There would be no expeditions for a while. After the ships docked, the social club was bustling with officers enjoying their long-awaited leisure time.

“Hey, Kian. I heard you found something interesting?”

Dante Garcia, who was sitting across the card table, paused from puffing his cigar and asked casually. He had been grinning and staring for a while now. Seems he was just waiting for a chance to bring it up.

Dante Garcia. He was reluctantly fulfilling the condition of serving at least three years as an officer to inherit the fortune as the successor to Count Garcia.

Coming from a family that ran media outlets, or perhaps following in his family’s footsteps, Dante had a particular interest in trivial gossip. It seemed Kian was today’s target.

Kian kept his eyes fixed solely on his cards, answering only with an upturned corner of his mouth.

He had no intention of becoming fodder for idle rich men’s gossip, even if they were close friends.

It would have been nice if he could have prevented the word from getting out in the first place, but that was realistically impossible. Finding a n*ked woman on the beach – there were too many witnesses to keep quiet, and it was too sensational an incident.

So it wasn’t particularly surprising that Dante knew about it. From the moment he lifted that woman from the beach, he knew it was only a matter of time before it reached that gossipmonger’s ears.

“Don’t play dumb. Not just me, everyone’s dying to know about it.”

As if to prove his point, all the officers present turned their attention to Kian.

“Seems everyone’s gone mad from having too much free time.”

When his prodding only earned sarcastic responses with no real reaction, Dante gulped down his whiskey like his throat was parched.

“I heard she’s incredibly beautiful. Don’t keep all the fun to yourself, tell us something. Haven’t you found anything out? Like her identity, or how she ended up like that?”

“Well. I picked her up because I was curious. Haven’t looked into it yet.”

“You’re so stiff.”

What a boring person.

Dante clicked his tongue while looking at his impassive face. Well. It had been hard enough just dragging him here when he’d said he wanted to rest at the mansion after landing. He wouldn’t talk easily. The only way was to coax it out of him gently.

“Could she be a slave? Maybe they were transporting her on a merchant ship, and when she got sick, they threw her overboard thinking she would die.”

He made quite a specific speculation.

First of all, slaves being bought and sold weren’t allowed clothing to begin with. Not only that. Sick slaves were all isolated. If by chance one of them got sick and spread it to the group of slaves, it could lower the value of all of them. Such mishaps had to be prevented from the start.

So they threw her into the sea.

Then she washed up on the beach, and if she was a lucky slave, she somehow managed to survive—that was his theory. Kian neither confirmed nor denied this.

“Or maybe she was plundered by pirates, and the woman was taken as spoils…”

“I’ve heard enough of your stories. Shall we look at our cards now?”

Before he could spin another tale, Kian laid his cards on the table. The others who had been sitting around with ears perked up reluctantly showed their hands as well.

It was Kian’s decisive victory.

“Seems I’m the only one focusing on the game. Let’s wrap it up for today.”

He showed no interest in collecting his winnings. His goal was simply to end this gathering early.

Regardless of their pleading about how he couldn’t leave already, he stubbed out his cigar in the ashtray and stood up.

* * *

A dark room.

Kian had thrown open the terrace doors leading to his bedroom and was smoking a new cigar he hadn’t finished earlier.

The moisture-laden air and hazy smoke mixed together, drawing irregular curves before his eyes.

It might rain. The night air was quite heavy. As summer approached, the weather became increasingly unpredictable.

Maybe it was his imagination, but the waves seemed a bit higher too. The sound of waves crying in the wind felt even more profound.

He inhaled the sea breeze along with the acrid smoke. The Larson domain was surrounded by ocean wherever you looked. Perhaps that’s why. Even in the mansion, it felt like being on a ship, and even on a ship, it felt like being in the mansion.

While the others seemed to be enjoying their rare break, for him it was just a continuation of the same days.

Was it just boredom?

Unlike his usual self.

That he picked up something strange.

When there was a knock at the door, he leisurely tapped his ash into the porcelain ashtray.

“Master. It’s Matilda.”

“Come in.”

At his command, Matilda entered the room with quick steps. It was time to hear about what he had ‘picked up’ that night.

“You said she woke up?”

