Ensnared by the Trap (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 8
The Decora Ho, which had been vigorously advancing toward its next port of call, gradually slowed its movement and eventually came to a complete stop in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea.
Dave, who had been frantically searching for the missing Kyle, realized the hull had stopped and rushed up to the bridge in shock.
“What the hell is this? If the sailing schedule gets disrupted, how do you plan to take responsibility for it!”
Captain Marcus looked at Dave, who had burst in excitedly, with a grave expression.
“I clearly said I would give you one hour. The time I promised has already passed, and they haven’t shown up.”
“Aren’t we doing our very best to find them!”
Dave said in an anguished voice.
“I’m contacting headquarters immediately and issuing a rescue order. Prepare for rescue operations.”
Marcus ordered the waiting crew members.
“Stop. I’m the acting captain right now.”
When Dave shouted, the crew members who had started moving froze in place.
“The captain of the Decora Ho is me. Once the voyage has begun, in emergency situations, it’s right to follow my orders.”
At this, Captain Marcus raised his voice.
“That would apply when the CEO and I are not present. The situation is different now. Get the ship moving on its scheduled course immediately. What will you say if the passengers find out the hull has stopped?”
“We’ll have to announce that it’s an emergency situation.”
Despite Dave’s warning, Captain Marcus did not waver.
“……I simply don’t want to repeat the precedent of the Zaina Ho. And as the captain of this ship, I have a duty to rescue passengers.”
Marcus’s eyes, filled with strong determination, turned toward Dave.
They were stubbornly resolute eyes that would absolutely see his will through.
“Start moving… immediately.”
Yet Dave was no pushover either.
Between Dave, who refused to back down against the captain, and the captain who did not budge an inch, the navigators and crew were at a complete loss, unable to do anything.
At that moment, someone came running into the bridge.
“Captain. Captain. I-it seems to be the engine room.”
A crew member who had rushed in, breathing heavily as if about to collapse, said with difficulty.
“The engine room?”
Dave’s brow furrowed deeply.
At the exact spot where Kyle had disappeared from the CCTV footage, there were stairs leading down to the engine room.
From the very beginning, Dave had wanted to check that place, but because Captain Marcus was convinced it was a suicide and insisted outsiders would never go down to the engine room, it had not been properly searched.
“There was a complaint that strange noises were coming up through the ventilation ducts, and it seems to be from the underground engine room.”
The moment the words were spoken, Dave bolted out.
Toward the passage leading to the engine room right next to the spot where the two figures had last been captured on CCTV.
As he practically ran down the stairs, the strange noise the crew member had mentioned began to reach his ears.
Following that eerie sound ringing through the otherwise quiet cruise ship, Dave walked quickly.
The closer he got, the clearer the sound became.
Thanks to that, Dave was able to quickly locate the source and let out a sigh of relief when he arrived in front of the tightly closed hatch.
When Dave turned the hatch wheel, the sealed steel door slowly opened with a sharp screech.
* * *
The South Korean national anthem was resounding through the ventilation shafts of a British cruise ship in the middle of the Mediterranean.
“With this spirit and this heart, we pledge our loyalty….”
Se Hee’s solo performance of the national anthem had finally reached the fourth verse.
Kyle, arms crossed as he watched the scene, had to bite his lip.
It was a dangerous situation where a chuckle might escape at any moment.
Kyle was not unfamiliar with the South Korean national anthem, Aegukga.
But how could someone sing it so seriously—yet so hilariously—in this situation?
The sudden thought occurred to him that being with her would never be boring.
While gazing at Se Hee, Kyle was unaware that a smile had not left his lips.
Then, the mechanical noise that had been louder than Se Hee’s voice suddenly vanished.
And soon after, the movement of the hull stopped.
With a grave expression, Kyle headed toward the door.
“Stopping the ship. This is insane. Ha.”
Because it had become too quiet, Kyle’s muttered curse was audible even to Se Hee, but she pretended not to hear and focused on singing.
“It suddenly got so quiet. This is a perfect chance for my voice to reach all the way up. Mu~gung-hwa sam-cheon-ri~.”
