Secrets of the Azure Sea - Chapter 33
The Legendary Pearl
“—You want me to show you around the island?”
A few mornings later, Floria ran up to Zanarf as he was preparing to board a sailboat docked at the harbor.
Since becoming Zanarf’s official wife a week ago, Floria had spent every moment by his side, basking in what felt like a honeymoon. Each night, he would shower her with affection, and she would wake up in his arms long after the sun had risen.
They strolled along the beach at sunset, took small boats out to the shallows to watch fish swim in the clear waters, and shared countless intimate moments. For Floria, these blissful days felt like paradise—but they passed all too quickly.
Zanarf was not just her husband; he was also the king who ruled over the islands in this region. His duties extended beyond this island, and today was the day of which he had to go back to his usual work. Knowing it might be selfish, Floria still made her request.
“I want to see how the islanders live. I may not have the medical knowledge or skills like Kyrie, but maybe there must be something I can do to help. Above all, I want to know what kind of life the people of this island live.”
Zanarf looked down at Floria with a serious look on his face.
The island didn’t have much that would interest her—just the occasional market where merchants from nearby islands gathered to sell their goods. Even so, there is a fair amount of the island’s specialties for sale at the market which was interesting in a way so she might enjoy that. However, he thought that she would have more fun to go with Kyrie and Aura rather than going out of her way to go with him, who was quite unsociable.
“Should I ask Kyrie to take you around in a sailboat?”
Floria bit her lip and shook her head.
“I… I want to explore with you, just the two of us…”
Her cheeks flushed, and Zanarf couldn’t help but smile at the sight.
—In other words, Floria didn’t want to be apart from him.
“Then let’s go out tomorrow. The market will be at the harbor in the morning, and there’s something I need to do before that.”
Zanarf took Floria’s hand and pressed a kiss to her slender fingers, as if sealing his promise.
The next afternoon, Zanarf took Floria to the harbor as promised.
She had only ever viewed the island from the castle windows, so this was her first time stepping out into the open and truly seeing the island up close.
Walking beside Zanarf, they headed toward the village near the harbor.
The island had no steep mountains, only few ridges covered in lush greenery. According to Zanarf, the island had many waterfalls and springs all around, and thanks to the abundant blessings of the water, the fruit orchards and taro fields– the island’s main crops, could be found all around the place. Floria was surprised to learn that wild goats and deer roamed the hills. The island was blessed with nature, in both mountains and the sea.
Zanarf explained that this region was home to many similar islands, and he ruled over dozens of them. After the previous elder of this island passed away, Zanarf had been named king by his will. Since then, he had united the neighboring islands and strengthened their naval forces to protect them from being easily invaded by the continental powers.
Most importantly, he had created a detailed map of the region, illustrating islands rich in natural resources that the mainland had yet to discover.
As Zanarf spoke, his voice was strong and confident, his eyes displaying how passionate he was about this region.