Voyage Of The Villainess

Iris faced change from shocked, then to the expression she was saying if what she seeing was real or not. Then lastly to the face that showed annoyance.

Iris put both her hands beside her mouth as if she was going to shout.

Malaya looked at her confused. 'Is she going to yell at me? Reprimand me?' But her thoughts were completely rendered wrong when Iris screamed something different at the top of her lungs.

"SOS!" 

Malaya was even more confused and now completely shocked as well. 'SOS?' 

"SOS!" Iris screamed one more time. Then afterward with a sudden quick movement, she dashed towards Malaya knocking out the cup she was holding.

*Click!*

Malaya looked at her hands when there were handcuffs placed down on them. Iris also snatched her bad away containing all her precious items and even her Tyr.

Yesterday, after Malaya talked with Nicholas and gained more information about the current situation since she was gone. She was surprised that she was gone for almost half a year now. Nicholas told her that her crew and the Bituin were docked in some blind spot in Aravan.

'Six months. Surely if appeared all of the sudden, they will surely be surprised.' And that was what Malaya wanted to do. However when Malaya thought that she would be the one who would surprise her friends by appearing all of the sudden on the ship, now it seemed it reversed back to her by their reactions.

Among her protest, she suddenly found the familiar magic circle of Dorris lighting from her seat. Due to the scream of Iris, the people she had not seen for the entire six months rushed at the upper deck. But instead of hugging her since they missed her.

Dorris looked had determination as she chanted the teleportation spell. Rein just held his head as if he saw something troublesome. While Hyun Jae, yes, Malaya already found as well the story behind why Hyun Jae was in the crew.

Hyun Jae just smiled helplessly as she waved her hands to Malaya. The magic circle grew, even, brighter and the next thing that happened Malaya found herself inside a very decorative room. But looking at it, it was still in the ship since she could hear the waves of the sea outside. There was a queen-size bed and two shelves that were filled with books. And a huge wardrobe. There were also two doors.  When Malaya entered the first door, it had both a lavatory and a bathtub. 

'This kind of place in the ship.' Malaya walked out from the lavatory and to the other door. It was locked. Malaya's smile glowed ominously. "Is this a room too perfect to locked someone inside?"

"Yes. That's right." 

Malaya heard Iris' voice outside the room. "This is to make sure that you will not disappear on us again."

"Back then when you lost consciousness and only woke up after two weeks. That already caused great distress for everyone. And when you disappeared for even a greater amount of time. This time we finally decided. If you returned, you can just give us your commands over the telephone there." Iris explained.

'Locked me up? Have you gone mad?' When Malaya was going to voice out her retorts to Iris, she was stopped when she heard Dorris' wails.

"Milady, we greatly missed you!" Dorris' cries could be heard outside the room as well. "But this is for your own good. Please I don't want to lose you again. Thinking that you will be gone and I will not be able to see you, is really painful. Disappearing, hurting yourself for everyone's sake. Please, Milady stop doing something that reckless again! Don't disappear and shoulder everything! Ple-please. Have more faith and rely on us more!" Dorris released all her pent-up frustrations.

Malaya looked down hearing Dorris' outburst. With clenched fist. 'All of you has already helped me always. And all this time, I just kept pushing you around to do every bit of my whims. That is why when there is something that I can do and only I can do, I will do it to help everyone dear to me. Even if I'm the one who will suffer in the end, as long as everyone is alright. Since this is the only thing on how I will compensate everyone for my selfishness.'

"Malaya, if you experienced sufferings alone none of us will be alright. Even if you think that you are doing things for your own selfish reasons, but the choice of following you, that is the choice made solely by each of us." Iris spoke once again as if she was reading what Malaya was thinking right now. "You have become an irreplaceable person to all of us. You are the captain of the Bituin. Always remember that."

Malaya felt like a sudden realization hit her.

'Is Iris really saying such things more sincerely like that now?' 

"Well, just because I said those words, don't get your head bigger than that or it might cause us more trouble. "

'What a way to ruin a motivational sentiment.' Malaya chuckled hearing Iris' sarcastic remarks. 'Ah, she is always the same. Iris is always Iris. But it seems, I indeed caused them a lot of worries, Ah' Malaya fought up the impending tears that were going to fall from her eyes. 'Times like this, I always realized that I'm never alone in this world.'

"Everyone. I'm sorry." Malaya said from the bottom of her heart as she touched the door. "I will not do the same thing again. I promised under the name of the goddess of light, Lumiera."

There was a heavy silence that filled the air. Malaya just looked down and had a sad smile. 'I guess, it won't be that easy, huh.'

But then Malaya heard the sound of the door being unlocked. And the next thing she knew she was hugged by both Dorris and Hyun Jae.

"Milady!"

"Malaya! You're finally back!" 

Both Dorris and Hyun Jae cried out loud.

Rein who didn't speak anything just watched the unfolding scene with a genuine smile of relief on his face. 'I'm glad you are back, Lady Malaya.' He turned and walked away. But before he could go any further.

"Rein, Iris, Hyun Jae, and Dorris." he stopped when Malaya called every one of them.

Everyone also looked at Malaya waiting for her words. "I'm finally back. Thank you for waiting for me."

The sun rays lighted the five people, who had bright expressions on their faces. With the sound of the waves from the outside, and the gently rocking of the ship of the Bituins. It was one of the moments that they would not be able to forget for the rest of their lives.

And the mark of the new and continuous adventures, they would embark on strengthening more of their bonds. Together with more new members of the Bituins.

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Extra Scene:

"Your majesty. You should not force yourself any further! And just rest! What if your condition becomes worst!"

The emperor glared at his vassal. "I'm still healthy and fine! That doctor could be possibly lying!"

"But you're frequent headaches!"

"That useless bastard dared to play with the dark arts and even try to usurp the throne! That lowly elven prince instead of bringing back that Marina's daughter, played like I'm being a fool! And even the saintess refused to stay here! All of the people serving me is making a fool out of me! I am the Emperor! The only thing that they should do is be quiet as I reined with all of our lives!"

"Your majesty, you are just a human and not a god."

The emperor and his vassal turned towards Oliver who appeared in the window of his room.

"The useless bastard and the traitor! I thought you are dead! Guards arrest him and present his head on the plate!" The emperor screamed in extreme rage.

'Mother.' Oliver simply narrowed his gaze. 'How can you make this man as my father.'

Electricity flickered through his hands. 'But it's a good thing that my magic is not restricted anymore. Killing this man will be far too easy for everything he has done.'

The knights that were stationed outside and tried to captured Oliver were all electrified.

Seeing that no one could stop Oliver, the emperor became even more enraged as electricity with a mix of purple colors emerged out from him. The sky outside became cloudy as well as sounds of thunder could be heard. "I will end you, myself!"

'As expected of the emperor who was feared by many kingdoms.' Oliver remained unfazed. 

The emperor was assaulted by a sudden pain in his head. His magic also started to dwindle and dissipated.

"What's happening?!" He said as he clutched his throbbing head.

Oliver grinned seeing this. "It is the beginning of your retribution for everything you have done."

The door opened wide revealing the crown prince. "Father!" But his eyes grew wide to another unwanted person in the room.

"You traitor!" He unleashed his sword, aiming towards Oliver. But before his sword could land on him, Oliver grinned and tore a talisman. He quickly vanished into the thin air leaving the whole Hacien Palace in disarray.

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