The three words "ticket inspector"—neither too high nor too low—seemed like a salvation to Sehir. Sehir took the ticket from the ticket inspector and turned to walk onto the ship.
Just as Sehir thought the matter was over, he leaned against the railing and looked around the dock. Suddenly, he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, and he froze on the spot, unable to move.
He stared directly into Isri's eyes, and Isri was stunned for half a second, a hunter's desire flashing in his eyes.
It seems he escaped on his own.
Isri's breathing became heavier, and the coldness in his eyes became more pronounced. His originally light amber pupils had turned dark due to the exertion.
Sehir stood frozen in place, unable to look away even for a second. Those eyes held him firmly in their gaze, as if they were about to drag him into the abyss in the next second.
Standing on the dock, Isri had nothing else to do but stand by the ship and look up at the people standing on it.
Run away, but no matter how far you run, I will still catch you and bring you back.
You naughty little bird, once I catch you again, you'll never escape from me again.
Isri's long, phoenix-shaped eyes narrowed slightly, like the deadliest scimitar in the night, ready to sever your neck in the next second.
My lord, you'd better run away quickly.
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A note from the author:
Sorry, I have a fever today and will only be updating one chapter. Thank you for your support.
Chapter 57
Finally, the deck beneath his feet began to sway, and Cecil escaped from that gaze, turning around and crouching down, shrinking himself under the railing.
When he stood up again, the ship was already in the middle of the sea. Sehir straightened up, looking at the dock getting further and further away, and his blood pressure rose to its highest level again.
He succeeded.
Sehir found a secluded corner to sit down; from now on, everything would be his own life.
Looking at the silver notes on his body, Sehir felt his head throb. Sure enough, he had rushed things this time and hadn't prepared most of the things. He had just run off like this, and he would definitely have to spend a lot of money when he first arrived in East Asia.
However, it would be good if we could escape.
Sehir's mind was in complete disarray; he didn't even know what he was doing, how he had followed the crowd out, or how he had boarded the ship. He couldn't remember any of it now.
Was escaping really the right choice?
—
A blue flag was flying atop the gray-black watchtower in front of them; the deep blue was almost identical to Cecil's eye color.
My eyes were fixed on it, and as if by some magic, the gray-black watchtower appeared a little whiter. The sea breeze, carrying a fishy smell, ruffled the hair on Cecil's forehead, making me frown slightly.
The noble bird defied its pampered nature, fantasizing about soaring through the sky. Was this a lack of self-awareness or self-deception?
The golden cage will be their eternal home; it is their birthplace.
——
As they walked further afield, the sea breeze became chillingly cold, so Sehir pulled his shirt tighter around his chest to keep himself warm.
There are all sorts of people on this ship: commoners, rich people, nobles. Sehir is on the first deck, which is the commoners' deck.
The upper class society is complicated, and Sehir doesn't have time to play with them, so it's better to stay in the commoners' area and live a more stable life.
But Christmas is just around the corner, and even in the working-class area, almost everyone is in pairs, making him the odd one out.
Sehir shrank himself even smaller, raised his arm to support his head, and looked at a lone seagull flying outside the window.
At least, you're not like me, are you?
As if hearing Cecil's thoughts, the seagulls immediately let out a few loud cries, sounding very mocking. Sure enough, within seconds, a flock of seagulls flew over and circled around the seagull.
Sehir paused for a second, pulled back his lips, and then turned his head back to bury it in his scarf.
I don't know how long they buried their heads in their hands, but the sea breeze outside was blowing even more fiercely, and the people inside had started singing, drinking, and chatting happily.
Just when the two sides were so different, a child's voice suddenly came from behind.
"Brother, are you alone?"
Sehir stirred, lifting his stiff head to search the direction from which the sound was coming.
The child took a few steps to stand in front of Cecil, staring at him with wide eyes, and repeated what he had just said: "Brother, are you alone?"
Sehir looked at the little man in front of him and nodded.
The child wasn't shy at all; he moved the box next to Sesil and squeezed himself in to sit next to Sesil.
Suddenly getting closer, Sesil instinctively dodged to the side, and then with a "bang," Sesil slammed his head against the wooden board above him, and tears welled up in his eyes.
The child was startled by Cecil's sudden action and quickly moved away from him, looking aggrieved: "Brother, I'm not dirty. I just changed into these clothes."
Sehir raised his hand to cover the spot where he had bumped his head, turned around, and looked at the child with a gloomy gaze. Looking at the child's aggrieved face that was about to cry, Sehir finally softened his expression.
Was I overreacting? After all, I had already escaped, hadn't I?
