The two hadn't been sitting for more than a few minutes when Loman stood up, looked at Cecil with a determined gaze, and, as if he had considered it for a long time, said, "Brother, let's change seats later."
Sehir looked up and his gaze fell on Loman, who then began to explain, "Everyone outside saw the ruby in my brother's hand just now, and I was afraid that someone might have ill intentions."
Lohman's words made sense. Cecil thought for a moment, then asked, "When?"
Loman glanced outside, then turned back and said, "When they go to eat..."
As he spoke, Loman moved the box behind him aside, stuffed the bread and milk he had stockpiled under his clothes, and grinned as he opened his mouth towards Cecil.
"Time is almost up, let me get ready."
——
In the afternoon, the dining bell finally rang on the ship. Young people flocked to the restaurant, while the elderly followed behind shakily. Some people who had no intention of competing with them for food shrank into their blankets and covered their heads.
Hearing that the commotion outside had subsided, Loman pulled Cecil to get up again, and the area outside suddenly became much larger.
Loman pulled Sehir along, twisting and turning, until they finally reached the outer deck.
As evening approached, it was still bitterly cold outside, but Lohman seemed oblivious to the chill, pulling Sehir straight to the very back of the cabin.
As Sesil shivered from the cold wind, his hands and feet almost numb with cold, he finally arrived at the place Loman had mentioned.
The cabins here look similar to those in front. Only after entering through the door did Cecil feel as if he had been reborn.
The layout here is almost identical to the previous one. There aren't many people here, but most of them look helpless because this cabin is too far from the restaurant. By the time they run over, almost all the food there has been snatched up.
The two chose the same spot again. The window in the back cabin was better sealed than the one in front. After enclosing it with boxes, it became much warmer.
The wind picked up outside, and the sound of it blowing through the cracks in the windows was like a howl from hell. The cabin was so quiet, even on Christmas Eve.
Unconsciously, Sesil felt a lump in his throat, and he even wanted to go back.
Loman took the bread out of his clothes, picked out a piece that he had warmed himself, and handed it to Cecil.
"Brother, Merry Christmas Eve."
Cecil looked at the person in front of him who seemed to be a size smaller than himself, the corners of his lips turned up slightly, and he took the bread from Loman's hand.
"How long have you been alone?" Sehir asked.
Loman munched on his bread, thought for a moment, and then opened his mouth: "It's been a long time, I don't remember very clearly, but I'm not alone now, I have my brother."
Loman grinned at Cecil, seemingly unconcerned, but he couldn't hide it from Cecil; the corners of his eyes were still glistening with tears.
They can't even pretend to be convincing.
Sehir tilted his head, leaned against the corner, looked at the bread in his hand for a while, and finally started eating it.
He couldn't quite remember how long he'd been alone. Although Isri was by his side, it always felt like there was too much distance between them. To put it bluntly, he only knew Isri's name.
Sehir buried his head in the scarf again; the scent was gone, but he still remembered that night very clearly.
That night, the fire in the fireplace was warm, and he didn't fall asleep. He could even feel Isri lifting his hair.
The sound was like beautiful notes on a piano, striking that fragile heart again and again.
"Joyeyxnoel, Moncheri."
Merry Christmas, my dear.
Sehir understood; it was a French phrase. He had grown up attending parties with his father and had picked up a few of them from a young age.
Hearing this, Cecil was almost going crazy. "Moncheri" is a term used between lovers, so why would Isri say it to him?
He thought he had misheard, but amidst the crackling of the firewood, the two words seemed to amplify abruptly, filling his mind as if telling him something.
You heard me right.
Sehir exhaled and opened his eyes to look ahead. The cabin was dark, but the people in front of him had lit their lamps, which flickered behind him.
The clouds eventually couldn't withstand the crystallization of the raindrops, and large flakes of snow fell from the sky, into the sea, and melted into a puddle.
It was getting late, and the people in front seemed to be making some moves. After a while, someone came up to the newlyweds, smiling and saying, "Friends, Merry Christmas! Want to have dinner together?"
The man with a full beard smiled at the two of them, looking rather simple and honest. Loman glanced at the man, then at the distance, her mouth agape in longing.
"May I?"
The man laughed loudly a few times, looked into the distance, and raised his voice even more: "They asked if it's okay?"
In the distance, a group of people, holding large wooden barrels and wine glasses, had completely lost their earlier helplessness and were now all smiles: "Hurry up, or we'll miss it!"
The man turned to look at Loman: "Did you hear that?"
Loman blinked, then turned back and smiled at Cecil: "Let's go, brother."
——
Meanwhile, on the other side of the coin, just as Loman had said, every night a group of people would gather around the city and discuss something. After exchanging a few words, the group would start to take action.
He walked to his seat, and without saying a word, kicked open the box, only to find it empty and deserted.
"Damn it! Find it for me!" one of them shouted angrily.
Chapter Sixty-Four
In an instant, two or three people rushed into the small space, rummaging around like abandoned dogs, licking up what had been left behind.
The window was opened, and a gust of cold wind rushed in, causing the two to take a few steps back. The next second, shouts and curses came from behind them.
"What are you opening the window for! Give it to me!"
The two young men standing in front quickly bowed and smiled obsequiously as they went to close the window.
In this cramped space, the poor cushions and boxes were torn to shreds everywhere, and even the precarious wooden planks were kicked several times.
