Chapter 27

The world before him warped, twisting his vision into a bizarre canvas where fragmented memories flashed by. Though the exact events remained an unrecognizable blur, the agonizing sight of people dying etched itself into his mind with miserable clarity.

The comrade who had spoken of gifting peace to a newborn sibling. The superior who had volunteered as bait to save them all. The subordinate who had simply wished the war would be over when they opened their eyes. Just like Ensign Brown, they were all people he had failed to protect.

“Gasp…! If only… if I had been just a little stronger, none of you would have left me. It’s all because I couldn’t protect you…”

Pitch-black hands erupted from beneath his feet, seizing his ankles and slowly dragging him down into a bottomless mire. The dark, viscous sludge seeped into his nose and mouth, suffocating him. Screams, gunfire, and the echoing confessions of those who had quietly admitted they wanted to live a little longer rang relentlessly in his ears. Drained of the strength to thrash against the lightless muck, he simply wanted to let everything go.

The requests to live happily in their stead, the pleas to forge the peace they never could, the playful threats to haunt him forever if he didn’t live true to himself—he wanted to release it all. People hailed him as a war hero, but he was nothing more than a coward who had failed his comrades. He was absolute trash, climbing to this prestigious position on rivers of their blood, forcing out hollow laughter as he carried on with his life.

Guilt swelled like a massive boulder within the mire, crushing him beneath its weight, yet Aiden accepted it in silence. The agony tore at him, but compared to what the dead had suffered because of his failures, this was nothing.

Then, it happened.

“Aiden.”

The cacophony tormenting his ears vanished instantly, replaced by a voice so tender it brought tears to his eyes, echoing clearly through the void.

“No one has left your side.”

No. Everyone left me.

“Aiden, you protected them all.”

No. I couldn’t protect anyone.

He silently denied the claims, but the gentle voice refused to yield, washing over him with relentless affirmation. It insisted that he had protected them, that he had brought peace and prevented the war, and that because of him, everyone was alive and breathing. As the whispers continued, the suffocating black sludge binding his body gradually transformed into a brilliant blue ocean.

“Aiden, just like the sea you love so much, I will always be by your side. I will never leave you without your permission.”

He desperately wanted to believe those words. If it was this person, they might truly grant his deepest wish. Driven by a sudden, intense need to identify the owner of that voice, Aiden swam with all his might, breaking free from the mire to find a single, blinding ray of light pouring down on him. It enveloped him in immense warmth.

A scalding liquid, hot enough to burn, continuously trailed down his pale cheeks under the cascade of light.

“Admiral Rosley, are you alright?”

Hearing the very voice that had pulled him from the abyss, he tried to focus on the speaker, but a hazy film obscured his vision. Frantic to see their face, Aiden scrubbed roughly at his eyes with the back of his hand. Moisture stained his skin—tears he thought had long since dried up. It was absurd to think he still had any left to shed. While he wrestled with this confusion, his blurry vision gradually sharpened, finally revealing the man kneeling before him.

It was Clyde.

Cradling Aiden’s face in his large, steady hands, he held his gaze, his eyes radiating an overwhelming warmth. That look perfectly mirrored the brilliant ray of light that had pierced his darkest nightmare.

“I took care of the pirates, and your subordinates are perfectly fine,” Clyde murmured, gently swiping a thumb beneath his eye. “So stop crying now, alright? You’re going to rub your eyes raw.”

His touch was incredibly gentle. Aiden sat completely still, absorbing the comforting sensation until the endless stream of tears finally ceased. Instantly, he ducked his head.

“Admiral Rosley?”

“I… committed an act entirely unbecoming of my station,” Aiden said, his voice strained. “I apologize, Your Grace. I will gladly accept whatever punishment you deem fit.”

Separate from the profound comfort Clyde had offered, losing his reason and acting impulsively in the middle of a battle warranted severe reprimand and disciplinary action. If Clyde demanded he step down from his position as Admiral for being unreliable, he would have no choice but to accept it.

“If you had gotten even a single scratch on you, I would have exposed you immediately.” Instead of anger, a distinctly playful tone met his ears. Swallowing hard, Aiden lifted his head. “What a shame.”

Meeting his gaze, Clyde was smiling brighter than ever before. It was strange.

“Admiral Rosley.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“You remember everything I said, right?”

Aiden blinked slowly in affirmation. How could he possibly forget the whispers that had dragged him out of a mire constructed entirely of his own guilt?

Taking his silence as a yes, Clyde’s lips curved into a smooth, devastating smile as he brushed his knuckles against Aiden’s cheek. “Unlike you, Admiral Rosley, I am a man who keeps his promises exceptionally well.”

Did he really have to pick a fight in the middle of such a good atmosphere? Between this and the proposal, the man seemed entirely oblivious to the concept of reading the room. Aiden clicked his tongue quietly, making sure Clyde couldn’t hear. However, the Grand Duke’s next words forced him to immediately revise his harsh assessment.

“I will stay by your side forever. That is a promise I will keep.”

Perhaps it was the unwavering, steady gaze of those deep blue eyes, but despite knowing how absurd such a vow was, it felt undeniably true.

