Shrouded Seascape

Chapter 502. Suspicion

Startled by Sparkle's sudden appearance followed by disappearance, Lily could hardly wallow in her sorrow any longer. Her eyes widened in shock as she asked, "Who was that person?"

"She's the daughter of the two governors. I heard that her name is Sparkle."

"Daughter?! That's impossible! You mean her parents are Mr. Charles and Monster Sister?"

For some unknown reason, an unusual feeling stirred in Lily's heart upon hearing the news.

"Monster Sister? She's the child of Governor Anna and Governor Charles," the ponytailed maid gently corrected Lily before adding, "Lil' Lily, she took your breakfast away. You must still be hungry, aren't you? Should I get the kitchen to make you another one?"

"It's... It's okay. I'm full," Lily said and darted toward the door.

Upon reaching the bustling streets, Lily wandered aimlessly along the sidewalk. She suddenly felt as though something very important had been taken away from her and even though she had returned, she was no longer important to Charles.

"At least, I am still Mr. Charles' gunner. He will still need me when he is finding the surface world," Lily muttered to herself. But instantly, her spirits sank even lower. The surface had been found; Charles's ship no longer required a gunner.

A sudden sense of emptiness took over her. She wasn't sure what she should do now. Her goal was supposed to be to find a way to revert to her human form and return to her own world. However, Lily found herself not wanting to become human so soon.

As she wandered through the streets, she eventually found herself standing before the sanatorium. Moments later, she entered the compounds.

Through the glass windows, the crew members in their various deranged states caught sight of the golden mouse outside. They scrambled to their respective windows and greeted her in a cacophony of muddled languages. Despite having gone mad, they still recognized Lily.

However, from Lily's point of view, the more she looked at them, the sadder she felt. Tears uncontrollably rolled down her cheeks.

"Did they end up like this because of my return? Would they have been in a better state if I hadn't come back?" Lily muttered under her breath.

Just then, a large hand reached out from behind and scooped Lily up gently.

Lily instantly tensed up. But as soon as she turned around and saw the owner of her hand, she felt at ease again. It was James.

"Mr. Big Guy, hello," Lily greeted softly.

A myriad of emotions graced James' countenance as he gently scratched Lily's back with his finger. "This isn't your fault. They became like this because of something else."

Currently, they were standing in front of Dipp's room. Inside the room, Dipp was clad in a straightjacket and writhing relentlessly on the floor like a maggot.

Lily looked up at James. "What was it? Mr. Charles said that they had been cursed by the Divinities, right?"

"Think about it. Isn't it all too coincidental? All the crew members just happen to harbor animosity toward her. And it just happened that she was tasked to stabilize everyone's sanity and cognition. Then all of a sudden, every single one of them went mad without a single exception. Isn't that all too odd?"

Just then, James gently lifted Lily to eye level. "Lily, you don't have to worry about them. You have a more important task at hand now; I need you to keep an eye on Anna for me."

"Why are we keeping Monster Sister under surveillance? Isn't she on our side?" Lily asked, her voice laced with confusion.

James glanced around to make sure that no one suspicious was eavesdropping on them before answering Lily. "No, she has never been on our side. Think about everything she has done. And don't forget, humans are her food. I've never forgotten that her true identity is a monster with memory-altering powers. Putting aside the crew members for now, do you still remember Leonardo?"

"The very friendly uncle? I have a faint memory of him," Lily replied.

"He used to be an extremely cunning man. Under any circumstances, he always harbored his own dark little schemes.

"But now? He works sixteen hours a day and dedicates himself entirely to his job!"

"Isn't that a good thing?" Lily tilted her head in confusion.

"Of course not! He's completely under her control now! If we don't stop her, everyone on the island will end up as her slaves! Just like what happened on the World's Crown!"

James then took out a silver ring and slipped it onto Lily's tail.

"With this, she won't be able to manipulate your memories. Stay close to the captain and gather evidence of her silently altering his consciousness. Also, remember to never, ever tell the captain about this."

"Not even Mr. Charles? Don't they already have a child together?" Lily's dilemma was clear as day on her furry face.

"That's just a way for her to control the captain! How could a human and a monster possibly have a child? Did you see how he even let the monster succeed him as the governor? The captain had completely become her puppet. Telling him would be the same as telling the monster!"

An intense determination burned in James' gaze as he locked eyes with Lily. "Lily, we went through so much to occupy this island. Besides my own family, the families of the crew members live here, too. We absolutely cannot let it become a dining table for a man-eating monster."

"Erm... Okay, I'll do it," Lily eventually agreed.

A slight smile appeared on James' visage as he gently patted Lily on the head. "Thank you, Lil' Lily."

James then set Lily down and watched her slowly leave the sanitarium. After Lily had disappeared from sight, James turned around to look at his companions behind the glass windows. His gaze hardened with resolve as he declared, "Don't worry. Even if I'm the only one left, I'll definitely protect our island!"

Meanwhile, Lily returned to the busy streets and continued her aimless wander. However, her mind was distracted as she was preoccupied with what she had just heard from James.

"It's just surveillance and nothing more. Also, I don't believe Monster Sister would do such a thing. But I guess adding that extra layer of assurance for Mr. Charles' well-being isn't really a bad thing."

While lost in her own thoughts, Lily failed to notice someone walking toward her. Although she was oblivious to it, others had noticed it. From the shadows and dark corners, a multitude of mice dyed in vibrant colors swiftly emerged and formed a protective circle around Lily. They bared their teeth and hissed threateningly at the approaching figure.

The figure was an elderly man with a square face and salt-and-pepper hair. His tall stature and stark black attire made him give off an imposing presence. His deep brown eyes were sharp and piercing like the gaze of a hawk.

A sudden ominous feeling hit Lily, and an uncontrollable chill traveled down her spine.

"Let's... let's go home," Lily murmured as she turned on her heel to run back to the Governor's Mansion.

As soon as she spun around, the elderly man was suddenly in front of her. He reached out a hand in an attempt to grab Lily.

The protective mice moved quickly and launched themselves at him aggressively. In response, the elderly man flicked his sleeve, and shades of gray shadows sprang forth, sending the mice flying away.