Chapter 58
“What’s wrong?”
“I think I… saw someone I know. No. I’m almost certain of the face, but there’s no way they could be here….”
“Someone you know? Among the navy? Who?”
At that, Mary shifted her gaze from the distance back to Vanessa. She stared at her with meaningful eyes before slowly shaking her head.
“It’s not the navy. And it’s not a man you would know, my lady.”
The answer felt as if she had read Vanessa’s inner thoughts, wondering if she had spotted River Ross. Feeling inexplicably embarrassed, Vanessa took a bite of chocolate and turned her gaze toward the sea. When the plate was about half-empty, Mary grabbed her elbow urgently.
“If you aren’t attending the ball, would you like to head to the cabin right now? I need to watch over you until you’re inside. After that, I have to lock the door from the outside.”
Mary looked incredibly anxious as she spoke. She was biting her lip nervously and appeared to be in a great hurry. Vanessa didn’t know who she had seen, but it was clear that the person was very important to Mary.
For Mary’s sake, whose mind was clearly elsewhere, Vanessa nodded readily.
“Alright. I should get some rest.”
“Then please, hurry.”
Mary suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled so abruptly that Vanessa nearly dropped her plate. It was only after the sound of chocolates and grapes tumbling onto the floor that Mary seemed to realize what she had done.
Flustered, Mary’s face turned as red as a beet as she dropped into a crouch. She began scrambling to gather the fruit and chocolate, looking desperate to fix the mess herself. Vanessa, crouching down along with her maid, calmly signaled a crew member and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe Mary’s soiled hands.
“Calm down, Mary. It’s alright.”
“You don’t need to help. You’re only getting your hands dirty, my lady.”
Mary let out a cold rebuke, but immediately sighed as if in regret.
“…If you go to the cabin and wait, I’ll prepare dinner for you soon.”
“Dinner is fine. What you brought just now is plenty.”
“How can you be full on just chocolate and fruit? Besides, you dropped most of it. I heard the food at the banquet is delicious.”
Vanessa wasn’t so sure. She wasn’t in the mood to eat anything more right now. The smells wafting from the banquet hall were either greasy enough to upset her stomach or heavily laden with strong spices.
To be honest, she was more disappointed that she couldn’t watch the night sea a little longer. The wind that gently brushed her cheeks when she closed her eyes, the powerful sound of the propellers cutting through the waves, and the night sky over the Oltempos River, clear enough that the stars looked ready to spill over. And she had heard they were going to set off fireworks from the deck later….
“Well then, let’s go.”
At Mary’s urging, Vanessa handed the gathered grapes and chocolates to the crewman and hurried after her. Unlike when they had first come out, the passage leading to the cabins was completely blocked by a massive crowd. It seemed there was a communication issue with some foreigners regarding the cabin assignments in third class.
“Those shameless, damned Turtans…. I’m sorry, my lady.”
Mary, who had briefly stepped away to assess the situation, returned while muttering curses under her breath.
“It looks like we’ll have to take a detour. This is the fastest way, but if we go toward the front of the ship, there’s a staircase reserved for first-class passengers.”
“Will you be alright? You’ll have to walk all the way to the front and then come back here alone.”
“That’s true, but….”
“Don’t worry about it; you go on ahead. I can find the cabin by myself.”
A dark shadow fell over Mary’s freckled face. Her usually mature expression gradually crumbled until she looked utterly distraught.
“I shouldn’t have brought you this way. I shouldn’t have bragged about finding a good spot to watch the fireworks.”
“I liked it here. There would have been too many eyes on the upper deck; it would have been hard to relax.”
Vanessa smiled and patted Mary’s elbow. Only then did the distressed Mary look like a young woman her own age, rather than the calm, unnervingly sophisticated lady she usually acted as.
Biting her lip, Mary seemed to make a decision and took Vanessa’s hand. She placed a round gold casting with a green ribbon into her palm.
“This is your boarding pass and cabin key. Cabins B32 and B33 are connected. If you go near the first-class section and show this to a crew member, they’ll escort you straight to the cabin. Be careful not to lose it. And….”
Mary looked at Vanessa with hesitant eyes before shaking her head.
“It’s nothing. I’ll see you at the cabin.”
With that, Mary turned and squeezed through the dense crowd. The white ribbon of her loosened apron brushed against people, trailing precariously toward the floor. Vanessa instinctively moved to catch the string for her, but Mary vanished from sight before she could, and Vanessa pulled her hand back.
‘Is it really alright to let her go like that?’
Mary had always been a reliable maid, but she seemed particularly unstable today. Vanessa stood still, staring at the spot where she had disappeared, feeling uneasy. At that moment—Boom! The first firework shot up into the night sky.
‘I should hurry.’
Now that the first firework had gone off, people would soon flock to the deck. If she intended to return to the cabin, she had to move before that happened. Vanessa walked quickly along the corridor facing the ship’s side. Her feet ached terribly from walking around in pointed heels all day, but she didn’t slow her pace for a single moment.
“May I see your boarding pass?”
The crewman standing at the gate of the staircase looked surprised to see Vanessa appear so suddenly—as if no one had passed through this gate since the voyage began.
“Here it is.”
Vanessa held out the round casting she had received from Mary. After checking the pass thoroughly, the crewman finally gave a kind smile and opened the gate. He didn’t forget the polite gesture of offering his hand, warning her that it was slippery from the sea spray.
The ball was in full swing on the deck. Laughter punctuated the summer night, accompanied by the rhythmic footsteps of the waltz and melodies from well-tuned instruments. Above all those sounds, which served as a soft backdrop, tall tiers of long-stemmed glasses were stacked high. Champagne bottles were popped, and the liquid cascaded down from the top like a waterfall.
Vanessa was momentarily dazed by the extravagant and opulent sight. Then, the crewman who had checked her boarding pass approached her with hurried steps.
“Lady Rosalyn?”
At first, Vanessa didn’t realize he was calling her. It was only after the crewman carefully touched her shoulder that she snapped out of it.
“Lady Rosalyn.”
“Are you speaking to me?”
He must have checked the passenger list and mistaken her for Rosalyn. Before she could explain, the crewman spoke rapidly, as if pouring out his business.
“I have just received word that there is an issue with rooms B32 and B33. For safety and maintenance reasons, you must vacate the cabin immediately.”
“An issue with the cabin? So suddenly?”
“I cannot disclose the specific details, but I give you the word of the Bellus that it is not a serious defect. However, there are minor inconveniences, and it will take some time to resolve….”
“Then can I go in just for a moment to get my things? All my clothes are in there.”
“I am terribly sorry, but for the safety of the passengers, that is impossible. Our staff will move your luggage once a new cabin is prepared.”
Vanessa could only blink, unsure of how to process this baffling reality. Was there even a vacant cabin to move to? She had heard that every single room, down to the third class, had been sold out to recoup the investment costs of building the ship.
“Then when will the new cabin be ready?”
“I cannot give you a definitive answer, but if you enjoy the ball in the meantime, we will have it settled as quickly as possible. We ask for your kind understanding, My Lady.”
As the crewman bowed deeply to ask for her indulgence, the glances from those nearby became even more blatant. Flustered, Vanessa ended the conversation and blended into the crowd of onlookers.
‘What do I do now?’
Her head was spinning from the sudden change in plans and the attention focused on her. First, she had to find Rosalyn and tell her about the situation, then leave a message for Mary who would be searching for her, and then, before she was caught, the copy of the will….
She was trying to think of her next move when she felt a shadow fall over her and looked up.
“Vanessa.”
The first thing that filled her vision was a crisp white naval uniform, buttoned neatly to the throat.
