Chapter 9
I tossed the two fish I caught straight onto the wet sand.
Then, I gathered the small fish again, crushed them with a stone, and scattered them into the sea. This time, I planned to throw the Spear to catch a slightly bigger fish.
I did some arm exercises for a moment, held my breath while gripping the Spear. Then, when a fish about the size of my forearm flickered and reflected on the water's surface, I quickly plunged the Spear in that direction.
I think I got it this time……!
Filled with anticipation, I rushed over to check. And upon discovering a fish impaled on the end of the Spear, its tail still wagging, I let out a scream.
"Crazy! I'm so awesome!"
Excited, I turned around and met Enoch's eyes, who was looking at me with a bewildered expression. It seemed he had been watching me catch fish the whole time.
He had an expression that suggested he couldn't believe what he had just witnessed.
I froze, holding the Spear, flustered. I thought he would be busy starting the fire. From what point had he been watching me?
I glanced down at the Spear in my hand for a moment. There were even two forearm-sized fish skewered on the end of it.
"Uh……."
Even I thought it wasn't common for a noble lady from a Duke's family to throw a Spear and catch fish.
"Um……."
I decided to pretend it never happened.
Enoch also didn't immediately question me this time and diligently started the fire. We had to finish our meal before sunset.
Emitting the smell of something grilling in the middle of the night wasn't good, as it could attract wild animals.
I first cut open the gills and tail of the fish to drain the blood, then washed them in seawater.
After catching the fish, it was important to drain the blood as quickly as possible. Otherwise, they could spoil and smell bad quickly.
I found a flat stone and sat down next to Enoch.
Enoch had successfully started the fire. He gathered branches, made the fire bigger, and then looked at me.
"What are you trying to do?"
I was in the middle of placing the fish on the stone slab.
"Preparing the fish."
I used a sharp twig as a substitute for a knife to scrape off the scales of the fish.
Seeing this, Enoch looked at me again with an expression that suggested he had so many questions he wanted to ask, but didn't know where to start.
I ignored Enoch's gaze, cut open the belly of the scaled fish, and cleaned out the innards.
……Anyone who likes fishing can do this much, right?
"Perhaps that fish might be poisonous……."
At Enoch's words, I smiled while preparing the fish and shook my head.
"Don't worry, it's not poisonous. If you cook it properly, even the parasites will be eradicated, so it's okay."
Of course, it was also safe because I knew how to distinguish poisonous fish to some extent.
I understand Enoch's concern since this island is also a place where Monsters appear.
But as far as I remember, the beasts that appear in the novel, except for Wolf-type Monsters, snakes, or reptile-type Monsters, were all ordinary creatures.
I think Enoch used to catch fish for the female lead…….
'Wait a minute……. What is this right now?'
I stopped preparing the fish for a moment, feeling a sense of futility.
The female lead just sat quietly and accepted the fish that Enoch brought, but am I, like some Bear Grylls, hunting and preparing fish to bring to Enoch?
Of course, I was the one who said I would hunt the fish first, but I just feel a bit weird!
It's not like I'm the type of person who would just sit still anyway! Still!
I glared at Enoch for no reason.
He was skewering the fish I had prepared onto thin branches and looked at me with a puzzled expression.
"I don't know why you're looking at me like that."
"It's nothing."
"Are you sure it's really nothing?"
Enoch narrowed his brow as if trying to gauge my inner thoughts and leaned towards me. His face came very close.
Black hair, blown by the wind, softly scattered across his forehead. For some reason, the beauty mark under his eye seemed more alluring today.
Soon, a smile slowly spread across his lips like paint as he looked at me.
I was momentarily thrilled. This is cheating.
It was the first time I had seen him smile. Even in Margaret's memories, there was no image of Enoch smiling.
Since waking up on this deserted island, he had either been frowning the whole time, or glaring at me with a very fierce expression…….
"Just surprised. I was just watching because it was interesting. I'll do it from now on."
He spoke as if he knew everything I was thinking.
The smile from a moment ago had completely disappeared from his lips. He had returned to his usual calm expression.
