Transmigrated As A Beautiful Cannon Fodder Omega To Marry An Evil God Alpha In Place of Another - Chapter 17

“Did he just ask if we’ve seen the Witch Emperor?”

“Does he realize the Witch Emperor himself is standing right in front of him?”

The Black Dragon was munching on dried small fish, swinging a purple velvet cover in his hand. It had finally opened, as expected, when their Majesty didn’t interfere, it was just a simple piece of cloth.

The Black Cat bared its teeth, protecting its hoard of dried fish with its white pawed “gloves.” “Who told you to come watch the show so early? Didn’t you say yesterday you weren’t coming?”

“Well, I didn’t see Prince Bai Rui in women’s clothing yesterday. I couldn’t even sleep well last night thinking about it.”

“Bah!” the Black Cat spat. “You’re just like that Annamese pirate, all muscle and no brains.”

“The hell! What are you talking about? At least I’m much taller than him! Looking through the crystal ball at the Emperor and the Prince, I can only see a patch of that guy’s scalp.”

“That fellow actually asked the Witch Emperor to his face if he’d seen the Witch Emperor,” the Black Cat pulled its iron tin of dried fish closer, staring intently at the crystal ball. The images reflected in the cat’s large eyes. “It’s hilarious. Our Majesty is keeping his cool, he hasn’t reacted at all.”

“True,” the Black Dragon stealthily swiped another fish and tossed it into his mouth. “His Majesty is standing as still as if he’s fallen asleep.”

While the dragon and cat laughed in front of the crystal ball, the atmosphere on the scene was far from lighthearted.

Bai Rui’s nape was still being gripped by Jayne’s coarse hand, forcing his body to lean forward. The two streaks of red at the corners of his eyes looked particularly vivid, his eyes shimmering with moisture. He looked as if he were on the verge of tears, a sight that would move anyone to pity.

“No, you’ve misunderstood.”

Bai Rui half-lidded his eyes. Even with the glands at the back of his neck being pressed, they remained as still as stagnant water. However, the hand was heavy and ruthless, the area was too fragile, and the pressure caused a sharp pain that brought a faint glisten of tears to his eyes.

“My little Oriental beauty, you really are stunning~”

Captain Jayne couldn’t take his eyes off him. He grinned, revealing a mouth full of blackened teeth. “Aside from being a bit flat chested, everything else is perfect. Oh, and you’re a bit taller than me. I’m very satisfied.”

It’s more than just a little bit taller, isn’t it?

Furthermore, the stench that wafted out the moment he opened his mouth was hard to bear. A surge of nausea rose in Bai Rui’s stomach, but he forced it down. His long lashes were beaded with moisture as he lowered his gaze. “Captain, why do you doubt me? I’ve only just boarded the ship. I’m completely innocent.”

He had always been capable of enduring hardship, often helping out at his family’s small restaurant. He treated this like looking at fish, just like someone who had been killing fish for ten years, his heart was cold and detached.

Perhaps his beauty pleased Captain Jayne, as the initial fierce gloom dissipated, replaced quickly by a gaze of greedy desire. “Yes, dear Miss Batella, why don’t you tell me another thing? Why is it that you are clearly one of our Annamese people living in the Gambler’s Town, yet you have an Oriental face? And such fair skin?”

The Annamese typically had dark skin, short statures, blackened teeth, and flat features with wide, low noses. Very few possessed such porcelain skin. Thus, Bai Rui stood out among everyone, dazzling and conspicuous. Already exceptionally handsome, the contrast only served to highlight his beauty.

Bai Rui was pressed down a few inches further, bringing him closer to those blackened teeth. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the shimmer in them was even more radiant. “Otherwise, how could I have fallen in love with five different sheriffs?”

The statement was blunt, yet indisputable. Given his beauty, the tears in his eyes, and the thin flush creeping up his temples and earlobes from being bullied, it was a convincing lie.

“True,” the pirate leader’s grin widened. “That is quite persuasive. Next, give me a reason to keep you by my side.”

This cunning and sinister pirate hadn’t survived a life of licking blood from blades by being soft. Bai Rui cast an almost imperceptible glance toward the one eyed man who had already stood up, glaring at Jayne’s back.

Then, he retracted his gaze and smiled. “I can cook. My culinary skills are quite excellent.”

Captain Jayne’s Adam’s apple bobbed involuntarily. “Really?”

It had been far too long since he’d had a decent meal, but he still had reservations. “You outlived five sheriffs. If you cook for me, will you be adding some sort of witchcraft?”

“After all, you are a witch. The witch-hunts are happening everywhere across the Plains of Wind. Who would have thought that a witch who made a deal with the devil, a true witch with demonic power, would be on my ship?”

“Respected Captain, you overthink. I do not know any witchcraft.”

Bai Rui’s naturally red lips parted slightly. “Besides, you said so yourself, you aren’t harmed by witchcraft.”

“Heh.”

The pirate leader chuckled, his small eyes unable to hide his paranoia. “My dear lady, I know you’ll take the chance to mess with the food. After all, your track record is quite distinguished.”

There was a long pause until A-Wu, standing beside them, let out an ambiguous yawn. It seemed he had actually fallen asleep because he wasn’t used to waking up so early. But in the middle of a pirate ship, that yawn sounded jarringly relaxed.