The leader spat on the ground, stepped forward and shoved the two men in front of him aside, his face grim: "Get the man back to me!"
Just as I was about to turn around and leave, something flashed before my eyes. The leader walked forward, squatted down, and looked at the gaps in the wooden planks.
"You kick it away," the leader said, standing up to the person beside him.
With a loud "bang," the wooden board was kicked open, creating a large hole. Something fell out from the crack—a small piece of blue crystal, emitting a soft blue light.
Although it was incomplete, consisting of only a small piece, its value was absolutely considerable. The leader instantly became envious, his lips almost stretching to his ears in a wide grin.
"Let's go! We brothers are going to celebrate!" The leader said excitedly, looking at the things in his hands. "I'll treat you guys to something good tonight!"
"Thank you, big brother!" A group of people around them cheered.
Unbeknownst to them, Cecil had already slipped the blue crystal into the crevice before leaving.
Sehir knew that if these people really wanted to rob him, they would do anything to find him, so it was better to just give him the blue crystal directly; a lost blue crystal wasn't worth much money.
—
In the back cabin, the male and female teachers made room for Cecil and Loman, who were arranged to sit at the very back and surrounded by them, just like a big family.
The bearded man stood up, grinned at Loman and Cecil, and said, "My name is Gran. Since we're all here together, we're friends!"
Cecil was a little taken aback by the sudden enthusiasm, while Loman quickly joined in, his face beaming with a smile: "Thank you, Uncle."
The woman beside him poured juice into glasses for Loman and Cecil, while Grant picked up a glass from the table and held it up in the air.
Merry Christmas Eve!
The people around also stood up, raised their glasses to clink with Gran's, and then drank them down in one gulp, all at the same time.
Merry Christmas Eve!
In order to integrate into their group as quickly as possible, Sehir followed their movements and learned the juice. The juice was orange juice, which looked freshly squeezed and had a slightly bitter taste.
Just a few minutes after I sat down, a woman pushed the door open and came in from the outside, carrying a basket in her hand.
"Everyone, I borrowed the kitchen and made apple pie for you."
Upon hearing the woman's words, the group of people instantly became excited, clapping their hands and staring eagerly at the contents of the basket.
As soon as the woman lifted the thick cloth covering the basket, a rich, fresh fruity aroma instantly filled the entire cabin, and everyone eagerly watched the apple pie that was about to be taken out.
Sehir was also slightly taken aback. In all his memory, he had never come into contact with anything related to apples, and even when Isri made desserts, he never used apples.
But the smell was too good. Sesil couldn't understand why Isri didn't make it. It tasted so much better than pineapple pie or strawberry pie.
The woman slowly and deliberately used a knife to cut open the tender flesh of the fruit. The outer skin cracked, and the aroma became even stronger. Loman, who was standing next to her, nervously tugged at Cecil's clothes and kept swallowing his saliva.
The apple pie was just right, and everyone got a small piece. Loman and Cecil were also given some. After all, it was Christmas Eve, and the captain and crew were setting off fireworks on the deck, while the upper-class nobles were having a banquet and playing games.
Sesil looked at the apple pie in front of him, but didn't see any cutlery or similar utensils, and for a moment he didn't know where to start.
Lohman glanced at Cecil, then picked up the plate, grabbed an apple pie with his hand, and stuffed it into his mouth. He then looked at Cecil with a blissful expression, his cheeks puffed out from stuffing his face.
"Brother, eat quickly!"
Sehir watched as everyone grabbed handfuls of apple pie and stuffed them into their mouths. He paused, then, mimicking Lohman, picked up the plate with his left hand and slowly moved his right hand towards the apple pie in the center.
Less than a second after the touch, Cecil was scalded and withdrew his hand, clenching his fist, his fingertips still throbbing slightly.
Seeing that everyone was enjoying their meal, Sehir didn't want to spoil the fun, so he held the plate in front of him, puffed out his cheeks, and blew on it for a while before finally picking up the apple pie.
As soon as it was brought to his nose, the fruity aroma instantly filled his nostrils. Cecil's lips twitched slightly, and he opened his mouth to put it in.
Just as I imagined, the tartness of the apple balanced the sweetness of the cake, creating a burst of flavor on my taste buds.
A glint flashed in Cecil's eyes. With his second bite, he swallowed the apple lying on top of him. The sourness made Cecil close his eyes immediately.
But just a few seconds later, Cecil felt a tightness in his throat, and his vision was as if covered by a gauze, making it impossible to see anything clearly.
"Cough cough cough!" A violent coughing sound suddenly came from behind.
Sehir slid down the stool behind him, half-supported on the ground, clutching his collar, trying to breathe deeply, but no outside air could get in.
The others were startled by Cecil's sudden action. Loman was so nervous that he burst into tears, abandoning his apple pie and bending down to help Cecil up from the ground.
Sehir, supporting Loman's hand, shakily stood up from the ground, his face still contorted with pain.
Just as he was about to sit down on the stool, in the next second, it was as if a string had snapped in his head, and he fell forward.
Lohman couldn't stop him in time, and Cecil fell to the ground. Fortunately, the people next to him reacted in time and stepped forward to pull Cecil into their arms.
Loman stared wide-eyed at the apple pie on the plate, then at the group of people, and a very bad thought suddenly arose in his mind.
His voice trembled as he asked, "What...what did you feed my brother?!"
A bespectacled, refined-looking man approached from a distance, took the item from Sehir, examined it, and his brows furrowed.