Se Hee sang the national anthem with all the passion she could muster, and at some point,
In the silence, another sound was heard.
The sound of the locked hatch door opening.
Startled, Se Hee stopped singing and stared at the door.
It was the first time in her life that the piercing metallic screech stimulating her eardrums felt so welcome.
Kyle’s gaze as he waited for the door to open had turned coldly calm.
Finally, the door opened, and a man stepped inside.
Dave, entering through the hatch, locked eyes with Kyle, who was glaring sharply at him.
In that instant, Dave had to prepare himself for death.
“You’ve had a hard time. I’m truly sorry for being so late.”
Unable to even call Kyle by name, Dave bowed his head with a trembling voice.
“The door… the door opened. We’re escaping. Escape! My singing must have worked. Mr. Graham, we’re saved!”
But Se Hee, who had no idea what was really going on, shouted joyfully to Kyle.
“Thank you so much. Truly, thank you.”
With an expression like she might burst into tears at any moment, Se Hee now bowed deeply toward Dave.
“N-no, not at all. I’m sorry for being late.”
Dave said, looking extremely uncomfortable.
“No, it’s fine. Really, it’s okay. Thank you so much for finding us like this.”
“Please come out now.”
Speaking politely, Dave stepped aside from the door.
Se Hee went out first.
Kyle said nothing.
Just that chilling gaze alone forced Dave to swallow dryly.
Outside the hatch, Captain Marcus and the crew were lined up in formation.
“The crew will guide you.”
When Kyle spoke to Se Hee, female crew members immediately approached her.
Hearing the icy tone so different from when they had been trapped together, Se Hee looked at Kyle with a bewildered expression.
However, Kyle gave Se Hee a light nod and immediately turned away.
After confirming that Se Hee had returned to her cabin first, Kyle’s piercing gaze shot straight to Captain Marcus.
“Was the decision to stop the ship during voyage made unilaterally?”
At Kyle’s question, Marcus could not answer immediately.
“If regular patrol times had simply been observed, I could have returned much sooner. I intend to hold someone fully accountable for this incident.”
After emitting a cold aura toward Marcus, Kyle walked ahead.
Letting out a deep sigh, Marcus followed behind with a dark expression.
* * *
Returning to her cabin, Se Hee felt exhaustion crash over her all at once from the extreme tension.
She thought she should at least change into comfortable clothes and rest, then remembered that the jacket draped over her shoulders belonged to Kyle.
“Ah. It’s his clothes.”
Se Hee looked at his suit jacket with some embarrassment.
“I’ll return it later, whatever.”
When she hung his jacket on a hanger, the refreshing scent spread once more.
Thinking how nice the fragrance was, Se Hee closed the wardrobe.
She showered and lay on the bed, but sleep would not come easily.
Her body felt as heavy as wet cotton and screamed for rest, yet her mind was perfectly clear.
Is he okay?
How should I return these clothes later?
He was surprisingly warm-handed for a man.
Only when her mind became completely filled with thoughts of that man did she slowly drift off to sleep.
Time had already passed well into the afternoon, and the sunset was slowly dyeing Se Hee’s bed through the balcony.
“Mmm….”
Feeling something chilly, Se Hee suddenly opened her eyes.
The sunset sky soon filled her vision.
“Oh my god. Today was the Santorini port of call. Aaaah. It’s ruined.”
Jumping out of bed, Se Hee bolted from the cabin.
The ship anchored far off the coast of Santorini had its back to the sunset.
“Haa… I’m so upset. It seems I really have no fate with Santorini.”
Se Hee gazed regretfully at the blue roofs visible in the distance.
Letting out a sigh heavy enough to pierce the floor, Se Hee finally turned to leave after a long while.
At that very moment, Kyle, having just finished a business meeting at the Santorini port and returned to the Decora Ho, caught sight of Se Hee trudging away.
He recalled the expression Se Hee had worn while trapped in the hatch together, praising Santorini—their first port of call—as much as she had lamented her lost earring.
