Couple of mornings later, the girl was already on her feet. She found it a little easier to wake up so early this time. She was sitting in the kitchen with Margherita and Giordana, drinking coffee, and grumbling about her terrible headache, which she assumed was the result of drinking too much lately. She already drank a lot a couple of nights ago with Margherita, but last night she overdone it.

"I've never drank this much wine in my life, this is a record." she murmured, her hand deep in her hair and her head resting on her arm. The old ladies kept snickering at her, sometimes even finding her Neapolitan accent really funny and would repeat the words she had said. "Well, think twice before you have a drink next time." Giordana grinned as she dipped Margherita's baked biscuit in her bitter coffee. The girl leaned against the table, muttering about how bad she feels about herself and how she can't wait to get to land so she can stretch out and go for a walk, maybe even purchase a few trinkets to give to her parents if she decides she wants to talk to them. "Oh!" exclaimed Margherita. "Isn't it likely that we'll be in Marseille soon? Actually, in a few of hours." Marina straightened up and slammed her hands on the table. "Marseille?" she exclaimed. "Is it the same city in France? We're heading to France!" The girl exclaimed. She grinned as big as she could, overjoyed at the prospect of finally visiting the land of love. She sighed as she realized she was actually traveling, seeing new places and experiencing new things. Giordana took a sip while staring at the doors. "Yes, but it's a bit cloudy today." "I'm hoping there won't be any storms; I loathe them!" remarked the other woman. 

Early this morning, they learned from the captain and his right-hand man that the clouds are unusually dark and that the birds are rushing towards the land. Marina was unconcerned about it because all she could think about was France. The adrenaline flowed through her body, and she couldn't wait to arrive at their destination. The girl then paused for a moment before placing her hand on her soft cheek and hesitantly asking, "Miss Margherita, do you perchance have a fresh pair of undergarments?" The woman looked at her with surprise, but nodded and followed her to their cabin. Marina began to notice how low the walls are as they moved. They're acceptable for her height, but someone as tall as the captain would have a lot of trouble with them. Everything on the ship made her feel claustrophobic at times due to how strange everything is in comparison to a typical dwelling.

As they entered the cabin, the elderly lady got down on her knees and opened an old wooden chest, hoping to find for the girl undergarments. Marina sat on her bed, waiting for the lady to hand it over to her. She chuckled to herself as she realized that she asks the lady to do something for her practically every time they spend time together. The realization made her feel awful for appearing to be so reliant on others for everything, and also quite embarrassed. When it came to her behavior, it was exactly something her mother despised. While searching, the woman inquired of the young girl as to why she required a new pair of undergarments. 

Marina has seemed a little uneasy. She snatched a fold of her garment and squeezed it tightly as she uncomfortably expressed how she doesn't feel at ease in her own clothing. She didn't want to disclose the whole truth about how she feels disgusted when she looks in the mirror every morning and night while wearing the same undergarments in which Matias harmed her. The poor girl felt sick to her stomach just thinking about it. She was horrified by everything about herself at this moment, and all she could see was him. Margherita didn't want to get into too much detail because she could sense Marina wasn't feeling well, and nagging at her to reveal the truth would just make the girl feel even more distant from her. The young lady waited impatiently for Margherita to hand it over to her, and when she finally did, she was overjoyed. 

Marina stood up to lead the woman away so she could change in peace, and as she reached for the doorknob, she noticed a stunning gown hanging on the hook. "Is this yours?" the girl inquired, puzzled. "No, and I don't think it's Francesca and Giordana's either." Margherita said. "Perhaps it was given to you."

"For me?" Marina was taken aback. "However, who bought it?"

"Who knows." the elderly lady began to snicker. "You'll find out in the end." She had a good idea who it was, but she didn't want to give anything away. Marina sat back down on the bed and softly smiled as Margherita walked out the door. "Perhaps it's the captain?" says the girl "He's quite charming, but he doesn't like me, so he's off of the list. And definitely not any other sailor. They could be my grandparents." Marina told herself, and as she was pondering who that man may be, she noticed a note hanging from the dress that read, "Take this as a welcoming gesture. Also, don't allow Gabriel and Francesca's statements stick in your head too much." Marina exclaimed as she read the final sentence, "Signed, D'Angelo Antoni." she murmured to herself. She was overjoyed that Antoni had bought her a gown, and even happier that someone other than Margherita and Giordana was concerned about her and her sentiments. As soon as she changed, she dashed outside and began searching the ship for Antoni. She looked and looked for him, but he was nowhere to be found. She eventually went outside to the deck and simply exhaled in frustration, failing to look in the most obvious spot.

