It's time to give out the rings, Admiral!

Volume 1, Chapter 301: Omens

The girl was in a very bad mood today; to be precise, she was in a terrible mood. From morning until now, she had been feeling lost and gloomy and had been in a distracted state.

Although I've been called "Fei'er" by the Admiral since yesterday morning, and last night I even accompanied him to the back mountain to watch the stars—it was such a happy occasion, and it made me feel so good. Back in the dorm, I was so excited I rolled around on my bed until midnight before finally falling asleep... but...

Since waking up early in the morning, I couldn't contain my joy and eagerness to see the Admiral and his face. I rushed to Sister Lexington's and the Admiral's dormitory. But after that, everything seemed to become overwhelming.

"I only see Phil as a little sister, I have absolutely no ulterior motives!" The admiral's words kept echoing in the girl's mind. Although she had not seen the admiral, and had not even had a chance to enter the admiral's dormitory, she had heard the admiral say such a thing at the door.

She didn't know why her sister Lexington would suddenly talk to the admiral about her, nor did she think that her sister Lexington, who was always generous and very gentle and caring towards her, would hinder her relationship. However, she was even more incredulous and unwilling to believe that the admiral only saw her as a cute little sister.

The sea breeze rustled the girl's clothes and ruffled her soft, fragrant brown hair. Listening to the laughter of her sisters beside her, she lowered her head and bit her lip hard. If she could, she really wanted to ask the Admiral why she was the younger sister. The Admiral already had many destroyers as his "married ships," so why was she the only one he treated like a younger sister? Was there something she lacked compared to them? Or had she done something wrong to offend the Admiral?

The beautiful girl had a serious expression. She gently raised her head and glanced at Illustrious, who was talking to Atlanta. Like Lexington, Illustrious was also an admiral's married ship. The smile on Illustrious's face was so dazzling and happy, and the diamond ring on her left ring finger, which was shining in the sunlight, was still stimulating the girl's throbbing nerves.

She didn't want to be the admiral's ship girl, much less a dispensable younger sister. Just like the admiral had been calling her before he disappeared, all she wanted to be was his wedding ship. She wanted to be his most beloved and obedient "little wife." She wanted to be his wife, his lover, and then dedicate all her affection, tenderness, love, and everything else to him, instead of being a dispensable younger sister!

With her head slightly lowered, letting the strands of hair on her forehead obscure her face, which held an expression she couldn't quite decipher, the girl gently touched the bracelet on her wrist, a gift from the admiral that provided her with warmth.

However, feeling the somewhat cold temperature of the bracelet, she suddenly felt as if her heart was being torn apart, and she felt a dull pain. Compared to the anxiety and unease of the previous two days, feeling the darkness surging in her heart, she felt as if she was on the verge of breaking down.

The girl placed her hands on her chest and hugged the bracelet tightly against her skin. Her hands unconsciously clenched, letting her chest feel the warmth of the bracelet. Suddenly, she raised her eyes, as if she had made an important decision.

Since we've already made up our minds, let's just go all the way.

I'm sorry, Admiral. Phelps is a bad girl. She lied to you, but she did it all because she loves you. She doesn't want to be your sister; she only wants your affection and to become your real "little wife." So please don't blame her. And Lexington, Phelps has worried you, but that won't happen again. I just hope you won't resent her for doing those bad things behind your back.

"Phelps sister? What's wrong? You seem to be in a bad mood. If you're not feeling well, why don't you go back to your dorm and rest for a bit?"

Marani's voice gently echoed in the girl's ear. Phelps raised his head slightly, then forced a smile at the new girl, cleverly concealing his earlier disappointment. He then slowly shook his head at Marani.

"Phew—no need, I was just thinking about something, don't worry about me, Marani. Are Glorious Sister and everyone else ready? Then let's set off quickly, the waves are calm right now, perfect for sea training."

Wearing that alluring black stockings and hot pants, Marani still frowned with some hesitation. Although Sister Phelps had said not to worry, she seemed listless all day. At lunchtime, she only ate a little and left the restaurant alone. Was Sister Phelps really alright?

"Are you really okay, Phelps' sister? If you're feeling unwell, go back and rest."

Glorious asked with some concern. As the flagship of this hastily assembled fishing squad, she naturally had to pay attention to the health of each of her sisters. Moreover, according to Lexington, Phelps almost became the Admiral's wedding ship before he went missing. Such a gentle and lovely little sister deserved her extra care.

"I'm fine, Glorious Sister."

