I WAS The Rank–1 Hero-Chapter 177: A Taste of Trouble

"Pull it down!"

"Jack, pull the rope!"

"On it."

The warship groaned as the sails adjusted, steering slowly toward the island ahead.

A maid approached me, wearing a calm expression.

"The ship won't anchor directly at the island," she informed. "It's against the Lord's decree. Only the invited guest and their direct companion may step foot there."

So, we had to take a smaller boat now.

I squinted at the landmass in the distance.

A few kilometers out, it looked like a floating patch of green in a calm blue sea.

"So that's the island, huh?" I muttered.

This is where I'll meet Karton?

"Also, the boat is ready," the maid added. "Lady Maria instructed me to inform you both that she'll be leaving in five minutes."

"Alright. I'll… umm… inform the others."

With that, I awkwardly excused myself and walked toward my assigned room.

Standing in front of the door, I raised my hand to knock.

But my fist hovered mid-air.

"Sigh… I shouldn't have done that."

The guilt was gnawing at me.

'I'm an idiot…'

'Don't say that,' Sera said calmly. 'She liked it.'

"Yes, my dear host, you did great. Mue is proud of you," Mue chimed in with way too much cheer.

"..."

These two.

"How am I supposed to face her now?" I muttered under my breath.

Ever since I kissed Ruby… she hadn't looked at me the same way she did in the past.

Every time I even tried to speak, she turned away. And well… she became a bit too bold.

She wasn't like this before.

I should've warned her, I should've read the room better, but I didn't.

It was all my fault.

'Just talk to her,' Sera suggested. 'She understands you better than you do.'

"Mhm! Granny Sera is correct," Mue added brightly.

'Stop calling me that!'

"Why, what's wrong in calling a granny a granny?"

'I am an apostle of Goddess Eris! You will show proper respect!'

"Well, Mue is the youngest daughter of Lord Karton, which makes me divine royalty. You should be worshiping me!"

'Oh, if I were in physical form—'

"WOULD YOU TWO JUST SHUT UP!?"

—SLAM!

My voice echoed through the warship.

A beat of silence followed back.

Click—

The door next to mine opened.

Maria stepped out.

Wearing a clean pressed white coat over a sailor uniform. Holding a porcelain teacup in hand, taking a few sips.

Our eyes met.

And as she did, Mue shouted at the top of her lungs.

"You should totally kiss her again!" Mue screamed across my mind, and apparently, the entire warship heard it.

"Cough. Cough—KHHKH!"

Maria's face froze.

She nearly spat half of her tea.

She stared at me.

Blink. Blink.

"…I umm… I see," she said in a deadpan voice.

Then she turned around and quietly closed the door behind her.

Click—

I think that was the sound of her mentally uninstalling me from her life.

"W-Wait, Miss Maria you got it all wrong."

But she didn't give me a chance.

"Sigh, so this is my life now…umm… Mue."

"Yes, my glorious host?"

"What did I ever do to deserve this?"

Mue beamed inside my skull.

"I'm a blessing! Look at all the attention you're getting!"

'You're a menace,' Sera groaned.

Click—

The door in front of me clicked open.

Ruby stepped out from our room just then, glancing behind me, and then at me, and let out a sharp sign.

"You alright…?" she asked.

But, the first thing my eyes fell on was her lips.

My brain short-circuited.

"Yes!" I said a little too fast.

"I mean—no! I mean—I was talking to myself! No. Not myself. To them! You know… Sera… and… Mue."

Great, that was smooth.

Just kill me already.

I couldn't read her expression. It wasn't anger… but it wasn't not anger either.

"I see…" she said flatly, looking away from my face, brushing a few crimson strands behind her ears.

Then, we went silent again.

'This is awkward.'

Think Zane, think.

"How is Lily doing?" I asked.

She answered, still averting my gaze.

"She just woke up, and she's in my dimension jacket now."

I don't know if I was imagining it, but that 'Just' sounded a bit angry.

Or, maybe I was overthinking it.

"Oh, umm… alright. Actually the maid came, she said Maria's leaving in five minutes. So we need to get on the boat soon."

She nodded. Didn't say anything else.

And walked past me.

I felt a sudden itch in my throat.

'Say something, idiot.' Scolded Sera.

'Oh, alright.'

I cleared my throat before speaking.

"Hey… about, you know, before—"

She halted mid-step, her shoulder flinched, and then I saw her ears turn red.

She slightly glanced at me, rubbing her hands with others.

