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Inés immediately grabbed the letter and sat on the edge of the bed. Her hands were trembling as her fingertips brushed over the bent edges of the envelope. While the paper was not of the best quality, it was noticeably better than the one he had managed to procure the first time he went to war. /suppose this is the beauty of promotions, she thought as her lips curved into a smile, a stark contrast to the cold look on her face before discovering the letter. For the longest time, she silently ran her fingers over the seal on the envelope, which was in the shape of two muskets running through the middle of an anchor. Finally, she flipped the envelope over.

"That shameless man..." she muttered.

Inés, mi vida.

Her days in Mendoza were remarkably peaceful, and she had just stepped into her bedroom to take a nap. In contrast, Cárcel was risking his life on the battlefield-she didn't think she was worthy enough to be called his "life". There were countless other terms of endearment that he could have used, yet he stubbornly insisted on putting her at the center of his world. It reminded her of the sweet, poignant words he whispered to her with an insouciant look on his face.

Indeed, Cárcel had a way of catching her off guard with the gravity of his statements. He gave her everything that mattered in his life as if he were simply handing her a flower he had plucked while on a relaxing stroll.

Although her inner voice was quite impassive in its mission to criticize Cárcel, her fingertips brushed over his writing with extreme care as if it would disappear upon applying the slightest pressure. It mirrored how Cárcel had hesitated to even touch his name that had been embroidered on his handkerchief for a long time.

Her eyes were curved in a slight smile as she allowed his elegant handwriting to whisper to her. Moisture gathered in her eyes-she feared it might drip down her cheeks if her smile crept onto the rest of her face.

Perhaps it wasn't completely fair to describe Cárcel as shameless. After all, Ortegans were so foolishly passionate that they were willing to drag destiny into chance meetings and compare the grief of death to the loss of a fleeting, mundane relationship. Hence, it could be deemed inconsequential that he was referring to her as his life and world.

His letter continued. "Mi vida. I will have to stop referring to you as the sun for the time being, as it has been unreasonably and irritatingly warm for the past few days. Regardless, I hope that your day has been peaceful.

The afternoon sun is bright, and the wind is on our side for the most part. I cannot recall the last time I was allowed to loiter around for so long. Things have been smooth sailing... both literally and figuratively. May this wind reach you in Mendoza as well."

But nothing was inconsequential if it concerned Cárcel. Everything that Cárcel whispered in her ears mattered, and everything that he did carried weight with her.

When she inhaled deeply, she smelled the salty ocean breeze that had swept past him about twenty days ago.

The letter read, "It is much more convenient for me to write to you compared to when I was a simple officer. Now, I have an entire cabin to myself that comes with a desk.

As for the Bahíman cigars that you stole from my father's office in Mendoza, I only have seven left. I know you must be wondering how I went through the pile so quickly... First and foremost, there are rats on this ship. I suppose they have a way of recognizing fine and expensive things. They have been stealing the cigars from me."

She continued reading, thinking of how horrified Duke Escalante would be if he ever discovered the fate of his beloved cigars.

She imagined Cárcel's irritated tone as his handwriting continued: "I am barely suppressing my desire to line those rats up on the prow and shoot them in the head so they can be buried in the sea. You went to such great lengths to steal these cigars for me, after all. I have already put the rest in the safe where His Majesty's seal is kept. I cannot believe I didn't think of this solution sooner... You told me to only smoke on special occasions, but I have been drawing on the cigars every time I write to you, since the act of thinking of you is the most special occasion. However, I believe it would be wise to save the rest for later... The letters I have been writing to you every night have already piled up to be half a span tall. I was planning on sending them all to you along with the empty supply ship that will be sailing back to Ortega, but Lieutenant Commander Elba told me it would scare you off. In fact, he doesn't think you'll even bat an eye if I go back home tomorrow. Would you say this is true?"

Inés grumbled about Lieutenant Commander Elba's small brain and how he would benefit from minding his own business, then turned over another page of the letter.

"They told me that I must set a good example for the lower-ranking soldiers who can barely even send a letter back home. Something about excessive privilege. I fear I can only send this one letter to you, as I must write to my parents as well.