The girl gazed at Glorious's gentle and noble face. Her gaze, which held a slightly ambiguous meaning, paused again between her fingers. Her calm, water-like sea-blue eyes reflected Glorious's white ship uniform and elegant figure. She subtly clenched her fist, leaving a string of finger marks on her palm. She jumped off the dock and stood firmly on the boundless sea.

"Let's hurry up and set off, otherwise the sun might go down by the time we get back."

The girl unfolded her ship's rigging, and amidst a dazzling display of light and dust, two twin 5-inch gun turrets and a quadruple torpedo launcher appeared beside her.

In the morning, when the admiral went to the academy to attend a lecture, she had already made an agreement with him. So, while the admiral was still at the governor's mansion and had not yet returned, she should hurry up and complete the training tasks that Sister Lexington had arranged for Sister Glorious and Sister Belfast. This would give her enough time to go back to the dormitory and arrange everything.

"Are you really alright? Okay then, but if anything goes wrong, you must tell me, okay, little Phelps? Now, let's go."

Volume 1, Chapter 302: Just Like You

"Oh! It's Mrs. Springfield!!"

Good afternoon, Miss Springfield!

The moment that flaxen-haired, gentle, and mature figure appeared in the café, the previously quiet and peaceful atmosphere immediately stirred into a small commotion. Seeing FN57 reflected in the shop window beside him, and Springfield, who, like Lexington, had the title of "Mrs.", walking out from the back kitchen, Seattle, somewhat surprised, instinctively looked behind him in the direction Springfield was.

Her gentle yet slightly mischievous smile was captivating; her sky-blue eyes, her smooth and thick flaxen hair, and her slender and graceful figure—everything about her lived up to the name of "Madam," making her utterly enchanting.

Holding a black plastic tray in both hands, facing the surprised and amazed gazes of the many admirals, she nodded elegantly and politely to everyone. The composed Springfield slowly walked towards her amidst the somewhat surprised gazes of Seattle, who were captivated by Springfield's charm.

FN57 carried the tray towards the admirals who had just ordered coffee. Listening to the chaotic sounds in the coffee shop, the girl, who had just been excited about meeting her younger brother and becoming his older sister, was surprised to find that Haruta-nee, whom she had always admired, had somehow come to her side.

Looking up, Seattle saw Springfield's gentle yet warm smile, and then heard Springfield's voice, which was as gentle and melodious as heavenly music.

"Good afternoon, Seattle girl~ It's quite rare for you to come for coffee at this time today. Here, this is your coffee with milk tea, and also, this is an apple pie I made especially for you~"

With a gentle smile, Springfield delicately placed a cup of coffee, a cup of milk tea, and a plate of apple pie with an irresistible aroma on the coffee table in front of the girl.

The warm smile made the girl feel flattered. As a woman who, like Lexington, was a wife in the governor's mansion, her smile, full of wifely charm, made the male admirals around her lose their composure in an instant. She then slowly bent down and sat down in the seat opposite the girl.

Seattle was somewhat at a loss. Although she and Haruta had a fairly good relationship because of work, seeing Haruta suddenly appear beside her for some reason, and looking at the dazzling face of the woman opposite her, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty, just like a girl when she meets a woman who is more outstanding than herself. Moreover, she remembered that she had just ordered cheesecake for her younger brother and herself, and had not ordered apple pie at all.

"Um... Good afternoon, Haruta-nee... But, I ordered a cheesecake, not an apple pie..."

She gently placed her hands on her soft knees and asked softly, her tone tinged with a hint of confusion. Although she didn't know why Springfield had suddenly agreed to come out and sit beside her as if she had something to say, as a regular customer of Little Garden, she knew that Springfield's apple pie was the most famous and delicious treat in the entire Governor's Mansion.

The freshly baked apple pie is soft, delicious, and sweet. In the past, when Little Garden opened for business every day, all the apple pies would be sold out in no time.

When I first arrived at the Governor's Mansion a year ago, I had the pleasure of eating Springfield's apple pie. Unfortunately, Springfield only made a limited number of apple pies each day, and since she seemed to have encountered some kind of sad event a year ago, she had never made apple pies again. So why now...

"It's alright~ Those cheesecakes were bought from someone else, and they didn't taste very good, so I took the liberty of replacing them with my homemade apple pie. Hmm, I just heard from Little 57 that you came with an admiral? Where is he?"

Haruta rested his chin on his hand on the table and smiled at the girl. However, the girl felt a little worried as she clenched her fist under the coffee table, despite Haruta's gentle and beautiful appearance in other people's eyes.

