Chapter 53
What is this… is he really trying to seduce me or something?
But even if that were the case, his expression was so dry and unreadable that it hardly showed any emotion.
I swallowed a sigh and replied.
“That’s a good idea, but… you haven’t forgotten why we need to be here, right? The keys the Saintess picked up. We need to find information about them. They’re the only clue that will let us escape from here.”
Enoch let out a dry laugh, looking disappointed. He straightened his posture and shook his head as if there was nothing he could do.
“You really only think about survival.”
I shrugged.
“We should hunt before sunset.”
I deliberately turned my head, acting nonchalant, and surveyed the surroundings. Watching Enoch’s unreadable face, I added,
“There’s a valley just ahead. Shall we go catch some fish?”
Enoch reluctantly nodded and turned his steps.
Not far from the cabin was the stream where we had bathed before.
The current was strong, so rather than fishing rods, it was better to hunt using spears, traps, or nets.
Fortunately, Enoch and I had been hunting with spears for some time, so catching freshwater fish wasn’t particularly difficult.
In fact, Enoch was also good at hunting. This was the first time I had seen him hunt directly, and honestly… I couldn’t tell what he couldn’t do.
I first removed the blood from the fish Enoch had caught, did a simple clean-up, then threaded them onto a wooden stick and hung them on the spear.
“Let’s just fish today. Starting tomorrow, we need to make traps for land animals.”
I should ask Kaiden to make a bow as well.
Kaiden could make anything in an instant, so I was sure he could procure similar materials to make bows and arrows.
After a long silence, Enoch finally spoke.
“Tomorrow, Rod and I will go hunting. You should rest.”
“How can I do that? Everyone’s busy.”
It would be convenient for me if Kaiden and Enoch hunted in my place, but everyone had their own roles.
“Margaret, you can. You’ve worked hard until now.”
Enoch gently stroked my head.
“Don’t run away just because it’s hard. Rest.”
I didn’t answer Enoch. The words “don’t run away” somehow felt sharp, like they cut through bone, and I felt a cold sweat.
He told me to rest, but I still thought it best to do my share as much as possible.
Even though I held the key to this story, I wasn’t the one entitled to all the favors from the male leads. That was Yuanna.
“Miss, you can even clean fish? Did the Flone Ducal family mistreat you while growing up? I thought you were a thorny rose, but you’re more like a tough weed. Very impressive.”
I was cleaning fish in the kitchen when Asdal, who had been collecting mushrooms as I instructed, approached me with a teasing tone. Ugh, so annoying.
Thunk!
I was finally annoyed and stuck my stone knife into the kitchen table.
Asdal jumped back a couple of steps in surprise. Even Kaiden and Rusef, who were sitting in the living room and inexplicably wrestling with each other, turned to look at me.
I let out a sigh and glared at Asdal.
“If you don’t want to starve, move out of the way.”
Asdal blinked and looked at me blankly, then belatedly pointed at himself.
“Miss, are you talking to me right now?”
I pulled the stone knife out of the table and nodded.
“Shall I repeat it for you?”
As I said that, I struck the knife more forcefully into the wooden table than before.
Thunk! Crack.
The sound of the wooden table splitting echoed as the knife sank deep into the wood.
“I said move. You’re in the way.”
Asdal looked flustered, glancing back and forth between the knife and my face, and slowly retreated.
He scratched the back of his head and muttered,
“I thought you were a troublemaker, Miss, but you’re more like a sharp cat. Why are you so sensitive? Anyway, the food was brought by our crown prince, so the credit should go to the right person.”
He left for the living room while making those irritating comments.
It’s childish, but I had actually caught more fish than Enoch. And I had never made a big deal out of it.
Asdal went into the living room, then turned back to the kitchen and smiled slyly.
“Miss Flone, let me give you a piece of advice. I see that you’re funnier than I thought. But if you behave like that in a group, it will be you who ends up in trouble.”
At that moment, Enoch wasn’t in the cabin; he was out on reconnaissance.
Kaiden and Rusef were still sitting nearby, holding each other’s collars and staring blankly at Asdal.
Diego didn’t care about Asdal’s antics at all. All he saw seemed to be Yuanna, whom he helped by stoking the fire in the fireplace.
Well, Diego was with that group only because of Yuanna. Fundamentally, he was one of Enoch’s people, not Asdal’s.
“That bastard…”
Kaiden muttered an expletive and shifted his stance. Seeing him about to escalate the conflict again, I quickly changed the subject.
“Since Your Highness finds it uncomfortable, I think from now on, we should take turns sending one person from each team to gather food.”
“Huh?”
Asdal looked at me, puzzled. Even Diego and Yuanna, quietly tending the fire, turned to look at me.
“You said group life is important. Then we should gather resources fairly.”
“I’ve been gathering mushrooms for you as instructed. I can’t do more. I grew up noble, so I don’t know how to do this.”
I let out a dry laugh. Who’s making a big deal out of the easiest tasks?
“Is there anyone here who didn’t grow up noble? You seem to keep forgetting that I’m Miss Flone of the Flone Ducal family.”
The Flone Ducal family was incredibly influential in the Langrid Empire. That also meant their influence extended to countries that traded with the Langrid Empire.
As soon as the family name was mentioned, Asdal immediately shut his mouth. He seemed to realize his mistake too late.
Considering the possibility that we might escape the island, the courtesy they had observed toward each other was now running out.
It had already been over two months since I woke up on this strange island, and I didn’t even know how much longer we would have to stay. We hadn’t yet found a way to escape.
This meant that for survival, all status and pride had to be thrown away.
“You really know how to make things complicated.”
Yuanna sent Asdal a disdainful look.
“If you refuse, I won’t share the food.”
I crossed my arms and glared at Asdal, who looked flustered by my attitude.
Except for Yuanna, all the characters in the story More Important than Survival already knew Margaret. Asdal was no exception.
Margaret had a wide reputation and an extensive activity range.
Four years ago, when Margaret was eighteen, she had studied for half a year in the Kingdom of Hestia. She had met Asdal back then.
So when it came to Margaret’s true temperament, Asdal knew her just as well as any of the other male leads.
“Miss Flone, are you confident you won’t regret this after leaving the island?”
Asdal warned me.
He was right—after escaping the island, I might regret all of this.
But,
“If I die before leaving this island, there’s nothing to regret.”
My answer left Asdal speechless; he didn’t reply any further.
“Completely hopeless. Why am I even bothering?”
Kaiden, who had appeared beside me without me noticing, sighed and helped me finish cleaning the fish.
Asdal threw his hands up in exasperation, glancing between Kaiden and me, then changed his attitude, letting out a sigh and clutching his chest.
“No one is on my side.”
Yuanna clicked her tongue.
“Do you really think there would be?”
“Everyone is on Miss Flone’s side. My chest hurts a little, so I guess I’ll rest.”
Asdal, pretending to wipe tears like someone heartbroken, went upstairs without responding to the proposal to take turns gathering food.
Rusef, observing the situation, cautiously approached and looked at my expression.
“Don’t worry. His Highness Asdal probably wouldn’t have believed anything you said anyway.”
Rusef’s words made me think about Prince Asdal again.
‘Asdal is so different from Enoch.’
Asdal was noble by birth, and he had no siblings strong enough to threaten him.
If Enoch had climbed the ranks from the bottom, Asdal had always been at the top of the pyramid, a true royal.
He had never been broken, had lived arrogantly, and believed that was the correct way to live.
“Most likely, His Highness wouldn’t even acknowledge that you’ve changed.”
Rusef explained to me in an unusually gentle voice, speaking slowly and carefully, as if soothing a child.
