Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 55

Alois couldn’t recall how many times they did it, only remembering hearing Joshua say “I love you” many times, which made him feel incredibly comfortable, even more than the physical pleasure. Eventually, both were exhausted and fell asleep in each other’s arms.

The next morning… well, it wasn’t quite accurate to say “morning” because when Alois opened his eyes, it was almost 11 a.m. They skipped both dinner the previous night and breakfast this morning, and after such intense physical activity, he was extremely hungry. He tried to sit up, but his waist was so sore he couldn’t move. He felt a sharp pain below, and his legs trembled.

He collapsed back onto the bed. At this moment, Joshua woke up too, and they stared at each other silently. Finally, Joshua reached out to Alois’s waist and gently massaged it.

“Does it hurt?”

Alois nodded.

Joshua, stark naked, got up and picked up the clothes scattered all over the floor, putting them on one by one. “I’ll make some food.”

“Can you?”

“…I can at least use a microwave.” The assassin was quite displeased with Alois’s low estimation of his abilities. Under Alois’s skeptical and worried gaze, Joshua left the bedroom and went downstairs to the kitchen. There, he found the dinner from the previous night that they hadn’t had time to eat. Joshua studied the microwave and decided to heat it up for lunch.

“Meow.”

The black cat, Schrödinger, leaped in through the open window, holding a fish in its mouth. Its large, amber eyes stared at Joshua, as if to ask, “Who the hell are you?” Joshua vaguely recalled they had left Schrödinger at home before the battle… What an irresponsible owner he was.

“Come here, Schrödinger.” He reached out guiltily, planning to give the cat something tasty to make up for it. The black cat, however, gave him a disdainful look, flicked its tail, and jumped off the windowsill, seemingly not intending to pay him any attention. Joshua had heard that cats could live well on their own, and it seemed true now.

As he marveled at the self-sufficiency of animals, there was a loud bang, and the microwave door burst open, hitting the opposite wall, with black smoke billowing out.

“……” Joshua was sure he hadn’t done anything wrong, yet the microwave had such a tragic outcome. He realized he might really not be suited for the kitchen, so he quietly unplugged the microwave and returned to the living room. Finding a nearby restaurant’s number in the phone book next to the landline, he called and ordered two takeout meals.

Five minutes later, the doorbell rang.

That was fast! Faster than Lady of the Night at full speed… Joshua opened the door to an unexpected person.

“Good afternoon, your takeout.” Joanna Begrel held two lunch boxes, looking ready to start a career as a delivery person.

“Captain, is the pirate group going bankrupt?”

“…I’m just experiencing life.”

Joanna shoved the takeout into Joshua’s arms and then swaggered into the house.

In fact, she was just lazing around a nearby restaurant. As it got busier around noon, the manager sent her out for a delivery. Of course, she couldn’t say that the proud captain of Lady of the Night was threatened by the chef with “deliver now or never taste my pudding again.” That would be too embarrassing.

Joanna made herself at home, wandering around the living room before sitting on the sofa. “Where’s Alois?”

“He’s not up yet.”

The captain instinctively checked her terminal. “It’s already 11:20 a.m.” She raised an eyebrow.

Joshua shifted his gaze awkwardly. “Uh… he’s just lazing around.”

“Great, then you can go wake him up. I have something to discuss with you both.”

Joshua put the takeout on the dining table and went upstairs. Joanna felt something itching her ankle and looked down to see Schrödinger rubbing against her legs.

“Hey, little kitty.” She looked at the black cat with the expression of an uncle seeing a cute little girl. She lifted it to her knees. “Long time no see. Oh, dear, you’ve lost weight.”

“Meow.” Schrödinger seemed to agree.

“Your owner must not be taking good care of you. Men are so careless. They can’t even take care of themselves, let alone pets.” Joanna scratched the cat’s neck, making it curl its tail in comfort. “Let me get you something to eat. Look how thin you are.” She picked up Schrödinger and walked to the kitchen. Opening the kitchen door, she saw thick black smoke rising from the remnants of the microwave, like smoke from a battlefield after a missile strike.

She quietly closed the door.

…She really shouldn’t have delivered the food. Let them starve, she thought.

