Chapter 232: Chapter 232: Sailing on the Sea

The two of them stood in the fishing boat’s pilothouse. Evelyn Ford studied the various machines before her, diligently learning how to operate the boat. Besides logging their course, she also had to monitor the distance with binoculars. If she spotted rough waves or reefs, she had to turn around or change course immediately.

The conditions at sea were far more complex and dangerous than she had imagined. It was as if the preceding silence had just been waiting for this moment to erupt.

An hour after they set out, the temperature at sea dropped to thirty-five degrees. The sky suddenly began to hail. The light drizzle from moments ago had transformed into a torrential downpour.

On the turbulent waters, only their fishing boat drifted onward, slowly but surely.

Evelyn Ford patted Ronan Kendrick’s arm. "Ronan, I’m going to go tidy up the galley and the washroom."

"Okay. Be careful."

"I know."

The galley was spacious. Evelyn Ford had already cleaned the large iron wok the previous occupants had used, but she still took out her own pots, pans, and utensils.

’When it comes to food and drink, it’s better to use your own things.’

After cleaning the galley, Evelyn Ford put on a mask and gloves and went to the washroom.

’You have to be careful about infectious diseases.’ Every corner of the boat was cleaned until it was spotless. Evelyn Ford even sprayed disinfectant and air freshener.

When the sea was calm, they could stand on deck and leisurely enjoy the scenery. Most of the time, however, the sea was not calm.

When night fell, the surroundings were pitch-black. All the lights on the fishing boat were turned on, and Evelyn Ford went to the pilothouse to take her shift.

A fishing boat didn’t require constant operation, but the current situation was special. Someone had to be watching from the pilothouse at all times. Normally, a fishing boat would have a crew of three or four operators, but since it was just the two of them, they could only work in two shifts.

At sea, you couldn’t just stop, not even when the waters were calm or when night fell.

Arriving at the pilothouse, Evelyn Ford walked over and gently hugged Ronan Kendrick.

"Are you tired?"

Ronan Kendrick chuckled. "Not tired. Go to the cabin and get some sleep. You can come relieve me tomorrow morning."

Evelyn Ford looked up at him. "Ronan, it’s okay to be tired. I’m not some fragile flower. You can rely on me. You can trust me."

"I know you’re very capable, Evelyn. I trust you one hundred percent, and I do rely on you. Don’t be angry. How about I stay here and keep you company? I can’t sleep right now anyway."

"Of course you can. But you have to eat first. And I’m not angry, I’m just worried your body won’t be able to handle it."

Evelyn Ford took a meal out of her space and placed it on the nearby table. She had specially made chicken soup today, and the aroma was tantalizing.

Hearing Evelyn Ford’s concerned words, Ronan Kendrick hugged her endearingly. "Okay, I’ll eat first. You keep watch for now."

"Mhm. Let Mr. Kendrick inspect the results of my studies."

Operating the boat was actually quite simple. There was even an operation manual in the pilothouse. Although it was in a foreign language, that wasn’t a problem for Evelyn Ford, especially with Ronan Kendrick there to guide her.

’So this is what it feels like to conquer the stars and the seas.’ A smile unconsciously appeared on Evelyn Ford’s lips as she looked into the distance.

The pilothouse was brightly lit, and Evelyn Ford’s smile met Ronan Kendrick’s gaze. He adjusted his seat, his eyes fixed on her. Those unique eyes, usually so gentle and warm when looking at her, were now filled with possessiveness.

The night was long. After standing for a few hours, Evelyn Ford started to feel tired. She was dressed warmly, with a thermal layer underneath, so she wasn’t too cold.

The two of them switched shifts every five hours or so. After three days at sea, they still hadn’t seen a single island. Unwilling to give up, Evelyn Ford continued to follow the northbound route.

On the morning of the fourth day, Ronan Kendrick woke Evelyn Ford up. He had spotted a cluster of reefs in the distance.

The reefs were widely scattered. To avoid hitting them, they could only divert their course eastward for now.

A submerged reef is a rock formation hidden beneath the water. If a ship fails to spot one and collides with it, it could very well capsize.

The ship lurched violently, veering sharply to the east. Evelyn Ford was thrown to the right and fell hard. She immediately grabbed the nearby door and crouched on the floor, waiting for the boat to stabilize.

Ever since they had come aboard, the four little ones had been confined to the cabin and weren’t allowed out. The violent lurching made them anxious, and they started jumping around and crying out incessantly.

Once the boat stabilized, Evelyn Ford went to the cabin to check on them. Thankfully, none of them had gotten out.

"Mina, stop crying. I’ll give you all an extra treat today. And don’t even think about trying to sneak out with the others. I’ve locked the door."

After setting out food for them and replacing the door, Evelyn Ford immediately returned to the pilothouse.

"Ronan. Are you okay?"

"I’m fine. The swing was too wide, but thankfully I got it under control."

The reef was now behind them, and Evelyn Ford breathed a sigh of relief.

"To think there are submerged reefs in such deep water. That’s terrifying."

But in the next moment, another line of reefs appeared not far away. Ronan Kendrick quickly turned the fishing boat northward. ’No wonder people get seasick,’ Evelyn Ford finally understood.

On the sixth day, the skyline turned red. Evelyn Ford knew this was the prelude to a storm, so she quickly gathered everything on deck that needed to be put away and stored it in her space. She then immediately returned to the pilothouse to inform Ronan Kendrick.

"There’ll be a storm within the hour."

Ronan Kendrick nodded. "Alright. Understood."

The two were already very experienced in dealing with storms. The fishing boat’s speed was decent, and Ronan Kendrick began to accelerate.

A rainstorm alone wasn’t to be feared, but storms were usually accompanied by gale-force winds and massive waves. That was the real danger.

A strong wind began to blow across the sea’s surface. The gales slammed against the pilothouse’s windshield with a loud SMACK.

And at that moment, the fishing boat was heading directly into the wind.

Ronan Kendrick brought the boat to a halt. Pushing forward through the wind and waves was not a wise move. They could only hold their position and wait for the storm to pass before setting off again. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"Ronan, take off your coat. I’ll replace your Warm Babies."

"Okay."

After the boat was steady, Evelyn Ford took out the Warm Babies and helped Ronan Kendrick apply them. The ones he had on before were completely cold. Even through his thermal shirt, she could feel the heat radiating from his body.

Ronan Kendrick was wearing the warm, cold-proof hat Evelyn Ford had crocheted for him, but his gaze remained fixed on her.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Ronan Kendrick smiled. "I can never get enough of looking at you."

Evelyn Ford huffed. "Oh, stop it. Here, drink some hot soup first to warm your stomach. I estimate it’ll take an hour or two for the storm to pass."

The fishing boat began to sway from side to side, as if it were about to be capsized into the sea. By now, Evelyn Ford was calm. ’What’s the use of being nervous? We’re already out on the ocean, so we might as well eat and drink our fill. If the boat flips, we’ll need the energy to swim.’

’Then again, the water is so cold, we’d probably freeze to death if we fell in.’

’Better to just pray to God that this storm ends soon.’

Evelyn Ford took off her mask to breathe. Her clothes were too thick, making it a real hassle to move around.

After drinking the hot soup, her body indeed felt much more comfortable. Dark clouds roiled in the sky, and the rain fell harder and harder.

An hour later, the storm finally receded. The rain stopped, and the sea became calm once more. Evelyn Ford went out to check the conditions while Ronan Kendrick started the fishing boat, continuing their journey north.