Ransomed Fiancée (Michaeng)

Chapter 55: Ugliness

Chaeyoung

I fluttered my eyes open, slowly roused from my slumber, the morning light crept in through the cabin's curtains, casting a soothing warmth on my face. It had been a long time since I'd enjoyed such a deep, peaceful sleep. In those brief moments, I almost forgot the burden of responsibility on my shoulders as the Cruise Director. My senses gradually returned to me, and I turned to my side, wanting to greet her. But as my fingers brushed the cold, empty space beside me, panic gripped my heart.

She wasn't there.

My eyes darting around the cabin, searching for her who had shared the bed with me the night before. The empty space beside me sent a cold shiver down my spine, and for a brief, terrifying moment, I wondered if it had all been a dream, if she had never been there at all. Panic seized me, and I flung the bedcovers aside, my bare feet hitting the floor as I rushed to my feet. The room seemed devoid of her presence, and the eerie silence only intensified my growing unease.

Had she left during the night?

As I scoured the cabin, anxiety gnawing at my insides, I feared that the moments we had shared were nothing but an illusion. Had I imagined her presence, her warmth, her voice? It couldn't be. My heart ached at the thought of her disappearance.

Where would she go?

Did she really——

I immediately headed to the door and threw it open, revealing her standing there, as if she had been about to knock. Relief surged through me like a tidal wave, and I gazed at her with, relieved eyes.

Fear turning into concern. "Where did you go?" I asked, my voice quivering with the raw emotions I had experienced in those harrowing moments. I didn't want to experience that again.

She stared at me, with that dull sickening face—-the expression she made when she was deeply worried. She smiled softly and waved the walkie talkie in her hand and I just realised she was
clad in the cruise director's uniform. She smiled and pushed a food cart into the room, while I stepped aside. As she moved the food from the cart to the dining table, I trailed behind her, not entirely sure how to process her being back and how to face her after what happened. She tucked the walkie talkie back into her blazer. I realized that she must have obtained the uniform from my cabin.

"You've been asleep for almost two days. During your absence, I've taken on the role of cruise director," She explained calmly, arranging the food. "That position can't be left empty. We'll arrive in Busan Port in a few hours. You should get some more rest."

Feeling overwhelmed by the fact that she hadn't left as I'd initially feared, I stepped closer, wrapping my arms gently around her waist in a warm hug. Her body tensed, a signal that perhaps I'd crossed a boundary. But just as I was about to pull away, her hand reached for mine, holding it. She rubbed the back of my palm with her thumb.

"I thought you left," I admitted, my voice muffled as I buried my face into the crook of her neck, wondering if my sudden embrace had made her
uncomfortable.

To my relief, she didn't pull away, her thumb continuing to soothe the back of my palm. She looked at me, our eyes met, her smile reassuring. "Where can I go?" She said. It was such a simple answer, but it held all the warmth I needed to know that she was here, and I wasn't alone.

As much as I wished I could linger by her side, i couldn't ignore my duties responsibilities. After finishing my meal, I made my way back to my cabin room, where I knew I had to prepare for the day ahead. I took a quick shower and began dressing. Mina was waiting for me in the living room, a comforting presence amidst the uncertainty of last night.