Chapter 30

“What?”

She hadn’t expected him to have had no women while studying abroad, but a strange sense of betrayal and displeasure surged within her. He spoke as if she were his everything, yet there had been another woman behind her back.

Unconsciously biting her lip, Harriet shook her head. 

No. This was, after all, a contract marriage. A marriage of convenience. A business arrangement that would end in divorce after half a year.

“Really? And? How did you break up?”

“We broke up due to personality differences.”

She wanted to hear more, but her pride suppressed her curiosity. Meanwhile, having meticulously massaged her toes and calves, Lennox carefully withdrew his hands.

Just then, a steward knocked on the cabin door.

* * *

“Congratulations on your marriage!”

“You two look wonderful together.”

The clinking of champagne glasses produced a melodious sound. Elegantly dressed, Harriet wore a painted-on smile as she faced the other passengers seated around the round dining table.

“Thank you.”

The people raising their glasses and dining together were all first-class passengers and the captain. A male passenger sitting next to Lennox spoke with a smile.

“You’ve gained a beautiful bride. Your father must be quite pleased.”

“Indeed. He was very pleased.”

Lennox replied smoothly, taking a sip of champagne. An elderly lady chuckled and teased.

“Don’t show off your happiness too much. I bet many young ladies shed tears like the sea today.”

Finding it awkward to respond, Lennox simply smiled. Harriet skillfully handled the various gazes directed at the couple. Unlike the lively atmosphere at their table, whispers from women deliberately passing by reached her ears.

“Why Harriet Vanetti? I can’t believe he chose such a frivolous and scandalous woman.”

“Exactly. Do you think she seduced him with her body, as the papers say?”

“It might be a union of wealth. A marriage of convenience. Poor Angela, she liked him so much.”

She had grown accustomed to such snide remarks. Most of it was false, but not all, so she couldn’t ignore it entirely. However, one word nearly made Harriet drop her glass.

Angela?

Perhaps she was the “one person” Lennox had mentioned earlier. Her ears perked up, but a now-familiar hand reached over and rested on her shoulder.

“Harriet. My dear, are you okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“You seem a bit tipsy.”

“…”

“You’ve been staring into space.”

“I’m fine…”

Cutting herself off, Harriet suddenly pressed her temples as if feeling dizzy.

“You’re right. I’ll get some fresh air.”

“Then I’ll come with you.”

“No.”

Stopping Lennox, who was about to rise, Harriet gently declined.

“I’ll go alone. You stay and chat.”

Since she had firmly refused, and many passengers were eagerly waiting for a chance to speak with him, Lennox had no choice but to nod.

“Come back soon.”

Smiling in response, Harriet crossed the expansive banquet hall and exited. 

As soon as she stepped outside, a wide deck unfolded before her. Approaching the railing, she was greeted by the sea crashing against the ship’s side.

Feeling the chilly night breeze, Harriet pulled her shawl tighter and quietly enjoyed the sea breeze.

The uneasiness she had felt upon hearing the stranger’s name dissipated, replaced by a sense of liberation and relief.

“Ah. I feel alive again.”

Letting down her tightly braided hair, Harriet ran her fingers through it as the wind tossed it about.

How long had it been since she last saw the sea? She had been engrossed in work, managing the second branch of the department store. Though she occasionally went on nearby outings, it had been a long time since she’d traveled this far.

“The breeze is nice, isn’t it?”

While she was savoring her freedom, someone approached and spoke to her.

Startled by the unfamiliar voice, Harriet turned her head. A young woman with the same black hair as Harriet was standing by the railing, gazing at the sea.

“Yes, it is.”

Harriet agreed lightly, turning her gaze back to the sea. The sight of the dark blue waves crashing into white foam against the ship was endlessly fascinating and entertaining.

The woman, who had been intently watching Harriet’s profile, spoke again.

“It looks like this is your first time on a cruise.”

“Is it that obvious?”

Harriet asked, casting a sidelong glance.

“You seem fascinated by the sea.”

“Embarrassingly, yes. I’ve been tied down and haven’t even been on a ship.”

