Chapter 6 – Disembarkation

Berry woke up to an insistent yet gentle touch stroking her hair. Without realizing it, she leaned her cheek into the warmth, indulging in the affection.

She knew exactly who the owner of this warm hand was. Berry let out a small yawn as she lifted her heavy eyelids.

“Damian, haaa… How did it go?”

She was so tired that yawns kept escaping her. Damian looked down at her, his low chuckle filling the room.

“You could sleep more, but I woke you up.”

“No, it’s fine, huuuh. Is it dawn?”

“It is dawn.”

Instead of the salty smell of the sea, Damian carried the refreshing scent of body wash. He must have showered. Berry rubbed her eyes and repeated her earlier question, this time with a much clearer voice.

“What happened to Jeffrey Gixson?”

“He’s been locked up for now. We’re interrogating him.”

“Ah…”

“I came out first because I was worried about you.”

“What’s there to worry about? I was sleeping soundly.”

Berry stuck out her tongue and gave a playful smile. She really was fine—completely unaffected.

This wasn’t enough to cause her any emotional distress.

But Damian seemed to feel differently.

He furrowed his brows before taking a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind about something.

“Berry.”

“Yes?”

“There’s something I want to ask of you.”

‘What could it be, to make him hesitate like this?’

Berry felt a bit nervous. Damian’s face, always soft with a gentle smile, was now devoid of expression. Only then did Berry realize he looked angry.

“I like the brave Berry, no matter the situation. Probably far more than you think.”

‘Was this a confession?’

She liked Damian too. They had kissed, and shared moments even more intense than that.

But Damian’s face didn’t look like someone making a confession. It was strict, almost stern.

“But I don’t want you to get hurt. Especially not in front of me. I hope you won’t put yourself in danger.”

“Hmm…”

“Diving into the sea recklessly today was foolish. I understand you were trying to create an opening for me, but I hope you’ll consider how I felt, watching you disappear into the water.”

“Oh.”

“Berry, even for a moment, I experienced extreme fear today. Fear that you might vanish.”

Damian bent down slowly, meeting her gaze. His expression carried a sorrowful undertone. Berry felt awkward and averted her eyes. She hadn’t thought about how Damian might feel, seeing her dive into the sea. In fact, she hadn’t considered it at all.

‘It must have been scary.’

She could understand his emotions now. He must have been terrified. If she imagined Damian diving into the dark sea before her eyes, she would hate it too. Even knowing he was a good swimmer wouldn’t ease that feeling.

‘And he didn’t even know I could swim or that I’ve had special training.’

As Berry organized her thoughts, she turned back to look at Damian. Even when she wasn’t looking at him, he had been silently watching her with calm, steady eyes. Berry liked his maturity, and she smiled again, reaching out to cup his face with both hands.

“Listen, Damian.”

“Yes?”

“I have something I want to say. Will you hear me out?”

She never imagined they would end up like this when they were younger. It hadn’t even crossed her mind.

Berry gazed at Damian’s face, which overlapped with her memories of his childhood self, and softly began to speak. Her tone was gentle, almost like singing.

“I want to have our wedding in spring.”

“…!”

“I want to be your bride, Damian.”

Damian’s pupils widened before shrinking again. Then, he gave her the most tender smile she had ever seen.

Berry beamed as she leaned closer to Damian.

“Thank you for coming to save me earlier.”

“I’ll do it as many times as needed.”

“Alright. Do it as many times as needed.”

As she closed the distance, Damian leaned in as well. Their lips met in a deep kiss. She felt happy.

The night had been filled with fear, but now, none of it mattered.

Berry closed her eyes tightly as she sensed the dawn seeping through the window behind Damian. With a soft thud, her back sank into the plush mattress. A large shadow loomed over her.

Warm. His body was so warm.

***

“Berry!”

“Darling!”