"Rina!" From the quarterdeck came a shout. 

Marina looked up and covered her eyes with her hand since the sun was blinding her from that direction. She peered for a moment before realizing it was Antoni. She rushed up to him, carrying the gown in her hands, in a state of ecstasy. "D'Angelo!" She exclaimed joyfully. Antoni touched her on the shoulder and wished her a pleasant morning. When the gal turned around, she observed his hands on the steering wheel. She had not expected him to be in charge of the ship. "Shouldn't Mr. Santarelli be in control of the ship?" "Gabriel? No, he's not very good at it in the first place. But it's just myself and another sailor who control it though." The girl made an O with her lips, she has yet to learn much about sailing, as much as she despises it. D'Angelo gave her a sidelong glance and asked if she needed him for anything. Marina blinked three times before recalling that she had meant to ask him about the dress. 

"Yes! I found the gown you gave me!" 

"Oh? Do you like it?" 

"Of course, you didn't have to buy anything for me. It's a very thoughtful gesture." 

When Antoni heard it, he snickered and burst out laughing, saying, "I did not buy it, I made it." Marina was taken aback and couldn't believe he had sewn it. All on his own? How did he do it in such a short period of time? She began to feel awful that he stitched such a beautiful garment just for her, as if she deserved it. "Oh, I feel terrible!" She grumbled, "I don't have anything in return." "A kiss on the cheek would suffice." the man said as both of his dimples showed on his face. "Thank you D'Angelo Antoni." she concluded as she rose to her toes and gave the man a sweet kiss on the cheek. He helped her feel less insecure and more human, the realization that he's always been there for her since the beginning warmed her heart. Marina ran downstairs to put the garment back in her cabin and rush back to the kitchen to assist while D'Angelo continued with his work. Her smile illuminated the entire room when she returned to the kitchen. She was beaming so brightly that Giordana approached her and inquired as to what was making her so happy. 

Marina averted her gaze and quickly summarized how she had a nice morning surprise. The elderly women bombarded her with a slew of washing demands. Those were the jobs she disliked the most. She could handle chopping vegetables and preparing the meal, but she couldn't stand doing the dishes. How did her maids at home manage to do it every day for so many years? The girl sighed as she went to wash the dishes, and the captain walked in again while she was performing her task. "Great." She pondered her thoughts. She felt like exploding with rage every time they were in the same room. She was enraged just thinking about seeing him. He didn't even say hello this time when he walked in; instead, he sat down by the table and chatted with others, like he did every morning. 

Although the man looked different this morning, he looked... tired, as if he isn't even present in his own body. His always perfect hair was now messy, and his dark brown eyes that once looked full of love, now look as all hope was lost in life. Marina didn't want to pay too much attention, but she couldn't help but be so curious and keep on analyzing him. She went over to the captain to bring him coffee after she finished washing the dishes. She respectfully wished him a good morning while pouring, and the captain added, "Good morning Mrs Rivalli." Marina was perplexed and irritated as she stared at him "Mrs? I don't have a spouse." The captain swallowed hard and looked down, "Ah, the wedding gown puzzled me, and the ring you wear on your hand" the girl gave him an uninterested look and sat down, moaning. The man ignored her because he already had too much on his plate and didn't need to hear her whining any more. Marina expected him to inquire about her issue, but to her dismay, he did not. She began to believe that he truly despises her for no reason, which saddened her because he isn't different from anyone else. The entire ship surely despises her, and now that she thinks about it, she suspects Antoni of being overly polite to her. 

"Well, Naples," Mr. Santarelli said as he sipped his coffee. "I heard it's nice there?"

