civilwarnovels Chapter 156 Ze Nu's Navel
Chapter 156 Ze Nu's Navel
Chapter 156 Ze Nu's Navel
"Henry—"
"Henry!"
Natalie opened her eyes abruptly as she was called out.
Sunlight streamed through the lemon-yellow curtains, illuminating the room and making the fine dust particles clearly visible against the pale yellow light.
She knew she was talking in her sleep, but she didn't mind.
Since she was calling that name, it means that she must have been filled with happiness and joy in her dream.
Natalie felt a chill on the back of her thigh and, a little worried, pulled back the covers.
Her fears were correct; the sheets were soaked.
We'll have to call the castle servants later to change her sheets.
But it's not wet enough, not as wet as that day.
Even the hard ice was melted into a large hole by her and Henry's body heat.
Just like the floor next to the bed right now, it's full of potholes.
The floor was very dry, as it should have been on the ice that day, but it was filled with liquid.
Even now, Natalie can't tell whether the liquid was melted ice water, the sweat she and Henry shed, or something else entirely.
That day was a gloomy night, the coldest night of the year—or so the people of the Ice Country would say.
It's springtime now, and the weather should be warm, but Natalie still feels cold.
She didn't want to get out of bed, just as she hadn't wanted Henry to leave her body that day.
But Henry's haggard appearance pained her; he was getting on in years and was already over forty.
She eventually let him go.
However, when Natalie kissed him at the end, she bit his lip and drew blood.
He was a pirate; he must have been involved in prostitution and rape quite a bit.
Natalie will not forgive him; this is his punishment.
But Henry was still that stubborn ox, always treating her with utmost care.
Even though it hurt when she bit me, I didn't dare to push her away forcefully.
"But what if he doesn't?" Natalie muttered, sitting on the bed.
So Natalie would be willing to let Henry bite her back, and he could bite her wherever he wanted.
It wasn't guilt, Natalie thought; it was just that mermaids always have to pay their debts.
"Snapped!"
A sound came from outside the window.
"Snapped!"
"Snap—"
This is the sound of a whip striking the air; there are nine strikes in total, indicating that it is now nine o'clock.
In the north of the kingdom, the soft whip would freeze stiff, making a louder sound when swung, and many northern lords used this method to tell the time.
Natalie remembered her mother telling her when she was a child that many places in the Red Joe Forest did this, but it seemed that Red Joe Castle did not, where they used a more solemn method of ringing the bells one by one.
However, at this moment, Natalie couldn't help but cover her right cheek.
The sound was like someone slapping her.
Natalie remembered being hit by many people, but the most memorable was the witch's slap.
Her skin, already stiff, numb, and with poor blood flow from the eerie winds of the dark sea on that night, was still relentlessly pounced on her.
Natalie felt that it was the most painful slap she had ever received, and she even worried that she would be disfigured as a result.
However, it seemed that disfigurement was inconsequential. Her beauty didn't need to be shown to others, and the clumsy bull wouldn't hold a grudge against her because of her changed appearance. Natalie was very confident about this.
But Natalie also sensed the witch's anger from Celestia's strength.
She accused Natalie of abandoning her and questioned whether Natalie had brought back what they wanted.
Aside from a pink memory, Natalie brought nothing back with her.
So she received another slap on the other side of her face.
However, she said she had other clues and could continue leading the witches in their search for the mermaid's tears.
This is no exaggeration. Natalie used Henry's rest time to try to make contact with the mermaid, following the clues left by the sea divers.
Now, if she wanted to, she could easily reconnect with the mermaid, although the process would be risky.
Whether the witches want to believe Natalie or not, as long as Natalie is alive, they have a choice.
But if Natalie dies, there will be no room for regret.
In the end, the older witch dispelled the impending shadow of awakening for Natalie.
But the shadows cast by the glass window railings do not disappear before nightfall.
Natalie frowned. She had slept for so long; she felt like she was turning into a lazy bum.
It's all Henry's fault; he's the one who makes it hard for Natalie to wake up from her dream.
Natalie felt she had to get out of bed, so she took off her soaking wet pants and prepared to change into a new pair.
She put on her cotton underwear and then changed into a skirt made of decent material.
Natalie couldn't help but marvel that the lord here wasn't too stingy, not trying to fob her off with cheap fabric.
Then, with her jade-like feet, she walked barefoot on the rough floor to the window, putting on a long-sleeved coat as she went.
