Arton's new diary entry instantly kicked off another round of chatter among the diary-holders.
The women started seriously rethinking how they'd act when they finally met Arton—too much overt seduction might backfire, breeding Arton's suspicion instead of favor.
As for Robin getting pushback from Arton, most watched like it was theater; a few—especially some in the Navy—honestly hoped Robin did have a past with other men, since that would shrink her chances of staying with Arton.
Of course, there were also those who worried for her and wanted her to turn things around—like Vivi, Paula, and Mikita, whose interests currently aligned with Robin's.
Arton's worried I've done the same thing with other men? Robin frowned. But when Uta and Tashigi showed initiative first, he didn't jump to that conclusion about them… Is it because of my past?
She had read the same diary lines everyone else had. She didn't resent Arton for the doubt—only felt helpless. Honestly, his worry was understandable.
Fortunately, she knew the truth: she had never been intimate with any man, hadn't even given other men a massage.
I have to make Arton understand. If I can't dispel this doubt, I may not be able to stay by his side. After learning that Saul was alive, Robin's reasons for remaining with Arton weren't just about the Poneglyphs anymore; she also needed Saul's whereabouts.
If Arton truly trusted her, he would share more. And she had to stay close to keep him from carelessly dropping Saul's location into a diary entry readable by Navy and World Government holders. Given that Saul had taken Ohara's knowledge with him, that alone was enough to earn a kill-on-sight order.
No matter what, she couldn't let her benefactor become the hunted again.
Robin took a steadying breath and leaned close to Arton's ear. "Arton, your expression… it feels like you're rejecting me. Do you think I've given… overly intimate massages to other men?"
"Hm? Is it that obvious?" Arton lifted his head, puzzled.
"It is—very," Robin said with a firm nod, then turned hopeful eyes toward Kaya. "If you don't believe me, you can ask Miss Kaya."
"Is that true, Kaya?" Arton asked.
"I-I'm afraid it is," Kaya admitted, lips pressed together. She pitied Robin after hearing her story; lending Robin a hand would cost nothing—provided the truth matched. But if Robin truly had a history with other men, Kaya wouldn't push Arton to accept her. Kaya loved Arton; she wouldn't nudge him toward something he disliked.
Robin should be pure, right? If she weren't, she wouldn't be so bluntly asking me for help. Kaya glanced at Robin's grateful smile and decided: I should find time to give Robin a proper checkup.
As the ship's doctor, determining a woman's chastity wouldn't be difficult. Until she knew for sure, she wouldn't keep advocating.
"Arton, you don't have to be like this," Robin said, gently shaking her head. "I've never done this kind of massage for anyone else. As for having a past with other men—that's even more impossible."
Chapter 390 — Robin, Aren't You A Bit… Bold?
"…" Arton had no words.
"You might be wondering," Robin went on softly, "if I've never done this to anyone else, why am I so skilled? It's because I've practiced on myself with my ability. As for the bolder techniques… I picked them up from books. Once you master the basics, making… adjustments isn't hard."
"I—see." Arton rubbed his chin. "But if you've never done anything like this for another man… why do it for me?"
Because you have the diary that can actually make my goals possible. Of course, Robin only thought it.
"Because of your tastes, Captain Arton," she said with a faint smile.
"My… tastes?" Arton looked even more puzzled.
"I can feel it—you're a man who appreciates beautiful women. If I want anything about the Poneglyphs from you, then I have to trade on my charms. That said, I'm doing this not only for that reason. You saved me, and I don't find you disagreeable. If it were otherwise, I wouldn't be giving such an… over-the-line massage, even knowing your preferences."
"I never imagined," Arton muttered, mouth twitching, "that you'd be this straightforward, Robin." The words were so frank it even surprised him to hear them from the ever-composed scholar.
You have what I need, Robin told herself. If she didn't steer his impression now, getting closer later would be hard. For all she knew, at the next island he might toss her overboard—and that, she could not allow.
"If you truly don't believe I've had relations with anyone," she said, eyes steady, "why not check for yourself?"
"Check? How exactly am I supposed to check?" Arton asked, baffled.
"When a woman gives her first time to a man," Robin said, smiling, "there's… a certain red sign."
"—!!?" Arton's eyes flew wide. Hearing such brash words from the intellectual Robin was unreal.
"Of course," she added lightly, "if it's inconvenient for you, Kaya can perform the examination. That should be acceptable, yes?"
"I can help," Kaya spoke up at once.
"You two are really…" Arton's mouth tightened; he had no idea what to say. In the end he turned back to the window, letting silence be his answer. If he couldn't find the words, better to say nothing.
But while Arton clearly wanted to drop the matter, Robin did not. She stepped to Kaya's side, bent close, and whispered a few words. A moment later, Kaya began the examination right there in the lookout room.
Arton couldn't see behind him—but he could hear. And once he heard, his mind supplied the picture of Kaya conducting Robin's check, all on its own…
...
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