“Because of that ‘Curse of the Jaina’, everyone is going crazy. They’re probably dreaming happily as if they’re really lovers with the CEO, not knowing the event was rigged.”

“I know, right? It’s so annoying. Our crew is suffering so much because of that woman. And she’s just enjoying herself leisurely, all dressed up.”

“Ah, I wish the first voyage would end quickly. I really can’t stand the sight of that woman. It was so hard at first with the captain’s secret surveillance orders. I don’t even want to think about it again.”

“Exactly. Later, even though it wasn’t in the CEO’s orders, it’s become a habit to keep watching her annoyingly? In three days, this will all be over. We’ll be completely free from that woman.”

These were words openly expressing hostility towards Lee Se Hee.

Unable to leave and standing in front of the door, Se Hee overheard secret stories she had known nothing about until now.

Se Hee was struck with shock as if hit by lightning.

She heard it with her own ears, but she couldn’t believe it.

Kyle is the CEO of Decona, no, Evans Cruise Company?

What’s this curse of the Jaina?

A rigged event… Could they be talking about the wedding event?

What on earth does this all mean?

She was bewildered.

No, she was confused.

Various suspicious incidents that Se Hee had questioned began to surface in her muddled mind one after another.

Kyle, who appeared at the right place and time to save her whenever she was in danger, almost too much to be a coincidence.

The CEO who recovered her lost earrings and even gave her a jewel gift.

The captain who sent the dress she was going to buy as an event gift.

Even winning the wedding event that had almost no chance of winning.

Haa.

As her thoughts tangled, Se Hee even developed a severe headache.

To think that all the unexpected luck was intentional.

All the luck Se Hee had experienced so far had been a well-crafted script.

For a moment, her head spun.

She felt dizzy.

The things she had found a bit strange now made rational sense with convincing evidence in those crew members’ conversation.

But she just couldn’t accept it until she saw it with her own eyes.

Her whole body started to tremble.

Se Hee couldn’t even stand up.

It was only long after they had left that Se Hee barely managed to leave the event hall.

Se Hee then headed straight for the 24-hour open OA room.

‘The Curse of the Jaina.’

They said that’s why Kyle approached her, and why all the crew members were paying attention to her.

Even surveillance, they said.

What on earth could this curse be?

With trembling heart, Se Hee began searching for ‘The Curse of the Jaina’ on the internet.

A few sources were found, and Se Hee could find articles about the cruise ship Jaina that actually existed 50 years ago.

The Jaina, which was permanently docked in port after a female passenger jumped overboard during its first voyage.

Se Hee could even confirm how the ‘Curse of the Jaina’ had created some kind of unwritten rule among cruise ship crew members.

Her heart sank at that moment.

It was true.

It wasn’t a lie.

Was Kyle’s approach planned too?

Because of that curse.

A pain like her heart was being torn apart overwhelmed her.

Se Hee’s hands trembled even more than before.

Fear overtook Se Hee as she typed Kyle’s name into the search bar.

Kyle Graham Evans.

It was the officially announced name of the CEO of Evans Company on the homepage.

Evans, it said.

As if deeply connected to the Evans Group, Kyle’s surname was Evans, not Graham.

Now she couldn’t deny it anymore.

It was hard to hold back the tears welling up.

Her vision blurred quickly with moisture.

Falling into a state of shock, Se Hee sat blankly, shedding silent tears.

Kyle’s sincere gaze he had shown her.

His gentle smile directed at her.

The way he had embraced her warmly.

Was it all a lie?

Was it all an act?

How could this be?

Had he so thoroughly humiliated her?

For the sake of the new cruise business he was promoting?

She wanted to say it wasn’t true, but there was nothing Se Hee could deny.

A hollow laugh escaped her.

Stained with tears, Se Hee laughed like a person who had lost their mind.

And then she burst into tears.

She had believed.

Kyle.

She thought he was different.

This time she really thought it was different.

So foolishly.