“If a situation like today ever happens again, I’ll be right here to handle it, so please don’t charge in so recklessly,” Clyde sighed, his eyes drooping into a pathetic, exaggerated pout. “It upsets me.”

Beneath his calm tone lay an ocean of genuine concern—a worry that felt distinctly different from the fretting of Aiden’s family. A strange, tingling sensation rushed through Aiden’s body, forcing him to clench his hands to ground himself.

“We haven’t even spent our first night together yet. Does our dear Admiral have any idea how terrified I was that I might lose my husband just like that?”

If only he had omitted that last bit of nonsense, it would have been a truly comforting and reliable sentiment. Despite his inner grumbling, a soft laugh escaped his lips. Aiden quickly covered his face with both hands, desperate to hide the way his mouth was twitching into a full-blown smile.

“What’s wrong? Are you too moved by my words?” Clyde teased.

“Moved, my foot,” Aiden grumbled behind his palms.

“Then move your hands. Let me admire my handsome husband’s face for a bit.”

A seeping warmth, like sunlight striking his skin, wrapped around Aiden’s wrists. It was a gentle, utterly strengthless touch designed to coax rather than force.

“Are you really not going to show me?”

“No.”

“My, what a shame.”

A clear, ringing laugh danced in his ears, as crisp and refreshing as the open sea. After chuckling for a long moment, Clyde finally subsided, his voice dropping into a low, serious murmur.

“Admiral Rosley, I believe the battle has completely wrapped up.”

“Is that true?”

Aiden immediately dropped his hands, his sharp gaze scanning their surroundings. A white flag fluttered pathetically above the pirate ship, while the enemy crew knelt on the deck in tight, unyielding bonds.

“Now I’m genuinely hurt,” Clyde huffed, feigning betrayal. “You completely ignored me when I begged to see your face, but the second I mention the battle is over, down come the hands?”

“Is that really what’s important right now?” Aiden retorted.

“Admiral Rosley, you truly are a heartless man.”

Even as he complained, Clyde was beaming as if he had just won the lottery. As expected, he’s a completely unhinged Grand Duke. Shaking his head, Aiden rose to his feet, a small smirk playing on his lips as he extended a hand.

“Your Grace. Didn’t you mention previously that you would wield your overflowing power for my sake?”

“Yes, I did.”

Taking the offered hand, Clyde pulled himself up smoothly.

“In that case, would you be willing to use it for me one more time?” Aiden asked.

Clyde looked down at him, his gaze narrowing slightly as if dissecting his true intentions, before curving into a beautiful, knowing crescent. “It seems our dear Admiral has a rather terrifying side to him?”

“Let’s just call it a classic tactic.”

“Alright. If it’s what the Admiral wants, I’m more than happy to help.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

“Oh dear,” Clyde teased, his eyes sparkling. “I feel like we’ve become a villainous married couple. My heart is pounding.”

Letting out a dry chuckle, Aiden turned on his heel and strode toward Logan.

Thank goodness, Clyde thought, releasing a heavy sigh of relief as he fell into step behind him. The trembling, hyperventilating shell of a man was gone, completely replaced by the commanding Aiden he knew and loved. Looking back, it was a wildly reckless and impulsive move—behavior entirely unbefitting the title of an Admiral known for his sharp judgment and calm resolution. It was an action no one could comprehend the exact reasoning behind.

Marquis Lucen had claimed it was due to a belligerent nature inherited directly from him, while Marchioness Celestia argued it was simply because he possessed too kind a heart to walk away from those in need. But the state Aiden had actually been in, the raw panic Clyde had witnessed firsthand, was far too severe to be defined by such simple excuses. Just as the despair of being unable to do anything for the person he loved had threatened to swallow him whole, a sudden memory of Aiden’s drunken rambling had flashed through his mind.

I cannot remain chained to the past. The sea will always stay by my side, unchanging.

He had brushed it off at the time, but in hindsight, every word pointed to one tragic truth. To think that he acted unconsciously, triggered by a similar situation that reminded him of the comrades he failed to save and had to leave behind…

The fact that Aiden had snapped back to reality only after hearing that no one would leave him, that he had saved everyone, confirmed it. It devastated Clyde to realize that while his husband appeared perfectly fine on the outside, his insides were still agonizingly wracked by the aftereffects of war. He was heartbroken that Aiden had hidden his suffering so deeply, refusing to reveal it to a single soul.

What a truly foolish Admiral.

But then again, even those broken pieces were a part of Aiden. All Clyde could do was stay by his side, protecting and loving him fiercely.

Then I’ll hold you, he promised silently. If I hold you tight enough, no one will hear your cries. So don’t worry, and just let it out. Don’t worry, I’ll keep your secret for the rest of my life. Just like you did for the scarred, shattered boy I was in my childhood.

By the time Clyde finished his silent vow, they had arrived at Logan’s position.

“Your Grace, Admiral.” Spotting the two men approaching, Logan snapped off a crisp salute.

“Did we capture them all alive?” Aiden asked, his tone brisk and professional.

“Yes, sir. Every single one of them has been securely bound.”

“I’ll leave this area in your capable hands,” Aiden commanded.

“Yes, Admiral.”

Leaving Logan with a brief word of encouragement, Aiden and Clyde turned and headed toward the gangplank connecting them to the warship.

***