Of course, she wouldn't dislike such a gentle senior. But what did Haruta-nee ask just now? She asked where her younger brother was. Could it be that Haruta-nee also...

No, no, why am I having such strange thoughts? According to what Miss 57 said before, Haruta-nee already has someone she likes, so she probably didn't come to talk to me because she's interested in my younger brother. Being with such a gentle and excellent Haruta-nee, I've definitely become too sensitive.

"He went to the restroom, Chuntian-nee. Is there something you need?"

The girl pursed her lips. Normally, talking with the gentle Haruta-senpai would make her very happy and excited, but now... she had finally found her younger brother and met him again, who had just recognized her as his older sister. She didn't want Haruta-senpai to disturb this precious "date" that she had finally managed to reunite with her younger brother.

"You went to the restroom... It's nothing, I just haven't been out for much fresh air lately. It's rare to see you, Seattle girl, at this time of day, so I thought I'd come out and talk to you. Or is it that you don't want to talk to me?"

"How could that be? I'm overjoyed that Chuntian came to talk to me, especially since she even made me an apple pie..."

"It wasn't made for you, it's made for both of you."

Haruta interrupted the girl, noticing the slightly stiff corners of her lips on her gentle face. She raised her head, and her cherry-colored lips formed a beautiful angle. With her free right hand, she gently raised her slender, white index finger and narrowed her clear, azure eyes, tinged with a hint of a smile, at the girl before her.

"Is he the admiral you've always had your eye on, Seattle girl? I really didn't expect that... Hmm, that's great~"

The girl paused, staring at Haruta's ever-present smile that hadn't faded since she'd come out of the kitchen. Instinctively, she suddenly felt a pang of panic. The slightly amused and mischievous eyes in front of her seemed to be reminding her of something, causing her to involuntarily open her mouth in confusion.

"...Miss 57 told me that Haruta-nee already had a favorite admiral, didn't she? Just now, when she was ordering, Miss 57 even asked me to help you find the person you're looking for..."

After a slight hesitation, the girl slowly began to speak. However, before she could subtly inquire whether Haruta-nee, whose radar had been on high alert for her sister, was truly speaking to her because of her younger brother, she heard…

"57, you're asking me for help? Oh, but no need~ Thank you, Seattle sister. Actually, I already found him, just like you~"

"well?……"

Volume 1, Chapter 303: Could it be...?

"57, you're asking me for help? Oh, but no need~ Thank you, Seattle sister. Actually, I already found him, just like you~"

"well?……"

In the café, the music playing from the gramophone gradually ended. As another gust of cool air blew onto the girl's delicate shoulders beneath her shirt, she suddenly snapped out of her daze. Gazing at the elegant and beautiful face of Chun Tian across from her, with its gentle and serene smile, her clear blue pupils shimmering, she slowly opened her somewhat surprised eyes.

Just now… what did Haruta-nee say? Ah, right… it seems she said she found the person she was looking for, just like me… So… that person couldn’t be… Ah, coming to think of it, before Lexington-senpai left the Governor’s Mansion to go to her younger brother’s place, she and Haruta-nee were roommates… and he disappeared a year ago, which coincided with when Haruta-nee suddenly stopped paying much attention to things at the café, and the café was later managed by Miss 57… So, so, the reason Haruta-nee has been in a bad mood for so long is because she’s like me…

The rich aroma of coffee filled the girl's nostrils, but looking at Haruta's gentle and beautiful face, she seemed to understand why Haruta, who hadn't been seen for months, would suddenly come over and talk to her. She also understood why Haruta, who had been in a bad mood, was now showing such a happy and reassuring gentle smile in front of her, listening to her breathing. The girl suddenly felt her heartbeat slow down.

Ship girls' emotions are always deep and sincere. They are willing to dedicate everything to their lovers, even if their lovers have other lovers. They are willing to share their lovers with their admirals, whose world revolves only around them.

They will allow you to have a harem, and they will allow you to share your love with your sisters, including yourself, who should belong to them. However, that does not mean that they, with their equally rich and varied emotions, will not worry or be jealous. In fact, compared to humans, their emotions, while appearing purer and more beautiful, are also more fragile and need to be cared for.