She had such an absurd thought that she was really lucky.

If she had just taken one step back to look, she would have seen it clearly.

She hadn’t been able to objectively see the events that were full of coincidences too strange for anyone to miss.

Se Hee blamed her foolish self.

Her foolish self who had already given her heart to him… without even knowing this.

She sobbed for a long time, lost in thought.

She didn’t even notice someone approaching her as she cried.

“Se Hee?”

Someone called out to Se Hee.

But Se Hee didn’t hear the voice at once.

“Se Hee? Are you okay?”

The voice called out to Se Hee loudly once more.

Only then did Se Hee respond slowly.

Ban Seong Jae was looking at Se Hee with worried eyes.

The moment she saw Seong Jae, Se Hee remembered what he had said last time.

“How much do you know about that man? Do you trust him? Is that man sincere to you like your feelings for him?”

Those words Seong Jae had asked, as if warning her.

Only now did Se Hee understand what those warnings meant.

Who Kyle was, why he had approached her.

It seemed Seong Jae had known everything.

Maybe even that she would break down like this.

Se Hee lowered her head weakly.

Seong Jae looked at Se Hee, who seemed strange somehow, and realized what she had been searching on the screen.

It was about Kyle Graham Evans.

Seong Jae instinctively knew this moment was a golden opportunity.

He felt a momentary pang of conscience holding him back, but his feelings for Se Hee strongly pushed it down.

“Se Hee. So you finally found out.”

Seong Jae looked down at Se Hee with a regretful expression.

“…Did you know about this, Seong Jae?”

Se Hee’s voice was so faint, like a candle about to be extinguished.

Seong Jae nodded heavily instead of answering.

“…Did you… know… everything?”

Se Hee’s eyes trembled as she asked again slowly.

Seong Jae thought Se Hee’s question was simply about Kyle’s identity.

So Seong Jae decided to use this opportunity properly.

After all, he had decided to bury his conscience for a moment.

“…I’m sorry. On the day of the wedding event announcement, I actually went to see him.”

Seong Jae spoke to Se Hee with his head bowed, as if making a confession.

Seeing Seong Jae like this, Se Hee forcibly swallowed the emotions about to burst from her mouth.

Seong Jae could clearly see Se Hee trying hard to suppress her emotions.

Though that sight was so pitiful, Seong Jae decided to push a little more to fully seize the opportunity.

“I warned him not to treat you carelessly, but…”

Seong Jae pretended to be in pain as he watched Se Hee’s expression change again.

“I’m sorry, Se Hee. I should have stopped you more actively, but I thought you would have a hard time… That’s why I could only speak indirectly like yesterday. I’m really sorry.”

Seong Jae grabbed Se Hee’s hand, which was turning pale.

He decided to be a bad guy just for this moment.

He steeled his heart to change Se Hee’s feelings in the direction he wanted.

“From now on, I’ll protect you. I’ll stay by your side. Se Hee.”

Seong Jae tried to pull Se Hee into his arms.

But Se Hee pushed Seong Jae away and stood up.

“…Thank you for telling me. But I’ll handle my own affairs myself.”

Se Hee spoke stiffly, her expression already gone, and turned away.

Despite using such an uncharacteristically petty method, Seong Jae had to face Se Hee’s cold back.

Watching Se Hee walk away, Seong Jae heaved a heavy sigh.

Kyle Graham Evans and Lee Se Hee.

Seong Jae sensed that a fatal wound would surely form between the two.

* * *

Kyle, who had returned with a cool non-alcoholic drink, was searching frantically for Se Hee who had suddenly disappeared without a word.

Did she just leave?

Kyle was bewildered.

Was she that nervous?

It seems my little bird got scared because I pushed too hastily.

How did she find such courage that day?

Kyle looked around once more, smiling wryly.

But Se Hee was nowhere to be seen.

Feeling something strange, Kyle left the event hall and headed to Se Hee’s cabin.

