Chapter 6

Translator and Editor: Gina and Tea

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Chapter 6

The second and third floors of the cruise ship contained countless rooms for a party that would last until morning. The hallway, dark and quiet, had minimal lights turned on. The atmosphere was quite spooky, but I didn’t worry because Ji-woon was following behind. I carefully followed and watched the back of the man leading the way. His steps were so firm that there was no semblance of the man staggering and pushing me earlier. The white jacket worn by the waiters skimmed through the darkness of the corridor, giving off an eerie feeling.

The man stopped at the very end of the hallway, in front of the most glamorous door covered in shiny crystals, and took out a key to open the door.

“This room is still available. You can use a washbasin on the side of the terrace. I’ll just open the terrace door first and go back.”

I looked at Ji-woon, who leaned against the door and nodded at me.

The room beyond the man was more spacious and luxurious than expected. I was amazed at how there could be so many things inside a cruise ship on the sea. A splendid chandelier hung precariously from the high ceiling like a temple. A cluster of unlit crystal lights sparkled in the moonlight. On the wide wall hung a large, dazzling painting that shone as if it had something nailed on it, and on both sides, streams of water gushed from a fountain engraved with fancy patterns. The night sea was clearly visible through a large glass window. Since this was a two-story structure, the terrace the man had mentioned seemed to be on the second floor. I thought I would go first, but as we reached the stairwell, the man turned, looked down at me, and said as he raised the corners of his mouth.

“The stairs are steep, so hold on.”

I had felt this from the first time I heard it, but his voice was so sweet that it bewitched anyone who heard it. Holding the man’s hand, I felt a firm grip beyond the glove’s fabric. As we climbed to the second floor, I saw the door leading to the terrace through a glass wall next to a luxurious fireplace.

“Are all the waiters members of Baekcheon? Or is it just a part-time job?”

“We can’t let unknown people in. I think the Miss knows what Baekcheon is like.”

The man smiled slyly as he opened the terrace door. I passed by the smiling man nodding as if to enter and went out to the terrace. There were luxury rocking chairs and a marble table; and on one side, there was a bathtub and a washbasin, perhaps to enjoy a half-bath while looking out at the sea.

After roughly washing my hands, I walked to the railing and leaned against it. I looked down at the black waves under my feet, and soon raised my eyes and breathed a long sigh.

“Woah…” The night sky, filled with stars that seemed to pour into my eyes, was a dizzying dreamlike landscape. The cold wind carried a faint sound of music. The unrealistic sight made me realize that this was certainly a different world. None of the things surrounding me could show what was mine, my world, similar to the gun in the drawer, was far from any landscape. The nervousness that even if I wore something colorful, I will be caught in no time. I looked down from the beautiful sky at the endlessly flowing sea. And at the moment when the sound of the waves engulfed the music.

“…”

The cold wind stopped, and a shadow fell from above me. The sound of music had disappeared. However, it was a voice, not the lapping rush of black waves, that swallowed up the sound.

“You look cold.” Following the soft voice, a jacket was placed over my shoulders. As I stared at him, a languid smile appeared on one side of his mouth. “Actually, you look lonely.”

I stared indifferently at his light eyes that moved as if trying to look through me.

“Will you still stay out here?”

The ticklish feeling left by the hair blowing in the wind. It just wasn’t that bad of a feeling to be caught. Not telling him to leave was just a whim created by the reason. Smiling, I found a lie to respond.

“I can’t be lonely on a day like this. My beloved brother even held such a grand party for me.”

Even though his mask was thin, it was difficult to fathom the expression beyond it. The man leaned against the railing and tilted his head.

“You must be close to each other.”

“Because we’re family.”