As Natalie saw herself clutching the front of her shirt with both hands, she seemed to see herself parting ways with Henry.
That's how it happened that day; without a word, Henry draped his coat over her shoulders.
Natalie could sense Henry's reluctance and unease.
He didn't want me to leave, Natalie thought, and I didn't want to leave him either.
By then, she had already told Henry about her situation.
Upon hearing this, Henry's forehead veins bulged, and he vowed to kill the witches.
Natalie didn't know what Henry's abilities were, but she believed in him and that he could definitely do it.
No matter how many times she called him a "dumb cow," in the eyes of outsiders, he was always that fierce or imposing navigator.
At that time, they were still in the gloomy sea, which was still the battlefield where the navigators excelled.
Back then, the kingdom's combined fleet of over a hundred ships couldn't kill him at sea. A single longship filled with witches was no match for Henry.
But Henry seemed to calm down immediately, because acting impulsively would only kill Natalie.
A shadow had been placed inside Natalie, and even Henry was powerless to change it.
He should have realized that he must control his emotions and impulses and let Natalie return to the witches.
However, they also devised a plan: when the time came, he would catch up with and attack the witch's ship to rescue Natalie.
Few people knew about her relationship with Henry, and the witches could never have imagined using Natalie to threaten Henry.
Therefore, this plan has a high probability of success.
It was probably precisely because Henry was confident he could do it that he let go and allowed Natalie to go back.
Before parting, Henry draped his coat over Natalie's shoulders.
Henry touched his nose and said he was a little hot, so there was no point in keeping his coat.
What a stupid cow who can't lie, and... Natalie thought to herself that she also longed to hear sweet words.
The ox doesn't understand sweetness, but the mermaid does.
The mermaid pulled the bull's nose off and then kissed it.
Natalie was very anxious at the time, really very anxious.
She needs time to get back, and if she can't get the witch to dispel the shadow within her in time, she will die.
But all she wanted was to kiss him.
She didn't want to break up.
Afterwards, they stood in the same spot, still wearing half their clothes, and played another game of rapid chess.
In the end, Natalie returned the coat to Henry.
If Celestia saw that dress, she would surely become suspicious.
In order for the subsequent plans to be implemented smoothly, Natalie cannot ignore this hidden danger.
But actually, Natalie didn't want to return the clothes to him.
The clothes smelled a bit, but it was all the smell of this stupid cow.
Natalie pulled her collar up to her nose and took a deep sniff.
This garment was washed very clean and has no smell.
Of course, the maid brought her this coat just last night.
Natalie opened the window, and the spring breeze blew into the room.
The breeze stirred the lemon-yellow curtains and ruffled the orange-yellow hair.
She rested her hand on the windowsill and peered outside.
On the open ground below, the instructor had already begun teaching the castle's young masters martial arts.
The tall boy used a wooden sword to tease his younger brothers who were trying to attack him.
He must be about the same age as Cathy, Natalie thought, but not nearly as charming as Cathy.
Although Natalie had only seen her son's grown-up appearance once, she could feel Cathy's beautiful heart.
Cathy would never bully the weak or be arrogant; instead, she would treat any of her younger brothers with patience.
She raised her head, tucked her hair behind her ear, and looked up to see the city gate ahead.
Several fully armed soldiers were on duty at the city gate.
But his posture was casual, and judging from the way he was waving his arms, he was definitely just killing time by lounging around.
If this were Goringburg, they would definitely punish Natalie's father, Jasper Lines, by making him run laps around Goringburg.
The punishment may not seem severe, but strenuous exercise at high altitudes with low oxygen levels is a torment even for locals.
Above the city gate, a flag fluttered.
The flag is gray with green stripes, and the design features the slender waist of a green beauty with her navel exposed.
Natalie only learned the name of this emblem two days ago; it's called the Navel of the Zealot.
Natalie had seen the emblem before; to be precise, it was three months ago.
As dawn broke, cracks rapidly appeared on the blue ice continent frozen over the eerie sea, and it began to melt.
The originally strong southerly wind suddenly changed direction and started blowing from the north.
The witch's ship sailed away from Mermaid Bay along the same route it had come from.
Just as they were about to reach the exit, a ship suddenly appeared in front of them, blocking the witches' path.
At first, Natalie was very happy, thinking that Henry had come to pick her up.
But when she saw the flag flying on the ship, she knew something had gone wrong.