Seeing her drooping shoulders and what appeared to be indoor clothes, it seemed she had missed the port excursion.
It was something he could simply pass by.
Yet when he tried to turn away, her listless, sagging shoulders kept bothering him.
Kyle checked his wristwatch.
There were about two hours left until the Decora Ho departed.
“Dave.”
“Yes, CEO.”
“Boat… have it on standby.”
“Yes? Yes, understood.”
As Dave headed back to the boat, Kyle quickly walked toward Se Hee.
Closing the distance with each step, Se Hee sensed someone behind her and turned around.
“G-Graham?”
Se Hee looked at Kyle with a startled expression.
“The port excursion?”
“Ah… well….”
Se Hee made a regretful face.
“I’ll give you ten minutes. Time to get ready.”
“Huh?”
Se Hee, not immediately grasping what Kyle meant, asked again.
“I think we can manage about two hours to look around Santorini.”
“Santorini?”
“Wait at the front of the boat in Sector S.”
“Y-you’re taking me to Santorini? Right now? Me?”
Only then realizing what Kyle meant, Se Hee stammered in shock.
“Only nine minutes left now.”
Kyle checked his watch again.
“O-okay! Just a second. Wait!”
Se Hee dashed back to her cabin as fast as she could.
* * *
The private boat carrying the now-ready Se Hee and Kyle arrived at the Santorini port.
“Thank you so much. I really thought I had no fate with Santorini.”
“There isn’t much time, so it looks like we can only briefly see the village of Ia.”
“The village of Ia? That’s more than enough.”
Se Hee beamed at Kyle.
Seeing that, a natural smile spread across Kyle’s face as well.
As soon as the boat reached the pier, Se Hee, full of anticipation, prepared to disembark without waiting.
“Watch your step.”
Se Hee stared intently at Kyle’s face as he carefully looked after her while she got off the boat.
One of Kyle’s eyebrows rose slightly as their eyes met.
As if asking, What?
“Thank you for everything.”
Feeling burdened by Se Hee’s unwavering gaze, Kyle gave an unnecessary cough.
Se Hee took Kyle’s large hand and safely stepped off the boat.
The moment she did, she pulled out her phone and became completely absorbed in taking photos.
Thanks to docking the boat near the village of Ia, they could catch the Mediterranean sunset that had already begun turning red.
The area was so packed with people gathered to witness this world-famous beautiful sight that there was hardly room to stand.
And all around, couples were creating a sensual atmosphere with deep kisses.
“This place became a famous kissing spot because of a legend, right?”
Feeling oddly self-conscious in the strange atmosphere, Se Hee spoke awkwardly.
“A legend?”
“The legend that if you kiss while watching the sunset over the Aegean Sea, you’ll have eternal love. That’s why there are so many people, isn’t it? You’ve done a lot of cruise travel—did you really not know?”
Se Hee teased.
“I don’t believe in superstitions or anything like that.”
Kyle answered dryly.
“Superstition… hmm. It’s a beautiful legend. Well, anyway. I don’t believe in eternal love either.”
At those words, Kyle turned his head and looked down at Se Hee.
“Do you believe in eternal love, Mr. Graham?”
Kyle could not answer Se Hee’s question right away.
In that moment, Se Hee suddenly felt like teasing this man.
“…Shall we test whether it’s real or not?”
Se Hee’s eyes gleamed unusually.
“What?”
“Eternal love that I don’t believe in, and the superstition and legend that you don’t believe in. Whether it comes true or not.”
Se Hee deliberately closed the distance between them little by little.
“N-no? I’m not curious at all?”
Looking uncomfortable, Kyle stepped back.
“Really? I’m extremely, very, tremendously curious.”
Se Hee brought her mischievous face right up close.
“I said I’m not cur—”
Before Kyle could finish speaking, Se Hee’s lips brushed against his.
It was an unexpected accident.
Her cheeks burning red, Se Hee panicked and pulled away like lightning.
“Th-that. I didn’t think they would actually touch. Really….”
It was an utterly mortifying situation.
She had only meant to pretend to kiss as a joke.
