Chapter 2 – Kingston (Part 4)

His voice lowered even further. His bluish-gray eyes drew closer. Bryant leaned in as if whispering a significant secret. The warm body temperature and intensified scent wafted over. The sensual scent of Narcissus. Evelyn held her breath.

“Miss Evelyn Dale. She wants to meet you.”

The secret, carried on a low voice, vanished. The man and woman stood facing each other, looking at one another. The distance between them was only a step. The secret that surfaced between them hid back under silence.

Only the two of them heard it.

Evelyn tried to organize her tangled thoughts. 

Reinus Fervrante. The lord of the capital and the Emperor’s spouse. The most noble person in the Empire wants to meet me.

Her Majesty, the Empress of Trissen.

There was no need to say how great an honor it was to be granted an audience with the Empress. Being summoned to the imperial palace was the highest honor every artist dreamed of. When Evelyn lived in Issen, she often passed by the imperial castle for no reason. The imperial palace, surrounded by high walls that retained the fortress style from centuries ago, was a place where access was strictly controlled.

Evelyn used to fantasize about herself entering through those gates while looking at the guards lined up before the drawbridge. The black cloaks and silver half-armor that symbolized the Imperial Guard. The fantasy of them opening the way for her was so enchanting that she never tired of it, no matter how many times she imagined it. Such an ambitious dream, Evelyn Dale. It was an utterly unrealistic dream that didn’t hurt at all even if she scolded herself for it.

That absurd dream was coming true. Evelyn couldn’t believe it.

“The excuse of a publication celebration was used because I couldn’t inform other staff members, including you, Miss Dale. The plan was to create a celebration and bring you to Issen, where I would then inform you and arrange the audience. And the reason I had to go to such lengths.”

Evelyn listened carefully to the man’s words. He continued his explanation in a low voice.

“Her Majesty desires an unofficial meeting.”

“……”

“This is not an official invitation from the Empress of Trissen. It won’t be recorded in Her Majesty’s schedule. If you don’t accept, Miss Dale, it will simply be as if it never happened.”

His tone was extremely businesslike. Bryant formed sentences with words devoid of any warmth. However, Evelyn quickly understood what he was trying to convey.

Dennis Howle’s works were thriller novels. News that the Empress read those novels, vividly depicting crimes of passion, and was so impressed that she summoned the author to the palace would not be beneficial if it got out. She wanted to meet but was uncomfortable with external scrutiny. Evelyn could fully understand the Empress’s position.

In other words, it was a matter of prestige. That thing which nobles valued as dearly as life.

“That’s why it was intended to be conducted as quietly as possible. If you decline the meeting with Her Majesty, although I hope you won’t, it would be best to keep it as secret as possible in case such an event occurs.”

Evelyn understood that as well. An invitation declined would be embarrassing for the Empress. That, too, was a matter of prestige.

“Let me say in advance that Her Majesty knows Dennis Howle is your pen name and that you are a female author. I had no choice but to disclose your identity when asked, but I apologize for revealing it without permission.”

Bryant slightly bowed his head. As Evelyn listened intently, she furrowed her brows slightly. Come to think of it, this man’s manner of speaking was a bit strange.

“Are you saying, Mr. Clifton, that you met with Her Majesty the Empress directly?”

“That’s why I returned a few days later than originally planned. Since I disembarked at Kingston Harbor,”

He took out a pocket watch from his pocket and looked at it,

“It’s been exactly one hour.”

“So you went to the imperial palace, Mr. Clifton?”

“Of course, you’d have to go to the imperial palace to meet that person.”

The man looked at her as if asking what kind of foolish statement that was. Evelyn returned his gaze with a slightly more foolish expression. She had thought that the Empress’s aide had conveyed the message through the publishing company. But to have met Her Majesty directly? A mere employee of a publishing company, and a foreigner at that?

“How did Her Majesty… make such a request to you, Mr. Clifton?”

Bluish-gray eyes looked down at her obliquely. The eyelids blinked slowly, once. Bryant never showed a hint of surprise. In such a sudden meeting, in a situation full of variables, he never wavered for a moment. This time, too, he paused briefly, as if choosing an appropriate answer, before replying.

“Well, that’s because I’m the one who owns the rights to Dennis Howle’s works.”

Evelyn was the one taken aback again. The one who owned the rights. Not the editor, but the owner. 

So that’s why this man is looking at me with those eyes.

Eyes that seemed to ask if she didn’t even know the name of the person she signed a contract with, not just once, but twice. But that name seemed quite long. 