About ten minutes later, Alois and Joshua finally came downstairs. Their slow pace was uncharacteristic of their usually swift style. But upon seeing Alois, Joanna immediately understood what had happened. He could barely walk steadily, his hair was a mess, and he clearly hadn’t had time to freshen up, with suspicious red marks on his neck…

Oh my, my, my. The captain sighed as she held her forehead. You can date, but don’t let it affect your work.

Pretending nothing had happened, she smiled naturally. “You’re up early.”

“…We’re not on the ship.” Alois painfully sat on the sofa, and Joshua slipped a hand behind him to massage his waist muscles.

Joanna spread her hands. “I don’t mean to interfere in your personal lives. Ahem.” She cleared her throat. “I’m here to consult you both on something.” She dropped her smile, signaling the end of pleasantries and the start of serious business.

“Do you remember the box we got from Old Hikari in Neo Venice?”

They exchanged a glance. How could they forget? They had been chased all over for that box.

“I didn’t mean to keep you in the dark,” Joanna said. “This isn’t a compulsory order, but a request for your help. So I think you deserve to know the background. Old Hikari asked me to deliver the box to the Empire, to a high-ranking person. According to him, the contents of the box could help that person take over the universe. I suspect it’s some new weapon design or a major secret involving the upper echelons of the Empire and the Federation. In short, I need to escort the box into the Empire.”

She paused, watching their reactions. Joshua remained indifferent, but his eyes shone with a bright light. Alois looked very worried.

“I have to disguise myself and change my name to safely enter the Empire. I won’t be taking the Lady of the Night, but another ship. And I won’t take many crew members—twenty at most—but they must be elite. I’m asking if you are willing to join this mission. Since no one can predict what will happen, this trip could be deadly. So if you don’t want to join, I won’t force you…”

Joshua raised a hand to stop her. “Captain,” he said, “if this mission is so dangerous, the reward must be substantial?”

Joanna smiled, seemingly praising his insight. “Eighty million galactic credits, plus canceling my wanted status in the Empire.”

Alois whistled. Eighty million credits was a huge sum anywhere. Plus, canceling the wanted status. Was the secret in that silver box really that significant?

“Everyone who follows me will get 3.5 million credits. One million in advance, the rest upon completion.”

“You’re being quite generous this time, Captain.”

Joanna took out a cigarette and put it in her mouth. “I don’t want a one-way trip. It doesn’t suit my aesthetics.”

Alois hesitated. “Can I ask who you plan to give the box to?”

“Winnet Chabais, Duke of the Empire.”

Alois’s eyes widened in shock.

“What? Do you know him?”

“Know him? He framed me and got me thrown in prison!”

Joanna was so surprised she forgot to light her cigarette. “Oh… dear Lord…” It took her a while to speak again. “I… I didn’t know that. I shouldn’t have asked you. Um, just pretend you didn’t hear what I said. Goodbye.”

She hurried to leave but was stopped by Alois.

“Wait, Captain!” The young man grabbed her sleeve. “Please let me join!”

Joanna frowned. “No. If you’re coming for revenge, I can’t agree.”

“It’s not for revenge!”

“Who can guarantee that?”

Joshua put a hand on her shoulder. “Captain, trust him.” The assassin’s gentle words carried immense weight. “Let us join. I’ll keep an eye on him.”

Joanna shook her head. “It’s too risky. If you do anything to the Duke…”

“Captain, do you really plan to hand the box over to the Duke?” Joshua’s voice carried a hint of a smile. “That box holds a secret crucial to the galaxy’s peace. Giving it to a schemer? If you were that obedient, you wouldn’t have defected twice and ended up on Milantu.”

Joanna said nothing. She had never hated the assassin’s insight as much as now. His words struck her soul, exposing her unspoken thoughts.

Be a dutiful delivery person? She was Joanna Begrel, the space pirate!

Pushing Joshua’s hand away, the captain gave a dark smile. “Alright. But if you disobey my orders or tell anyone what I just said, I’ll throw you into space.”

She patted the black cat on her lap. The cat obediently leapt to the floor.

“Oh, right.” Before leaving, Joanna looked at them mysteriously. “There’s a banquet tonight. If you can’t attend, I can ask Celia to postpone it.”

“…We’ll be there!” Alois shouted, slamming the door.

The captain laughed loudly and bounced towards the nearest restaurant.

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