"It's you!! It's you!!"
Mary shrieked, her voice ripping through the café.
She didn't notice that many people were already frowning.
The woman angrily accused Karl while trying to grab Jack's sleeve—only for Jack to subtly dodge.
The two of them shoved responsibility back and forth.
'You're the one who asked me out!'
'Sorry, Miss Mary. If you and Mr. Jack here have some romantic understanding, you shouldn't have come on to me.'
Karl retorted, turned, and gave Jack a bright smile.
'I am Mason Hockley's son, Karl Hockley.
My family dabbles in steel; if you ever need anything, feel free to find me.'
As he spoke, the man pulled two black-gilt invitations from his coat and handed them to Jack. 'This is a project the Hockley family is handling. If you and your… sister are free, please grace us with your presence. I'll make my apologies then.'
The middle-aged man seemed to have mistaken Jack's relationship with Sen Getsusa, his tone full of innuendo.
But liaisons between 'brothers and sisters' or 'cousins' were common among the decadent nobility of the day.
He glanced around, nodded, bowed to Sen Getsusa and Jack, then took his cane and strode out of the café without looking back.
He didn't spare Miss Mary so much as a flicker of his eyes.
Sen Getsusa nodded approvingly. 'Miss Mary…'
'No! I have nothing to do with that man Karl! I still love Jack! I love him—look, the necklace he gave me—'
Jack flung Mary's hand away, snorted, and strode past her out of the café.
Sen Getsusa gave the dazed Mary a pitying look. 'Wanting a better life is normal; I'm not here to judge. But you shouldn't toy with people's feelings.'
'Lose both love and money. Such a pity, Miss Mary.'
She lifted her skirt slightly and apologized to the nearby patrons for the disturbance; they understood and raised their coffee cups in salute.
'Goodbye, Miss Mary.'
Sen Getsusa said with a bright smile.
——Actor Getsusa's Game——
At the harbor, gulls perched on the railings and the sea breeze whistled.
Jack leaned against the railing, lost in thought.
Sen Getsusa sat on a bench, long legs crossed, white lace at her ankles.
'You're definitely no noble,' Jack said.
Sen Getsusa yawned rudely. 'You stood there like a gull-possessed fool for ages just to think that up?'
Jack turned, eyes fixed on her. 'Why help me?'
Sen Getsusa grinned. 'Don't get the wrong idea; it's just fun. I've been here days and finally found something interesting.'
Southampton bustled; a soot-belching ship left the dock and another soon arrived.
The hooting horns were the daily playlist everyone here knew by heart.
Jack laughed too, stretched out his right hand. 'Let's start over. Jack Dawson, from the Lighthouse Country. Raised in Wisconsin, studied in Paris.'
Sen Getsusa pinched his fingertips in a perfunctory handshake. 'Sen Getsusa.'
Jack rolled his eyes. 'Sen? Which Sen? Miss Forest? And you still haven't said whether you're—'
Sen Getsusa shot him a sly look and didn't answer.
She pointed at what Jack held, reminding him to open it.
It was the two invitations Karl had just given.
He unfolded them; inside was an invitation in florid script.
[Dear Sir/Madam,
[We cordially invite you to the maiden voyage of the never-sinking ocean liner—Royal Mail Ship titanic.]
[The great ship departs 10 April from Southampton, crosses the Channel, calls at Cherbourg-Octeville in France and Queenstown in Ireland, and sails for New York in the Lighthouse Country.]
[We have prepared first-class staterooms, master chefs, and every amusement.]
[We hope you and your family may spend a delightful week aboard this new, miraculous vessel.]
[Until then, on behalf of all titanic's crew, I await your arrival.]
[Captain: Edward John Smith.]
Inside the invitations were two yellow tickets printed in black.
'What's this?'
Jack intoned the whole thing in theatrical opera voice.
Then, pinching a corner of the invitation, he said excitedly, 'It's the titanic! You know it?'
Sen Getsusa shook her head.
Jack eagerly explained, 'It's the biggest, most luxurious passenger ship in the World—people call her the "unsinkable" giant!'
'These are first-class tickets—I heard they cost over eight hundred pounds each!'
Sen Getsusa was scattering a small bag of grain she'd bought, watching gulls swoop to peck.
Afternoon sun was veiled by clouds; the girl sat quietly in shadow.
She looked up. 'And then?'
'And then?' Jack waved the invitation before her, baffled. 'Then we go experience it, of course!'
"Us?"
Jack shrugged. "Of course. Don't you want to take a look?
There are two invitations, right?
We got them together, so let's go together?"
Sen Getsusa emptied the bag, clapped her hands, and the seagulls in front of her swarmed forward.
"We still have ten-odd days; are you sure you don't want to find a female companion to go with you?"
Jack raised an eyebrow. "Certainly not. Having my 'little sister' along is already 'interesting' enough. Once we dock, I plan to stay in New York; you were right—I have to face what I truly want."
The poor boy had finally found his confidence again.
Sen Getsusa nodded in easy agreement.
In the Source World she had never heard of a cruise ship called titanic; it would be nice to see it.
She stood to leave. "It's settled, then. Keep the invitations; I have to go."
"Where are you staying? How do I find you?" Jack called after her.
"North Street." She pointed, then turned away. "Number thirteen, the one with flowers on the balcony."
"Hey, Miss Forest!"
Sen Getsusa looked back.
Her abundant black hair spilled to her waist, black fringe against the gold-velvet skirt.
As she glanced back, her skirt flared in a circle.
Jack blinked.
"There's a Tunic speech tomorrow—want to go?"
Sen Getsusa smiled and shook her head. "No, thanks. I have some family matters to deal with."
Jack: "Need help?"
"Not at all."
Her honey-smooth voice drifted on the cool sea breeze. "Just a 'tiny' thing."
"All right, then. See you another day, Miss Forest!"
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