Sehir sat back down and looked at the child, asking, "Where are your family?"
Suddenly, as if struck on another sensitive spot, tears streamed down the child's face as he looked at Cecil with wet eyes.
"I boarded the ship secretly by myself; I have no family."
Coincidentally, the child also had blond hair and blue eyes, but everything about him was a lighter shade than Cecil's.
Sehir's brow twitched slightly. Looking at the child was like looking at a miniature version of himself. He didn't know how to comfort him and could only speak up to stop him.
Don't cry!
The child immediately stopped crying, pursing his lips tightly to suppress the sobs that were about to erupt.
"What do you want from me?" Saisil finally got to the point.
A glint flashed in the child's eyes, made even more pronounced by the lingering tears. The child was a little shy and avoided looking at Cecil.
"Don't you think we look alike, brother?" the child said, quickly adding before Cecil could speak.
"Brother is alone, and so am I. Let's keep each other company." The child grinned, looking at Cecil with a smile, squeezing out excess tears from the corners of his eyes.
They are quite similar, in some ways.
Sehir looked at the child for a long while before finally speaking: "What's your name?"
"Loman!" the child exclaimed happily, "My sister named me that, isn't it nice?"
Seeing Loman's excited expression, Sesil seemed interested in chatting: "Where's your sister?"
Suddenly, a sea breeze blew in, making Cecil shiver. Loman paused for two seconds, got up, walked to Cecil's side, and gently popped himself out of the window.
"What are you doing!" Sehir looked at Loman, who was practically leaning half his body out of the window, and felt a surge of nervousness.
Lohman didn't reply, but when he came in again, he closed the window, leaving Cecil stunned for a moment.
There used to be a barrier here.
When Loman sat back down next to Cecil, he spoke weakly, "My sister has passed away."
Looking at Loman, who was curled up in a ball, Sehir suddenly felt a pang of pity: "I'm sorry."
Immediately afterward, Loman looked up, her face once again displaying an innocent smile: "Brother, you don't need to apologize. It was my fault for not explaining clearly."
Sehir leaned against the wooden plank behind him, looking at Loman with a complex expression in his eyes, his thoughts unreadable.
"Brother, can I come with you?" Loman also followed Cecil's example, leaning against the wooden board and curling up to hug his knees.
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A note from the author:
The caged bird escaped. Was it returning home, rebelling, or something else entirely?
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Cecil turned his head to look at Loman and chuckled, "I don't have the money to support you."
Hearing Cecil's words, Loman sat up from the ground again, looking at Cecil with a determined gaze: "I don't need my brother to support me, I can find work myself!"
Sesil was amused by Loman, so he moved a little further to the side and said softly, "Sit down."
Loman nodded happily, his face slightly flushed, and replied immediately, "Okay!"
At least there will be someone to keep me company from now on, right?
Because the window was closed, the two leaned against the wooden plank, chatted for a few words, and then fell asleep.
——
Having been used to soft beds, Sesil only slept for a few hours before the hard floor made him feel uncomfortable. He turned his head and saw that Loman next to him was sleeping soundly.
Sehir dared not move too much, for fear of waking the people next to him, so he slowly moved his body to stand up from the ground, his joints cracking.
Finally straightening up, Sesil felt as if his waist had been stomped on heavily, and his spine felt like it was about to break.
The space was eerily quiet. Cecil took a few steps forward and found that many people in the corridor were still asleep, and the doors to some of the slightly wealthier rooms were tightly closed.
Sehir held his breath and walked quickly down the corridor, occasionally startled by the snoring sounds next to him.
The sky outside was still foggy, as if veiled by a layer of gauze. Looking at the sun gradually emerging in the distance, Cecil realized that it was dawn.
Cecil walked onto the deck, the cool sea breeze seeping into his clothes, his golden hair looking dazzling in the misty sky.
Sesil pulled the scarf up over his face, and a puff of warm air escaped from the small holes in the scarf, revealing his porcelain-white, slender fingertips, which were red from the cold.
This is the first time I've been so far away; it's an unprecedented and unique experience.
Sehir stood by the ship, watching the churning waves, his ears turning slightly red with excitement.
"Hello." Suddenly, a discordant voice broke the silence.
Sehir was startled and turned around to look at the person behind him.
"I'm sorry I startled you."
The man gave a graceful bow, and seeing that Cecil remained silent, he continued, "Did you just come down from up there?"
Sehir frowned slightly and shook his head. The man was taken aback for a moment before praising him directly, "If you hadn't told me, I would have thought you were from a noble family."