The moment I uttered an answer that was ridiculous even as a lie, the corner of his mouth, which had been smiling softly the whole time, seemed to harden. However, in a blink of an eye, a curve was drawn in the corner of his lips, as if I had hallucinated. The man reached out toward me. The hand tucking my fluttering hair over my ear moved slowly. The fingertips that touched my ear were chilling. ‘Since his gloves disappeared?’ After the cloth blocking the flesh vanished, my body trembled at the cold passing by with the fingertips brushing my skin.

“Do you know what I’m best at?”

A low breath glided over his lips. At that whisper, my heart thumped.

“Boss, do you know what I’m best at?”

I couldn’t shake off the gaze fixed on me. The memory flashed through my mind as my heart pounded, making my whole body shiver. It was a line I’ve read before. But the page which contained such a dialogue was nowhere to be seen at the moment.

“It’s lying.”

“Then, do you love me?”

A burning longing like desperation overtook me and shook my head. I hoped for my intuition to be wrong, and the next words would be different from what I intuited. However, as if mocking such hopes, the man closed his eyes and smiled sweetly.

“It’s lying.”

The phrase was the same sentence I had read in the novel. The words Yu-gyeom whispered while confessing his love to Baek Hawon.

Or not? It shouldn’t be like this. My mind became blank and I froze. Taking a shaky breath, I barely took a step back and the jacket that was hanging over my shoulders fell to the floor. Looking at me as if appraising me the man came one step closer. A dark shadow was cast over me.

“But I’m so curious that I should hold it in.”

A low-pitched voice whispered into my ear. As soon as my breath stiffened, a cold touch brushed my cheek. The sensitive nerves all over my body grew at that sensation.

No, wait a second. Is this when you say those words that almost made my heart explode? I really wanted my heart to burst and die right about now. I thought it would be better. I couldn’t help but look at it even if I didn’t want to.

“…The first snow.”

The scene of the first snow falling during the first meeting between Baek Hawon and Yu-gyeom, of all things, why now? All sorts of curses tried to pop out of my mouth, but a feeling of fear that was greater than all of them put together took over my body.

“How did the Princess of Baekcheon know?”

Unfortunately, however, I was not just a reader of the book now, and the situation did not stop just because I did not understand the situation.

“Even Baek Hawon doesn’t kno- uupp!”

At that moment, I instinctively reached out to the man and covered his still moving mouth. Beyond the mask, I could clearly see his eyes widening. I felt like crying. But this unmannered act was the only way to stop a man from speaking. There was no time to think about the future. That’s how desperate I was.

‘Please don’t say more!’ I placed my weight on the man, almost leaning on him, and covered his mouth with both hands. If he went any further, it seemed a really irreversible situation. The man squirmed as if trying to escape. There was no room for silence. I opened my mouth hastily.

“W-wait a minute!”

What should I say? What can I say to escape from here? I tried to focus my head, but my already withered mind couldn’t come up with anything. At that moment, the man’s eyes, which had become round in astonishment, narrowed, and a peal of clear laughter sounded.

The man grabbed my wrist. The hands covering his mouth fell helplessly.

“Are you going to remove the mask?” The breath that touched the palm of my hand felt itchy.

“Will it be okay?”

If a human voice could be embodied, his voice would have been colored sparks bursting in the night sky.

“I don’t know, you might fall for me.”

I couldn’t come to my senses, like a child dazzled by fireworks. The man crookedly raised one corner of his mouth, and still holding my wrist with one hand, he slowly took off his mask with the other.

His white hair shone brightly under the moonlight and fluttered dreamily in front of me. The light eyes, which were darkly shaded and half covered by his eyelids, shone brightly toward me. The moment his eyes folded into a soft line, I felt my heart was going to be crushed from dizziness. Flawless pale skin that cannot be believed to be human. As he bit his red lips slightly, blood scattered and made them even redder. The lip swelled like a balloon just before bursting.

“So, Miss Princess.”

“…”

“How did you know I was Yu-gyeom?”

There was no way I could answer that question.

This is how the development between you and me, containing trillions of death flags, began.

It was indescribable from beginning to end.

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