Thought It Was 'The End', Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 161
Genevieve was indeed strong.
âHow could such strength come from those slender shoulders?â
Even in a world where the laws of physics were ignored, this was a bit terrifying.
âItâs simple. People usually canât use all their muscle strength because their bodies instinctively avoid injury. But Iâm different. I can heal as soon as my muscles tear, which lets me use even more strength.â
ââŚDonât explain something like that with such a cheerful smileâŚâ
âŚScary.
The rope that had been hanging on the wall was thicker than the arm of an average adult, but Genevieve swung it around lightly, as if it were mere thread. She then tied it around Adelineâs waist and hoisted her up onto her shoulders with ease.
Adelineâs perspective suddenly shifted higher, but her body didnât sway at all. Genevieve had her securely.
All Adeline had to do was fumble around the ceiling until she found the exit and push the handle to open the hatch. When she couldnât open the stubbornly closed door, Genevieve even stood on tiptoe to help give Adeline more leverage.
âIf I had been the one lifting Genevieve, she probably could have just broken the door downâŚâ
Adeline made a firm decision not to act so arrogantly anymore.
She listened carefully before opening the door, but there were no signs of anyone nearby. Cautiously, she pushed the ceiling hatch open, revealing a small room connected to another door. It looked like a simple passageway used for storage, judging by the clutter inside.
Holding onto the handle, Adeline climbed through. It seemed that this handle was meant for attaching a ladder.
The rope was heavy, but Genevieve held it steady from below, allowing Adeline to pull herself up. However, she couldnât find a good place to anchor the rope. Sensing her hesitation, Genevieve called up from below.
âLady Adeline, just hold on to something. Iâll be up in a moment.â
âHuh, what?â
Feeling herself being tugged downward, Adeline instinctively crouched, gripping the rope tied around her waist. She almost let out a shout but managed to hold it in. As she clung to whatever she could, Genevieve quickly climbed up after her.
âGenevieve is stronger, but⌠Iâm heavierâŚâ
It was a somewhat sad truth proven by the outcome.
âWell, I am taller! And anyone could see Iâm heavier!â
What was most unnerving, though, was that Genevieveâs slim limbs werenât packed with dense muscle. She was really tearing and healing her muscles in real-time, just as she had explained.
âNo guards around, luckily.â
âThey must not have expected we could escape from this storage room.â
âIf it was Harrison, that makes sense.â
Genevieve hadnât pretended to be weak in front of him, but appearances matter. There wasnât any need to show off her strength to her husband, so she let him assume whatever he liked.
Of course, that was the Harrison Genevieve knewâthe imperial knight.
The Harrison who stabbed Lloyd and kidnapped the two of them was a stranger to her.
âI hope thereâs only one kidnapperâŚâ
âBut if weâre on a ship, wouldnât it be wiser to wait for rescue? Even if we escape, weâre still stuck at sea.â
âTrue, but itâs better to stall for as much time as possible.â
When Adeline realized they were on a ship, she had initially judged escape as impossible.
Just as Genevieve said, they were at sea, and it was winter.
The waters near Delmuz were shallow and calm, but finding someone who had fallen into the sea at night would be incredibly difficult, and waiting for rescue could mean death from hypothermia.
Genevieve could heal them, but divine power wasnât an infinite resource. If she collapsed, they would be doomed.
âThat bastard didnât seem like the type to hesitate. He probably kidnapped us because he plans to use us as bargaining chips, but if things donât go his way, he might cut off our limbs. He might think having just one of us alive is enough.â
ââŚâ
âLloyd was just a kid. If his goal was to kidnap us, there were other ways he couldâve done it.â
Adeline paused for a moment before grimacing and adding,
âMaybe he had to deal a fatal blow because Lloyd wasnât easy to handle.â
âThat makes sense. Even when a large man was pressing him, Lloyd didnât shrink back. He acted like he was swatting away an annoying fly.â
âYeah, Lloydâs like that. Heâs super smug, even with Shane. So arrogant.â
No one could be as smug as Lloyd. Lucian found it endearing, but Shane hated it whenever Adeline mentioned Lloydâs name.
Shane tried not to show it, but it was obvious.
Now, those two had even worked together. In a way, it was touching to see them cooperating, even if their collaboration involved imprisoning her.
âDo you find him cute because heâs so arrogant?â
âYeah. Isnât it cute when kittens act all feisty? Itâs like that.â
âIâm pretty sure Lloyd would hate hearing thatâŚâ
âHe hates it a lot.â
Adeline shrugged and grinned, scrunching her nose.
âBut that makes him even cuter.â
ââŚLady Adeline, you sound a bit like an old manâŚâ
âShane says that tooâŚâ
What was it about her that crossed the lines of both age and gender?
