A Chance to Meet
The fleet would be at anchor for the foreseeable future. After the ships docked, the officers’ lounge had descended into a rare state of prosperity, the men making the most of their long-awaited leisure.
“Say, Kian. You mentioned you dug up something interesting?”
Seated across the card table, Dante Garcia had been puffing lazily on his cigar and now asked the question almost as an afterthought. For the past hour he had been staring with that knowing, faintly teasing glint in his eye, as if he had been waiting for the perfect opening to strike.
Dante Garcia, heir to the Garcia countship, had only reluctantly begun his required three-year stint as an officer in order to inherit his family’s fortune. Because the family owned a newspaper, he possessed an unusually keen interest in trivial gossip. And judging by his gaze tonight, Kian had clearly become the chosen target.
Kian kept his eyes fixed on the cards, the corner of his mouth lifting in silent reply.
Declining an invitation to the salon—whether the man was a close friend or not—was a matter of principle. Still, he had not expected Dante to ask so bluntly.
Originally, of course, he had tried to stop the words from spilling out, but that had been impossible. They had plucked a naked woman from the beach. The witnesses had been far too numerous, and the tale was far too scandalous.
So Dante’s knowledge, though surprising in some respects, was not shocking. Kian had already known that once the woman was in his arms on that beach, the gossip would travel faster than the tide.
“Don’t try to play it cool. Not only me—everyone else is on the verge of losing their minds with curiosity.”
As if to prove his point, every officer at the table turned his gaze on Kian at once.
“Looks like the lot of you have nothing better to do.”
Even though Kian wanted to ask the meaning of that, Dante only tossed back his head with a wry laugh and drained his whiskey in three large swallows.
“They say she’s stunning. Don’t keep it to yourself—share what you’ve learned. Her name, her past, how she ended up like this.”
“Honestly, I fished her out because she looked so out of place, but I haven’t examined her closely yet.”
“She’s stiff as a board.”
Dante clicked his tongue at Kian’s impassive face. True, he had dragged the man to the estate after she washed up on the shore, yet he had still refused to speak a word. At such moments, gentle coaxing was the only option left.
“Maybe she’s a slave,” Dante suggested. “They were loading her onto the ship when she got sick and was about to die, so they tossed her overboard.”
He offered a surprisingly precise theory.
Slaves were not permitted clothing aboard. Even worse, any slave who fell ill was immediately isolated. If one became contagious, the entire cargo would lose value. Such disasters had to be prevented from the beginning.
That was why they had thrown her into the sea. Then the tide had carried her to the beach, and perhaps a lucky slave had survived. It was perfectly plausible, Kian thought, and offered neither agreement nor denial.
“Or maybe pirates raided the ship and took her as plunder…”
“Great story. Now let’s see your hand.”
Before Dante could launch into another tale, Kian laid his cards on the table. The other officers, ears already pricked, reluctantly followed suit.
Kian won the game outright.
“You’re the only one paying attention to the game tonight. Let’s call it a night here.”
He had no interest in the stakes. His real purpose had been to force an exit from the table.
Whether they begged or cursed, he rolled his cigar between his fingers and rose from his chair.
* * *
In the darkened room, Kian opened the terrace doors wide and lit a fresh cigar that had not yet been completely burned. Watery air and lazy, translucent smoke wove irregular spirals in front of his eyes.
Was rain coming? The night air felt heavy. As summer approached, the weather grew more unpredictable by the day.
Or perhaps it was simply his mood. The waves seemed higher than usual, and the roar of the surf carried an especially heavy note on the wind.
He drew in sea air laced with the acrid scent of smoke. The Larson estate was nothing but ocean no matter where one looked. To him, the house always felt like a ship, and the ship always felt like a house.
Others, he supposed, were finally enjoying their long-awaited rest. For him, however, each day had simply been the same endless repetition.
Just boredom, perhaps. It was not like him at all.
He had found something strange.
Tink, tink. The sound of a knuckle on the porcelain ashtray as he emptied the ash.
“My lord. It is Matilda.”
“Come in.”
The moment the order was given, Matilda entered with quick, measured steps. Only now would she hear the story of the woman he had “found.”
