Chapter 61
A pale hand poked out from beneath the covers and fumbled across the side table. It wandered aimlessly among the items there, heavy with the haze of sleep, before the owner finally popped her head out from under the quilt as if she could no longer breathe.
The scene inside the cabin, reflected in her sleepy eyes, didn’t seem to have changed at all since she had fallen asleep. The surroundings were still as dark as midnight, and beyond the half-drawn curtains, the dawn stars were twinkling brightly.
Faint music drifted in from a distance, suggesting the ball on deck was still in full swing. It seemed there was still time before sunrise….
‘Wait.’
Her eyelids, which had been moving sluggishly in the lingering glow of a satisfying sleep, suddenly flew open. A cold shiver ran through her groggy mind, snapping her into clarity.
‘What time is it exactly?’
Turning pale, Vanessa bolted upright. Just how long had she been asleep? Her memory cut off abruptly at a certain point, making it difficult to even estimate how much time had passed.
So… last night. They had tangled their bodies together until she couldn’t lift a finger, and then she had lain there, utterly spent and exhausted. Her last memory was barely managing to wash herself with a wet towel. In other words, she had vanished without a trace for at least several hours. On a ship where the available space was limited despite its size—and without even informing Mary.
‘Oh, heavens.’
Wrapping herself in a sheet, Vanessa hurriedly stepped down from the bed onto the floor with bare feet. In her panic, she headed straight for the bathroom before coming to her senses and scurrying back to the bedroom. Her shoes and clothes, which had been stripped off the previous night, were neatly arranged on the nightstand.
Since she couldn’t have done such a thoughtful thing in her sleep, River Ross must have taken care of it. As she hurriedly picked up her chemise, something fluttered to the floor.
‘A piece of paper?’
Just as she was about to bend down to pick it up—knock, knock. Vanessa spun toward the doorway, startled by the brisk rapping on the bedroom door.
“Who is it?”
Vanessa defensively pulled the sheet up to her chest.
“It’s the cabin steward. If you open the door, I will set up a meal inside for you.”
She grew even more flustered.
“A—a meal?”
Generally, it was standard practice for staff to prepare meals in the suite’s drawing room or dining area without asking. However, no matter how spacious the cabin was, this was a layout where one could see straight from the doorway to the bed.
Vanessa quickly checked her reflection in the mirror on the nightstand. Even if she threw on an opaque robe, she couldn’t hide all the traces of their lovemaking.
There are no eternal secrets in this world. Opening the door meant a scandal. Since the cabin was assigned to River Ross in the first place, it was only a matter of time before his name was brought up. But she couldn’t exactly keep the man standing outside until she was fully dressed, so there was only one choice.
“No.”
Vanessa sharpened her voice, sounding like a particularly fastidious lady.
“I don’t like the smell of food lingering in the cabin. It’s a bother, but could you have it prepared in the restaurant instead?”
“Of course. Shall I do that for you?”
“Yes. I would appreciate it.”
“I will have it ready again within thirty minutes.”
The steward’s footsteps as he pushed the trolley slowly receded. Vanessa let out a sigh of relief and hurriedly finished wiping herself down with the now-cold towel. She pulled on her undergarments and chemise in order, then wrapped her corset around her waist. She was becoming increasingly accustomed to dressing herself.
It wasn’t a habit she had intentionally cultivated, but she thought it was a good thing. Someday, she wanted to do everything on her own, without a maid, in a study set up in the storehouse of the Rose Garden. Like Lady Rowan. And… like River Ross.
Of course, the priority right now was to find Rosalyn and apologize to Mary, who must have been worried all night. Vanessa roughly combed through her tangled hair with her fingers, tied it back, and pressed the hat containing the will down over her head.
Once she had put on her stockings and shoes, there wasn’t a single flaw to be found. She felt a strange sensation, knowing she looked like a virtuous lady on the outside, even though the pale skin hidden beneath her clothes was mottled with a man’s bite marks.
She checked her reflection one last time in the mirror before opening the cabin door and stepping outside.
The hallway, brightly lit by oil lamps, was now fairly busy with people coming and going. It seemed they were returning to their cabins to change out of their evening wear before watching the sunrise, or perhaps to catch a quick nap. Vanessa moved toward the deck, pushing against the flow of the crowd.
A fair number of people were still enjoying the festivities on deck even at this hour. Some were sipping champagne or dancing a slow waltz while leaning against one another, while the majority took advantage of the calmer atmosphere to exchange jests about politics or diplomacy.
“I heard that since last month, unsettling reports have been coming in from the border region adjacent to Erman.”
“Ah, I heard that too. They’re hiring mercenaries left and right, aren’t they?”
“Is a war actually going to break out at this rate? I really feel like it might happen soon….”
