To be honest, he had wanted to say it before, but seeing Robin feigning amnesia and not knowing how to start, Ian hadn't said it yet.
He can't just say: "Don't be afraid of that admiral and the World Government!"
What kind of person would say that?
No one would believe him if he said that.
But now he's going to have a child, so some things need to be resolved!
However, just as Ian made up his mind and opened his mouth...
"Ian."
"Robin."
The two of them suddenly spoke at the same time, then both froze in their places.
But after a moment, Robin was the first to recover.
She smiled and said, "Dear, is there something you want to tell me?"
"Yeah, well, there is something I do want to tell you."
Ian nodded in response to Robin's question.
Although his words were a little vague, his tone was quite serious. "How should I put it... That bear... He's not a big problem. Don't worry, I can handle it."
Robin: "..."
Bear?
Robin blinked, then couldn't help but chuckle.
"Well, you know the bear I'm talking about!"
Ian rubbed his chin and glanced at Zephyr beside him. "Don't worry about that bear."
"Bear?"
"Yes, that bear."
Ian stood up, checked the time, blinked, and said: "It's getting late. Let's go back and rest! We'll talk it over when we get home."
But just as Ian stood up, a large hand suddenly embraced him and pinned him down again.
"Hahaha, why are you running away, kid?"
Zephyr laughed cheerfully while wrapping his arm around Ian's shoulders. "Today's your day. As a man of the sea, how can you just leave like this? Drink with us!"
"That's right, Ian! Tonight, you have to drink your fill!"
"You got away last time, but not tonight!"
"Drink for three days and three nights!"
As Zephyr finished his words, the other villagers, who had noticed Ian was about to escape, gathered around, not giving him a chance to leave.
"It's getting late. Robin needs to go back and rest."
Ian sighed helplessly. "You know..."
But before he could finish, he was surrounded again.
"We know, we know. Robin can go back and rest, but you don't even think about running away."
"That's right, don't worry, we will have someone escort Robin back."
"Ain, go see Robin off!"
Ian: "..."
Ian stared speechlessly at the crowd that had gathered to toast again, but before he could say anything else…
"Then I'll trouble you all to take care of my husband."
Robin said bluntly. "I'll go back and rest first."
She winked at Ian, who stood there stunned. "My dear, please don't worry about me. I know what you mean."
"Ain, see her off."
"Yes, Zephyr-sensei."
Before Ian could say anything, Robin led Ain home, while Ian... Was once again swallowed up by the crowd's cheers while staring helplessly at Robin's departing figure.
Did she really know, or was she just pretending to know?
...
Elsewhere, Robin was also walking home while escorted by Ain.
In truth, Robin felt she didn't need an escort; she could get home on her own.
To be honest, she wasn't quite used to having a marine captain escort her home, but she couldn't resist Ain.
Only when they saw their home did Robin turn around and smile at Ain. "Miss Ain, I'm almost home. Please don't worry about me."
"Hmm…"
Hearing Robin's words, Ain, who had been walking silently, raised her head, looked at the wooden house in front of her, nodded, and said: "Be careful!"
"Please take care. And if Ian gets drunk, please keep an eye on him."
Ain: "..."
This sudden instruction made Ain, who was about to leave, pause, but she nodded and said, "I understand."
With that, she vanished from sight.
Robin shook her head helplessly while muttering to herself: "I'm not that weak!"
With that, she lowered her head with a complex and emotional look while stroking her flat belly.
But before long, the complex expression slowly calmed down.
"A baby?"
To be honest, even though she had been constantly thinking about a baby, she had never imagined she would actually be pregnant.
But now, she seemed to no longer feel lost.
Perhaps it was because she had found her home.
Robin stared in the direction Ain had left while smiling. After an unknown amount of time, she finally calmed down, humming a gentle tune as she turned and walked back toward her home.
However, just a few steps in… the sound of wind rustling leaves echoed around her.
Then, another sound suddenly echoed through the quiet night.
As if sensing something, Robin stopped in her tracks.
And at that moment, a figure with disheveled hair appeared before her.
Robin's pupils shrank, her eyes widened, and her body stiffened in place as she stared intently at the person who had suddenly appeared in front of her.
"Well, this is strange."
The figure before her looked at her expressionlessly and said in a lazy tone: "My luck must be pretty good. I've found you again, Devil Child, Robin Robin."
"... Good luck?"
Hearing this, Robin, frozen in place, seemed to remember something, and her heart calmed down, as if her earlier good mood had returned.
She even smiled at the enemy she once feared, saying, "Mr. Bear."
"Mr. Bear? Who? Never mind, these are irrelevant matters."
Kuzan, the man called bear, looked at Robin, clearly surprised that she dared meet his gaze, though his face remained stoic.
"Looks like you've been living quite well. You even got married. The Devil Child actually married, unbelievable. So what's your choice now?"
He let out a slow whistle. "Will you stay here and bring disaster upon this place... Or come with me to face judgment?"
"Stay here, or go back with you?"
Robin simply frowned at Kuzan's question, not even thinking. "What a difficult choice! Before, I would have chosen to flee without hesitation, but now..."
Before she finished her words, a genuine smile appeared on her face.
She looked at Kuzan: "Mr. Bear, can you let me give birth to the child first? Perhaps this time I'll go back with you to face judgment?"
"...?"
As soon as these words fell, Kuzan, who had been waiting to see what choice Robin would make this time, froze completely, his face full of bewilderment.
Wait, wait, what did you just say?
Bear, no, child?
Child?
Where did the child come from?
Whose child?
He stared at the smiling woman before him, so different from the frightened girl he once knew, no longer afraid to meet his eyes.
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