“She has awakened?”
“Yes. The fever was high, and we worried about after-effects. After a thorough examination by the physician, nothing unusual was found on her body. No visible wounds.”
“I see.”
“The shock must have been severe. Her memories seem incomplete.”
“To what extent?”
“She only knows her name.”
She could not even remember her own past. Was she unwilling to speak, or simply unable? One of the two, at least.
“Matilda.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“In your opinion, does she look like a slave?”
“Pardon?”
“The woman I found.”
He had known others were curious about her identity, but he had not expected anyone to speak so openly to him.
“No.”
Matilda hesitated for a moment, then answered calmly.
“She appears to me to be a young lady of high birth.”
“What makes you think so?”
“There are no signs of hardship on her body. If she had been raised in a lowly station, that would be impossible.”
Matilda spoke her thoughts gently, and Kian gave a slow nod.
“Then I shall ask the opposite. Do you really believe someone so precious could be carelessly abandoned on the beach?”
“There must be a reason.”
“You speak only of things that ease the mind.”
“Shall I inquire further in the area?”
“No need.”
Whether her origin was noble or lowly, whether some hidden tale had led her here, it was of no importance. Once she set foot on the Larson estate, the matter was his to decide.
“My lord… the young lady herself has asked to be brought to you.”
“To me?”
“Yes. She wishes to express her gratitude. Perhaps you might see her in the morning, once daylight comes.”
“Very well.”
He had been about to go to her, yet she had come to him of her own accord. There was no reason to refuse.
Who was she? That woman.
A spark of interest kindled in his eyes that had been empty for so long.
* * *
At last, the day had come to meet Kian. Vivienne awoke and finally bathed for the first time in her life. Bathing was a joy.
What she liked most was the soap. The feel was slippery and strange, yet it smelled pleasant. In the sea it dissolved almost instantly, but here it lingered, enveloping her skin in soft bubbles.
Matilda had said that bathing not only cleansed the body but refreshed the spirit. While she had lived beneath the waves, she had never felt the need for it, yet to meet Kian she must do this. It was clearly a good thing.
After the bath she was dressed in a dress. The fabric felt tight at first, but each time Matilda smiled and called her beautiful, she managed to endure it.
She had practiced walking all night. The moment she grew used to it, she was given shoes. Free movement was awkward compared to swimming, yet the delicate ribbons pleased her.
When she expressed delight, Matilda fastened matching ribbons in her hair. She wanted to show Kian at once.
Vivienne followed Matilda down the long corridor. She was no longer stealing glances—she was about to meet him in person. Her heart pounded too hard.
“……”
She stopped for a moment, took a deep breath, and Matilda turned back.
“Are you feeling unwell?”
“No. I’m just nervous.”
Matilda, seeing the tension in her, gently straightened the folds of the dress and met her eyes.
“You will be fine. It is only a greeting after all.”
Matilda smiled with mischievous kindness, as if she understood how much Vivienne had endured in silence.
At the door of the study Matilda knocked. When the door opened, Kian sat lounging on the sofa, leaning slightly to one side.
Even though I could only watch you from afar, now I can speak with you so close!
Vivienne swallowed hard.
“My lord, I have brought the young lady.”
“Matilda, wait outside.”
A quiet voice. This was the first time she had heard it spoken formally. His voice was as handsome as his appearance.
Once Matilda had left, the room fell into brief silence.
What now? She had waited for this moment, yet now that reality had arrived her knees trembled so violently that the world before her eyes went dark.
Kian offered no prompting. He simply watched her trembling form.
Yes. She had said she would greet him first. She mustered her courage.
“H-hello.”
She greeted him, yet he offered no reply. Their eyes met and, startled, he rose abruptly and approached slowly.
Why was he moving closer?
With every step he took, Vivienne felt her whole body stiffen with tension.
“Matilda said you are a young lady of high birth, but another claims you are a slave who was abandoned.”
At last he stood directly before her, bowed his head, and met her gaze. His dark eyes, deep-set and heavy, gave her a strange, almost electric feeling.
“Who… are you?”