Garden of May - Chapter 136
“If something as unfortunate as war really is coming, then all the more reason to enjoy tonight. We can leave the nation in the hands of our brave navy officers.”
“Gentlemen and ladies, before the shelling begins, shall we have another glass of brandy?”
The suggestion sparked a burst of noisy laughter. Among the guests mingling together and trading frivolous jokes were quite a few naval officers as well.
Vanessa, weaving anxiously through the crowd in search of Rosalyn, suddenly stopped short at the sight of a familiar back.
A dark-haired officer with his navy cap pulled low.
For one terrifying instant, she thought she had actually found River Ross, and her heart lurched violently. But almost immediately, she realized she had mistaken a complete stranger for him.
The build, the face, even the voice—everything was different. How had she managed to mistake that man for him, even for a second?
‘What’s wrong with me?’
She only fully regained her senses after accidentally making eye contact with another officer several times in a row. Startled, Vanessa quickly lowered her gaze.
“Are you all right, miss?”
She had just gripped the railing and steadied her breathing when a shadow fell across her.
One of the officers she had exchanged glances with earlier was now standing directly in front of her, blocking her path.
Vanessa nervously adjusted the ribbon on her hat, trying to hide her flustered expression.
“It’s nothing.”
“But it felt like we kept making eye contact. Was I mistaken?”
“I was looking for someone. He’s a naval officer too, so I kept checking. I’m sorry if it made you uncomfortable.”
“If you’re searching for someone, perhaps I can help. Lady…”
“Vanessa. Vanessa Siren Somerset.”
The expression that flashed across the man’s face was very nearly shock.
Vanessa wanted to examine it more closely, but he masked his reaction almost instantly. Straightening his posture sharply, he offered her such an excessively formal salute that it startled her.
“…It seems I’ve committed a serious discourtesy.”
After that, she encountered two more officers who reacted in eerily similar ways. They approached her with obvious interest, only to hear her name and then awkwardly retreat with confused expressions.
“Lady Vanessa?”
Vanessa spun around at the sound of her name.
“…?”
Had she imagined it? There were only unfamiliar gentlemen and ladies standing in that direction.
She hesitated briefly before moving again and suddenly a man burst through the crowd and blocked her path.
“Please wait a moment. I’ve been searching for you all night.”
“…For me?”
“Would you spare me a little of your time? Rather than speaking here, perhaps we could sit inside somewhere and have tea.”
Vanessa looked at him with rising suspicion.
What exactly was happening? From the way he spoke, this man had clearly been searching specifically for her.
“I’m sorry, but I’ll have to refuse. My companions are waiting for me.”
“It’ll only take a moment. Ah, and I haven’t introduced myself. I’m not a suspicious person—I’m a reporter for a magazine—”
“Vanessa! Over here!”
Just as the persistent man’s insistence was making Vanessa’s face slowly drain of color, a bright voice rang out from the crowd.
A young woman waved energetically while calling her name. It was Rosalyn.
“Rosalyn!”
The instant Vanessa saw her approaching, relief flooded through her.
Rosalyn stepped directly in front of her, almost completely ignoring the man. Her cheeks were flushed bright red with excitement; judging by her appearance, she had clearly been enjoying the shipboard party immensely.
“I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Come to the front deck. Mary’s there too.”
Without even glancing at the man, Rosalyn firmly grabbed Vanessa’s arm and pulled her away. Still bewildered, Vanessa gave the stranger a small apologetic nod before following after Rosalyn.
It was unusually rude behavior for Rosalyn.
“Keep looking straight ahead, Vanessa. Don’t make eye contact with anyone.”
“What on earth is going on?”
“You’re asking me? Where were you all night? Ethan and I have been searching for you everywhere.”
“You were with Ethan this whole time?”
“We had a lot to catch up on, so we ended up talking for ages. Then Mary told us you’d disappeared, and for the past several hours we’ve both been looking for you…”
Rosalyn answered automatically before wrinkling her nose sharply, as though realizing none of that was the important issue right now.
“Ethan went to get drinks. I came up to the deck to rest for a bit and happened to spot you. Smile, Vanessa.”
At the command, Vanessa reflexively smiled. Rosalyn immediately smiled back with exaggerated delight and briefly hugged her.
But the words she hissed directly into Vanessa’s ear sounded much closer to scolding.
“Where on earth were you? Mary said she couldn’t find you, the cabin suddenly needed repairs, and apparently you didn’t leave a single message for me…”
“Rosalyn.”
“You can’t just disappear without saying anything. Do you know how worried I was?”
“I’m really sorry. Yesterday I was just… a little overwhelmed…”
Rosalyn stared silently at Vanessa’s fumbling excuse for a moment before finally letting out a long sigh.
“Well, now that I know you’re alive, I suppose that’s enough.”
Then her lips curled upward mischievously.
“Though honestly, it’s a little disappointing. A very interesting rumor started spreading while you were gone.”
“An interesting rumor?”
Rosalyn nodded. Then, with sparkling eyes and flushed excitement, she stared directly at Vanessa.
- Protected: Garden of May Chapter 152 - Jun 16, 2026
- Protected: Garden of May Chapter 151 - Jun 16, 2026
- Protected: Garden of May Chapter 150 - Jun 16, 2026
