Chapter 198. Respite
"You're that white mouse from before?!" Elizabeth exclaimed in astonishment upon recognizing Lily. "And you gave birth to so many?!"
Lily was evidently upset by Elizabeth's remarks. Placing her tiny paws on her hips, she stomped and retorted, sounding indignant. "I'm still a young girl! I've never even held hands with a boy, let alone have children! They’re the children of my mouse friends!"
"Alright, alright. Back to the actual matter at hand," Charles interrupted the two. He hadn't summoned Lily to bicker with Elizabeth.
Lily turned around and let out a series of high-pitched squeaks to address the mouse crowd before her.
A cacophony of mouse squeaks echoed back in response. Elizabeth's innate fear inflicted a crack in her composure. Her brows furrowed, and she moved slightly closer to Charles for comfort.
Soon, the mouse chatter died down, and Lily picked up a nearby pen in her tiny paws. She then started scribbling letters on a piece of paper.
Holding a pen was a rather challenging task for a small creature like her, but her handwriting was surprisingly much more legible than the entries in Dipp's journal.
Elizabeth leaned over, and her eyes widened in surprise. Lily had made detailed notes about the suspicious activities of the key members on Hope Island.
Charles affectionately stroked Lily's furry head. "Lily, fetch Dipp over."
One of the mice scurried away. Not long after, Dipp entered the room with a yawn. Scratching his neck irritably, he let out yet another yawn before he said, "Captain, why are you still awake? Why did you wake me up at such an early hour? Didn't you say that we would have a long rest this time?"
Charles handed over the note that Lily had just written. "Resolve this, then you may continue sleeping."
A look of confusion appeared on Dipp's face as he accepted the note. As he read the contents, a shade of unmistakable anger clouded his face.
He immediately turned and stormed toward the door. But before he stepped out, he abruptly U-turned. "Captain, there are some navy personnel listed on this, too. Should I deal with them as well?"
"Do as I've previously instructed. Carry out your duties."
"Got it. These treacherous snakes! I will show you what I'm capable of!" With that, Dipp stormed out of the room with brimming rage.
Genuinely impressed by the spectacle, Elizabeth remarked, "It never crossed my mind that you could use your mouse crew like this! No wonder you aren't worried about betrayal. You have your eyes on everyone on the island!"
Charles let out a chuckle. It was Lily's mouse surveillance that gave him the assurance to venture to other islands. With her help, he could maintain order and control. Otherwise, trouble would surely brew over time. Hope Island was his main base, after all, and he had to ensure that it would remain stable even while he was gone.
"Darling," Elizabeth purred with a playful smile as she moved to sit on Charles' lap. "How about giving me some of these mice?"
Charles gently held Elizabeth by the waist and gazed into her eyes. "I'm afraid not. They are all managed by Lily."
"Really? Not even with this...." Elizabeth's words trailed off as her alluring visage inched closer to Charles. Just as their lips were about to meet, they felt an intense gaze from the side, and they halted the affectionate moment.
They both turned their heads simultaneously to find Lily perched comfortably on the desk. Her huge eyes stared at them intently with anticipation as if watching a top-rated drama.
"Oh, Mr. Charles, am I interrupting? Please, ignore me and continue," Lily chirped with feigned innocence.
Elizabeth could hardly control herself and let out a chuckle. She playfully swatted Charles' chest and remarked, "Your little crew member is surely adorable."
Taking Elizabeth's hand in his, Charles led her toward the office door. "Come, let's go take a stroll outside."
Upon leaving the Governor's Mansion, he declined the services of the waiting chauffeur and walked out with Elizabeth by his side. Rows of neatly arranged houses with pointed roofs stood outside the mansion. It was like stepping back in time into the Victorian era.
"Charles, I must say, your island is far more exquisite than mine. Perhaps this land has truly been blessed by the Light God," Elizabeth mused as she took in the quaint scenery.
"Perhaps," Charles replied with a chuckle.
The pair wandered through the exquisite and elegant Central District and arrived at the outskirts where the islanders resided. In the vast square, the islanders were enthusiastically gathering wood and piling them into a bonfire.
Witnessing the anticipation and excitement on their faces, Charles was slightly surprised. Despite being the ruler, he had no idea what the event was.
Stopping a woman, who appeared to be in her thirties and was holding her young daughter's hand, Charles inquired, "Excuse me, ma'am, may I ask what is this bonfire for?"
A look of astonishment appeared on the woman's visage. "It's the island's Landing Festival tomorrow! How do you not know about this major event?"
Charles looked upward at the canopy overhead. "It's so bright outside, though. Is a bonfire still necessary?"
"Of course!" The woman nodded enthusiastically with a blissful smile. "It's a tradition where we honor the Governor for discovering and establishing this beautiful land. Burning a few logs is the least we can do to show gratitude. It's all thanks to him that we get to enjoy this tranquil life.”
"When did you arrive here? How has life been on the island?" Charles asked, his voice laced with apparent curiosity.
"I came here with my daughter three years ago. Our initial plan was to head to World's Crown, but we managed to secure some unexpected funds on our way. So we decided to come to this new island to take a look. Looking back, I'm so glad that I made that decision then," the woman answered, her eyes glimmering with joy and her expression devoid of any trace of regret.
"I see... Is life on the island that great?" Elizabeth pressed on as she was slightly surprised by the response.
"Here, I can earn enough for bread, rent a place to call home, and we're free from harassment. All I wish for is a peaceful life for my daughter and me."
Hearing this, Elizabeth, as the governor of another island, couldn't resist chiming in, "The essentials you mentioned can be found on other islands as well, like Elizarles Shores, to name one."
The woman gently shook her head. "It's not that easy to secure a job on other islands. And the laws there are often just mere decorum. The Central Islanders can freely violate the law and then buy their way out of the punishment.
”But that's not the case on Hope Island. Here, even the elites are held to the same standard as everyday folks."
As Charles bid the woman farewell, an unexpected joy surged in his heart. He had never thought that a single, unintentional act of his could make such a profound difference for another.
Laws that were passed ought to be abided by. However, it felt as if the people of the Subterranean Seascape were hearing this simple truth for the first time. Charles suddenly felt that perhaps being a good governor wasn't that difficult after all.
Due to the upcoming Landing Festival, the island was bustling and lively. Charles and Elizabeth were influenced by the contagious festive mood. They drank sweet banana liquor, feasted on succulent crab legs, and even enjoyed an outdoor play.
Elizabeth snuggled up to Charles, her fingers wrapped tightly around his arm. A warm glow of happiness illuminated her face as she remarked, "How wonderful. I wish we could stay like this forever."
As Charles turned toward her, she playfully pressed onto Charles' lips to silence him.
"I know. You don't have to explain. My stance remains the same: I don't have the intent to cling to you. Go and do what you have to. But if you ever feel tired, I want you to know that you can always come back. I'll always be waiting for you."
Initially, Charles had thought that their bond was primarily out of gratitude for the island he had gifted her. However, it seemed like their relationship was layered with more complexities than he had imagined.
Ever since that day, Charles let go of his responsibilities and traveled around Hope Island with Elizabeth. To satisfy her curiosity, he even brought her up to Newbound City to take a look.
The prolonged period of relaxation seemed to ease the tense mental state of Charles' mind. He wasn't sure if it was due to being on the island or the gentle companionship of Elizabeth, but the frequency of his hallucinations or headaches had significantly decreased.
However, their peaceful days soon took an abrupt turn as a peculiar ship slowly made its way into Hope Island's harbor.
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