Chapter 203: Manaka Sajyou, Completely Fallen
The next day, when Noah opened his eyes, he felt exceptionally refreshed.
"Truly had a wonderful dream."
As Noah thought of last night's dream, he instinctively reached out to touch the space beside him.
Huh?
He had expected to find nothing this time, but to his surprise, this casual touch...
Hiss!
Why is there someone here!?
Could it be that Mary crawled out of the dream?
The moment this possibility crossed his mind, Noah instinctively raised his other free hand toward the ceiling.
"Authority Bestowal: Isolation."
As Noah activated his Authority: Protection of the Horizon, his blessing directly bestowed upon the entire ship the power of the God of the Boundary, the deity of secrecy.
This was Noah's method of utilizing Divinity.
As the embodiment of the Mediterranean Pantheon itself, his Divinity was equivalent to the fusion of an entire Pantheon—so when Noah mobilized his Authority, he could manifest the Authorities of other gods directly in the form of blessings.
Although explaining his Authority would be more complex, it could essentially be understood as—Bestowal!
He could grant blessings to others or objects, or bestow them upon himself, thereby enabling him to mobilize the Divine Authority of the entire Pantheon.
This way, even Merlin's Clairvoyance would be unable to see what was happening on the ship. In case Mary had indeed emerged from the dream, this would significantly reduce the risks.
Noah prepared himself, then lifted the blanket to take a look...
This... this isn't Mary!
—This is Manaka Sajyou!
Noah was utterly shocked.
Meanwhile, Manaka Sajyou slowly sat up.
She rubbed her eyes in the sunlight, looking like a lazy cat.
Awake now, she squinted slightly at the sunlight streaming in through the window.
"It's already morning. It's been a long time since I slept so comfortably."
Manaka Sajyou said this, then without any hesitation in front of Noah, she changed her clothes right before him. After tidying up a bit, she regained her usual young lady demeanor.
"Thank you for taking care of me last night."
Manaka Sajyou smiled and said this to Noah, then made to leave. But before she could step out the door, Noah called out to her.
"Wait a moment..."
Hearing Noah call her back, Manaka Sajyou turned around and tilted her head at him.
She seemed a bit puzzled.
However, before Noah could speak, Manaka Sajyou seemed to realize something. She tapped the corner of her mouth with one finger, putting on a practiced smile, and spoke to Noah.
"It's about last night... you don't want Senior Morgan to know..."
Before she could finish, Noah, while changing his clothes, interrupted her.
"No, I mainly wanted to ask if you've thought it through... Sorry, I seem to have underestimated your resolve. Let's just pretend I said nothing."
Noah had originally intended to ask something like, "Are you really sure about this?" But remembering that nothing had actually happened between them last night, and seeing how she changed her clothes in front of him without any attempt to hide, Noah swallowed his original question.
If she could act like that, Manaka Sajyou must have already made up her mind.
So...
Once dressed, Noah walked over to Manaka Sajyou, wrapped an arm around her, and pushed open the room door.
Manaka Sajyou showed a somewhat surprised expression for the first time since waking up.
She watched as Noah held her and greeted others. After the people around had dispersed, she quietly asked Noah in a low voice.
"Aren't you afraid Morgan will find out?"
Manaka, who had previously seemed intent on using this matter to her advantage, was now the first to bring up Morgan.
Noah looked at Manaka and smiled.
"Often, I find myself puzzled by the thoughts running through your mind right now—many people, after doing certain things, clearly having done them, end up acting like victims."
'What if she finds out?' 'How should I explain it to her?'—feeling guilty and blaming oneself over these matters in one's mind is understandable.
"But hiding it from others and dressing up the behavior with all sorts of excuses and justifications... that's something I really can't comprehend."
"Why must one always find a legitimate excuse for their mistakes? If it's wrong, it's wrong. If you yourself believe it's wrong, then don't be afraid of others finding out—at the very least, you should have been prepared before making the mistake."
Noah was no longer the naive person he once was.
Compared to when he first became king, he had grown immensely.
In every aspect.
"I am this kind of person. When I do good deeds, I do them openly, letting everyone know I've done something good!! Because I believe that's what gives meaning to doing good."
"If I make a mistake concerning someone close to me, I will openly admit it, letting those around me know that I was wrong in this matter."
"My moral boundaries are quite flexible, but not so flexible that I would let you bear most of the pressure while I sit back and enjoy the benefits, even though you were prepared and I was willing to accept it, yet I stubbornly cling to a middle ground."
"So..."
As he said this, Noah released Manaka. After walking to the bow of the ship, he turned around, leaned against it with his back to the sea and the sun, and smiled as he spoke to her.
"I am openly shameless like this. Do you regret it now?"
Looking at Noah like this, Manaka wanted to say something, but before she could speak, Noah walked over from the front, embraced her directly, and spoke first.
"Even if you say you regret it, it's too late. Since you were prepared, you must also have been prepared for the fact that I won't let you go—letting someone like me see something so beautiful early in the morning, that was truly your biggest mistake."
Hearing Noah's words, Manaka, nestled in his arms, blushed and swallowed the words she had intended to say.
She breathed in Noah's clean scent, and after a long while, she buried her face in his chest. Her demeanor shifted from initial composure to later firmness, surprise, and finally to softness.
"...Mm."
This woman, whose love was like a bullet fired from a gun—even if it meant crashing into something and becoming covered in blood, she would never turn back—had finally been caught head-on by Noah.
Now, Manaka Sajyou was basking in this warmth, unsure whether it came from Noah or the sunlight, and she was thoroughly enjoying this temperature.
Although she had already planned what to do next before she decided to take the initiative, she never expected Noah's reaction to be like this...
Even though she had aimed from the start and never intended to turn back, she couldn't help but shed her tough exterior at this moment.
And Manaka Sajyou understood.
This was what she wanted, what she longed for.
It wasn't that she had chosen never to turn back herself, but... after feeling this warmth, she had completely fallen in and could no longer turn back.