When Kyle arrived at the cabin, he rang the doorbell, but the cabin was empty.

Did we just miss each other?

Se Hee still had his room key.

Although he knew Se Hee wouldn’t find his room on her own, Kyle headed to his own room.

Of course, Se Hee wasn’t there either.

Where on earth did she disappear to?

Now Kyle started to worry about Se Hee.

Kyle headed back to Se Hee’s cabin.

But then, he saw Se Hee walking towards the cabin.

Only then did Kyle approach Se Hee with quick steps, feeling relieved.

“What’s going on? Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you?”

Seeing Kyle asking as if he had been worried, Se Hee stepped back, startled as if she had seen a ghost.

“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

Kyle was taken aback by Se Hee’s incomprehensible reaction.

Every time Kyle took a step forward, Se Hee stepped back as if frightened.

Finding that behavior more suspicious, Kyle strode forward and caught the fleeing Se Hee.

Se Hee looked up at Kyle, her pupils dilated as if in a daze.

“What on earth is going on?”

Kyle’s frustrated voice grew louder.

“…I’m, I’m not feeling well.”

Se Hee said so, knowing it was an absurd excuse.

Why did you deceive me?

Why did you do it?

Why did you do such a thing?

She wanted to ask, but the words wouldn’t come out.

She couldn’t bear the pain of hearing those facts directly from Kyle, to whom she had already given her whole heart.

So she just couldn’t ask.

Seeing Kyle approaching with surprise like someone genuinely worried, she couldn’t believe even this appearance was a lie.

No, she didn’t want to believe it.

Se Hee was not at all prepared to accept this shocking truth.

Se Hee looked up at Kyle with eyes full of resentment.

“What’s wrong? Where are you not feeling well?”

Kyle asked.

Se Hee’s current state was somehow strange.

Se Hee’s expression was not that of someone who was unwell.

It was a blank expression, as if she had received some great shock.

Moreover, Se Hee’s gaze towards him had changed.

It was completely different from her shy, nervous look with flushed cheeks just moments ago.

“Where have you been? What happened?”

Kyle asked Se Hee as if interrogating her, but Se Hee didn’t answer.

“I’m tired. I want to rest now.”

Se Hee said, avoiding Kyle’s gaze.

She was struggling to break free from his hand.

“Then let’s go to my room. It would be better to rest together there.”

Something had clearly happened to Se Hee.

Feeling anxious that he might not see her again if he let her go now, Kyle wanted to keep Se Hee in his space.

“No. I’ll rest in my own cabin. So please… let go of me now?”

Se Hee’s voice asking to be released was cold enough to chill.

“…Se Hee?”

Kyle’s expression froze completely at Se Hee’s voice, sharp enough to pierce his heart.

“…Are you angry because I was too hasty in the event hall? If it’s because of that, I’m really sorry. I sincerely apologize. I acted rudely.”

Kyle thought Se Hee was acting this way because of that in the current situation.

That he hadn’t properly understood her expression to stop.

“Let, go of my hand.”

Se Hee spoke in a very firm tone despite Kyle’s apology.

Surprised by Se Hee’s unfamiliar attitude, Kyle instead gripped her hand more tightly.

“It hurts.”

Only when Se Hee frowned painfully did the strength leave Kyle’s hand.

Soon after, Se Hee broke free from Kyle and entered her cabin without looking back.

What on earth is going on here?

The confused Kyle stood blankly in front of the firmly closed door after Se Hee had gone inside.

A moment later, Se Hee’s cabin door opened.

For a moment, a small sigh of relief escaped Kyle’s lips.

However, Se Hee, stiff and staring at him, was holding Kyle’s jacket in her hand.

Recognizing his jacket, Kyle was instantly overwhelmed by a powerfully swirling ominous feeling.

“…Take it back.”

Speaking coldly, Se Hee returned Kyle’s jacket she was holding.

Then she turned around coolly and went inside, slamming the door shut so hard it made a bang.

The door that closed like that never opened again.