But you have no idea how overjoyed I am to be writing this letter. In fact, I think this classifies as a special occasion. I must get a cigar."

She imagined Cárcel standing up and walking over to the safe.

"I never even dreamed of going through my father's precious stash all by myself. I am able to find peace and satisfaction even in the middle of the ocean, all thanks to my lovely little thief."

Miguel had discovered her theft almost immediately, and Inés had learned that the cigars were so cherished by Duke Escalante that he would only puff a single one on joyous occasions. Apparently, the duke had handed Cárcel a cigar right before he was about to be commissioned after graduating from the academy.

To her grateful relief, Miguel hadn't tried to stop her when he discovered she was stealing his bedridden father's prized cigars so that her husband could have them. Instead, he had said quite calmly, "Even if he found out, what could he do in his current state?" Furthermore, she had made sure to inform the duke of what she had done and even paid him for the cigars. Referring to her as a thief didn't seem entirely fair.

But her complaints weren't genuine, and she would steal over and over for Cárcel if she had to-only if there were a way to deliver them to him.

"I like to smoke the cigars with my cabin window open. The men walking by on the deck will comment on the superb quality of the scent, saying that certain things are worth the steep price and whatnot... While I do not fall for their flattery, I still like to show the cigars off and toss them some of the cheap garbage that are included in my supplies."

It appeared that Cárcel had completely forgotten about the cigars' original owner right after describing her actions as thievery. Inés couldn't help but burst out laughing. She lay on the bed, holding the letter high.

"Some of them will ask why I brag about the cigars when I'm not willing to share, but I am the one baffled by their ignorance. Not only do I not have enough for myself, but their jealousy is thoroughly entertaining to me... So many have told me that I have a wonderful wife. While they are only stating the obvious, such words are like music to my ears. You see, every single man on this ship read the newspaper article with the artwork depicting how you saw me off after the ceremony in Mendoza. Once upon a time, I dreamed of you clinging to me with tears in your eyes... I should have remembered that you have a way of making my dreams come true."

He seemed genuinely amazed by what she had achieved with her lies instead of being disgusted by them. Truly, he never failed to surprise her.

"I knew I had to frame the article, but I couldn't find a single picture frame on the ship that I could use. I ended up removing the imperial edict that was hanging in the cabin and replacing it with your article. Now the frame looks as if it were wrought from gold, and this cabin feels so much more elegant than before. Pure joy and anticipation fill my heart whenever I even think of returning to that dingy little room. I could never thank you enough... I must say, though, I dislike how every single man who steps into my room is captured by your beauty. I tell them to leave when I grow tired of their rambling about how beautiful you are and how elegant you look even when you are crying. I suppose I cannot blame them. You truly are beautiful... haughty yet adorable. Why didn't you tell me that was your intent behind following me all the way down those stairs despite my concerns? I would have devoured you right then and there, had I known."

Because I knew the painter would show the people what I wanted regardless, she replied silently as she brushed her fingers over the paper, imagining them making contact with Cárcel's hand that had touched the same surface some time ago. She peered closely at a few letters that were slightly misshapen, presumably due to the swaying of the ship, and carefully studied a mark that had been made by a paperweight.

"Sometimes, I manage to fool myself into thinking that we will be reunited in the near future when I hear others talking about you. It fills my heart with joy, even though I know it is not true... Do you also think of me as soon as you awaken in the morning? Am I the first one that comes to your mind whenever you close your eyes to pray? Do you hope to see me in your dreams before you drift off to sleep? I know those are foolish, grand wishes, but you have granted them for me before... So I will tell myself that you feel the same way as I do. Mi vida, although I am sailing on the ocean, my life is back in Mendoza, in your hands. Please, I beg you, be safe.

Do not put yourself in any kind of danger, even if it is for my sake. We are about to dock in Marlansa, and we'll be in the south of the Islands for the foreseeable future. Do not worry for me. I am still very much safe and sound without a single scratch on my body."

She wouldn't trust a single word he wrote until she could see him in person.

Her eyes silently reached the end of the letter.

"As always, I only hope that you are healthy and safe. From Cárcel Escalante de Inés, writing to you from the sea of ​​Marlansa."