Seeing her resolute attitude and stern face, she really did have the air of a safety inspector, Draco knew he couldn't persuade her otherwise.
"Alright, alright, I'll wear it, I'll wear it, okay? When Safety Officer Granger orders it, how could I dare disobey?"
As he spoke, he picked up his life jacket and put it on, neatly fastening the buckle. After finishing, he even turned around, facing Hermione with his arms outstretched, and asked, "How was it? Did you pass?"
Hermione looked him up and down, then scoffed and said, "What's so great about wearing a life jacket? I can do that too."
"Yes, yes, you can too. But now, we're officially dressed as a couple, officially certified, the standard safe couple outfits," Draco said playfully.
"You've managed to call a life jacket a matching couple's item... I'm speechless." Hermione chuckled at his comment.
Because they were VIPs in the penthouse suite, a security officer personally came over and gave them a brief but clear one-on-one explanation.
The key points are to explain the nearest escape routes to their suite, the location of the lifeboats, and the meaning of some maritime emergency signals.
After the explanation, the security officer handed over the registration form, Draco signed to confirm. The whole process was completed in just 5 minutes.
After the security officer left, the suite returned to silence. An hour later, the cruise ship slowly cast off and set sail.
An hour after the explanation ended, a long, drawn-out whistle pierced the sky, and the cruise ship officially cast off and set sail. The massive hull slowly left the port and sailed smoothly into the open sea.
Draco and Hermione went up to their suite's private terrace, leaned on the railing, and looked at everything on the shore.
In high spirits, Hermione took out her camera, pulling out her small portable camera, wanting to capture the magnificent seascape.
I took several photos, but either the composition was poor, the lighting wasn't well controlled, or the images were blurry.
She looked at the photos in the camera, frowned, her face full of helplessness, and muttered under her breath that no matter how she took them, they didn't look good.
Draco, amused by the sight, took her camera, adjusted the settings and his pose, and snapped a few photos of the receding harbor and the vast sea.
When I got it back, I saw that the composition was perfect, the lighting was soft, and it captured both the melancholy of leaving the port and the magnificence of setting sail.
"That's not fair!" Hermione pouted and complained, looking at his postcard-quality photos.
"You're better at studying than me, your spells are stronger than mine, and now you're even better at taking pictures than me? How come you're better than me at everything!"
"Because I was born an all-rounder," Draco said, handing the camera back to her, "Unlike someone else who's only here to learn, and probably doesn't understand much else."
"I don't believe you," Hermione said defiantly, circling him and trying to find a flaw. "You must have a weakness..."
at this time,
The buildings, cranes, and pedestrians on the shore gradually shrank and receded into the distance, eventually becoming blurry outlines.
The real journey has begun.
"You'll find out eventually," Draco chuckled. "A good wife who can't even spot her husband's flaws is... rather incompetent, isn't she?"
"Wrong! Mr. Malfoy, your theory is flawed." Hermione looked up and earnestly corrected him.
"The most important thing in a marriage is to discover each other's strengths, cherish and amplify them, rather than constantly using a magnifying glass to find each other's flaws."
Focusing on flaws will only create cracks in the relationship; appreciating strengths will allow you to go further together.
"This has a psychological basis!"
She spoke so logically and persuasively that Draco was completely taken aback.
"Great job, honey!" Draco exclaimed. "You must have secretly taken a lot of lessons on how to be a good couple, right?"
"Of course!" Hermione proudly raised her chin. "I am Hermione Granger, and I strive to be the best at everything, which of course includes... learning how to be a good wife."
She spoke very softly after that.
"Then I'll wait and see!"
It was 8 p. m., and it wasn't dark yet.
The Captain's Dinner was held in the main restaurant's rotunda.
The air inside was filled with the mixed aromas of fine perfumes, the lingering scent of cigars, and gourmet food. Gentlemen and ladies, dressed in elegant attire, conversed in hushed tones, while soft music played in the background.
The captain, dressed in a crisp white uniform and holding a crystal-clear champagne glass, stood in the center of the stage, ready to give a speech.
Draco wore a perfectly tailored black evening suit, while Hermione wore a champagne-colored semi-formal dress that perfectly accentuated her maturing figure.
Her curly hair was styled into a bun, revealing her smooth neck.
Holding a glass of juice, she tried her best to maintain a dignified and elegant smile, wanting only to listen to the captain's speech, then enjoy the food and silently observe this glimpse of high society.
The captain began his speech, which consisted of nothing more than the usual platitudes of welcoming the distinguished guests, introducing the voyage, and wishing them a pleasant journey.
Hermione listened attentively, while Draco listlessly swirled the champagne glass in his hand.
After his speech, amidst polite applause, Draco tilted his head slightly, leaned close to Hermione's ear, and said teasingly, "Believe it or not, I can make the captain mention Malfoy in his next sentence."
"Stop messing around Draco." Hermione rolled her eyes at him, then lowered her voice and said, "This is a formal occasion. The captain won't just call people out in his speech."
Draco neither confirmed nor denied her statement, but merely gave a meaningful smile, as if he had everything under control.
The next second, just when everyone thought the speech was over and they were about to resume their conversation, the captain, microphone in hand, smiled even more brightly and enthusiastically than before:
"Before we begin to enjoy this wonderful time, I would like to express my special thanks to our most distinguished guests tonight, Mr. Malfoy. and Mrs. Malfoy, for making this trip so special!"
"Pfft!" Hermione nearly spat out the mouthful of juice she was drinking. She forced it down, but choked and coughed repeatedly.
She glared at Draco, trying to subtly pinch his thigh under the table, but her hand was grabbed.
That guy is such a jinx!
Now everyone's watching!
Her wish to have a low-key dinner was completely dashed!
Draco, without batting an eye, raised his glass and gave a slight nod to the captain across the crowd.
Anyway, he was staying in the absolutely private presidential suite, and he could easily cast Confundus Charm and Muffliato Charm.
Draco wasn't afraid of anyone prying into their private lives, so there was nothing wrong with choosing to be high-profile at this moment.
It seems there wasn't much of a choice; the captain himself expressed his gratitude.
I didn't do anything...
Even so,
But after the captain finished speaking, countless gazes, like searchlights, were fixed on Draco and Hermione's table!
The guests, who had been somewhat indifferent and chatting amongst themselves, now all focused their attention on the scene.