Red confesses.

"Yes! It's me who ordered it. It was the only way!"

Why?

Why does he need to do that?

What does he mean it was the only way?

"Monster!" I shout at Red.

Red smirks at me. "All you peasants need to do is to protect us. But you can't even do that properly. Since you cannot even find the intruder in this small ship, I had to take matters into my own hands!"

"What did that accomplish?! You killed your allies! That aside, it was not your own hands even. You had someone else do the dirty work for you."

"Heh. If it was me who ordered such heavy judgment, then it just confirms my noble birth. If I had everyone killed, then the shapeshifter can no longer pretend to be someone else. My companions and I are nobles, so we are smart enough not to fall victim to that thing. But commoners? Their brains are half-developed and have no qualification to lead. Us nobles, on the other hand, have the blessing to take decisive actions when needed!"

My emotional brake breaks down at his admission.

This man is another case of a "noble" bastard acting high and mighty as if they have the right to sacrifice anyone for their purpose.

I sprint towards Red and pose for a right hook.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

It seems Red anticipated this kind of reaction since the next thing I see is the sharp glint of a dagger.

However, before I can even throw my fist or before the blade embeds itself into my eye, Pink appears out of nowhere and kicks Red in the face!

Blood spurts from Red's nose as he tumbles twice or thrice on the wood floor. It is a satisfying sight for a moment.

Pink sighs deeply, a method she commonly uses to "release" some heavy emotions. Sheathing her short sword, Pink grasps my shoulders with her hands, worry visible on her face. "You should not let your emotions get the better of you."

I look at Red sprawled on the floor, unconscious.

"Thank you for that," I laugh. "You saved my life."

Pink grins. "As you have saved mine."

Despite the chill of the night, I can feel warmth budding from around us. My heart still pumping loudly from the ordeal, I wrap my hands around Pink's waist.

"Faine!" Yellow barks at the orange-haired maid.

Way to ruin the moment, you think?

"Are all of that true? What do you mean by a relationship with this bastard? And how are you still alive?"

"Oh?" Orange puts one finger on her chin as if looking at a child who can't read the situation. "It means that man is this maid's real employer." She bows elegantly.

Yellow's mouth is agape.

The implication being that Red had planted Orange into Yellow's household as a spy.

Orange raises her head, now sporting a wide villainous grin. "And no, Faine is no longer alive."

The maid turns and runs inside the ship once again.

I freaking knew it.

I heard the splash of the sea when Orange fell earlier. There is no way to return to the ship unless someone helps them. No one can provide help since everyone still alive is busy fighting above deck, except for one. In other words, the one we are talking to is not the maid.

It's the shapeshifter.

But how does it know everything it mentioned? Why did it help us?

More and more questions pop into my mind, and I have no answers for them.

Scratching my head, I return my eyes to Pink.

Without speaking a word, I seek from her eyes what is our next course of action.

It seems we have the same thing in mind. There can only be one at the moment.

"Let's chase them."

Pink nods at my words, and we swiftly bolt through the dark halls of the ship.