“No way, did he really fall asleep…?”

In front of the crystal ball, the Black Dragon was speechless. The Black Cat’s eyes narrowed into two flat lines. “He can sleep in this environment?”

The meaningless stalemate was broken. A-Wu, hands tucked into the sleeves of his cloak, casually straightened his back. Even through the cloak, his shoulders appeared broad. The surrounding petite Annamese pirates all stared in astonishment.

Last night had been too dark to see clearly, and they had thought this was a hunched old woman. This person had to be at least 1.9 meters tall.

However, since the focus wasn’t on A-Wu, he seemed to realize his slip-up and resumed his hunched posture, even smacking his lips as if reminiscing about a good dream.

After a moment, A-Wu spoke, using a disguised voice: “Since you don’t believe the cooking skills, why not try a sample dish?”

“My culinary skills are exquisite. My specialties include Cuttlefish Ink Pumpkin Stewed with Black Bear Gall, Wolfsbane and Aconite Slime braised Mandrake Root, Unicorn Horn Powder Leech Noodles, and Poppy Chocolate Finger Biscuits. Don’t worry, the opium content won’t exceed 1%. I’ve calculated it carefully.”

When he finished, everyone fell silent. The whistling sea wind howled “woo-woo,” but only A-Wu remained enthusiastic. “How about it? Sounds tempting, doesn’t it?”

The long silence was the collective answer. After a while, Captain Jayne snapped out of it and growled, “I’d rather throw both of you into the sea. Eating that stuff would probably be deadlier than poisoned food.”

Every sailor nodded in fervent agreement.

Bai Rui frowned slightly, then put on a pitiful expression. “Don’t listen to my ignorant servant’s nonsense. The food I make isn’t like that.”

“I can cook Oriental dishes: Mapo Tofu, Spicy Beef, Sautéed Three Delicacies, Twice Cooked Pork, Steamed Fish, Plum Ribs…”

As he spoke, the pirates couldn’t help but swallow. The sound of “gulp, gulp” was so loud even the sea breeze couldn’t mask it.

The pirate captain finally released his grip on Bai Rui’s neck, even twitching his connected eyebrows. “Dammit, if you can cook those, why didn’t you say so earlier?”

But the moment his hand left the back of Bai Rui’s neck, it moved to Bai Rui’s face. He shamelessly stroked that fair, soft cheek.

“No rush. I was too busy last night to experience Miss Batella’s tenderness. Why don’t we…”

He said there was no rush, but he was more impatient than anyone.

Right then, a massive swell hit the ship without warning, causing the hull to tilt violently to one side. No one could keep their footing, several pirates fell onto the deck, sliding from bow to stern, nearly falling overboard.

The sky, which had been clear moments ago, was suddenly covered in dark clouds, as if the god governing the world had suddenly flown into a rage.

While everyone else was stumbling, only A-Wu, wrapped in his black cloak, stood perfectly still. The fierce wind howled, whipping the hem of his sleeves and flipping his hood, revealing the sharp line of his pressed lips and the occasional glimpse of his high-bridged nose.

The ship rocked violently in the massive waves, its hull creaking and tilting pitifully in the dark surge. Only that one figure stood there, immovable.

With a loud crack, a large section of the main cabin’s side planking was torn away by the gale. The cabin was instantly sprayed with white sea foam, becoming almost indistinguishable from the open deck.

Wooden barrels began rolling wildly across the deck. Bai Rui barely dodged one, but a second later, another barrel came hurtling toward him with immense force. The wind blinded him. Bai Rui couldn’t see clearly. When he looked up, the massive barrel was right in front of him.

Only three words flashed through his mind: I’m finished.

He expected broken ribs or, if he was lucky, a bruised face, as the sailors rolling on the deck were already in a terrible state.

Bai Rui closed his eyes tight, but the expected impact never came. The pain didn’t follow. The wind carried sea spray that dampened his cheeks, and with his lashes wet, his eyes were slow to open.

When he finally peeked, the first thing he saw was a well-proportioned, large hand pressed against the massive barrel. The skin was cold and pale, appearing even more bloodless against the water.

A-Wu, who had acted as if nothing were worth his notice, had instantly moved to stand before Bai Rui, his hand stopping the heavy barrel’s momentum. The howling wind whipped his black cloak into a flutter. For a moment, even the falling water droplets seemed to freeze, the entire world went silent.

Beneath the hood, his thin lips curled into a slight arc. Using his original, melodious voice, he spoke:

“Careful, Your Highness. It would break my heart if you were bruised.”

Then, with a firm push of that large hand, the massive barrel rolled back in the opposite direction. With a momentum several times greater than before, it crashed into the pirate who had been whipping the slaves, knocking him straight off the ship.

Bai Rui felt an irresistible force wrap around his waist. In the next second, he was swept up by A-Wu, spinning twice before being pressed into a safe corner of the cabin.

The sharp, cold fragrance filled his nose again. A second later, a strong, powerful arm held him firmly, and a tall, sturdy back shielded him from the lashing waves.

“Your Highness…” A-Wu’s seductive, magnetic voice whispered close to Bai Rui’s ear: “It’s so dangerous here. You have to protect me.”