There is no happy ending

There is no Happy Endings, Book 2

Despite their obvious flirtation, Rayman and Bianca do not immediately develop a romantic relationship. Falling in love after just two meetings only happens in romance.

Bianca’s reality was not romance, so she needed time.

Bianca was a good gauge, and Rayman was a good judge of someone’s sincerity. They were different in so many ways, which made it all the more time-consuming.

He was cautious; he valued things built up slowly, as much as the size of the relationship.

In his relationships, there was always next. He didn’t develop feelings all at once. You could call him indecisive, but cautious is a better word.

Bianca, on the other hand, was bold and wanted more than just a relationship. Once she set her mind on something, she never stopped.

The only thing that could stop her was failure, and she didn’t feel like she was going to ‘fail’ this time. And she wasn’t about to let failure stop her. She didn’t want to be a defeated dog.

Of course, there were obstacles.

Rayman was a student of Valona’s, but Bianca wasn’t, which was a problem.

If Bianca never stepped foot on Valona’s threshold, they would have to grow apart. Rayman believed after a few years and a great distance.

But Bianca never imagined me not making it to Vallona. At least there would be a few years. It was enough time for me to narrow my relationship with Rayman.

It didn’t help that Bianca and Raymond were very different people. What matters is that Rayman has a crush on Bianca, and he can’t hide it.

Their relationship was built on a foundation. If only they had more time.

‘Is it strange to say that I’d like to get to know you better, Bianca?’

‘Why would you want to know me?’

‘I’m afraid I might hurt you by not knowing you.’

Rayman said, brushing his thumb across the back of my hand where my lips had been. His grip on my hand was delicate. It was as if he was worried it might break if he squeezed it too hard. That was the way Raymond Oswald treated people, any people. He treated them as precious. Bianca was sure of it.

‘I don’t like that.’

‘Aha.’

‘Does …… seem like too much thinking?’

‘Well?’

‘I’m afraid it’ll give the impression that you’re too, too manipulative.’

Bianca consciously rolled her eyes at the comment and replied, ‘I like to think.

‘I like to think a lot.’

‘…….’

‘You can be predictable.’

It wasn’t but Bianca wanted to say what she thought he wanted to hear, and she wasn’t sure that was the answer he was looking for. Rayman smiled wryly and let go of Bianca’s hand.

It was getting close to sailing. The number of people boarding the ship was growing. Some were shouting loud enough to drown out the cries of the seagulls.

The sun was still at its highest point, and their relationship hadn’t changed. But the distance was close. One more step and they would be closer than anyone had ever been.

Bianca tugged on Rayman’s hand, and he obediently followed her tug. Bianca loved it. Looking at his flushed face, not from the heat, not from shame, but from her, she asked.

‘How would you like to treat me, Mr Rayman?’

‘Bianca.’

‘How do you know, and how do you want to treat me?’

Half a beat, late, Rayman replied.

‘I want to know …… the things that are said, and the things that are not said.’

‘Those things.’

‘I want to know the Bianca you know, and I want to know the Bianca you don’t know.’

Rayman gripped Bianca’s hand firmly.

‘I want to know each of them, and then I want to cherish them, more than I do now.’

If that’s what he wants, he’ll need time. Bianca smiled at the thought.

Behind Rayman’s shoulder, she could see Jade climbing aboard the ship. He was a bit late, having to pack his bags and complete all the formalities.

The sight of him made Bianca stiffen for a moment. She didn’t want to hear Jade’s whining, and she was enjoying her time with Rayman.

‘I just wish we’d got on the ship a little later…….’

Bianca closed and opened her eyes slowly. She saw red hair tied up in a bun and golden eyes scanning her face, still red, and the tips of her ears standing up.

She stroked Rayman’s cheek. The same cheek that Bianca had slapped when they first met. Of course, there were no handprints on her cheek, and if that was a shame, it wasn’t because Bianca had a bad temper.

‘Then you should know me.’

Bianca hadn’t said she was welcome to get to know me. There was nothing more ridiculous than knowing ‘as much’ as you want, but what she did say was different. It was an unequivocal permission.

After that, it was easy. An agreement was made between Rayman and Bianca. They would spend as much time together as they could, even if it was just an hour a day, and they would eat together at least once every three days.

And they kept their promise.

The journey from Bannog to Bologna took just over two weeks. Not a day went by that Rayman didn’t meet Bianca for tea. Sometimes Bianca would find him first. Sometimes she’d find him first, and he’d smile from the corners of his eyes.

After a while, the every-three-day rule became irrelevant.

On Bianca’s ship, the Millennium, the food was excellent. The longer the voyage went on, the harder it was to get fresh vegetables, but the meals were still good enough to compare favorably with those at Morning Manor.

Bianca stabbed her fork into a plump, reddish prawn, but that was it.

‘Ugh…….’

Bianca’s face went cold at the horrid sound of the flimsy door. It was Jade’s nausea.

Bianca stayed in a special cabin on the ship. First and second-class cabins had small rooms attached to them for servants. Jade, of course, was staying in that room, and that was the problem.

Neither Jade nor Bianca had ever left Bayerque in their lives. Bianca didn’t like the water, And there was no way they were going near a large body of water.

Unbeknownst to them, Jade’s seasickness was severe: he suffered almost non-stop for the entire time they were on the boat, and it got worse if he smelled food.

‘Seasickness…… you don’t have any mercy.

‘Me, sorry, woof…… ugh…….’

‘I swear, I want to kill you.

Jade apologized for her seasickness. But Jade’s apology didn’t make the seasickness go away overnight. It bothered Bianca.

At first, Bianca was relentless and kicked Jade out of the room, but on the third day, a small incident occurred.