The bell rang again.

Every month, like a curse, it echoed through the town square. But this time it rang deeper, slower—like a warning.

The Karasuno Pirates had returned.

Children ran toward the docks to see the infamous crew. Market stalls emptied as merchants left their wares unattended just to catch a glimpse of the monsters in men’s clothing. Women lined the balconies, whispering about gold, guns, and how dangerous the captain looked beneath the black flag.

You stayed hidden in your tower.

Because you knew what that bell meant. It meant he was close.

Tsukishima Kei.

The Sea King. A legend. A criminal. A man fifteen years older, with golden eyes that had once pinned you in place like a dagger to the throat. You were a princess, the crown jewel of your kingdom. And yet, he watched you like you were the treasure.

You had met him two years ago—secretly, stupidly—when he slipped into the palace masquerading as a diplomat’s guard. You were barely seventeen then, and he hadn’t laid a finger on you. Not once.

But he had looked.

And you had looked back.

Now you were older. Barely of age. Just enough to start hearing suitor proposals and political deals. But your thoughts were always drifting to the sea. To the way he once whispered, “Don’t let them touch you. You’re mine to ruin.”

You never answered that night. Never told him he was right.

Until now.

The pirates had finished their mission—delivered the king's ransom, defeated a foreign threat. They’d earned the full $150,000 bounty the crown had promised. The people cheered their return.

But Tsukishima wasn’t celebrating.

He was climbing your tower.

He didn’t knock this time. He opened the door with the key he stole months ago, the one you never dared to replace.

“Princess,” he said, stepping into your candle-lit room. His voice was low and rich, stained with the sea. “My good girl… are you there?”