金瓶梅第2部

Felicity smiled with embarrassment, "Thank you so much, Miss Maisie."

Elladan nodded, "We'll... uh... make sure that horndog doesn't make any more trouble."

Coraline followed Elladan's thumb, which pointed behind him at one of the unused tables.

There, Ramon laid, his breath probably still reeking of alcohol and vomit. He was lightly snoring, using the tablecloth as an improvised blanket.

Miss Maisie walked over to the unconscious man, stroking his horned forehead as if he were a child, "Don't think ya hafta worry 'bout the big lug for tha next few bells-- at least!"

The woman in the Alizeaun maid outfit waved energetically, before practically prancing out of the dining hall.

She had mentioned drowsiness as a possible side effect of the tincture she mixed for Mister Ramon. It put the big man down like a battlehammer to the head.

Coraline, despite her terribly sore neck, chose to suffer in silence. Whatever Maisie had given Ramon, she wasn't sure she'd be able to survive.

Still... yet another person was leaving the protection of the dining hall, even if it was the woman hell-bent on ruining her breakfast.

But what could she do about it? She couldn't ask for the ship functions to cease while she played detective. The previous night, she had approached both the Captain and Miss Maisie with confidence... but left with only bitter feelings.

"Two-man teams..." She muttered.

"What was that, Miss Coraline?" Felicity granted her a gentle smile... and... and...

She offered her the last quarter of bread.

It took everything Coraline had not to embrace her, "Th-thank you, Miss Felicity."

She tilted her head, "I'd imagine you interviewed Miss Maisie last night?"

Coraline nodded her head up and down, her mouth full of sweet starchy goodness, "Uh huh."

"And things didn't go so well?"

Audibly gulping, Coraline groaned... "Mmhm. That's an understatement."

"I think... for safety's sake, we should travel in two-person teams." She liberally applied sweet butter to her still warm sustenance, "That way, everyone will be accountable for each other."

"Right," Elladan nodded. "And if someone turns up dead, we throw their pair off the ship."

Coraline sighed. The half-elf seemed to have a tendency towards violence.

...or maybe adventurers in general lacked tact?

"That's right, Elladan," Felicity smiled. "That's why you're going with her~"

Elladan winced at the sudden notion, "I'm what?"

"Going with Miss Maisie," Felicity stuck her tongue out. "You can help her with the cleaning rituals just fine."

The half-elf frowned, his pointed ears drooping slightly...

"(My love...)" He muttered in Elven, "(You know how troubled I am with most humans.)"

"I trust you enough not to run off with her," Felicity winked.

"Right..." Elladan sighed as he stood from his chair to follow Maisie... but suddenly, he shot a wicked glare at young master Tychon, "I'm watching you, noble. Keep your hands off of my woman."

Tychon frowned... "False. Your observation of me ends as soon as you step out of this room."

Felicity giggled, shooing Elladan away with a wave of her hand, "Go on! I promise I won't have too much fun."

The half-elf grumbled some choice phrases in Elven as he walked out the door. He probably had no idea that the young master could understand him perfectly...

"Miss Coraline."

"Y-yes?!" Coraline straightened her back.

The deep voice of Tychon caught her by surprise.

She didn't like dealing much with the entitled noble. In many ways, he was worse than Lord Arod. Ancients were aloof, acted in their own self-interests, and treated everyone else with disdain.

The green-haired Baron was all that... but... more rude about it.

She slowly turned her head (painfully) to meet that person's gaze, "Sir Tychon?"

"Concerning your suggestion to move in defensive pairs..." The noble smiled politely. "--you do realize that you are the only passenger traveling alone, yes?"

That... was absolutely right.

Beads of perspiration began to form on Coraline's forehead. She knew she was a suspect. Everyone was. However, the fact that she was traveling alone put her in a special category of suspicion.

She hadn't realized that until just then...

She opened her mouth to defend herself... but hesitated. All the excuses she could think of were flimsy and weak-- they would only make her seem more suspicious! She wasn't the murderer, though!

Lady Lucrezia stood on her chair, "I must object, Sir Tychon! I can personally vouch for my niece's character!"

The noble furrowed his brows, "Your... niece?"

"That's right!" Felicity grabbed onto Coraline, hugging her possessively against her squishy chest, "Miss Coraline is the absolute sweetest thing! She wouldn't hurt a fly, much less a person!"

Coraline generally didn't like being touched, but... Felicity's embrace wasn't unpleasant. She smelled like dried herbs and flowers-- a type of scent popular amongst both elves and Alizeauns. She could have gone without her face being mashed into boobs, though.

Also, if she had access to her offensive spells, she had no problems zapping flies out of the air.

Lucrezia thrust an angry finger menacingly at Tychon, "And besides, Miss Coraline's room is the farthest from Master Highblade's. We would have certainly seen her skulking about in the hallway if she was the culprit!"

Coraline sighed internally. Auntie Lucrezia meant well... but the hallways all connected. If she was the murderer, she could have avoided the group if she'd just gone the opposite direction...

"The young lady's character aside," Tychon continued. "Perhaps it would be best if, for the remainder of this trip, Miss Coraline accompanied Mister Lone..."

...What?

She thought she was being placed under suspicion. This conversation... was not... that.

Honestly, it wasn't a terrible idea. Other than having to be mindful of falling asleep around Mister Lone, she found his company to be... not terrible.

She glanced over to the cheek-scarred boy.

He was wearing the most peculiar expression.

Oh.

Well! If he didn't think it was a good idea, she didn't either!

"I don't think so, Sir Tychon~" Felicity smirked. "Miss Coraline can stick with me and Elladan-- oh, and the sleepyhead too."

"Coraline, dear," Lucrezia placed her hands on her hips, but cooed in a motherly voice, "Stay with me and your Uncle Giorgio, won't you?"

It seemed that none of the other passengers trusted the youth with the golden eyes.

Or maybe... Coraline was... popular?

Whatever the reason, it made her chest feel warm, having people willing to protect her...