“If such an unfortunate thing were to happen, all the more reason to enjoy today. We leave the country to the brave navy men here.”
“Gentlemen, and ladies. Let’s have another glass of brandy before the bombardment begins.”
A burst of loud laughter followed someone’s suggestion. Among those mingling and exchanging idle jokes, there were quite a few naval officers. While wandering busily in search of Rosalyn, she suddenly spotted a familiar back and stopped in her tracks.
It was a soldier with black hair, his naval cap pressed down low. At first, her heart sank, truly believing she had found River Ross. But she soon realized she had mistaken a complete stranger for him.
From the physique to the face and the voice…. How could she have mistaken that man for him, even for a moment?
‘What is wrong with me?’
She snapped back to her senses only after meeting the eyes of another naval officer three or four times. She hurriedly lowered her gaze, as if avoiding him.
“Are you alright?”
It happened the moment she gripped the ship’s railing and caught her breath, trying to steady her scattered mind. A dark shadow fell over her. The naval officer she had just locked eyes with was now standing in front of her, blocking her path. Vanessa hid her flustered face by fiddling with the ribbon on her hat.
“It’s nothing.”
“But I felt as though our eyes kept meeting. Was I mistaken?”
“I was looking for someone, so I was checking. That person is also in the navy. I’m sorry if I offended you.”
“If you are looking for your party, I can help you. Lady…?”
“It’s Vanessa. Vanessa Siren Somerset.”
At that moment, the expression that spread across the man’s face was close to horror. She wanted to observe him more closely, but he composed his emotions in an instant. He then straightened his back and gave a salute so polite it flustered her.
“…It seems I have been quite rude.”
After that, she encountered two more naval officers who showed similar reactions. They approached her with interest, but upon hearing her name, their eyes turned somewhat bewildered, and they stammered as they backed away.
“Lady Vanessa?”
At the sound of the voice calling her name, Vanessa whipped her head around.
“…….”
Was it an hallucination? In the direction the voice had come from, there were only unfamiliar ladies and gentlemen. She hesitated for a moment and was about to move on when a man emerged from the crowd and blocked her path.
“Wait a moment, please. I’ve been looking for you this whole time.”
“…For me?”
“Could you spare some time? Instead of standing out here, I’ll buy you a cup of tea inside.”
Vanessa looked at the man with her guard up. What on earth was happening? From the way he spoke, it seemed this man had been looking specifically for her.
“I’m sorry… but I must decline that request. My party is waiting for me.”
“It will only take a moment. Come to think of it, I haven’t introduced myself. I’m not a suspicious person; I’m a reporter for a magazine….”
“Vanessa! Over here!”
Just as her face was starting to turn pale at the man’s persistence, a young lady waved her hand energetically from among the crowd, shouting her name. It was Rosalyn.
“Rosalyn!”
The moment she saw her approaching, a deep sense of relief washed over her. Rosalyn stood before her, half-ignoring the man. Rosalyn’s cheeks were flushed red with excitement. It was clear she had been enjoying the shipboard party immensely.
“I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Let’s go to the front. Mary is there too.”
Rosalyn pulled firmly on her arm without even glancing at the man. Vanessa gave a slight, dazed bow toward the man and followed Rosalyn. It was a rather rude attitude, unlike the usual Rosalyn.
“Keep looking forward, Vanessa. Don’t make eye contact with anyone.”
“What is going on?”
“What about you? Where have you been all night? Ethan and I have been searching everywhere for you.”
“Have you been with Ethan this whole time?”
“We had a lot to catch up on, so the conversation went on for a bit. Then I heard from Mary that you had disappeared, and we’ve been looking for you together for the past few hours….”
Rosalyn, who had answered Vanessa’s question reflexively, wrinkled her nose slightly, as if that wasn’t what was important right now.
“Ethan went to get some drinks. I came up to the deck to rest for a bit and found you. Smile, Vanessa.”
When Vanessa smiled reflexively at the command, Rosalyn smiled back as if she were happy and gave her a light hug. However, the words that followed, whispered into her ear, were closer to a scolding.
“What on earth were you doing and where? Mary said she didn’t see you, the cabin suddenly needed repairs, and you didn’t leave a message for me….”
“Rosalyn.”
“How could you just disappear without a word? Do you know how worried I was?”
“I’m truly sorry. I was… a bit out of it yesterday….”
Rosalyn stared blankly at Vanessa’s face as she stammered out an excuse, then finally let out a long sigh.
“Well, at least I’ve confirmed you’re safe. It’s a bit of a shame, though. While you were gone, an interesting rumor started going around.”
“An interesting rumor?”
Rosalyn nodded and gazed intently at Vanessa with a flushed face.
