Otto von Winkle

The salty wind blew hard and my hair went along with it. It was a novel feeling, having long hair. I've always kept my hair at shoulder length, sometimes even cutting it pixie short so I don't have to worry about it when I'm out on missions. But now I'm reluctant to even trim my bangs.

There was a liberating feeling having this kind of hair. I mean, I'm a woman. What woman doesn't want to feel beautiful right? And damn, my sakura pink hair makes me feel that way. That is all that matters. Though it was currently black at this point.

Ah, the problems of a runaway.

There weren't a lot of people at the quarterdeck. Only a burly, bearded man tapping rhythmically at a gilded telescope. He looked imposing. As imposing as a bear. Yep. I was spot on once again, dear readers. The Captain was like a bear man. I giggled to myself. Is it a requirement in the Ursa Company for their employees to resemble a trait of their insignia? I probably would be disqualified.

The Captain turned his head towards us when he detected our presence. A huge, toothy smile was suddenly directed at me. And bam! His imposing image was ruined just like that.

"Leave us first." His booming voice commanded. Mister Coachman and Riley promptly went below the quarterdeck to give us some privacy.

"Greetings, Lady Celestine von Trier. I am Otto von Winkle. Captain of the La Miel and an elder of the Ursa Company." Captain Otto did a formal, polite bow. Honestly, I was a lady of nobility yet I couldn't remember one single circumstance where I had been afforded this kind of respectful greeting. Obviously, my bad reputation as a fussy and unreasonable attention seeker preceded me. Hence, the Captain's bow really caught me unguarded.

Otto von Winkle? Is his grandpa named Rip van Winkle? Okay. That was lame, Toni. Really lame. Focus, will you?

Thankfully, I was able to abandon that train of thought fast enough and was able to avoid a blunder. I returned the Captain's respectful greeting with a quick curtsy of my own.

"Greetings, sir Otto." I murmured in a fluster. Now I feel shy. Aside from that former silly thought, I wondered if I did the right thing. Give me time to adjust, okay? This is a first for me. And my memory bank seemed to be malfunctioning at the moment. It isn't showing me the proper follow-up that conforms to the etiquette of high society. The heck? Aren't you supposed to serve like my cheat or something? What kind of friggin' cheat is this? You get shy when I feel shy too? Is that it?

"Your grandfather has briefed me of the situation. Rest assured that we will ensure your safety and comfort throughout the journey until we reach Spice Isles. You need not worry about your identity. Me and my first mate are the only one who knows who you really are." Captain Otto said in a reassuring tone.

"Sorry for troubling you with this, Captain." I replied with a thankful smile. I really was. If they didn't consent to my grandfather's requests then my escape plan would have to take another roundabout way or go down the drain. I can't have that now, can I?

"Oh, no. Please. It is nothing my lady. We are actually glad that Old Mister Hal came to us for this request. He is our benefactor. It is not everyday we get this chance to repay him for his help." Captain Otto shook his head with a helpless smile when he mentioned this. I chuckled. Old Man Hal was like this. He may seem prickly on the outside but he was actually quite soft-hearted. A tsundere. Yep. That's what he is. If you say I'm mistaken, have your eyes checked by an ophthalmologist.

"I see. Then I'll just have to thank you on behalf then. I assure you I won't be troublesome on this journey. And while we're at it, since I'm hiding my identity, just call me Toni. It'll save you from the trouble of such a mouthful name. You also don't need to be mindful of such conservative etiquette around me. Treat me as you would any proper person." I said in a light tone, almost easy going. I slid my hands in my trouser pockets, my lips curving up slightly.

The Captain appeared bewildered at my sudden remark. A resounding laugh followed immediately after he recovered his wits. He clapped his hands in approval.

"And here they said that the daughter of the Trier House was unreasonable and fussy. One certainly needs to see something in order to give accurate judgement. Or in this case, someone. The world is in want of more people like you Miss Toni." Captain Otto regarded me with favor. I grinned back at the burly yet undeniably good-natured man.

"I shall gladly take that as a compliment, sir." I answered shamelessly.

After our conversation, I said my goodbyes to the uncle coachman and asked him to inform my grandpa that I had safely boarded the ship and was on my way to freedom. I also had him remind the old man to take care of himself always and that I will deliver a message to him once I settled down in Mirus. Hah. This is the reason why people need mobile phones and the internet. To reach people as soon as possible. In fact, if there were, I was quite sure I'd be chatting with grandpa throughout the journey. And I wouldn't also find the one month of sailing boring. The internet never ran out of interesting things. But then again that's just my wishful thinking.

I plopped myself down at the bunker that was assigned to me. It has a lot more space than a bunker to be honest. It was no doubt equivalent to the Captain's cabin. They were being true to the promise of comfort I see. While pondering over these things, I heard the sonorous sound of a horn. It reverberated all the way through my room. I figured we were about to leave the port. I wanted to see for myself so I walked out of my cabin and went to spectate.

The deck was bustling. The crew were busy manning the lines, raising up the yards and their sails, pulling or easing the braces. I didn't know much of the necessary things to do so as much as I wanted to help, I couldn't. Besides, someone like me whose zenith doesn't even reach five feet five and came across as patrician as one could get trying to help would just elicit ridicule. Even if I'm not really as weak as I come off as. People just assume so because I appear suspiciously slender. It's not my fault I look scrawny. The important thing is I'm filled at the right places, okay? Got a problem with it? Come, I'll fight you.

"All hands on deck! Pull up the anchors! Let set her sail, boys." I then heard the thunderous voice of Captain Otto. Yep. That voice can only come from someone built like him. I cackled at my own thoughts.