The wind in the courtyard gradually softened, carrying the scent of sun-warmed grass.
Kaya looked at the man who had saved her, her fingers lightly shifting as they clutched her skirt. She asked softly, "I haven't asked for your name yet?"
"Ryan." Ryan spat out the cigar butt he'd been holding in his mouth, grinding it under his foot casually.
"Mr. Ryan." Kaya repeated the name, then mustered her courage, her voice carrying careful sincerity. "You saved me. Please stay and rest for a while. The castle has clean guest rooms—allow me to fulfill my duties as host."
Her eyes reflected genuine sincerity. After experiencing this terrifying ordeal, this mysterious traveler had instead become the presence that made her feel most at ease.
Ryan raised an eyebrow, his gaze falling on Kuro's corpse on the ground before returning to Kaya. A faint, ambiguous smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I killed someone in your manor. Aren't you afraid I might be a bad person?"
As he spoke, his eyes lingered on Kaya's pale yet delicate face for a moment. His gaze wasn't exactly aggressive, but it carried a straightforward appraisal as he added, "Besides, a pretty girl like you is quite... captivating."
"C-captivating..." she repeated the word softly, her voice as faint as a mosquito's hum, yet her heart pounded wildly in her chest like a drum.
In all her life, no one had ever spoken to her with such direct and intense words.
Klahadore had always been as respectful and cold as a stone, his eyes deliberately distant. Even Usopp's jokes never carried such undertones. Only this man before her spoke with a tone of casual teasing.
Kaya's cheeks flushed instantly, spreading from her cheekbones all the way to her ears. Her fingers tightened around her skirt, wrinkling the fabric, yet she didn't retreat half a step.
She had clearly witnessed how powerful this man was—he could catch Kuro's iron-cutting Cat Claws bare-handed and end that wicked pirate in an instant.
If he truly meant her harm, he wouldn't need to go through any trouble, much less speak these testing words.
"If you wanted to do something, I couldn't stop you," her voice was soft, yet carried a calmness beyond her years. "But you saved me. That's enough."
Seeing the completely unguarded trust in Kaya's eyes, Ryan found it somewhat interesting. This girl appeared fragile, yet she had her own judgment.
He didn't say more, simply nodding. "Alright then, I could use a rest."
Kaya breathed a sigh of relief, her tense shoulders relaxing slightly as a faint smile appeared on her face.
Meanwhile, Usopp stood with his mouth agape, staring at Ryan. The words "quite captivating" had nearly made him bite his own tongue in shock.
This man speaks way too directly! Saying something like that to Miss Kaya—it's even bolder than the pirate stories I make up!
"W-what about Klahadore's body..." Usopp finally managed to blurt out after a long silence, his eyes darting around, unwilling to look at the corpse on the ground. "We can't just leave it here..."
Hearing this, the blush faded slightly from Kaya's face, replaced by a complex expression.
She looked at Kuro's form lying on the lawn—the man who had pretended to be a gentle butler, now reduced to a cold silhouette. After a moment of silence, she said, "Let's... find a place to bury him."
"Huh?" Usopp widened his eyes. "He tried to kill you!"
"I know." Kaya's voice was soft but carried a hint of firmness. "But after all, he stayed in the castle for three years. Even if it was all an act, still..."
She didn't continue, merely gazing toward the distant woods. "Find a secluded clearing, just put up a simple marker. No need to carve a name."
Ryan smoked his cigar nearby, not interjecting.
........
After dealing with Kuro's affairs, Kaya emerged from the study holding a worn-out nautical chart book. Just as she turned the corridor, she spotted Ryan lounging lazily on the gleaming wicker chaise longue in the courtyard.
His eyes were half-closed, a cigar dangling from his lips, smoke lazily spiraling in the afternoon sunlight. One hand rested on the back of the chair, fingers lightly tapping the armrest in rhythm with the breeze. His entire demeanor exuded a careless relaxation.
She paused mid-step, turned toward the kitchen, then came back with a teacup in hand.
"Mr. Ryan." Kaya approached the chaise longue and gently set the cup on the table. A faint jasmine fragrance wafted through the air. "Freshly brewed floral tea. Please try it."
Ryan lifted his eyelids to glance at her, his gaze settling on the teacup. "Thanks."
"I should be the one thanking you." Kaya stood nearby, her voice gentle and warm. "If it weren't for you..."
"No need for thanks." Ryan glanced at her and blew a smoke ring. "By the way, that long-nosed kid—did he go back?"
"You mean Usopp." Kaya smiled, a warmth in her eyes. "Yes, he went back. Said he needed to repair his family's boat."
She paused, her gaze drifting toward the village entrance. "Usopp... he's a good person."
"Oh?" Ryan showed some interest, twirling his cigar between his fingers. "You believe all those tall tales of his?"
"I know he's exaggerating." Kaya nodded lightly, her tone devoid of mockery and instead filled with understanding. "Things like defeating pirate captains, sailing the Grand Line... you can tell they're made up."
She crouched down, brushing a fallen leaf off the table, her voice as soft as a sigh. "But these past three years, after my father passed away, I was always sick. The castle felt so cold and empty, with no one to talk to. Only Usopp would come visit me every day, telling those fantastical stories."
"In his stories, there were oceans, adventures, so many things I've never seen. Every time I listened to him, I felt... a little less lonely."
Kaya looked up, her eyes shining with sincerity. "Without him, I don't know how I would have gotten through those days."
Watching Kaya's candid expression, Ryan's cigar halted mid-air, his gaze suddenly sharpening.
This girl was too pure, pure like the sky after a rainstorm. Even three years of loneliness and suffering hadn't left much shadow in her eyes.
Usopp's clumsy lies, which might seem like laughable deceptions to others, now appeared to Ryan as nothing less than a lifeline thrown precisely to someone drowning.
When Kaya needed companionship and fantasy most to endure the long nights, that long-nosed boy offered her comfort and spiritual support in the roughest way possible.
Thus began the drama others saw as "the rich heiress falling for the poor boy."
This was no romance—it was merely someone in desperate circumstances clinging to the only warmth within reach.
He chuckled softly, flicking his cigarette ash. "That kid sure knows how to seize the moment."
He had originally thought there might be a fleeting romance in this manor, but seeing the pure gratitude in Kaya's eyes when she mentioned Usopp, his casual thoughts suddenly faded.
Faced with such an untainted countenance, those frivolous intentions made him feel utterly vulgar.
Forget it—he'd leave after resting a couple of days.
Kaya didn't detect the hidden meaning in his words, merely giving a soft "Mm" as if acknowledging Usopp's clumsy persistence.
Ryan puffed on his cigar, his gaze wandering over Kaya's face.
This young lady before him came from a prominent family, possessed delicate beauty, and had a pure and transparent nature—not a single flaw to be found. Then he thought of Usopp, who aside from spinning extravagant lies, seemed... to have nothing else noteworthy.
He found it somewhat amusing and asked slowly, deliberately teasing: "You're not actually interested in that kid, are you?"
Kaya froze for a moment, then two blushes instantly bloomed on her cheeks as she hastily waved her hands. "What are you saying, Mr. Ryan... Usopp is a very good friend, but I only feel gratitude toward him."
"Oh..." Ryan drew out the syllable, his eyes lingering on her flushed cheeks with even stronger mockery. "I understand—good friends."
Everyone knows how many stories begin with those very words: "good friends."