Henry's banner was a slanted black cross, and what Natalie saw at that moment was the Zephyr's Navel fluttering above the castle.
"Knock knock knock!"
A knock sounded at the door, and Natalie snapped out of her thoughts and raised an eyebrow.
Normally no one would bother her, which means that the current owner of the castle needs to see her.
Natalie put on her shoes and opened the door.
A maid stood outside the door, bowing and greeting Natalie.
Natalie cut to the chase: "Your master is looking for me?"
"Yes," the maid nodded.
"I'll pack up and head over," Natalie replied. "And also, please change my sheets."
The maid stared wide-eyed in surprise: "You've wet the sheets again?"
Natalie glared at the maid, who immediately lowered her head and dared not utter a sound.
She sighed; the soldiers and servants here were all far too unruly and ill-mannered.
Natalie had serious doubts about the lord's ability to govern, but this was the largest port in the Vila Wetlands.
She closed the door, put on her socks, then put on her shoes again, and tidied her hair before going out to see the owner of the castle.
Soon, Natalie arrived at the study.
After knocking on the door, a voice called out from inside:
"Come in."
As Natalie walked in, she immediately saw the bald man with stubble still on the back of his head.
This man is Baron George Rasmussen, the lord of Bellyna Harbor.
Natalie bowed and greeted him, "Your Excellency, did you need to see me?"
"Oh! Miss Capello, I've been waiting for you for ages!"
George grinned and stepped forward, attempting to take Natalie's left hand and kiss the back of it.
But Natalie dodged away in disgust: "Sir, you are of such high status that I am not worthy of your kiss on the hand."
"Every woman deserves a kiss on the hand, and you're as beautiful as an angel," George said with a smile. "Besides,"
"You are a descendant of the Capello family, and you also have noble blood in your veins; I can tell just by looking at your orange-yellow hair."
"In mythology, the god of the hunt is not only skilled at archery, but also at shooting other things; otherwise, why are there so many demigods with his bloodline?"
As Natalie spoke, she walked deeper into the study. "The Forest of Capello is undoubtedly the region where the worship of the God of Hunting is most intense. The bloodline of the lords who rule that region, in addition to receiving the divine gift of hunting talent, also inherits other characteristics of the God of Hunting."
"Therefore, the head of the Capello family has been lewd for generations, resulting in numerous illegitimate children. You could pick any beggar in the Capello Forest and he might even dare to claim to have the blood of the Capello family. So, sir, there is nothing for me to be proud of."
"That's true. You see, I'm actually a relative of the Capello family."
As he spoke, George turned his head to show the hair on the back of his head.
His hair was almost pure black, but you could still see a faint yellow tinge.
George continued, "But that part of the bloodline is very faint, but you are different. The orange-yellow on your head is very bright, so I bet your blood must be close to the main line of the Capello family."
“That,” Natalie turned to look directly at George, “didn’t you already confirm that?”
George pursed his lips and spread his hands:
"I sent several groups of people to Red Joe to confirm, but the response I received was always that there were no missing members of their clan worth taking care of."
"It is a well-known fact that the Capello family has spread their seeds far and wide, but the people of Capello Forest have not yet been stained orange by the red leaves."
"Even among ordinary people, it's rare to see one or two people with orange-yellow hair. Miss, do you know why?"
Natalie was truly stumped by this question.
Natalie learned everything about the Red Joe Forest from her mother.
Aurelia had never told her about this, whether Aurelia didn't know or there was some reason she couldn't bring herself to talk about it.
Natalie shook her head and asked:
"What is it?"
"Ha, whether a child has orange-yellow hair has nothing to do with the father, but rather depends on the mother's bloodline."
Baron George said mysteriously,
"But for a nobleman, it is a great disgrace for a woman in the family to give birth to an illegitimate child. They will kill the child without mercy, or at least not let it roam among the common people."
Natalie could not refute this.
Her hair was inherited from her mother, and Kathy's hair color was also inherited from her; both were bloodlines passed down from their mother.
But Natalie immediately thought of a question: "But the titles are inherited by the male members of the family, so why do all the Dukes of Capello have orange-yellow hair?"
"It's an open secret that the Capello family only marries their own cousins, so it's nothing unusual. It's just to pass on that orange-yellow head they're so proud of."
Natalie couldn't tell if the information was true or false, but if it was true, it meant that if Cathy had a child, her hair color wouldn't be orange-yellow.
