Chapter 10 : The Saint Sa inauguration

In the end, when the weekend came, Selene had no choice but to be dragged by Evelyn’s hand to attend the Saint Sa launching ceremony.
The sea where the launching ceremony was held could be reached by driving east from the capital, Cantora, for four hours straight.
The large, white cruise ship looked like a giant whale.
Floating on the water, it also looked like a cloud had been torn and thrown into the sea.
“Oh my, how luxurious!”
“Wouldn’t it be wonderful to travel the world on a cruise ship like this?”
“Hehe, we’d have to come back before going bankrupt, though. I heard this cruise ship cost over 10,000 pounds, right? The ticket prices must be incredibly expensive.”
With voices pricing it from all over, the large whale quickly turned into a 10,000-pound lump of iron.
This was also a secondary reason why Selene didn’t attend social gatherings often.
She knew money was important, but these days, everyone seemed to be crazy about money.
She could understand poor people who had to worry about tomorrow going on and on about money, but most of the people talking like that had fancy necklaces around their necks or were wearing high-end brand ties.
Selene could hardly understand them.
‘By the way, where on earth did Evelyn go?’
As soon as Evelyn boarded the cruise ship, she disappeared, saying she had many people to meet.
Because of that, Selene had no choice but to stay alone in the darkest, most secluded corner.
She chose such a place to avoid the people who had been glancing at her since earlier.
It was obvious that if she showed an opening, they would approach her to say at least a word.
If she ran into a man like Theron Cox, she might not be able to keep her promise with Evelyn to be quiet today…
“Ah, it’s wet.”
Just then, someone entered Selene’s shady space, shaking off their wet hair.
Selene’s gaze naturally turned to the intruder who had invaded her territory.
The man smiled nonchalantly despite her wary gaze.
“Champagne. I got hit while passing by as they were popping it.”
“…”
“By the way, have you had lunch? You seem to have been standing here since earlier.”
At the man’s nonchalant way of speaking, Selene had to wonder if Theron Cox had an identical twin.
Otherwise, there was no way this man could talk to her so naturally, as if he had completely forgotten what had happened at the ducal estate.
“If you don’t hurry, only empty plates will be left. As far as I know, the chef of this cruise ship is from the Setford Hotel. The dining room is already bustling with people.”
As Selene continued to stare blankly, Theron belatedly touched his chin with an embarrassed expression.
“Is there something on my face?”
“Do you have amnesia, by any chance?”
Theron burst out laughing at her words.
His soft-looking golden hair swayed with the movement of his shoulders.
“I wish that were the case, but it’s not something I can easily forget. A two-faced hypocrite, a cancer, a narcissist, those aren’t words one can easily forget, are they?”
Selene couldn’t remember if she had said something that harsh, but at least she was glad she didn’t have to say it again.
“If you remember, it would be better for you not to talk to me again.”
“You’re misunderstanding me, Miss Selene.”
‘Misunderstanding?’
Selene’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Theron continued, unfazed.
“It’s true that I’ve met many women for business reasons, but those were purely meetings for work.”
‘Purely meetings for work?’
“As you know, Miss Selene, the era when women only focused on domestic affairs is over. You can tell just by looking at the countless female representatives among my clients. It’s an unavoidable trend that business meetings with such women are becoming more frequent.”
“…”
“Of course, I regret that I should have been more careful with my actions in the Kingdom of Velora, as it still has a conservative side. I speculate that because of that, such ‘distorted’ rumors reached your ears, Miss Selene.”
Selene tried to gauge whether the man in front of her was just wagging his tongue to salvage his reputation.
However, the man’s attitude was so undeniably serious that she couldn’t dismiss it as a lie.
“I didn’t confuse you with another woman either.”
Theron’s voice was calm.
“The problem, if there was one, was the alcohol I had poured down my throat the night before. It’s embarrassing to say, but I didn’t even know what I was saying that day due to my hangover. All I could think about was making a good impression on you, Miss Selene… I was rash.”
“…”
“Of course, I don’t plan on making such a mistake again.”
Theron fell silent after those words.
“Is that all?”
“Well… for now.”
Selene’s gaze was still cold.
“In the end, it’s just a verbal explanation. If there were such reasons, you would have explained them right on the spot. I don’t quite understand.”
“It might seem pathetic, but after being called a cancer… by the woman I confessed to, I was in shock for a while. And when you asked if I liked you because you were pretty, even though I said no at the time, I needed to think about it myself.”
“You worried about something useless. I had no intention of accepting your sincerity, whatever it was.”
Selene thought Theron would back off at this point.
If he bothered her any further, she was prepared to unleash the second round of insults she had loaded.
“You’ve never truly loved someone, have you, Miss Selene?”
But at Theron’s sudden question, Selene had to shut her mouth.
“Because you’ve never loved, you can so easily push away a man who confesses his heart. But love isn’t just a bad thing. I heard you’re a great pianist, and you need to experience various emotions to express the sound richly.”
“…”
“I really want to experience and share many things with you. To see more emotions on your face.”
For a moment, Selene forgot what she was about to say.
Perhaps it was because a man she had only met a few times had accurately pointed out a problem she herself was aware of.
This was a little new.
Until now, all the men had been busy praising her looks or offering her things.
But the strange thing was that even the man who had been confidently persuading her now looked confused somewhere after he finished speaking.
“Mr. Cox?”
At her call, Theron, who had been dazed for a moment, regained focus.
“…So, if you can’t see me as a romantic partner right away, how about giving me a chance to be your friend? If you feel various emotions because of me, it will surely help you understand the pieces more broadly.”
“…”
“You can use me however you want.”
Selene thought for a moment.
Whether keeping this handsome stone, among other stones, by her side would help her improve her piano skills.
Her thoughts soon leaned towards the idea that it might not be so bad.
She didn’t completely believe his words, but since he was a man who claimed to have fallen in love with her at first sight, there was a possibility that she could understand the emotion of love a little better by observing him.
Whether it was an act with a purpose or his true feelings, he would try to express love.
Studying such a sight would be helpful for the piece she was practicing now.
However, there was one thing that still bothered her.
“I despise womanizers.”
Theron smiled even at Selene’s firm reply.
It was a brilliant smile that could brighten even a shady place.
“Then shall I prove that I’m not a womanizer?”
“…”
“That you are the only one I love.”
Even Selene, who was slightly moved by the brilliant smile, somehow felt a bad premonition.
“Hey, Theron! Banker Algernon was looking for you.”
Just as her lips parted, a voice calling for Theron from afar made him kiss the back of Selene’s hand like a swift weasel.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
Before Selene could answer, the man left the shady deck with his long legs.
The back of her hand where his lips had touched was definitely covered by a glove, but for some reason, the soft sensation felt as vivid as if it had touched her skin directly.
As she slowly blinked at the unfamiliar feeling, Evelyn soon appeared.
“Selene! There you are, do you know how long I’ve been looking for you? Are you a mole, why were you in such a dark, secluded corner.”
“…”
“Let’s go. The dining room is already swarming with people as if they’ve been starving for days. We might not be able to eat anything before the reception at this rate.”
However, as Evelyn grabbed Selene’s hand, the lingering sensation on the back of her hand quickly vanished.