His back is languidly laid back on his chair as he jerked his head right to urge me towards the said table. His eyes darkened a weight as soon as I step forward, following his silent command.

"Zasleigh... he definitely won't eat you," I whispered just enough for myself.

One naked foot after another, I urged myself to walk forward cautiously, feet indulgently caressing the shiny and clean wooden floor of the dining hall.

"Have a seat," he commanded, knife expertly slicing a large medium-rare meat.

My brain got haywired, imagining my own flesh getting cut in his plate. Helplessly getting pricked by his fork, being glazed by his tongue, and swallowed whole up to his throat.

His focus darted to me again, realizing I remained standing. Expression piercing again, probably learning my disobedience.

"Based on our recent interactions, I believe you are not deaf. Yeah?"

My lips stretch for a constipated smile as I awkwardly sat on the vacant chair just in front of him. Trying hard to not allow any sound escape on the chair.

"G-good evening," I successfully utter, after the 50th silent practice on my dumbstruck little head.

He snobbed it so well, so I glared. Which I immediately masked up when his watch darted to me. I smiled, a very very wide one.

Maybe it would be nicer to let him finish first. I sat like a statue in my seat and determinedly watched him savor his food like a prominent royalty of the raging waters... unrefined and rawly bold.

His jaw clenches with such intensity as he chews everything that'll tap on his lips. His eyes sometimes gets chinkier as he takes note of a certain flavor of his food, but most of the time it was in the usual shape like how it is when he roams his eyes on his populace. I threaded his definitive neck movement as he tilt his head when he finds something bothersome ... just like what he is doing now... as he eyes me.

"Would you rather stare at me as I eat or eat in our light to offer you our food despite you being heedless?"

On cue, I tried to appear like a hungry beggar having her first meal of the year as I stare at the bounty food in front.

Dear... the shameless feminity in me... is still starstruck.

My eyes are already locking on the big shrimps in front, thinking of happy and luscious ways of how to devour it with my tongue when he destructed my mood.

"And also, fix your appearance before talking to me. That hair looks like a fucking parrot nest."

I sweetly smiled as I grabbed a bowl of fish soup in his farthest right and placed it near my plate with a sound thud.

His staggering eyes leered at me and so I fake a chortle and slid the bowl nearer my plate like it was not near enough. "It slipped... Captain,"

He tore his eyes away from me before I could even smile again. Reason why my upper lips hung up into a grimace.

Whatever!

As if he is the most handsome! Oh boy, I have never met all the men in the world so you are nothing!

I shifted my irate eyes left and noticed that the pirates are watching us with vigilant eyes despite their busy chews. The giant is eating what seemed to be a boiled human-head-size crab while with an inquisitive gaze. The boogie man is staring friendly at me with his mouth covered of a huge bowl, sipping its brown soup hungrily that some of it slipped on the table, leaving a mark. Attiaas is elegantly with spoon and fork for what seems to be a giant fried octopus. And the other old man, joyous of eating by the hand, shattering what seems to me as pork steak.

They have a steak... does that mean they had stopped on an island? They can't be taking care of a pig on the ship cause I must have heard.

Oh really, Zasleigh? Alive pig in the ship?

Anyway, I should just eat and not anger the man in front of me. I might not stop myself from dying if I vex him more.

As well as it will kill me to understand these very spiteful behaviors from him!

Though he is really such a douchebag, I must not be her bitch.

I am a mainland woman with a kind, passionate, and calm heart.

This too shall pass.

"Could you pass the bowl of shrimp?" I asked nicely.

"Reach it your own,"

I scratched my head wildly in annoyance.

But when he turned to me, I made it look like I was carefully combing my hair. Like a truly pristine mermaid.

I couldn't believe him! Though a glint of menace surely is escaping my orbs, I stood up from my seat with controlled temper.

The whole seats got automatically vacant as if they are going to shield someone from an attack.

And they honestly think I could inflict harm to their physically capable captain? I might be able to throw him a knife in a quick bit and he'd catch it with two fingers and struck me.

"The shrimp. I couldn't reach," I subtly announced and indeed march to get my bowl of shrimp.

As soon as I sat down, all the three 50-seaters got filled again. I caught how the man in front of me munch his food with resolute calmness.

Cool...

Gosh. This is maddening!

I better just soothe myself with the rich food. The shrimp looked soft and it is big and orange. It would cost a lot in Abanes, and now it is here in front of me, free. I should be grateful.

And there was a steak! I dig the large one and seasoned it on my plate with a red sauce that looked flavorful.

Never mind the pirates. I must attend my hungry gut.

I am already devouring when I learned that I have been watching him like he is the most flavorful sight this table ever has. 

I touched the inside of my cheek with my tongue, in silent derision of myself. Only to stare back again when I realized his skill in peeling his shrimp.

And it looked like an easy-peasy one so I tried doing so.

I am in the middle of getting the shrimp out of its skin when it flew away before I could even stop it.

Whoops...

The man in front of me stopped cutting on his shrimp, obviously got notified of the flying thing but then proceeded to continue slicing as if he really didn't mind.

My gaze shifted to my rice while my cheeks were burning in flush of cold embarrassment. Wanting to cover up my failure, I scooped another big shrimp on my plate.

Neverminding where the first might have gone.

And I really wanted a taste. Come on... I just gotta prick it with a fork, and the knife would do the rest.

I am indulgently and effortfully digging into its skin when it flew away again, not getting anywhere but his lap.

I gulped.

He yet again halts in his slice. And like the latter, it continued seamlessly.

Scared of anyone seeing it, I discreetly peeked a glance in his lap and confirmed! It was sitting nicely there, untouchable and looking pretty. My eyes stared at it long in hope it will eventually cascade down out of him until the cajoling glare got too heavy to ignore.

"Sorr-," I am still mouthing my apology when he blatantly removed his eyes off me.

Well... he deserves that!

So I fully ignored him when he resumed planting holes in my head as he icily glare at me when I scooped another one onto my plate.

And of course, unfortunately, it fleed again.

I slowly lowered my left hand to cover the lost shrimp. With a careful glide, the shrimp cascaded away from my pajama.

Giving up, I continued eating all of my rice with steak.