The red-haired girl who suddenly rushed out of the room, loudly shouting 'Help!', made the atmosphere in the corridor instantly turn strange.
Lex, in particular, let his imagination run wild, recalling romance novels and melodramatic TV shows he'd seen in his previous life, and conjured up a scene of an overbearing Captain.
"You can't come out!" the blonde maid cried out, her eyes flashing with a hint of jealousy, as if she had seen a love rival.
Thus, Lex knew he had guessed correctly: this red-haired girl in front of him must also be Tracy's 'lover'!
And her most favored one.
Wormtongue Mithor immediately stepped forward, grabbed the red-haired girl's arm, and pulled her back into the room, lowering his voice as he said, "Miss Helene, you know the Captain doesn't like you doing this."
"Think of all the Captain has done for you!"
The girl, who looked as if she had been captured by Admiral of Ailment and brought onto the ship, wavered, lacking conviction, and was eventually led back into the room.
The blonde maid lightly coughed: "My apologies, please pay no mind. That's a friend of our Captain's; she occasionally throws a small tantrum."
Edwina also had no interest in Tracy's private affairs. Furthermore, the girl just now looked to have good skin and a good complexion, with no signs of abuse, so she had no reason to intervene.
So she nodded, made a gesture, and had Jodeson and Lex follow her.
They arrived at the Captain's Cabin.
The blonde maid pushed open the door and whispered, "Captain, Ms. Edwina and her companions have arrived."
"Please, let them in," Tracy's slightly deep yet soft voice echoed from within the room.
As Lex and the two others entered the room, the blonde maid retreated, closing the door with a clang, sealing off the inside from the outside.
Lex surveyed the Captain's Cabin. Thick carpets were laid out, and golden lamp stands were placed. Behind a desk at the front, Admiral of Ailment sat, her legs, clad in beige trousers, stretched out diagonally and crossed.
On a round table in front, three cups of black tea were already set, alongside some exquisite cakes and bread.
"Please, sit."
Tracy raised her left hand, speaking with a half-smile, her gaze sweeping past Edwina and lingering on Jodeson and Lex.
Under the gaze of Admiral of Ailment, 'Flower Bowtie' Jodeson unconsciously puffed out his chest, displaying his sunny and handsome side, like a peacock fanning its tail feathers to attract a mate.
Although the relationship between the two Admiral's was not exactly friendly, in front of such a beautiful lady, Jodeson still instinctively showed off, seeking attention; this came from his 'playboy' genes.
Lex, on the other hand, was expressionless, having no interest in Tracy, because he knew that she was a 'Witch', and furthermore, he knew that many 'Witches' had once been burly men.
As soon as he thought of this, Lex naturally lost all interest.
"I truly envy you, Captain Edwina. On your ship, there are such handsome gentlemen, and two of them!"
Tracy narrowed her eyes slightly, a movement that inadvertently revealed a captivating allure, causing Jodeson's breathing to become slightly heavier.
"Tell me, what's your secret to having two handsome gentlemen become your knights?"
Iceberg Admiral sat on the sofa in front of the round table, her posture dignified and impeccable.
"If you wish, you can replace all the personnel on your ship with handsome gentlemen. You don't need any secrets at all."
Edwina seemed to understand Tracy's 'essence' and calmly responded to the question posed by Admiral of Ailment.
Tracy laughed, her smile in that moment like that of an innocent young girl, making Lex and Jodeson feel as if they had returned to their naive years, as if they had seen the girl who made their hearts race.
[Idiot! You wouldn't be smitten by a man, would you?!]
Lex suddenly 'woke up', recalling the feeling he'd just had. Though his face showed no expression, a cold sweat broke out on his back.
This was too terrifying!
Admiral of Ailment had merely smiled, and he had actually felt as if he was falling in love with her. Is this what a Witch is? Is this their power of enchantment?
Let me think, when they are at Sequence 6, they are 'Jovial Witches'. The name of this Sequence itself explains some of the issues.
Lex glanced at Jodeson next to him, only to see him smiling, his gaze at Tracy softening, losing its proper guard. He immediately gave a light cough.
Jodeson then realized his impropriety, quickly lowered his head, and dared not look at Tracy again.
A look of surprise flashed in Admiral of Ailment's eyes. She clearly felt that Lex and the other man had been influenced by her just now. But Lex had quickly sobered up, which made her subtly wary and caused her to look at Lex a few more times.
Then, without a trace, she responded to Iceberg Admiral's previous words: "Captain Edwina, you really do joke. Where do I get such great charm?"
"However, I'm very interested in this crew member of yours. I wonder if you could let him stay on my ship? In exchange, you can pick any one person from my ship, no, two people."
Tracy stared at Lex, lightly sticking out the tip of her pink tongue from her luscious lips, casually sweeping it across her lips, making them appear even more lustrous.
Oh my god, why me? Help, I don't want to be forced into a relationship with a 'cross-dressing boss'.
Lex's heart skipped a beat, but on the surface, he calmly looked towards Iceberg Admiral. He had confidence in Edwina, knowing she would never agree to such an absurd request.
"Alright."
Edwina said softly, picking up a cup of black tea.
Lex immediately heard the sound of something breaking inside him.
Thankfully, Iceberg Admiral continued: "Let's exchange for your blonde maid, and that red-haired lady. I remember, her name is Helene?"
Tracy's expression froze. After a moment, she gave an awkward laugh: "I was just joking with you, you didn't take it seriously, did you, Captain Edwina?"
"Of course, I was also joking," Iceberg Admiral said expressionlessly after taking a small sip of black tea and setting down her cup.
Thank goodness, the Captain didn't abandon me. And she clearly knows Tracy's weakness; she knows that the girl named Helene is quite favored by Admiral of Ailment, so Tracy would absolutely not agree to exchange Lex. He subtly let out a sigh of relief.
Tracy changed her posture, leaning slightly forward, showing focus and seriousness: "Do you mind if we discuss some serious matters, Captain? I heard that not long ago, you had a conflict with Blood Admiral."
"And, according to the intelligence I have, Senor has suffered heavy losses recently and has become very weak."
"I happen to have no fondness for him. What do you say, Captain Edwina? How about we join forces? Now that Blood Admiral's strength is greatly diminished, if we join forces, we can definitely hunt him."
"What do you think?"