I was flustered and hesitated for a moment, then a sense of futility washed over me again, and I continued to prepare the fish.
'Why am I getting so shaken up.'
I need to pull myself together. There's really no hope if I fall for Enoch.
"I think we can eat now."
Enoch handed me the fish he had diligently grilled over the fire. It was the biggest of the forearm-sized fish that we caught using the Spear.
"Your Highness should eat this. I'll be full even with a small one."
I reached out to take the fish skewer from Enoch's hand.
But he lightly avoided my hand, took a small fish, and began to eat. Why is he like this even when I say I'll switch him to a bigger one?
"This isn't the Langrid Empire. It's not even certain if we'll be able to return alive. So don't bother with consideration and make sure you take care of your own share first, Lady."
I paused while trying to tear off a piece of fish at the words that followed.
I didn't expect Enoch of all people to say such kind words to me. It really felt like advice he was giving me out of concern.
Doesn't he know that he's not taking care of his own share because he's being considerate of me?
'It's not even certain if we'll be able to return alive.'
My mood suddenly plummeted.
I felt like I had been thrown into a survival game without any weapons. The future was bleak and I felt suffocated just thinking about it.
Will I be able to survive?
"Is something wrong?"
Enoch slowly scanned my complexion. My face was reflected in his golden eyes, which were as beautiful as if they had been made by melting gold.
"Will we be able to escape from here?"
At my question, Enoch looked at me with an unreadable expression.
"We can get out."
His firm answer contained a sense of conviction and reliability, even a certain solidity. I looked at the half-eaten fish and asked him.
"Do you have a way?"
"I'll make sure only the Lady escapes, so don't worry."
I ended up smiling at those words.
"What is that? How can I escape alone while abandoning the Crown Prince of the Empire?"
Just then, a hot wind blew. My hair stuck to my cheeks because of the sweat, which was annoying.
Enoch, who had been quietly looking at my face, carefully reached out his hand. Soon, his long, beautiful fingers touched my cheek.
For some reason, I forgot how to breathe and just stared at him.
Enoch's gaze slowly descended and lingered on my face. He slowly removed the hair that was stuck to my cheek.
He answered nonchalantly as he tidied my hair.
"I'll send you out first, so you can call for help."
I knew it. The tension suddenly drained away.
"Did you think I'd just let you go quietly?"
Enoch asked me with a nuance that suggested he wondered what kind of vain expectations I had. Of course, I thought it wouldn't be like that, but I let my guard down for a moment, damn it.
Being in an extreme environment was also clouding my judgment.
I was very hungry, but somehow I felt like I was losing my appetite. That was an even bigger shock than Enoch's smile from earlier. I have no appetite.
I didn't have anything to say, so I remained silent while thinking about such useless things.
He warned me again.
"I told you, the Lady must stay by my side. The only time you can leave my side is when I send you away. Remember that."
Anyone who heard that would think it was a line from a possessive male lead who loves the female lead. In reality, it's a threatening line directed at a kidnapping suspect.
He still pretends to suspect me, but I know that he has cleared me from the list of suspects to some extent.
'That's a relief. His hostile gaze towards me seems to have lessened a bit compared to the beginning.'
After that, we ate the grilled fish in silence, filling our hunger.
After finishing our meal, the sun had completely set. I arranged our sleeping area and then sat down in front of the fire again.
Even then, we didn't say a word to each other. An uncomfortable silence continued.
"Aren't you cold?"
Then Enoch asked me. I was shivering and reaching out my hand towards the fire when I raised my head.
Enoch suddenly got up from his seat and took off his jacket. He nonchalantly handed me the jacket.
"Why is this……."
I didn't know what was going on and held the jacket in my hands.
"Put it on. I have a lot of body heat, so I'm hot."
"Thank……."
"There's no need to thank me. I'm just giving it to you because I'm hot."
Even though he was wearing a jacket in the middle of the day and didn't sweat a single drop.
But I quietly draped the jacket he gave me over my shoulders.
Enoch glanced at me and quietly returned to his sleeping area and lay down. We spent our respective nights without saying anything else again.