Just like in Seattle now, she had long heard the rumors circulating in the Governor's Mansion about Haruta-nee already having a crush on the Admiral. Now, not only was the truth of the rumor confirmed, but she also learned that the Admiral Haruta-nee admired was the same person she had fallen for—the same person currently hiding in the bathroom. Her first reaction wasn't jealousy, nor the mortal hostility one feels upon seeing a rival. She was simply heartbroken that such a rare opportunity to date her younger brother had been wasted, and…

Springfield Sister, that's Springfield Senior! Just like Lexington Sister, she has the title of "Mrs." and is very famous in the Governor's Mansion!

Although Springfield has long since retired after losing her ship equipment and now only works in the small café she runs in the Governor's Mansion, she was the well-known national wife before Lexington was born and overwhelmingly dominated the Governor's Mansion ship moe competition, and was even banned from the competition.

Although her reputation as the wife of Haruta has diminished considerably after losing her ship equipment, and fewer admirals want to recruit her, if you ask any admiral who served before Haruta's retirement, you'll find that every single one of them knows Haruta's reputation as the wife of Haruta.

Although she was confident that she was no less beautiful than Haruta, and that as a six-star general supply ship she could do more for him than Haruta was now, could she really win her brother's favor with Haruta's gentle, mature, virtuous and cute temperament, and not let Haruta attract all of her brother's attention?

"Springfield-nee...could it be..."

"Sister Haruta, the 'Closed for Business' sign is already up on the door, and I've sent away all those idle admirals you mentioned!"

The girl was surprised and worried, but she didn't know when the shop had been cleared out, and all the admirals who were still unwilling to give up on her and Haruta had been driven out. She also put up a sign outside the cafe that said it was temporarily closed. Finally, without the harassment of those annoying admirals, FN57, who had done all this, came to Haruta and the girl's side with a grin.

Her youthful and lively voice was as vivid and melodious as a nightingale's song, and her amber eyes were full of laughter. Her cute black headdress swayed like a rabbit with her movements. Just as others had given her, the clever and lively 57, who looked like a white sable, sat down directly in the empty seat next to Springfield.

"That's good, thank you, Little 57."

Without the noisy voices of the admirals who used to frequent the café every day, Haruta's gentle smile became even brighter. Although it wasn't good to kick out these regular customers who were the lifeblood of the café, their importance was incomparable to his.

Come to think of it, this is the first time I've met him in a coffee shop since I've known him, and the first time I've been so close to him. I just wasted so much time backstage, and for once I've ever been so serious about going back to my bedroom to touch up my makeup. I even made my best apple pie for him. I can't let anyone disturb me.

"Given Chuntian's relationship with him, does she even need to say thank you? Forget all that, where is he? Where did he go? Could he have left? I'm curious to see how he managed to be so infatuated with Chuntian!"

The girl's delicate features, coupled with a happy and joyful smile, were dazzlingly radiant. For over a year, seeing Haruta sighing and groaning every day had dampened her spirits, causing her to play countless pranks on admirals trying to get back at her. Now, Haruta had finally let go of her burdens and regained her former vitality, naturally making her incredibly happy.

"What? What do you mean by being infatuated? Don't be so frivolous. Lexington said he's very shy now, so don't play pranks on him later, or I won't make you apple pie tonight."

"What?! You've forgotten our sisterhood now that you're married? I've been looking after her at the coffee shop for so long, and I've never seen you defend her like this before!"

"That's different, hehe~ Okay, stop fooling around!"

“Sorry, Seattle sister, just as you guessed, it seems we're both looking for the same person. I'm so sorry to interrupt your date, because I'm really eager to meet him myself. Hehe, if Lexington were here, well… maybe she'd say 'welcome' to us?”

Volume 1, Chapter 304: Relationship

"That's different, hehe~ Okay, stop fooling around!"

“Sorry, Seattle sister, just as you guessed, it seems we're both looking for the same person. I'm so sorry to interrupt your date, because I'm really eager to meet him myself. Hehe, if Lexington were here, well… maybe she'd say 'welcome' to us?”

A dark apron and a pure white shirt covered her full and soft chest, while dark blue jeans accentuated Springfield's long, curvaceous legs and proud hips. Her long, coffee-colored ponytail and black satin ribbon hair tie, exuding a mature and married air, made her look like a beautiful goddess who loved everyone yet was also cunning and adorable. Springfield bowed slightly to Seattle, then smiled apologetically at her glistening, alluring lips.

FN57 didn't say anything more. She touched the lace on her skirt, looked at Springfield's gentle yet slightly apologetic expression, and then at Seattle's elegant yet somewhat bewildered expression. She simply picked up the milk tea she had poured for herself and took a small sip.

