Chapter 27
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
Chapter 27
I wrapped a vine around my waist and tied a spear between the coils, laughing to myself.
For the past few days, Enoch had been catching fish for us, but he looked busy today, so I had to take matters into my own hands.
"Fish, you know. The ones you've been eating for days. I'm going to catch some."
"Wait, hold on. Did I hear that right? Margaret Rose Flone—of all people—is going fishing?"
Too lazy to answer Kaiden's repeated questions, I simply nodded. He let out an incredulous laugh.
"This is insane. You're actually going to catch fish with that spear? You're a noble Young Lady, aren't you?"
"That's discrimination. Why can't a noble Young Lady fish?"
"Noble Young Ladies don't fish. Especially not with a spear like that."
I started to argue back, but then I had to admit his point made sense.
He was right. What noble would ever fish? And with a spear, no less. Even I had to acknowledge it was absurd.
But when survival is on the line, even a noble has no choice.
"Anyway, I'm tired of eating fish. There don't seem to be any animals worth hunting nearby."
It seemed the time had come to truly relocate our shelter. We needed to find an environment with more abundant food resources.
Just as I was thinking this, Enoch returned.
Enoch came back with his arms full of coconuts, but the moment he spotted Kaiden, his face twisted in displeasure.
He carelessly set the coconuts down in the Cave and came back, taking my hand and pulling me away from Kaiden.
"I could have sworn I tied him up."
At Enoch's muttering, I finally noticed the scrap of cloth dangling from Kaiden's right wrist. It seemed Enoch had bound him with it before leaving the Cave.
"I told you not to linger around Margaret."
Enoch positioned himself in front of me and glared at Kaiden.
"Now I'm being treated like a disease."
Kaiden grumbled, but neither Enoch nor I bothered to respond.
I turned to Enoch with a request.
"Don't tie him up again. I have something I need him to do."
At my words, Kaiden pouted his lower lip and replied with a mischievous tone.
"I'm not going to do it."
"Then no dinner for you."
"How much firewood do you need me to gather?"
Kaiden quickly capitulated and straightened up, approaching me.
I casually ordered him to gather enough firewood for this evening and tomorrow morning.
"Margaret, you know, I've said this before, but you're really different from the Margaret Rose Flone Young Lady I knew."
Kaiden suddenly blurted this out.
"Am I not the same person?"
Unfortunately, I couldn't deny it outright.
Kaiden rested his chin on his hand and scrutinized my face carefully. Of course, Enoch quickly stopped him.
Enoch tended to me with the meticulous care of a mother wolf protecting her cubs. And I didn't refuse his protection.
"That's only because you don't know Margaret well. You don't know her true self."
Enoch suddenly spoke to Kaiden in a boastful tone.
What was that about? Enoch didn't know my true self either, after all. It was rather amusing.
Kaiden seemed to be mulling over Enoch's words with a dissatisfied expression before turning to ask me.
"What's your real appearance?"
This time, Enoch also turned to look at me. Under the expectant gazes of both men, my heart grew heavy. Why were they being so demanding?
"Um... well, Bear Grylls?"
Of course, I'd meant it as a joke, but Enoch and Kaiden, having no idea who that was, simply stared at me in bewilderment.
In any case, the Kaiden from the novel never lived communally with the female lead, no matter how prominent she was—he always kept to himself.
But I couldn't fathom why he wasn't leaving now and continued to linger in the Cave.
Moreover, Enoch had seemed to despise me the most, with Kaiden coming in second. Yet now both of them were treating me favorably.
I had a good feeling about this. I desperately hoped their goodwill would continue.
With such thoughts, I turned my back to Enoch and Kaiden and set out to hunt.
Fortunately, while I was away hunting, they'd completed all the tasks Kaiden had assigned. Moreover, Enoch had even managed to catch two rabbits with them.
Kaiden was in high spirits.
"My mind feels so clear. My condition is remarkably good."
He spoke to me with a bright smile. It seemed that physical labor was effective in opening the flow of magical power.
'Yes, that's far better than dangerously hunting Monsters.'
I settled in front of the Cave and began butchering the rabbits. Kaiden, who had drawn near, asked with a surprised expression.
"You... can do this too?"
The nuance was peculiar. It seemed unnecessary to respond, so I continued working in silence. Meanwhile, Enoch was preparing a barbecue.
"Would you like help?"
I shook my head at Kaiden's question.
"It's fine. Help Enoch prepare the meal instead."
Large animals like wild boar would be difficult for me to butcher alone, but small creatures like rabbits or squirrels were manageable.
Of course, this was something an ordinary noblewoman could never do.
Despite my response, Kaiden lingered nearby with a skeptical expression, watching what I was doing.
But as I continued butchering with practiced ease and without hesitation, he finally relented.
"...I'll go help with the meal preparations."
He obediently went to assist Enoch.
My butchering finished faster than their barbecue skewer preparations. I watched them work quietly before letting out a yawn.
'This is boring.'
Sitting idle didn't suit my nature, so I eventually began cleaning the Cave.
Upon discovering this, Kaiden's expression became truly bewildered.
"My eyes must be deceiving me, Your Highness. Does a noblewoman really clean?"
At Kaiden's words, Enoch's face showed he'd grown accustomed to this, and he let out a chuckle.
"After living together for several days, you still don't understand? Margaret is no ordinary noblewoman."
There was a satisfied smile playing at Enoch's lips as he spoke.
It almost seemed tinged with pride—like a father boasting about his daughter who ranked first at a gifted academy.
'Well, Kaiden was always strange anyway, so that's understandable...'
But how had Enoch become like this?
I shook my head as I watched Enoch's satisfied expression.
In any case, I finished cleaning thoroughly, and we shared a satisfying meal together after a long time.
* * *
The next day, we finally decided to relocate our shelter.
Kaiden had discovered a nearby River, and his suggestion to establish our dwelling along the riverbank rather than the Beach had unexpectedly earned Enoch's agreement.
The coastal area offered the advantage of fishing, but beyond that, there were no particular benefits.
Enoch's reluctance to abandon the Seashore until now stemmed from a faint hope that a ship might pass by one day.
However, nearly a month had already elapsed since we awakened on this Island.
Now survival had become more important than waiting for rescue, and we decided to reorganize our living principles—prioritizing survival while not abandoning hope for rescue.
Additionally, we needed to gather information about the word or name Alea.
I packed our belongings diligently.
Though all we had to bring were the first aid kit, the spears I'd painstakingly crafted, bamboo containers, and the rope Kaiden had made.
I also packed the scraps of my dress, which were deteriorating into rags. On an Uninhabited Island like this, even a single piece of fabric was precious.
We decided to remake coconut bowls once we found our new shelter. Since coconut palms were abundant, there was no need to burden ourselves with extra luggage.
"Kaiden, are you coming too?"
At my question, Kaiden's face immediately showed disappointment.
"Why are you asking only me that? Crown Prince Enoch is obviously coming, but I'm not?"
At Kaiden's question, I found myself flustered and glanced past his shoulder at Enoch.
Enoch stopped packing and let out a hollow laugh, as if exasperated.
"Is that what you call a question? There was never any room for you to wedge yourself between us in the first place."
"If there's no room, I can create one—as long as Margaret allows it."
Both Kaiden and Enoch turned to look at me simultaneously.
I paused in my packing and exhaled a weary sigh under their combined gaze.
'Ah, maybe I should just abandon them both and go.'
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org