That's not necessarily true. Perhaps Casey will also marry a girl with Capello blood.
George continued, "Even if a girl can inherit that beautiful hair, the color will gradually fade if there are no male members of the Capello family to strengthen that bloodline, just like my maternal lineage, which had almost no color left by the time it reached me."
But Natalie felt that with so little hair, the color didn't seem to matter.
"Passing down hair is much more troublesome than passing down their Red Joffre estate."
George raised an eyebrow again.
"But your hair color is so vibrant that I assumed you were an important member of their family. However, the result is contrary to my expectations. Miss, who exactly are you?"
"My identity is unimportant; you can call me whatever you want."
“But I want to know,” George took two steps toward Natalie, “that it was my ship that saved you, otherwise you would still be under house arrest by those wicked witches.”
"I'd rather your ship sank sooner," Natalie thought bitterly, "otherwise I'd be lying in the captain's cabin of the Two Gold Coins right now." That day, the witches used their magic together, causing the ship in front to immediately strike an iceberg.
But with several more fleets waiting behind them, even the witches were thrown into a panic.
However, Celestia quickly regained her composure and directed the witches to fight back.
They no longer aimed to sink enemy ships, but instead did their best to create a way out for their own vessels.
Natalie immediately thought, if the witch's ship was being held up by these people's ships, what about the Two Gold Coins?
If the two gold coins were to fall into the same predicament and miss the opportunity to rescue Natalie, then Natalie would likely remain in the witch's hands for a long time.
Natalie had already sensed that Celestia had lost patience with her, and if she continued to stay with the group of witches, she might not live to see Henry find her again.
Therefore, she must first escape from the clutches of these witches.
So Natalie chose to jump into the icy seawater, even though her body was frozen almost instantly.
But driven by her longing for her son, she swam to the icy shore.
Surrounded by a fleet of ships, the witch was in dire straits and had no power to capture Natalie. Therefore, Natalie was left standing on the ice, pleading for help.
The longship flying the banner of the Zealot discovered Natalie and provided her with dry and thick clothing before she froze to death.
The witch's ship also managed to escape successfully.
As it turned out, Natalie's judgment was correct.
George's other team did indeed find the two gold coin ships and engaged them for a while.
Natalie was taken back to Belly Harbor by ship and met Lord George Rasmussen.
George told Natalie the reason he chose to head north to the Dark Sea on a dark night: Navel Harbor had been attacked by the Navigators, and he had sent a fleet to pursue them.
The fleet stretched out a long search line, but found nothing, and therefore concluded that the navigator must have fled north.
Thus, by a twist of fate, the fleet stumbled upon the frozen continent that only appears for one night a year.
Although Natalie harbors considerable resentment over this matter, she is currently indeed living under someone else's roof.
"Knowing my name is of no use to you, especially since you're keeping me under house arrest right now."
"At least I've been feeding and caring for you," George said, his eyes crinkling, "but since you say it doesn't work for me, then tell me something that will—"
"What exactly happened that night? Why did such a frozen land suddenly appear? I'm a northerner, and I've never heard of anything like it before."
"Moreover, the fact that the navigator and the ship full of witches were both there that day cannot be a coincidence; it must have been for some specific purpose. Miss Capello, you were also involved; you definitely know something."
Natalie knew more than just that; she was the one who started this whole thing.
But she would never tell anyone about the mermaid again; this matter had already caused her enough trouble.
Natalie replied, "I was just a victim who happened to be brought there."
"Oh! Look at you, miss, you don't trust me at all. How many months have you been in Belly Button Harbor?"
George pretended to think for a moment,
"It's been at least two months, but you still harbor resentment towards me. I understand now. You must be worried that if I find out the information, it will be detrimental to you, right?"
"I assure you, absolutely not, I'm even willing to swear to God—if you still don't believe me, how about this, I'll marry you, then you'll be family, and I would never harm my own family, would I?"
Faced with George's lecherous gaze, Natalie didn't even bother to cast a disdainful glance back.
"My lord, I recall the zombie is still alive, isn't he?"
"Don't worry, Miss. Even if it's just for your beautiful hair, I will definitely divorce her. At worst, I'll be excommunicated by the Pope, but he's far away in the Holy Envoy Duchy and may not have time to care about the conduct of a marginal lord like me."
"Then I will marry you immediately and make you my ninth husband."