“Yes. We were worried about aftereffects due to her high fever, but after careful examination with the physician, there appeared to be no particular problems with her body. No signs of other injuries either.”

“I see.”

“However, perhaps due to the shock, her memory seems incomplete.”

“To what extent?”

“She only knows as much as her name.”

So we can’t even ask about what happened, or she doesn’t want to tell. One of the two.

“Matilda.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Do you think she looks like a slave too?”

“Pardon?”

“The woman we picked up.”

He knew everyone was curious about her identity. But he hadn’t expected someone to use such a blatant term to the master.

“No.”

Matilda hesitated for a moment before answering calmly.

“In my view, she appears to be a nobly raised lady.”

“What makes you think so?”

“There’s not a single trace of hardship on her body. Forgive my presumption, but that wouldn’t be possible for someone of low birth.”

As Matilda carefully expressed her opinion, Kian slowly nodded.

“Then let me ask the opposite. Do you think someone so noble could have been carelessly abandoned on a beach?”

“There must be some circumstances.”

“You make it sound so simple.”

“Shall I make some inquiries around?”

“No need.”

Anyway, regardless of her background or whatever circumstances brought her here, none of that mattered.

Once she entered the Larson domain, her fate would be decided here.

“Um, Master. The young lady requested to meet you personally.”

“Me?”

“Yes. She wishes to express her gratitude. Perhaps you could see her after dawn?”

“Very well.”

I was thinking of looking into it anyway, and now she comes of her own accord. There was no reason to refuse.

What could she be? That woman.

A glint appeared in his previously empty eyes.

* * *

Finally, the day to meet Kian. Vivianne took her first ‘bath’ when she woke up in the morning. Bathing was truly a pleasant experience.

Among everything, she liked the ‘soap’ best. Though the texture was slippery and strange, it had a nice fragrance. Unlike in the sea where bubbles would always disappear quickly, she liked how these lingered and enveloped her skin.

Matilda said that baths were good not only for cleaning the body but also for refreshing one’s mood. While living in the sea, she had never felt the need for it, but if this was necessary to meet Kian, it must be something very good indeed.

After the bath, they dressed her in something called a ‘dress.’ Though the constricting fabric felt a bit uncomfortable, seeing Matilda’s exclamations of “beautiful” with each piece she put on made it bearable.

She had practiced walking all night, and just as she got used to it, they put on something called ‘shoes.’ Though they were less comfortable for walking than bare feet, she loved the cute ribbon decorations.

When she showed her fondness for them, Matilda tied a ribbon of the same color in her hair. She couldn’t wait to show it to Kian too.

Vivianne was following Matilda down a long corridor. Finally meeting him in person instead of just secretly watching—her heart was racing.

“…”

As she paused to take a deep breath, Matilda who had been walking ahead came back.

“Are you uncomfortable somewhere?”

“No. Just a bit nervous.”

Finding her nervous appearance endearing, Matilda met her eyes and adjusted her dress.

“You’ll be fine. It’s just greeting him after all.”

Unaware of how much inner turmoil Vivianne had been through, Matilda smiled mischievously as if she was worrying too much.

Reaching the door, Matilda knocked. Opening the door to the study, they saw Kian sitting askew, leaning against the sofa.

‘I’ve only ever watched him secretly, and now I can actually talk to him up close!’

Vivianne swallowed hard.

“Master, I’ve brought the young lady.”

“Matilda, you may leave.”

A low voice. It was the first time she heard it properly. His voice was as handsome as his appearance.

When Matilda left, the room fell into momentary silence.

What should she do? She had been waiting only for this moment, but now that it was real, she felt so nervous that everything went dark before her eyes.

Kian didn’t particularly rush her. He merely observed her trembling figure before him as if watching a spectacle.

Right. She had said she would greet him first. She needed to be brave.

“…Hello.”

Even after her greeting, he gave no particular response. Startled when their eyes met, he suddenly stood up and slowly approached her.

Why is he suddenly doing this?

With each step he took closer, Vivianne felt her entire body stiffening with tension.

“Matilda says you must be a very nobly raised lady. Others say you must be an abandoned slave.”

Finally reaching right in front of her, he lowered his head to meet her eyes. His deep black eyes were so cold they sent chills down her spine.

“Just who are you?”