The Mediterranean was calm, its azure, crystalline waters surging with the wind and carrying a faint salty dampness. White seagulls and flocks of waterbirds soared beneath the clear sky.
A massive three-deck cruise ship, its hull painted with the name "Minerva," cut through the waves with a low hum.
On the open deck at the top, a handsome blond young man in black casual clothes, his features combining Western definition with Eastern softness, leaned against the railing with a wineglass in hand, quietly taking in the magnificent seascape.
Yet his deep red-black eyes seemed unfocused. His brows periodically furrowed and relaxed, as though troubled by some vexing thoughts.
"Ah!"
A fierce gust suddenly swept past. Accompanied by a woman's soft cry, a white object drifted before the man on the air current. The figure by the railing jolted awake from his thoughts and instinctively reached out to catch it.
It was a pure white round sunhat, decorated with a blue ribbon—delicate yet elegant.
"Yours?"
The man turned around and smiled as he returned the lost item to its owner, who was hurrying over from behind him.
"Yes. Thank you for your help, kind sir."
The owner lifted her skirt and gave a slight curtsy, smiling as she thanked him. Only after politely expressing her gratitude did she leisurely take back her sunhat.
The man who looked back at her was briefly stunned.
Her striking blue dress brought to mind the clear sky. Her eyes resembled amber gems. Her golden spiral curls, adorned with azure ribbons, seemed crafted by heaven itself. In terms of pure beauty, she could not be called earth-shatteringly gorgeous, but the golden pride radiating from her was enough to make up for that gap. Beauty was not expressed through appearance alone; it could also be displayed through