"No need," Natalie said coldly. "I wish you and your husband a long and happy life together. Baron, you should know my stance will not change. You didn't call me here today for this, did you?"
"You're right," George said, toning down some of his lewdness. "It seems you're not only beautiful, but also intelligent."
"What is it?"
"I need to leave Wan Du Qi Gang for a while."
"I'm just a prisoner under your house arrest, why tell me this?"
"Because I want to take you with me."
Natalie frowned. "Take me with you? Why?"
"I firmly believe that the secrets in your mind are priceless, and if I cannot sway your will, then the other zombies in the castle will surely be no match for you either."
George said,
"But your beauty is enough to make any man lose his mind, and I am no exception. No matter which mouth you use, you can easily seduce my guard, make him devoted to you, and let you escape."
"After talking with you many times, I firmly believe that you have such abilities, so I must keep you by my side. As the old saying goes, 'A family heirloom can only be kept close to the heart.' Miss, do you understand what I mean now?"
"If that's the case, why bother discussing it with me?"
"You understand this isn't Joe's doing," George smiled.
Natalie could tell that.
George added, "I want to sleep with you, miss. I've wanted to since the first moment I saw you. But I also understand that since you possess such a secret, it means you are no ordinary person."
"This is bound to be a whirlpool. I might try to make some money, but if I get too deeply involved and incur resentment, it would be a loss for me. I have no way to protect myself."
"Look, miss, although Navel Harbour is the largest port in the Vila Wetlands, it is only a port in this barren area of the swamp. Even if it is the 'largest,' how rich can it be?"
"The Rasmussen family has been able to manage its territory to such an extent because of one principle: not offending anyone. As our family saying goes, 'The skin around the navel is the most moist and supple.'"
"Therefore, Miss, I can only treat you with courtesy. In order to possess this treasure, I have no choice but to keep you by my side."
Natalie didn't say anything.
There's no need for that; the other party is just informing her.
The following day, the fleet departed from Belly Port.
She did not ride in George's carriage, after all, as a lord, she could not possibly give up her chief's chambers to a maid of unknown identity.
To prevent Natalie from being raped by the zombies on the ship, George must prepare a separate room for her.
At this moment, George was also on the same boat as Natalie.
His goal, of course, was to persuade Natalie to tell him the information.
But it was all in vain. Even with witchcraft, George was unable to obtain any useful information from her. He naturally tasted defeat once again and seemed somewhat frustrated. At this moment, he was standing under the comb, chatting with the head of the hai (a type of animal) to vent his emotions.
Natalie, meanwhile, was lying on the comb handle, holding a fruit knife in her hand.
The knife was taken from the room of the chief. It seems that because they were in the middle of the sea, they were not afraid that Natalie would escape, so they did not thoroughly check the items in the room before handing it over to Natalie.
Natalie touched the blade with her finger, then her eyes suddenly sharpened, and she tightened her grip.
Her left thumb was cut open.
Then, with a forceful squeeze, blood dripped into the sea.
If Natalie thinks... that group of divers' notes are correct.
The beautiful zombie fish will be attracted by her blood and come to her on its own. She might be able to escape from this group of people by relying on the beautiful zombie fish.
George was right not to let Natalie stay in the castle, but he shouldn't have let her go back to the sea.
She has now recovered and the weather is warm enough.
After a long time, Natalie saw a shadow approaching.
Natalie smiled broadly.
That's right! Hai Qiankang is correct!
But soon, the smile on Natalie's face slowly faded.
Because the size of that shadow was far greater than she had imagined.
She had been in contact with the Lingmei Jiangyu, so it shouldn't be this big.
Just as she was thinking this, the shadowy figure appeared directly beneath the longship she was on.
Natalie suddenly realized that the shadow was even bigger than the pig!
Before she could calm her fear, the thing hidden in the shadows beneath the sea surface suddenly leaped out of the water.
It was a huge fish, shaped like an eel, but with a sharp head like a shark.
Its length was four times that of the pig at Natalie's feet.
At this moment, the crows flew into the sky, completely obscuring the heavens, like a thick curtain that was drawn shut tightly in the daytime.
At the same time, it opened its blood-red maw, revealing serrated teeth as sharp as steel, each tooth taller than Natalie's entire body.
The huge mouth lunged at Natalie, tearing at her.
Natalie saw her teeth and saw her own expression of extreme fear reflected on them.
What followed was the sight of the large fish's red mouth and its dark, bottomless, abyss-like intestines—