After what felt like an eternity, the cruise ship docked at the pier. Berry saw her parents, along with the household staff, gathered to welcome her. She smiled brightly and waved at them. She had snuck off to attend the ship’s party, so she knew she’d be scolded. But after falling into the sea, her family could only be relieved to see her safe.

“Where on earth did you go without telling us?”

“Mother!”

“Why does your face look so pale? Hmm? Did you not eat well? Did something happen?”

‘I had eaten very well, actually.’

Berry stuck out her tongue and hugged her mother tightly. Behind her, Damian approached, followed by Jeffrey Gixson, who was being handed over to the authorities, tangled in nets. Not that his real name was Jeffrey Gixson.

By dawn, under interrogation, Jeffrey Gixson had confessed everything. He had collected rumors about Berry Swanton circulating in high society and adopted the name Jeffrey to seduce her. It was quite an elaborate scam. When things didn’t go his way, he revealed his true nature and attempted robbery—only to fail spectacularly.

It was a crime deserving of a long sentence.

“It’s been a while, Lord and Madame.”

“It’s truly been a while.”

“It would be best to discuss what happened to Miss Berry at the mansion. There was a case of threats involved.”

Damian explained the events of the previous night in a polite tone. Earl Swanton and the Countess immediately turned pale.

“Threats?”

“Who dared threaten my daughter?”

Their voices trembled with barely contained fury. Berry remained quiet, choosing not to interrupt. Jeffrey Gixson had impersonated a noble, and even worse, he had held a knife to her. She hadn’t been physically harmed, but the experience was still frightening.

Berry hugged her father tightly and whimpered.

“Let’s talk at home. I’m tired.”

“Alright, let’s do that. But you, young man, come talk to me on the way.”

Earl Swanton could no longer hold back until they reached home, so he declared that he would ride in a separate carriage with Damian.

In the meantime, Jeffrey Gixson, looking utterly deflated, was loaded into a prisoner transport carriage and disappeared from sight. Berry, meanwhile, headed toward the carriage waiting for her.

“Wait a second. What’s that?”

“What’s what?”

“The ring on your finger.”

But her steps halted after just one stride.

She had planned to surprise everyone once they got home, but Philip was always quick to notice things. 

‘How had he already spotted the ring on my left ring finger? What an annoyance.’

As soon as Berry pursed her lips, her mother and father’s eyes widened simultaneously. Her mother, in particular, began to shoot her an intense look, demanding an immediate explanation of what had happened on the ship.

“Well, um…”

What should she say? Having openly expressed how much she despised arranged marriages, would it seem strange to suddenly say she liked the idea now?

Berry scratched her cheek with the hand that bore the ring. She had to tell them that she and Damian were getting married—that he had proposed—but saying it herself felt overwhelmingly embarrassing.

“We’ve decided to get married.”

Fortunately, Damian took on the role of informing her parents.

As he spoke, he approached her side and gently took her hand, looking around at the people standing nearby. Then, with a firm yet clear tone, he repeated the announcement.

“We can decide on the wedding date once we return to the mansion. Berry wishes to hold the ceremony in spring.”

“Yes, that’s right. Mom, Dad, I’m getting married!”

Berry seized the opportunity to quickly add her own words.

“I’ll live happily! He’s the man who jumped into the sea to save me.”

Her parents, seemingly overwhelmed by her sudden change in attitude, were left speechless, their mouths opening and closing like fish. Her brother also wore an expression of utter disbelief. After all, their daughter, who had stubbornly refused to even consider marriage, was now suddenly announcing her plans to wed. It was likely hard for them to believe.

“Ahhh!”

“I’ll escort you to the carriage, my future wife.”

Damian’s sudden action of sweeping Berry off her feet only deepened their shocked expressions.

Being carried felt both pleasant and embarrassing, but Berry didn’t want to be put down. She wrapped her arms around Damian’s neck.

The bright sunlight reflected off the diamond ring, making it sparkle.

It was the sweet yet bittersweet conclusion to a certain shipboard party—a moment they would likely reminisce about countless times for the rest of their lives.