."

"Okay! But Uncle, no peeking at Tie’s cards!"

"Of course. Who do you take me for?"

Alexander, who had quietly been observing the whole time, cautiously stepped closer as well.

"Tie. Can I play too?"

"Ehk! Of course! Then now one person sells gwang, okay?"

"Sells what?"

"Like this, like this..."

Watching Tie flawlessly explain the rules without hesitation, Tesetan stared at her in complete shock.

Then he grabbed his forehead again.

Meanwhile, inside the cabin—

"Ah, I think I’m not as nauseous anymore."

Feeling better after taking medicine, Bale shakily rose from the bed.

Poor Allerik was still groaning.

When Bale opened the door and stepped outside, a bizarre sight greeted him.

"Mo came ouuut! Moooo! Kyaa! It came out! Uncle, Tie did it!"

Right in the middle of the deck—

Tie had thrown four long wooden sticks onto the floor and was running around between the Luminel men.

And that wasn’t even all.

"On the back! On the back!"

"Good job, little one! As expected of our strongest combat force."

Leonardo was so excited that his voice had become nearly twice as loud as usual.

Even Valentis’ cheeks were slightly flushed.

The moment Bale saw color in the face of the man everyone called emotionless, he actually took a step backward in horror.

"W-what exactly is happening here."

At his words, Enzo walked over with an awkward smile.

"It seems the Squad Leader introduced everyone to games from that world."

"......What?"

"They played card games earlier during the day, and after lunch they moved on to... national holiday games? Something like that."

"Tesetan. Try a little harder. Why are you hesitating so much?"

"I am trying."

Tie’s turn had just ended, and Tesetan’s team, having received the sticks, immediately plunged into a strategy discussion.

"Look, Tie throws them like this. You throw them the same way."

"No, Tesetan. You need pondan, pondan."

"Backdo! Backdo! Backdo!"

Edmund, Tesetan, and Alexander looked as though they were discussing battle strategy on an actual battlefield.

Meanwhile Tie ran around them endlessly shouting:

"Backdooo!"

"......And what’s so special about this backdo."

Bale cautiously approached them.

Then a quiet voice sounded beside him.

"Bale. Want to play?"

He turned his head and flinched.

Standing there was none other than Basto.

"If you play, I’ll join too. Looks like the game needs even numbers."

"Ah? Bale oppa!"

At that exact moment, Tie noticed him and came running over.

"Come play with us! Uncle Basto too!"

The two of them were immediately dragged by the hands right into the center of the deck.

But the moment they approached, the teams stared at them with grim seriousness.

Tesetan spoke first.

"......Bale. You’re with us."

Alexander immediately nodded from the side.

"Correct. Sir Basto’s hands are too large; he lacks delicacy. Sir Bale, you should join our side. We’ll need accurate throws."

Tie puffed up her cheeks.

"Don’t bully Uncle Basto! His hands are big, so he can throw stronger!"

Tie sat Basto down beside her.

"Little one. Your turn again."

Valentis handed the sticks back to Tie.

Tie instantly jumped to her feet.

After taking several deep breaths, she wiggled her butt and assumed a throwing stance.

"Tie throws now?"

The sticks flew into the air.

"Mo! Another mo! Grandpa! Tie got mo again!"

Behind the delighted girl, crimson traces of sunset shimmered brightly.

The red sun already hung low over the edge of the sea.

As Tie happily gathered the sticks, she suddenly lifted her eyes toward the distant waves.

The sound of crashing surf resembled someone’s laughter.

At that moment, she felt no anxiety, no sadness, no fear.

Her chest overflowed with life.

'I can do it.'

For the sake of a happy future where every day could feel like today, it truly felt as though she could do absolutely anything.

"Okay, throwing agaaain!"

Tie energetically spun around and stuck her butt out again for another throw.

Laughter from the family carried across the entire deck with the wind.

The first day of Tie’s very first family vacation was coming to an end.

"One more week, and the expedition will arrive at the central continent."

Two weeks later. Council of Senior Ministers of the Tallocium Empire.

After stamping the imperial seal onto the final document, the emperor lifted his head.

Around twenty ministers sat before him.

"It’s fortunate that the voyage is proceeding peacefully."

"Indeed. The Empire itself remains at peace, and thanks to Your Majesty’s support, tranquility will soon come to the central continent as well. It is truly wonderful news."

The emperor nodded.

For a brief moment, his gaze rested on Fides.

After the decision had been made for Ardiana to remain behind—

Fides had been angry with him ever since.

'He probably thinks the plan to get rid of Ardiana by sending her to the central continent has failed.'

Of course, the emperor understood Fides’ feelings perfectly well.

But politics sometimes required stepping back once in order to advance two steps later.

"We shall conclude today’s meeting here."

When the emperor rose to his feet, all the ministers bowed their heads.

Leaving the conference hall with his guards, the emperor headed deeper into the Imperial Palace.

And just as he entered the corridor—

A figure appeared from the opposite end.

"Your Majesty!" 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

The emperor’s expression instantly brightened.

"Lavenia?"

Dressed in a pure white gown, Lavenia hurried toward him despite the maids trying to stop her.

And before saying a single word, she tightly embraced the emperor.

"Lave—"

As he began to speak, the emperor flinched slightly from a faint prick at his neck.

But upon noticing the bracelet on Lavenia’s wrist, he merely smiled.

"You came to meet me?"

"Of course. We promised we’d have lunch together today. I’ve been waiting so long."

"Ah, right."

Smiling, the emperor continued walking forward.

Without ever noticing how cold the gaze was that Lavenia directed at him.