Ah, I remember.

Bryant Maude Henry Clifton Jr.

Evelyn finally recalled. The name listed as the publisher on the contracts exchanged through the editor. A rather long and antiquated name, she had assumed it belonged to an elderly gentleman, and recalling that assumption brought a wave of embarrassment. How could she have forgotten? She must have been momentarily dumbfounded by the sudden appearance of the man and the awkward business.

“I don’t know why you’re skeptical, but to add trust, let me say I’ve been running Viewcastle Publishing for exactly ten years this year.”

He seemed to have interpreted Evelyn’s reaction in his own way. Bryant was definitely a mature man in both appearance and demeanor, but he didn’t look older than his early thirties. That would mean he founded the publishing company at twenty-one or twenty-two. It’s uncommon, but not impossible.

“……I wasn’t skeptical, Mr. Clifton.”

“I’m quite good at reading people’s expressions, Miss Dale.”

He smiled and took a step back. Thanks to that, the distance between them was restored. Now Evelyn could breathe much more easily.

“The sales performance of the new book is very good.”

Bryant changed the subject. It must have been intended to shift the atmosphere.

“Ah. Since we’re not at the office, there’s no need to use stingy expressions. The sales are excellent, Miss Dale.”

From what Evelyn observed, he was a meticulous person. He was keenly aware of others’ emotions and knew when to press and when to retreat. He seemed more cold-hearted than warm, but he also respected the other person. He was someone who made you tense but didn’t offend you.

“I’m glad to hear that. To think that a month after its release, it’s selling so well that there’s a shortage.”

“You subscribe to the Kingston Times, I see. That’s a good habit.”

“I found the analysis on marketing strategy very agreeable.”

“The harder something is to obtain, the more people desire it.”

Bryant raised his eyebrows slightly as he said that. Evelyn eventually broke into a small smile.

“Her Majesty wishes to meet before the Festival of the Sun.”

Having appropriately refreshed the atmosphere, he reminded her of today’s purpose. Evelyn mentally calculated the dates. 

The Festival of the Sun, Trissen’s founding anniversary, was on March 1st. It was mid-January now, so there wasn’t much time left.

What should I do?

The honor of meeting the Empress was certainly tempting. But she was hesitant about going to Trissen. Jared Glenn, no, the Duke of Windberg, lived in the north, far from the Imperial Palace, in a place that took four days by express train, yet for some reason, she felt as if his shadow was cast over the entire Empire.

Isn’t it a ridiculous delusion? He must have completely forgotten about someone like me by now.

“Could you give me some time to think?”

Yet Evelyn needed time. Still. Despite everything. Pathetically so.

“Would three days be sufficient?”

“……Probably.”

“Very well. Thanks to you, I’ll be praying for the first time in a long while.”

Bryant said cheerfully and laughed. Evelyn gave a forced smile and lowered her gaze. The past and future were tangled together, making her mind complicated. No, it wasn’t her mind that was complicated. Fear is an emotion, not a thought.  

“Miss Dale.”  

Evelyn, who was quietly troubled, looked up. A man standing two steps away was looking at her. As if trying to see through her mind, he stared intently for a moment before speaking.  

“You may refuse if you don’t want to.”  

Then he paused briefly. He seemed to convey something with his eyes, slowly alternating his gaze between her eyes. The room was not lit in the early afternoon. The surroundings gradually darkened, perhaps because the clouds outside were thickening. Evelyn saw the man’s grayish-blue irises slightly dilate in the center.  

“And as the person responsible for the sales of your works, I would like to encourage you to start public activities as an author from now on, Miss Dale.”

“……”  

“Inquiries about reading sessions or book signings keep coming in. It’s not just that person who wants to meet Dennis Howle. Trissen Empire is the biggest market, so holding a publication celebration in Issen would be a very good start.”  

“……”  

“If it’s known that the author is a young and beautiful lady, it will become even more of a topic. Even those who don’t read books will know your name. You will be remembered as the most successful among female writers.”  

“So you’re saying it’s good for promotion.”  

“I meant it’s good for raising the author’s reputation.”  

After saying that, Bryant briefly lowered his gaze and then,  

“That was a somewhat hypocritical statement just now. As your reputation grows, I’ll make more money, so let’s just say it’s mutually beneficial, Miss Dale.”

He said modestly and laughed. His face was sincere and trustworthy, as if to say, “You can trust me.”  

But is that really the case?