“Tied down?”

“By various things.”

Though they were strangers, Harriet found it easier to talk because of it. Even if the woman knew her, she didn’t show it, which was comforting.

“Still, I got the chance to board a cruise ship like this. How did you come to be here?”

Turning the focus of the conversation, Harriet leaned against the railing, facing the woman.

“I followed a man I’ve loved for a long time.”

“Oh.”

Harriet didn’t dislike women who were bold in love. Intrigued, she brightened her eyes.

“You must love him a lot?”

“Yes. I’ve been chasing after him for the past few years. We even dated.”

“You ‘dated’? That’s past tense, isn’t it?”

“You’re sharp.”

The woman nodded with a pained smile.

“He already had someone else in his heart. He dumped me very coldly and left.”

“My goodness.”

It was hard to believe that such a beauty had been dumped so harshly.

“Is he blind?”

“Blind?”

“Of course. To let go of such a beauty without realizing his luck.”

“Haha.”

The woman’s laughter burst out at Harriet’s earnest reprimand. Feeling like a younger sibling, Harriet earnestly advised her.

“Forget about a man who’s already lost his mind over another woman and start fresh. There are plenty of good men out there.”

“But he’s not one of them, is he?”

The woman firmly denied it, putting on a serious face.

“Still, I don’t intend to give up.”

“And if you don’t give up?”

“I’ll take him back, somehow.”

With a shrug as if it were nothing, the woman added chillingly.

“I’m the type who always gets what I want.”

“Oh, I’m like that too.”

For some reason, Harriet felt she could get along with this woman. A chance meeting in a coincidental situation. Somehow, it felt a bit like fate.

“Though it’s late, I’m Harriet Coco Vanetti. What’s your name?”

Dropping anonymity, Harriet introduced herself first. Just as the woman was about to speak, someone interrupted.

“Angela!”

It was the name she had just heard. Startled, Harriet looked around for the woman whose name had been called. However, with the banquet in full swing, there was no one else on the deck but them.

“There you are. I’ve been looking for you.”

A man with a stylish mustache approached them. Specifically, the woman Harriet had been conversing with.

“Father.”

Angela introduced the man to Harriet, who was alternating her gaze between the two in a daze.

“This is my father, Earl Donovan.”

Harriet stared intently at the woman. The lack of any change in expression was slightly unsettling. Angela, unfazed by Harriet’s gaze, introduced Harriet to her father.

“Father, this is the wife of Young Master Diorne.”

“Oh.”

Whether it was an act or genuine, Earl Donovan greeted her with enthusiasm.

“So you’re the famous wife of Young Master Diorne. Congratulations on your marriage.”

“Yes… Thank you.”

Harriet couldn’t quite grasp the situation. Feeling a bit dazed, she accepted the greeting, and Earl Donovan suddenly began to speak as if a dam had burst.

“Come to think of it, my daughter Angela was a classmate of the Young Master during their studies abroad.”

“I see.”

Harriet clenched the fan in her hand tightly to maintain her composure. Her hunch had been correct. Angela Donovan. The woman who had boldly declared she would take Harriet’s husband away was the very one Lennox had dated. And she still loved Lennox.

“Is the Young Master inside, by any chance? Since I’ve met you, I should greet him.”

“Well.”

“No need.”

Angela, smiling leisurely as if bestowing mercy, took her father’s arm.

“They’re probably in the middle of a conversation. It won’t be too late to greet him tomorrow morning.”

“Ah, I suppose so. Then.”

“It’s alright.”

Harriet stopped the father and daughter from leaving. Angela stared at her as if to ask what she was thinking. Meeting her gaze, Harriet fluttered her fan.

“Please, go ahead and greet him. I was planning to go inside anyway.”

“……”

“He’ll be glad to see a schoolmate. Lady Donovan.”

An invisible tug-of-war passed between the two women. Angela was the first to speak.

“Thank you for your consideration, Madame. Please call me Angela.”

“I will, Angela.”

Harriet responded as if it were no big deal and took the lead.

“Then let’s go inside. The night breeze is getting chilly.”