CHAPTER~32
Mother and Child
Yvonne stepped into the indoor exhibition hall to escape the rain.
She was startled.
The exhibition hall, built close to the sea, had a glass front facing the water, reflecting the scenery as it was.
But that wasn’t what truly surprised Yvonne.
‘A ship…?’
In front of the glass wall that reflected the ocean scenery stood a massive ship.
It looked as though a real ship was floating right on the sea.
For Yvonne, who had lived only inland, it was a sight she had never seen before.
As she stared blankly at the scenery, she noticed another peculiarity of the exhibition hall.
Most of the people inside were wearing masks of various shapes and colors.
Especially the children — every single one wore a mask.
The giant chandeliers hanging from the ceiling glittered brilliantly, giving the exhibition hall a dreamy atmosphere.
It resembled a masquerade ball.
Only with more children mixed in — livelier and more cheerful.
Perhaps because of the rain, there were more people inside the expo hall than she expected.
If she mixed into that crowd, Derrick Glaston would have a hard time finding her.
‘I might as well stop by the detective’s office and go home afterward.’
She could simply say she got swept away by the crowd and lost him.
Then she suddenly realized.
She was free for the first time in a very long while.
No one here recognized her.
No one was watching her.
She had no need to keep pretending to be Yvonne Leroy.
For this moment, she could exist solely as ‘Adel Wood.’
Her heart fluttered at the thought.
‘For now… it’s raining.’
So maybe it was fine to look around a little longer.
Just until the rain stopped.
Rationalizing her curiosity, Adel carefully stepped deeper into the crowd.
Her dress, wet from the rain, clung heavily to her, but her steps felt light.
Further inside, a row of small stalls came into view.
Some sold snacks she had never seen before.
Others sold masks like the ones she noticed when she entered.
Adel was about to walk past them when she stopped abruptly.
Everyone around her was wearing a mask.
Seeing them made her feel like she too needed one to blend in.
Maybe it was just an excuse to justify the flutter in her chest.
‘Everyone’s wearing a mask, so if I’m the only one who doesn’t… Derrick Glaston might find me right away.’
Yes, that was it.
She would wear one to hide.
But she couldn’t suppress the smile tugging at her lips as she looked through the masks.
“How about this one?
It’s a style many young ladies choose.”
An employee approached, recommending a butterfly-shaped mask lined with fluttering feathers.
It was bright and beautiful, and the open lower half made it easier to eat while wearing it.
Adel took the mask.
“I’ll take this one.”
The problem occurred then.
She had no money.
Noble ladies did not carry money.
Their maids handled expenses, and if they were out with a man, the man paid.
Her status as Yvonne bound her feet again.
As she reluctantly returned the mask—
“I’ll pay for it.”
A low masculine voice fell from above her head, and a large hand appeared beside her.
Startled, Adel looked up.
Behind an ornate mask, a pair of familiar eyes emerged.
Blue as the sea, deep enough to swallow everything.
Her eyes widened.
“Sir Cedric…?”
Shh.
He shaped the word silently, glancing sideways at the employee.
Understanding his meaning, Adel quickly closed her mouth.
Thankfully, the clerk did not seem to hear his name.
After receiving the change, Adel followed Cedric Glaston as he walked away.
“What brings you here?”
Cedric wrinkled his brow playfully before answering.
“What should I say when a lady visits my own exhibition hall and asks me such a question?”
Only then did Adel realize this was Windfield Company’s exhibition hall, and her eyes widened.
“Then… you’re the one who planned the display using the ship and sea scenery?”
“It’s the result of paying a very capable employee a very generous salary.”
Then he asked,
“And what brings the young lady here?”
Adel pressed her lips together.
The memory of Derrick came back to her, one she didn’t want to bring up.
Especially not in front of this man.
As she hesitated, the mask slipped from her hands.
She looked up, meeting Cedric’s gaze.
At the same time, his fingers brushed the edge of her ear.
The fleeting contact made Adel freeze for a moment.
Before she knew it, the mask was already fitted onto her face.
“Come with me.
I’ll show you around.”
He walked ahead with long strides.
Adel fiddled with her mask before quickly following him.
Within a few steps, the distance between them closed.
Cedric led her to the giant ship display.
An entrance beneath the hull allowed visitors to walk inside.
Standing before it, Cedric offered his hand like an escort.
“The theme is a masquerade aboard a ship.”
Only then did Adel understand why masks were sold everywhere and why the chandeliers were so lavish.
She nodded and placed her hand atop his.
Cedric let out a small chuckle at how quickly she immersed herself in the moment.
They climbed the stairs, entering the wide deck.
Beyond it spread the vast view of the sea.
The sky was cloudy, so there was no sunset, but Adel — who had never been on a ship — was completely captivated by the horizon.
Just then, a glass was placed in her hand.
Inside was an orange-colored liquid.
“Drink.”
“Is it alcohol?”
“Ah, you won’t jump off the deck from drinking it, so don’t worry.”
Her face flushed red as an unwanted memory surfaced.
Just like that night.
Unable to refute him, Adel drank.
It was a fragrant orange juice.
Its sweetness made her smile.
Eventually, she found herself laughing along with him.
His low, rumbling laughter was pleasant to hear.
Watching her laugh, Cedric asked,
“Ever been on a ship before?”
“No, this is my first time.”
“Does this count as a ship too?”
“Well… until I get on a real one, I’ll count this as one.”
Adel answered confidently.
And innocently.
Like a country girl seeing the world for the first time.
Still sipping her orange juice, Adel turned to him with sparkling eyes.
“A real ship must be far more beautiful than this, right?”
Her eyes shone like she was looking at flowers.
Cedric answered with certainty,
“Absolutely.”
“When I find my mother, I want to ride a ship with her.
Since I’ll have to travel far anyway, crossing the sea to a distant country sounds wonderful too.”
In that moment, she looked like a child searching for a mother she’d lost.
A girl fragile enough to make him uneasy.
Cedric’s grip on his glass tightened slightly.
“Why did you choose the sea, Sir?”
Cedric blinked, as if asking what she meant.
“You run many businesses.
I was wondering why you chose one related to the sea.”
“Because once you cross the sea, you can scoop up the money on the other side too?”
His dry answer made Adel wrinkle her brows, then burst into laughter.
“That’s exactly the kind of answer I expected from you.”
“The lady has a talent for insulting people while smiling, I see.”
“T-that wasn’t my intention.”
Unbothered, Cedric set her empty glass on a passing employee’s tray.
The two stepped off the deck to avoid the thickening crowd.
“Mommy, the ship!
I want to ride the ship!”
Just then, they bumped into a young girl.
The girl’s ice cream smeared across Adel’s dress.
The woman holding the child — likely her mother — gasped and bowed in apology.
“Oh my!
I’m so, so sorry!
Oh dear, your dress is ruined…”
As the flustered mother wiped the dress with a handkerchief, the child looked up at Adel with frightened eyes.
Only now realizing she’d made a mistake.
Seeing the child’s fear, Adel smiled gently.
“It’s all right.
You can barely see it.”
While Cedric observed the scene, a familiar voice called out,
“Boss!”
Blan hurried toward them, looking urgent.
Cedric narrowed his eyes and stepped aside to speak with him.
Blan lowered his voice to report,
“About the woman you were looking for — Milena Wood.”
Cedric’s eyes moved to Adel, who was now giving the girl some coins for ice cream.
He could tell she was projecting someone onto the child.
Blan continued,
“She passed away a few days ago from a chronic illness.”