"Oh no," the girl replied, "It's a literal headache. The city is beautiful, but the people... not so much." The captain sighed and thought to himself about how, of course, no one suits her. Marina then started talking and recreating how incredibly beautiful the city is, while softly smiling and clutching a biscuit in her hands. Its architecture and culture, particularly the vistas, make her happy. Despite the fact that it was all fascinating, she couldn't help but get dissatisfied since she had seen the entire city thousands of times and wanted to see more. The man eventually realized that despite his several visits to Naples, he had never truly wandered around the city or gone sight-seeing. He thought to himself that it was a missed opportunity, and would like to maybe one day visit it. Marina looked at Mr. Santarelli and smiled as she snapped out of it, asking him where he was from. The girl gasped as the man replied, "Rome." Marina began speaking quickly and asked him a slew of questions about Rome, as if she wanted to know everything there was to know about the city. The man's cheeks flushed slightly; no one had ever shown such an interest in him before, and it had taken him by surprise. "There isn't much to know about it. It's just an insanely old city."
"Oh I know. I just really enjoy visiting it. It's one of my favorite cities in the kingdom that I've seen."

D'Angelo disrupted the moment just as he was ready to answer all of her bothersome inquiries. He sang, "Marina Rivalli and Gabriel Santarelli!" Antoni rushed over to the captain and began rubbing his hands through his hair, causing the man's hair to become tangled. "Stop!" He was yelled at by him. "You're dull." Antoni grumbled as he averted his gaze. "Francesca is funnier than you." 

"I'm not in the mood." said the captain, who was visibly upset. D'Angelo sighed; he didn't like it when his friend was upset, so he stopped fooling with him right away and sat down with the two of them to talk. Antoni shrugged as he put his hand behind his neck and looked at the captain, who was plainly not in the mood for anything. With a sigh, Antoni asked "What is it that is bothering you? "

"I just wasn't feeling good, again, this early morning.." Mr. Santarelli stared at him with a tiny lack of interest, as he wasn't in the mood for a discussion and turned away from Antoni, "I was barely able to drag myself out of bed." He went on... D'Angelo lowered his gaze, paused for a moment to consider his options, and then returned his gaze to the captain, his hand caressing his back. With a sweet smile, he said "But, alright. When I'm feeling down, you know what makes me feel better?—"

"You get sad?" the captain asked, puzzled. Antoni laughed and replied, "I mean, doesn't everyone? But, as I already stated... When I recall that I have You aboard this ship, it makes me feel a little better. Whenever I'm feeling confused and upset, I remind myself that I'm not alone. My dearest friend and I are both aboard the same ship! We're both on the same crew! Then those thoughts lead to me recalling our first meeting... Oh the good times we had looking for work, stealing from piazza's and surviving on the streets! What would I do if you weren't there?" 

"Well, those were fairly pretty stressful times. I do not understand how you managed to find it fun." Mr. Santarelli said softly as he looked at Antoni. D'Angelo chuckled and shook him a little with his hand on his shoulder. He smiled proudly as he said, "I'm glad I helped you appear less sad." He was always quite upbeat and loved it when he was right. After a brief moment of looking away from him, the captain stopped smiling and simply studied the kitchen, thinking about the ship's next location and the work he'll have to accomplish later. Marina exchanged puzzled looks with both of them. "Streets? Is it possible?" She had a sneaking suspicion that Antoni and the captain were orphans who had grown up on the streets. The girl sought to communicate with them since she felt uncomfortable gazing at them and staying silent. "Well, I always feel better after a walk— I mean, not everyone enjoys them, but it's still relaxing, isn't it?"The captain gave her a wry grin. He'd gone for a lot of walks, but none of them had ever made him feel better. D'Angelo violently punched him in the back and exclaimed in a positive tone, "What are you talking about? You feel a lot better every time you go out on a walk with me or Margherita." The captain gave him a squint and answered that they don't have much time to chat about their unhappiness because they are arriving to France in an hour and they need to prepare everything. As the men rose from their seats, Antoni glanced backwards and waved to Marina as he walked. The girl returned his wave with a sweet grin. She was alone in the room once more, which made her feel lonely. She groaned as she sat in the chair, thinking about how she would never be able to help anyone get better, since no one thinks she's of any use, other than her body.