While it's true that ship girls rarely feel jealous, that doesn't mean they're truly tolerant and will never get jealous under any circumstances.

If the ship girls are already in the same naval base and share the same admiral, then for the sake of the naval base's unity, it's acceptable to let it go even if they are disturbed while on a date with the admiral. However, when a ship girl who is actively pursuing her favorite admiral happens to encounter another ship girl who is not his but has the same goal, the situation might become somewhat "unpredictable".

Springfield told Seattle that she had come to see her for a reason, and also told Seattle that she and Seattle were actually looking for the same person. Although the situation might be different now than the one mentioned above, the girl had already anticipated these possible situations because she could tell from the joy on Seattle's face when she brought him into the coffee shop that she cherished this date with him.

And indeed, that was the case, because she noticed that across from Springfield, after hearing Springfield's words, Seattle, who was always known for her gentleness and angelic smile, suddenly became nervous.

"(It really is like that...) No, it's okay, Haruta-nee, I was just a little startled. I didn't expect that the person Haruta-nee was looking for was him or something. It's really unexpected..."

Leaving aside her slightly flickering eyes, just looking at Seattle's smile and her much more polite attitude, which were noticeably more reserved than when she was talking to Springfield, was enough to tell the girl. The girl could understand, after all, she was facing Springfield, who was addressed as "Mrs." Even though she was with Springfield all day long, she sometimes felt insecure in front of her, let alone others, especially now that she was with him.

Springfield's lips still held a gentle smile, seemingly oblivious to the slight worry in Seattle's expression. She blinked, placed a few sugar cubes into her coffee, and softly replied...

"I'm sorry, this is indeed my fault. I heard from Miss Canden that you were also looking for him, but I was in a state of confusion at the time, so I didn't have a chance to tell you. Consider this coffee and apple pie my apology. I hope Seattle won't mind."

"However, speaking of which, it seems that Lexington doesn't know about you yet. The most valued supply ship by Miss Ella and the Governor is actually... I heard Lexington say before that her port is still lacking a powerful supply ship."

"Although their family is powerful, they still don't have a proper supply ship, which means they have to return to port many times to resupply whenever there is a major deep-sea invasion. Lexington often complains to me about this."

"If Lexington knew you were interested in joining their naval base, she would be very happy."

"No, no! It's Haruta-nee who's the one!"

As expected of Springfield, facing Seattle who was so wary, like a squirrel guarding its food, Springfield's explanation put Seattle at ease. Looking at Springfield's warm and gentle face, the girl could feel that Seattle's defensiveness had obviously decreased a lot.

Praised by Haruta, who said her younger brother would need her, Seattle's angelic face showed a hint of doubt and shyness. Haruta, seeing Seattle's expression, immediately smiled slightly.

As a mature and understanding senior who has taken care of many ship girls, she immediately guessed what Seattle was worried about. She could sense Seattle's worries and understand her unease. Like a caring older sister, after thinking for a moment, Springfield said this to her.

While she couldn't handle all his affairs like Lexington, becoming his perfect secretary and supportive wife, she could still keep a younger sister's heart at ease. Having lost her ship equipment, even joining his naval base wouldn't be of much help, so she could only try to make amends in this way…

For her friend, having more sisters meant that the time he could focus on her alone would be shorter. But at the same time, this huge naval base was also his hard work, the result of his and her efforts over the past five years. She would not allow anyone to destroy it, not even her sisters who were also in the naval base.

If the garrison can continue to develop peacefully, Lexington certainly wouldn't care if the number of her sisters increased. After all, she already has enough philanderers around her, so what's a few more?

"Springfield used to be Lexington's roommate, right? You must have known her for a long time. Springfield is so beautiful and gentle. Compared to me, Lexington must have liked you more."

Seattle said this with a shy smile. Even though she was still a little disappointed and worried that Springfield's brilliance would overshadow her, she felt a little more relaxed after hearing Springfield's words that touched her heart.

When she realized that the person Haruta-nee liked was actually her younger brother, she thought a lot. After calming down, she concluded that she needed to build a good relationship with Haruta-nee.

Girls naturally don't want to be outshone by other girls in front of their crush. However, with her younger brother having lost his memory and not having much interaction with him yet, and only having some cooperation with Lexington and the others without being particularly close, the best way to continue developing her relationship with her brother is undoubtedly to build a good relationship with Springfield, who is most familiar with Lexington.

"Sister Chuntian, you..."

"Sorry, Seattle, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."