novelhk 9. Only I can steer this ship!
9. Only I can steer this ship!
"Furning, this is Mr. Norton, my father's benefactor. It was thanks to Mr. Norton that my father was able to return alive from this voyage," the Duke said.
"Really? Thank you!"
After thanking Norton, Funing belatedly realized, "Dad, you encountered danger at sea this time?!"
"Yes..." The Duke looked shaken and recounted his experiences along the way, but omitted the part about Norton taking over the ship and the treasure.
Funing listened attentively, her beautiful face frequently showing worry. Several times she hugged the Duke tightly, crying with tears streaming down her face, a sight that evoked pity.
The Duke immediately panicked and tried to coax Funing back.
Norton and Nami exchanged a glance, and a word simultaneously popped into their minds.
Doting father!
After a while, Fu Ning's crying gradually subsided.
The Duke wiped away the tears from Fu Ning's eyes and said tenderly, "My dear daughter, don't cry, don't cry. Daddy's back, isn't he?"
Once Funing had completely calmed down, the Duke got down to business.
"Is the 'White Pearl' almost finished?"
"Yes, Dad! The launching ceremony will be held soon!" Fu Ning exclaimed excitedly.
The Duke was somewhat worried: "I wonder what kind of unexpected event we'll encounter this time."
"It's okay, Dad! No matter what challenges we face, the 'White Pearl' can overcome them!" Funing said.
In this respect, Funing was more optimistic than the Duke, her eyes revealing a confidence in the "White Pearl".
"If that's the case, that would be perfect..." The Duke nodded and said to Funing, "Mr. Norton was my father's savior. Because of that sea monster, Mr. Norton needs a new ship."
"Why don't we entrust the 'White Pearl' to Mr. Norton? I've witnessed Mr. Norton's courage; he's a man who can defy fate!"
Fu Ning was stunned: "But... His Majesty the King has already reserved this ship?"
"When did this happen?" The Duke was taken aback. How come he didn't know?
"In the few days that Father was away, His Majesty the King personally visited our castle and reserved this ship for me..." Fu Ning explained the whole story.
"How could this happen?" the Duke murmured in frustration. "There's nothing we can do about it..."
If the king himself intervened, even a duke like him couldn't do anything. That's how the last ship was taken away by the king.
A higher-ranking official can crush you.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Norton, but if His Majesty has reserved the 'White Pearl,' then this ship cannot be entrusted to you. However, rest assured, I will find you a new ship..."
Norton interrupted the Duke's apology, his smile burning like a flame: "What are you saying? The 'White Pearl' can only belong to me!"
"Only I can steer this ship; no one else can!"
The Duke quickly stopped him: "Mr. Norton, don't be impulsive! His Majesty's decree cannot be disobeyed!"
"Just like fate?" Norton grinned. "The last ship was taken away by the king, wasn't it? But in the end, it couldn't escape its fate of destruction."
The Duke fell silent; it was indeed the truth. If the King hadn't reserved the White Pearl, the Duke would have definitely persuaded Funing to entrust it to Norton.
But His Majesty the King has already booked the "White Pearl".
Norton patted the Duke on the shoulder: "I'm not like you, afraid of the king's power. What I want, I must get! Take me to your king, and I'll persuade him in my own way."
"Don't do anything reckless!" The Duke grabbed Norton's fist excitedly.
He had seen Norton's style of doing things before—solving everything with his fists!
The Duke knew exactly what Norton wanted to do.
"I will take you to see His Majesty the King, but I will not offer any assistance. Whether or not you can persuade His Majesty to abandon the 'White Pearl' is up to you!"
The Duke's expression turned serious. "Furthermore, I have one request: absolutely no force must be used against His Majesty the King!"
"I know, I know," Norton waved his hand dismissively. "I know what I'm doing."
...
...
Meanwhile, inside the royal palace.
The king stood humbly beside the throne, upon which sat a person wearing a transparent hemispherical bubble headgear, with each strand of hair standing on end and curling at the ends, and dressed in a pure white jumpsuit resembling a spacesuit.
"Is that ship finished yet? Send it over quickly! I came to the mortal realm because I heard about that unlucky woman's exploits, don't waste my time!" the person wearing the bubble hood shouted.
The king bowed and scraped: "Immediately! I've already sent someone to fetch it, Saint Aristotle, please wait a moment!"
Even the king did not expect that the story of the duke's daughter, Fu Ning, building a ship would actually attract the world's nobles and the Celestial Dragons who lived in the holy land of Mary Geoise!
The Celestial Dragon, Ari, snorted coldly in dissatisfaction.
If it weren't for Joseph constantly showing off the ship he bought from Sambaud, he wouldn't have bothered coming all the way down to the mortal realm for a wrecked vessel!
"The cursed ship built by the unlucky woman is definitely rarer than the treasure ship that Joseph bought! Just wait! I'll make you cry with envy, Joseph!" thought Ari, the Celestial Dragon.
...
...
On the other side, after viewing the ship, the Duke led Norton and Nami back to the castle.
"Furning said that if the 'White Pearl' is damaged again, she will give up this profession and agree to work for the church, which I recommended to her before," the Duke said as he walked.
"Isn't that exactly what you wanted?" Nami asked curiously.
"But rather than fulfilling my wish, I would rather see Funing do what she loves. Although the job of a shipwright is lowly, Funing's enthusiasm and smile when she works are genuine. She is my daughter, and a father has a duty to protect his daughter's dreams," the Duke said softly.
Nami fell silent, feeling the greatness of a father's love. She had never experienced a father's love before; she was an orphan, without parents, and it was Bellemere who raised her.
"Aren't you afraid of being ridiculed by the other nobles?" Norton gave the Duke a deep look.
"I am a duke, and in this country, only the king is above me. No one dares to laugh at my daughter to my face," the duke snorted, revealing a proud expression.
Upon hearing this, Norton couldn't help but think more highly of the Duke.
Although he was weak, the Duke used his power to protect his daughter's growth.
At this moment, the Duke's daughter, Funing, caught up from behind.
"Father, His Majesty the King's messenger wants to see you!" said Funing.
Upon hearing this, the Duke perked up. "Furning, you take Mr. Norton and Miss Nami around for a while. I'll be right back."
After a pause, the Duke said to Norton, "Please rest assured, Mr. Norton. Once I'm done with my work, I will take you to see His Majesty the King as soon as possible."
After saying that, the Duke turned and left.
Following the Duke's instructions, Funing led Norton and Nami on a tour of the castle.
During the conversation, Nami and Funing chatted happily. Norton, on the other hand, couldn't get a word in edgewise.
Suddenly, the sound of breaking glass rang out. The three looked up and saw Sanosuke stepping on someone, smashing through a window, and jumping down from the banquet hall of the castle.