In the End, I Still Boarded the Pirate Ship (Ending) (Continued)

Zhao Bai played along. "Where exactly can I buy... find a secretary who can solve all my daily life problems?"

The two of them were absurdly in sync.

Sure enough, Bronya casually pulled out two contracts. They were lifetime employment contracts, especially rare in this era, and astonishingly cheap—just one ring was enough to bring home a secretary blessed with both virtue and talent.

"But I don't have a ring on hand..."

Zhao Bai shook his head.

Bronya seemed to have prepared for this long ago. She gestured for Zhao Bai to take out the golden spatula she had given him, grabbed its handle, turned it nine notches to the right, then one notch to the left, and finally three notches to the right.

Click.

A plain platinum ring dropped out from inside, flawless and dazzling, gleaming with a silvery-white light.

Zhao Bai raised his head to look at Bronya's face. Her eyes were clearly filled with hesitation, yet she still slowly held out her left hand.

"Put it on my ring finger."

Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz.

"Okay."

Zhao Bai did not hesitate in the slightest. Nor did he ask Bronya why she had stuffed a platinum ring inside the weapon when forging it. He asked nothing at all. His eyes held only those slender, uneasy hands that might pull back at any moment.

"I swear by this contract..."

It was as though he had made some kind of promise. An indescribable weight settled over him, as if from this day onward, he would bear a heavy responsibility on his shoulders.

Sunlight streamed in. The pristine white naval uniform glowed softly, especially the cap, which the sunset had dyed fiery red. St. Freya's silhouette was slowly emerging from the horizon. Zhao Bai slipped the ring