"Who are you?"
Ye Chen opened his eyes and looked around in confusion. He was lying somewhere unfamiliar. A ten-year-old girl stood beside the bed, and though she hardly looked threatening, he remained on guard.
"Don't worry. This is my home. Bellemere saved you. You've been unconscious for days, and even Doctor Nako said you wouldn't wake up. You're lucky to be alive."
Nami gave an indignant huff and hurried off to fetch Bellemere.
After Nami left, Ye Chen relaxed and took in the room. There were only a few simple pieces of furniture. The table, chairs, and small bed were all old, but everything was kept clean.
Quite a few nautical charts hung on the wall. Some were clumsily drawn, others intricate. They covered the entire wall from left to right.
The chart on the far left was especially crude, with crooked lines and uneven strokes like a child's scribbles. It wasn't pretty, but a great deal of care had gone into it. Each chart after it was better than the last. Yet only that first one had been carefully framed, as though it were a treasure.
Just looking at the charts, Ye Chen could trace the artist's growth little by little. Every chart showed care, and every one showed progress.
Delighted, Ye Chen thought of how badly he needed a Navigator. It seemed God really was looking out for him. Someone in this family clearly had a gift for it.
"Bellemere went into town, and Nojiko went to the Orange Grove."
Nami had returned almost as quickly as she'd left.
Ye Chen tried to move. Only then did he discover that his hands and feet were bound with rope.
He looked up at Nami. "Did you tie me up?"
He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. This