When it was time for bed, Arthur gestured for Yao to get into bed.

"I will not be sleeping tonight," he informed Yao. "There are some matters I need to take care of."

"Whatever," Yao said. "Just don't come and molest me in my sleep."

Arthur smirked. "No, I won't," he agreed. "However, I will make you crave for me and beg for me… in time."

Yao huffed. "Good luck with that."

Arthur only shot him a confident smile. "Sweet dreams, my love," he said.

"Good night," Yao grumbled as he laid his head on the pillow. Arthur blew out the lamp and Yao lay in the darkness, thinking about Kiku and how he was doing.

Yao's days on Arthur's ship went by uneventfully. He was not allowed to do any manual labour, so he decided to fill his time by helping out in the kitchen. God knows that the pirates needed better meals in their menu…

One day, he encountered a little boy smuggling food out of the kitchen. The little boy was running out when Yao grabbed him by the collar.

"Who might this be?" Yao wondered aloud.

A worker in the kitchen, Roderich, who was peeling potatoes said, "Oh, that's Alfred. He's the captain's adopted younger brother. He always sneaks on board to follow the captain on his voyages."

"Hello," Alfred greeted, sheepishly as Yao let go of his collar. "I'm sorry for stealing food – I was hungry."

"Hi. I'm Yao."

Alfred gaped at Yao in wonderment. "Yao? The Asian beauty my brother picked up from South-East Asia?"

That caused Yao to blush. "What has your brother been telling you?"

"Nothing much," Alfred shrugged. "I only know that much. He says you're going to be his, though."

Yao snorted. "We'll see about that."

"Hey, want to see my knife collection?" Alfred suddenly asked. "Every time Arthur returns from one of his voyages, he gives me a knife!"

"Well…" Yao glanced at Roderich.

"Go on," Roderich told him. "We're almost done here anyway."

"Okay." Yao let Alfred lead him out of the kitchens and into his room. It looked like Alfred was not part of the crew – he had his own room within the ship.

As soon as they reached his room, Alfred excitedly jumped under his bed to retrieve a box. He opened the box to reveal a variety of knives and daggers, in all sorts of shapes and sizes. He eagerly presented it to Yao.

Yao peered into the box. It was indeed an impressive collection. He picked up a strange-looking dagger. It had a blade that was shaped like an S, and a handle that was shaped like the flames of fire. "Where is this from?"

"Oh, that's my favourite of the lot!" exclaimed Alfred. "That's from an obscure island in India."

"It's beautiful," commented Yao.

At that moment, Arthur burst in. "Alfred, what did I tell you about conducting your experiments in the quarterdeck?" As soon as he spotted Yao, his expression softened. "Oh, you're here too."

Alfred cowered. "I'll go clean it up this instant!" he announced and disappeared.

Arthur exhaled. "That boy's always causing me trouble," he grumbled. He looked around Alfred's room and caught sight of Alfred's box of knives lying on the bed. "Oh, I see he's been showing you his knife collection."

Yao nodded. "He says you bring home a knife for him every time you return from a voyage."

Arthur laughed. "Yeah, it's my way of remembering home." He paused. "That I have a home to return to."

Yao picked up another knife and pretended to examine it. "Why'd you become a pirate?" he asked Arthur softly.

Arthur looked at Yao, startled. Nobody had asked him that before. "It's not like I have a choice, you know," he replied with a chuckle.

"Yes, you do!" Yao exclaimed, slamming the knife he was holding down and glaring angrily at Arthur. "You can choose to make an honest living out of yourself! You can choose not to rob people of their valuables! You can choose not to rip apart families!"

Arthur was taken aback. He did not expect that outburst. "Being a pirate is in my blood," he explained. "My father was a pirate. And he left me his legacy. This ship, this crew has been my father's. I grew up learning how to be a pirate. I identify with being a pirate. Without piracy, I don't know where I'd be in life."

Yao was stunned. He didn't realise that not everyone was as fortunate as he was to be born into a family of nobles. "I… I'm sorry," he said.

Arthur smiled at him. He took Yao's hand and led him out of Alfred's room. "Come," he said. "I want to show you something."

Arthur brought Yao out to the forecastle deck. The sun was setting, and it was a sight to behold. "It's beautiful!" Yao gasped.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" said Arthur. "I come here to watch the sunset sometimes after a stressful day."

Yao didn't say anything. He looked at Arthur, who was staring at the sunset. Then, he turned his gaze towards the sunset, an odd fluttering in his chest.