The captain no longer trusted his adopted son to accompany Ray outside the ship and now always held his beloved by the hand, walking around some port city.
"Why did you stop taking Taylor with us? — Ray asked. — Has he done something wrong?"
"Don't pretend that you don't know what."
"Are you jealous again?"
"You are mine, Ray! I will not tolerate any betrayal!" - the captain said angrily.
"With whom?"
"With no one! I will kill anyone who wants to caress you. You are able to accept the feelings of anyone who falls in love with you. It's annoying!"
"But I'm not interested in that! Whose feelings do I accept?"
"If you accepted mine so easily, then you can accept another man too."
"What's behind these conclusions? I accepted you because you skillfully seduced an inexperienced boy!"
Arlow looked at him piercingly as he stopped at the market stalls.
"Since you and I became very close, my perception has increased. I hear people's thoughts, see them through and this is a great help for doing business. Now it's difficult to deceive me, in a word."
"Amazing…" — was the bitter note.
"Therefore, do not deny that my son confessed his love to you. Don't shield him!"
"No one is going to hurt you like that, Arlow. He is devoted to you and will not lure me away. And why?"
"Why... are you asking? I have never had such sweet intimacy with anyone, and from the outside you can see how diligently I am courting you. It's too obvious that you are a treasure to me... and maybe I don't deserve you, but I don't intend to share you with anyone. From now on, you are my husband, not my servant, even if we did not get married in the temple."
"Should I send a message to my parents that I am now married?" - Ray chuckled.
"Why not? Write to them that you have found a rich husband and are enjoying life in all its colors."
"You are rich? I never knew that!"
"Where do you think I got my ship from? I could not travel myself, but hire another captain, but I can't sit at home and what chances would I have of meeting you?"
"And where is your homeland?"
"In the northern continent, the port capital of Craiolis, we will soon go there and I will introduce you to my family."
"It's unlikely that your parents will like the fact that I'm not a girl. They won't see their grandchildren."
"There are a lot of my relatives and extra heirs are also useless. Don't worry about it. If you are so fussy that you will be treated with condemnation, impersonate a woman, no one will guess that you are a young man. With such a thin waist and a delicate face ... Then we can get married in the temple."
"What? Should I dress up in a gown? No way! That would be a lie! Leave everything as it is and ... just pass me off as a friend!" - Ray got angry.
"Ha ha… my family is aware of my orientation. Just a friend... so handsome... hilarious!"
"You started it, so clear it up!"
"Therefore, I will tell everyone that you are my husband! So it will be honest and no need to pretend."