Chapter 2.1 – Cruise Party

Berry Swanton had red hair.  If one asked why having red hair was a problem, the answer could be found on the bridge of her nose. Berry Swanton not only had red hair, but also plenty of freckles.

Her appearance was certainly cute and charming, but when those two features were combined, there was always one fruit that came to mind.  And, to make matters worse, Berry absolutely loved that fruit!

Therefore, the number one color of clothing Berry should never wear was green, and the second was red.  

Anyone who went out with her on a date should also avoid those two colors. Unless the person was a strawberry, the combination of green and red was simply dreadful, and no matter how stylish a three-piece suit might be, if it was in those colors, it would look ridiculous.

“Miss Swanton! Over here. I’ve prepared a wonderful spot for viewing the night scenery.”

“…Ah….”

So, when Berry saw her companion wearing pants made of deep green fabric with strange patterns, a shiny red shirt on top, and then a green striped jacket over it, she simply wanted to jump straight into the sea. She could only sigh at such an incomprehensible outfit. She wondered if she could pretend not to have heard and turn away, but it was already too late.  Moreover, she could see that his eyes, fixed on her, were shining with unwavering confidence in his choice of clothing.

He was no doubt convinced that his attire was extremely fashionable and that he was a trendsetter ahead of his time.

“…Lord… Gixson.”

“Here, champagne! To think we can drink something this good and expensive as much as we want. Cruise parties are truly wonderful!”

This clueless fool’s name was Jeffrey Gixson. He was said to be the son of a Baron who governed a rural estate far from the capital of the Empire. The reason he had come up to the capital was to purchase an excellent stallion.

In truth, under normal circumstances, Berry Swanton, the precious young lady of the Earl Swanton family, would have had no reason to meet such a country bumpkin.

In ‘normal’ circumstances, that is.

But right now, things were very ‘abnormal’. And Berry had reached the point where she didn’t care who her companion was.

‘This time, I will definitely succeed with my first kiss.’

No one could stop her. Among her peers, she was the only one who still hadn’t experienced a kiss. She was also the only one who hadn’t even held hands with a gentleman and strolled down the street. So, naturally, she had never gone to the opera or spent time alone in a secluded park with someone.

At first, Berry didn’t know why this was the case. She believed that if she just tried harder, it would work out.

Now?

Now, she didn’t care at all.

This had to be the curse of red hair and freckles. Otherwise, how could she have failed to have a proper romance until things came to this?

“They say they’ll be launching fireworks with magic soon. Back in my estate, things like that were so expensive I never got to see them. So I’m really excited. Hahaha!”

Jeffrey chattered obliviously and laughed loudly. He was a bit rustic, overly honest, and had his own quirks, but he wasn’t a bad person. Berry forced herself to think so and endured her embarrassment. Noble guests at the cruise party had been glancing at Jeffrey and smirking at her since earlier, but—!

‘It’s fine. I can handle this. As long as I get my first kiss, it’s all good.’

Fortunately, Jeffrey seemed clean. He washed well, and his body didn’t smell.

That was good enough.

If only she could avoid being called things like  “Miss Breakup” or “One-Week Romance”…

Yes, Berry Swanton was saddled with a reputation that anyone would find pitiable.

No matter who she dated, they always broke up within a week. The number of one-week boyfriends she’d had was greater than a dozen pencils. And there was never a special reason for the breakups.

No, shouldn’t there at least be a reason, like losing interest or finding her boring?

But all the men, as if conspiring, just shook their heads without a word.  One sensitive poet, the third son of a Viscount, even clung to the hem of her skirt, begging her to break up with him.

After that, Berry gave up trying to find a date in the capital’s social circles.

Now, there wasn’t even a man who wanted to date her. Everyone just quietly avoided her.

That atmosphere led to today’s situation.

The naive Baron’s son, fresh from the countryside, knew nothing of her reputation, and just a few rounds of fanning beside him had made him fall for her completely.  Berry’s friends had even encouraged her, saying maybe the reason for her ‘curse’ was still not having had her first kiss, and so, dodging her brother and parents, she lied and came to the cruise party with him alone.

‘The idea that I’m cursed to only have one-week relationships because I haven’t had my first kiss is ridiculous, but…’

Berry was desperate enough to cling to even such nonsense. In fact, her birthday was two days away. In just two days, she would become a legal adult, and then she could no longer delay the marriage talks that had been put off.

The biggest problem was that Berry already had a fiancé.

‘I don’t want this! Getting married without ever having had a romance? Just because my partner was decided at birth, why should I follow that? What kind of era do they think this is!’

Jeffrey was looking up at the night sky with a face full of wonder. Berry wasn’t particularly moved, but she pretended to be amazed. She had even taken special lessons from her friends about kissing.  As long as the mood was right, she could take care of the rest—perfectly!  Jeffrey just needed to stand there like a wooden doll.

Berry steeled herself and clenched her fist.

“Oh, look over there! The small fireworks are starting first!”

“…Yes. They’re… pretty.”

“It’s amazing. That red firework looks just like your hair, Miss Swanton. The way it sparkles is so beautiful…”

Is it wrong to think I just couldn’t stand all this rambling?

Berry twisted her waist this way and that, trying to endure the embarrassment. She wasn’t used to such straightforward compliments. She wasn’t a stunning beauty, so she rarely heard flattery at social gatherings. And her family were all people who, like ginger—meaning they were inflexible and only spoke the truth, never empty words.

Growing up like that, Berry had no immunity to long-winded praise.

“Like a man drowning in your eyes, which seem to hold the North Star…”

Far from being moved, Berry just wanted him to shut up and offer his lips already. Of course, if she shouted that, rumors that she had lost her mind would spread by tomorrow afternoon.

Who knew compliments could feel like t*rture.

So amazed by this new fact, Berry began to lose focus, her gaze drifting past Jeffrey’s shoulder.  There, standing alone without a partner for about five minutes, was a gentleman. Because of the darkness from the fireworks, she couldn’t see his face well—only that he was a young man.

No matter how delicious a cake looked, if it was gone in a week, it wasn’t hers to have, so she hadn’t paid any attention. But now, needing somewhere to fix her gaze to endure Jeffrey, Berry ended up filling her view with the mysterious man.

He was tall—so tall, in fact, that he seemed to be a full two heads taller than her. His broad shoulders and upright posture suggested he exercised regularly. Even as he leaned against the railing, there was a sense of firmness about him.

The striking contrast between his black hair and pale skin, rare in this country, made quite an impression. His straight eyebrows and unbent nose were pleasing to look at, and the muscular forearms revealed beneath his rolled-up shirt sleeves were enough to make one’s heart flutter.

‘Have I seen him somewhere before…?’

Berry let Jeffrey’s overly flattering compliments pass in one ear and out the other, tilting her head to the side. There was something familiar about the mysterious man.

But she simply couldn’t remember who he was.

If there were such a handsome man around, there would be no need to wonder about his identity—he’d surely be famous, someone everyone knew.

Since even foreigners could attend this cruise party, perhaps he was a noble from a distant land?