No Matter What

Chapter 1: When I …

I slept the entire evening on my first night of the cruise trip.

Being on the sea after almost eight hours in the air and five hours on land, drained all of my energy to stay awake without passing out.

“Finally, 'The Sleeping Beauty' is awake!” Calum greeted me with a broad smile and warm embrace before he led me to the round table in the VIP room of the cruise’s restaurant.

Calum was the heir of the Scott family, one of the wealthiest families in England, who had been in the line of shipbuilding since 1801, the same year that the United Kingdom was established.

“The ocean waves and the classical music playing on repeat, made me sleep like a baby.” I humored the others who were already having their breakfast.

They were all Calum’s relatives. I think most of the passengers on the cruise were his family members since it will be his 19th birthday in a few days.

Calum introduced me to some of them when I arrived yesterday, but I was barely conscious, so I couldn’t remember most of the names of the people I shook hands with.

“Come and sit here with me, luv.” Debbie Scott, Calum’s mother, beckoned me to take a seat on her left, since Calum’s seat was on her right. “Jade won’t be sitting here with me because of my handsome nephews. She got her hands full, literally.”

And as if on cue, Jade Scott, Calum’s younger sister, came in arm-in-arm with two boys.

They’re probably the nephews that Debbie mentioned.

Although they were both handsome, they didn’t look like the people I expected them to be, they weren’t white but Asian, just like me.

“Hebe, you’re here!” Jade left the two boys in her arms and ran towards me while squealing.

Her voice almost made me deaf, but I couldn’t complain because of her enthusiastic demeanor towards me.

“Yes, Jade. It’s nice to see you too.” I hugged her back and pecked on her blushing cheeks before we kept our distance at arm-length. “Hephy would regret not coming here with me.” I lied.

My now 10-year-old brother, Hephaestus or Hephy for short, was terrified when he found out that Jade would be on the cruise too.

He was hell-bent on coming along, but he changed his mind at the last minute and went to New York instead to spend his summer vacation with Aunt Jen, Dad’s older sister.

Jade obviously has a crush on Hephy despite being a year younger than me. She even told Dad that she would wait for Hephy to be an adult, so they could get married.

“He absolutely should regret it!” Jade said with conviction before she turned around and took the arms of the two boys again.

“He isn’t the only handsome boy that I would meet in my entire life. Juven and Youthof here are the living proofs.” Jade tilted her head from left to right before she faced me again.

So, he’s Juven and that’s Youthof. They’re English names though, but I also have an English name or more like a Greek name.

“My cousins married women from Korea.” Debbie thought of explaining things to me since I looked confused. “Juven is from the Song clan in Yongin while Youthof is from the Kim family in Jamsil-dong.”

Debbie learned the culture aside from the language while she stayed in Korea for three years.

She was actually one of the business partners of the Havene Group, currently the Havene Empire, an international conglomerate owned by my maternal great-grandfather, also one of the richest men in the world.

“I see.” I nodded in understanding. “They’re both from my country of origin then.”

As a courtesy and being a young lady of a prominent family, I introduced myself formally to the boys who were staring at me since they entered the VIP room, “I’m Hebe Oh, daughter of Dr. Jun Oh and the late, Hera Havene.”

Since they were English, I slightly bent my knees with my feet crossed while holding the skirt of my dress with both hands.

Being raised in a wealthy family, I had to learn mostly all the etiquette I had to master, including the Western.

Juven smiled affably before he took my hand and kissed the back of it as he introduced himself, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Oh. I’m Juven Tuss … son of John Tuss and the late, Belle Song.”

Youthof laughed and said, “If we follow the formal tradition, then I won’t have to introduce myself because I’m Duke Johansen Dodgess' son, but still, how could I miss the opportunity to hold and kiss the hand of a beautiful lady?” He did the same gesture as Juven.

“I’m Youthof. You can call me hubby, and I call you wifey, agree, mate?” he winked at me while holding my hand still.

“I … uh …” I pulled my hand away and kept a distance from him as I smiled awkwardly, “It’s alright. Youthof is it. My brother’s name is Hephaestus, and it has more letters than yours. It’s not inconvenient at all to call you Youthof, or we could go with Mr. Dodgess. What do you say, mate?”

I countered him without being completely rude, since he’s still from a noble family and the same clan as my paternal grandmother.

“I prefer the first name basis rather to call me the same way ordinary people address my father.” Youthof replied with a bit frown, he was probably displeased that I rejected his move on me.

“Whoa, boys!” Calum came to my side and handed me a freshly blended vegetable juice before he put his arm around my shoulders, “I know that my friend here is a goddess, but his gorgeous father asked me to look after his daughter on his behalf, so as her stepmother, I need you boys to back off.”

Calum is gay and everyone in his family knows it. They accepted him for who he is rather than losing a heir to the Scott family.

Besides, Calum had proven himself capable, despite his s****l preference, he was known to have a golden touch and every decision he made, especially on their family business, always turned out to be successful.

“Really?” I looked at Calum incredulously because of how he viewed himself as, “You're my stepmother now?” although he said it as a joke, I was a bit offended. Nobody can replace my Mom!