Se Hee’s mind went completely blank.
That fleeting instant had also turned Kyle’s mind completely blank.
The heart Kyle had barely been holding in check exploded.
Kyle’s gaze as he looked down at Se Hee turned strange.
“…That was an extremely dangerous provocation.”
Kyle’s arm firmly wrapped around the waist of Se Hee, who was trying to pull away in panic.
His languid voice flowing into her ear was decadently seductive.
“Can you handle it?”
Male lead Asks for a Divorce Every Day
It’s not often you come across a plot like this in the female-dominant genre — make sure to check it out!
This is a novel I’m planning to reread as well.
The male lead is strong, skilled in martial arts, and not the usual fragile type you often see in matriarchal novels.
Meanwhile, the female lead is a scientist—rational and logical. Even when she falls for the male lead, she doesn’t let her emotions cloud her decisions.
If you push through the first few chapters, you’ll gradually find the story really intriguing.
It has a mix of mystery, detective elements, and romance.
The author’s writing style is like crafting a puzzle—except they deliberately leave out a few pieces, making it hard to predict what happens next, yet keeping you hooked.
In the end, everything will come together and be explained.
One-sentence summary: Wife, stop playing with beakers and look at me!
In a laboratory accident, research scientist Zhu Wansheng accidentally travels to a matriarchal world. The original owner of the body is an eighteen-year-old only daughter of a wealthy rouge merchant, already married with a handsome young man.
Zhu Wansheng grins: Nice! She always said she was heaven’s favorite granddaughter. After a life of toil in her previous life, she can enjoy blessings in this one.
However, her joy lasts no more than three seconds as bad news arrives: the original owner’s family is about to go bankrupt, and her husband wants a divorce.
Even worse, she’s stuck with a research system full of restrictions.
Zhu Wansheng: ? Is this the destiny of a research dog?
——
Faced with this mess, Zhu Wansheng pours herself a bowl of wine to drown her sorrows. In her drunken haze, her husband arrives.
His figure is imposing, holding a long sword, with a dignified air that captivates Zhu Wansheng.
Gu Yingqing, however, looks at the alcohol-reeking Zhu Wansheng with undisguised disgust and coldly asks, “Divorce or not?” The intoxicated Zhu Wansheng mumbles vaguely, “I think… it’s not… it’s not… impossible!”
——
The next day, after sobering up, Zhu Wansheng is full of energy, rolling up her sleeves ready to make a big move. As for yesterday? She has no memory of it.
Zhu Wansheng is ambitious; a research dog fears nothing!
Upgrading rouge, extracting fragrances, producing perfumes, researching lipsticks… all shall bow to the power of modern technology!
The original owner’s dying rouge shop is revitalized. Her mother is pleased and with a wave of her hand, passes on the family business to her. As she takes control and her experimental results gain popularity, it’s the pinnacle of her life…
——
But there are always those who can’t stand to see her doing well. Jealousy, scheming, assassination attempts – they want nothing less than her life.
The person who has always kept his distance from her suddenly holds her tightly in his arms, eyes full of concern.
She is unharmed, but he falls into a pool of blood…
Zhu Wansheng feels guilty, “I can grant you one wish.”
Gu Yingqing tentatively circles his arms around her, carefully resting his head in the crook of her neck, pleading softly, “I regret it. Can we not divorce?”
Zhu Wansheng: ? When did I agree to a divorce?
[Small Theater]
The newly developed rouge is beautifully packaged, and Zhu Wansheng is eager to try it.
Gu Yingqing suddenly appears: “My lady, may I apply it for you?”
Cool fingertips lightly brush her lips. His Adam’s apple bobs as he leans in for a light bite.
Zhu Wansheng: ?
Gu Yingqing: It smells so good, I wanted to taste it…
On a warm spring day, Zhu Wansheng tries a new perfume: “Spring Night.” Gu Yingqing corners her against a wall.
Warm breath lingers on her neck.
“My lady, from now on, may I test the fragrances for you?”
[Humorous female scientist vs scheming live-in son-in-law male lead]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
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