My soul was leaving my body.

"That kiss," I continued, "it… uhh… just happened. I didn't mean to make things weird for you."

Then I realised, I was apologizing for kissing the girl who didn't push you away. What a great logic.

She turned a little, eyes glancing at me from over her shoulder.

"Do you regret it?"

I froze.

"No! I mean—Not unless you do!"

That sounded even worse.

'You are an idiot.'

Ruby's lips pressed into a tight line. She looked down.

Then she turned around fully.

I panicked.

Was she going to hit me? Curse me? Unleash a firestorm?

She stepped closer.

My back hit the wall.

"Ruby?"

Bringing her lips close to my ears, she whispered.

"I tasted like cherries, right?"

I died.

Mue gasped dramatically.

"Oooohhhhh my divine ears are burning!"

Sera sighed. 'Children…'

I don't really get Ruby, if she's being embarrassed or just being extremely bold.

I blinked at her

My brain took a solid three seconds to reboot.

"W-What?" I asked again, acting as if I didn't hear it correctly.

Ruby leaned in closer, her crimson eyes narrowed playfully.

"Did I… taste like cherries?" she asked again, her voice lower now, almost a purr.

I think I ascended. Like, literally.

My soul was halfway to heaven before gravity brought it back.

My mouth opened. Closed. Opened again.

"U-Uhh…"

She stepped even closer.

One hand rested lightly on my chest, her face just a breath away from mine.

"Because," she whispered, "Y-You know, my lipstick was of cherry flavour."

I was malfunctioning.

Even though she felt embarrassed, she was still forcing herself to say those words.

Meanwhile, Mue's mental scream echoed across the entire dome.

"TOO MUCH INFORMATION!"

Even Sera groaned.

'Can I mute her?'

Ruby's gaze flicked sideways, clearly hearing Mue too.

She stifled a laugh.

But I saw the corner of her lips twitch.

She was enjoying this.

"You're blushing," she said softly, tapping my cheek with one finger. "Didn't think Zane Skylark could blush."

"I—That's not fair. You ambushed me."

"She's taking revenge on me, I tell you!"

"Mhm," she hummed, stepping back—finally. But not before whispering, "Well, I'm glad you didn't regret it."

She finally turned around and walked off, her pace was casual.

But I caught it.

The way her ears were glowing red.

Even her steps were a bit too fast now.

"…She's totally embarrassed," I muttered under my breath.

"Yup," Mue confirmed.

'And yet she still destroyed you,' Sera added.

I need to be careful from now on.

Mental note: Don't make the first move on her, or else she will devour you.

Just as Ruby turned the corner, escaping with her dignity slightly frayed, another door creaked open.

Maria stepped out.

She looked… composed.

"Cough… Are you guys ready?" she asked casually.

I nodded, trying my best to stay calm.

"Yeah, almost."

"Good."

But then I noticed something.

Her ears.

They were red.

And she wasn't making eye contact with me.

Her gaze floated somewhere just past my shoulder, her expression a little… stiff.

'Oh no, she heard it.'

The cherry part. The lipstick. The whole thing.

I opened my mouth to say something, but—

"So," Maria said, folding her arms, "just so you know… we do have doctors and nurses aboard this ship."

"...What?"

"You know. In case you two want to escalate things. I mean, we also have spare rooms. And soundproof cabins."

I short-circuited again.

"W-Wait, that's not what happened!"

Maria looked at me with the most unbothered expression ever. But the redness on her cheeks betrayed her.

"Relax," she said coolly. "I'm just teasing."

Was she though?

From the way she avoided looking me in the eye and the stiff chuckle she gave after, I was almost certain she'd been standing at her door this whole time.

'She totally heard everything,' Sera confirmed.

Mue laughed. "I like her. Can we keep her?"

"Please stop talking," I begged, both mentally and aloud.

Maria exhaled softly and turned around, her hand gesturing for us to follow.

"Come on," she said. "The boat's waiting, He was waiting on Isla Island."

So, that Island was called Isla Island.

We moved toward the railing of the warship where a rope ladder was already lowered.

A small, sleek boat gently floated below, tethered to the ship's side.

One of the crewmates stood at the edge, holding the rope steady.

Maria climbed down first without a word.

Ruby followed, glancing at me once before descending.

I stood there for a second.

Took a deep breath.

And muttered, "Please don't let her say cherries again."

Then I grabbed the rope and made my way down.

Whatever awaited on that island… it couldn't be worse than this morning. Right?

Right?