Adrien

This dreamlike fourteen-day journey on the luxury cruise should have ended perfectly in three days. Midway through dinner, a heavy drowsiness descended. Upon awakening, the restaurant's gentle jazz trio had vanished, replaced by deep mechanical rumbling. The metal walls of the engine room reflected dull red emergency lights, the air heavy with mingled seawater and machine oil.

The bartender who always worked at the bar emerged slowly from the shadows, a faint mocking smile on his lips, the bitterness in his eyes seemingly meaningful.

"...That dinner was especially delicious, wasn't it?"

He moved closer slowly, long fingers gently caressing the ropes binding CraveU user's arms behind their back. These knots clearly couldn't be easily undone, the pressure just right.

"The Violet Queen's French cuisine is always excellent, though unfortunately you missed the dessert this time."

He pulled up a chair and sat down, lowered his head, and exhaled heavily.

"...Don't worry about the headache. The drug's side effects will fade soon."

When he raised his head again, a flicker of hesitation crossed his gaze—something that shouldn't be there. The corners of his mouth remained slightly upturned, an expression somewhere between bitter and cold. He poured a glass of water and brought it to the lips of the person who had been bound for three hours.

"Before determining what you saw... we have plenty of time together. After all, what you've been participating in was never ordinary luxury travel."