Chapter 2 – Kingston (Part 5)

To Evelyn, Bryant Clifton was certainly a smart man. He was aware of his intelligence, culture, and abilities and had a rightful pride in them. He also knew that his charm, especially his physical charm, was considerable. He seemed to know very well how to use his intellectual yet somewhat indifferent-looking grayish-blue eyes.  

Beautiful people always know they are beautiful. They also know how to properly utilize the benefits of that fortune they were born with. However, it was a bit problematic to seek the same benefits in areas unrelated to physical charm.  

“So I hope you’ll reconsider the publication commemoration issue as well.”

Evelyn thought of this man as a goal-oriented person. Intellectual and dazzling rhetoric. Eyes that barely skirt the line of what is allowed. Considerate words and gentlemanly demeanor. All of these were ultimately calculations to move a woman’s heart to achieve his will. Evelyn was neither dull nor young enough not to notice that much.  

“Then I’ll be waiting for your contact.”  

The man smiled as if he were about to leave and gave a slight bow. His relaxed eyes curved gently. Evelyn returned the gesture with a faint smile, then acknowledged the man passing by her right shoulder.  

With the sound of footsteps, Bryant exited. He opened the door himself and closed it with a courteous touch. During that time, Evelyn stood in place. She stood there in her outdoor attire, listening to the sound of the man’s footsteps fading away outside the door.  

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

Twenty-six-year-old Evelyn Dale knew that people prioritize their own interests. They can be endlessly sweet to get what they want, but when faced with unfavorable situations, they can turn cruel. So the responsibility to protect oneself lies solely with oneself.  

Bryant Clifton is certainly not a bad person. If she maintains a proper distance, he will continue to be so. The distinction between good and bad people is determined by distance. People who are not close don’t even have the opportunity to behave badly.

So trusting others is a dangerous thing. A very dangerous thing.  

Evelyn scanned the room with her eyes. Everything was in its place. It seemed that the only places the man’s body touched were indeed the floor and the carpet, as he said.  

She let out a low sigh and brushed her right shoulder with her palm once before starting to unbutton the coat she was wearing.  

*  

…What truly impressed Louisa was not the Earl’s appearance. His aristocratic blue eyes, brilliant blonde hair, and rosy lips were undeniably beautiful, but that was not the only reason he was a special man.  

…He was certainly a good person. Louisa had never heard the servants of the mansion speak ill of the Earl or describe him with dissatisfaction. The Earl’s behavior, which she had seen from afar, actually matched such praise. He was a caring, fair, and kind person.  

…So, for a young and inexperienced woman, questioning whether he was a trustworthy man was not an easy task.  

<The Blooming Mansion> ‘Chapter 1. The New Maid’ excerpt  

*  

Bryant placed a bookmark on the page he was reading and closed the book. Although he had already read the book twice, once he opened it again, he continued to turn the pages. He considered one of the reasons <The Blooming Mansion> was interesting to be its realism. The novel depicted characters, settings, and psychology in a very vivid manner.  

So when he first read the manuscript, which was one of the many submissions that arrived at the publishing house, he was convinced that the author was someone well-acquainted with aristocratic society. There were details that could not be known without firsthand experience, such as the air inside a mansion, the peculiar tension at a formal dining table, and the sophisticated arrogance unique to nobles when dealing with servants.  

Even after reading the manuscript to the end, Bryant believed so. He even believed that the novel was based on facts and had strong autobiographical elements after deciding on its publication and editing it into a book. So deeply was he captivated by this work that,  

‘I understand that entry can be difficult if there are any criminal records. If that’s the case,’

He even harbored a sliver of suspicion that the author might have actually experienced murder. The scene where the maid kills the Earl was incredibly realistic. Even so, to say such a thing to her face. He could only hope she hadn’t noticed that much.

“…Ha.”  

Thinking about it again, Bryant laughed shortly at his own foolishness.  

It had been three days since he met Evelyn Dale. For three days, the woman had been tugging at his nerves. Uncharacteristically, he was becoming increasingly anxious. 

Surely there would be contact today. Three days should be enough; what could she be thinking for so long? More than that, why does she even need to think? Meeting the Empress of her own country is a great honor, isn’t it? Surely she won’t actually refuse.  

Because of that remark?  

‘You may refuse if you don’t want to.’  

That was not something he meant at all. It was nonsense for someone who went to the trouble of persuading an unwilling woman in person. In hindsight, it was because the well-trained knight within Bryant had arbitrarily exercised chivalry.

‘I vowed not to return.’  

Even while speaking in a rather firm tone, the woman couldn’t look him straight in the eye. With a pale, hardened face, she lowered her gaze to the floor. Bryant, being taller than her and almost backlit by the window, could see clearly. Her lips anxiously biting. Her fingers clutching and releasing her hem.  

‘I vowed never, ever to go back.’  

The woman was anxious. She might think she hid it well, but it was clear to his eyes. To him, it wasn’t mere stubbornness. Something more powerful than her will, something external, seemed to be gripping her tightly. What could that be?  

Over the past three days, he often thought about that. What was gripping the woman? What made her leave her hometown and cross the sea to a foreign country? What made her vow never to return? What on earth could it be?  

Surprisingly, Bryant was curious. Quite curious.  

“Hmm.”  

Exhaling deeply, he gazed at the hardcover book on the desk. The Blooming Mansion. Dennis Howle. Viewcastle Publishing. He quietly observed the letters engraved on the navy blue cover. The book he published that sold the most in the past ten years. Considering it was published last year, it would continue to sell well in the future. The sales indicators for the new release last month were also encouraging.  

‘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.’

In his experience, readers were very interested in authors. Using authors for promotion invariably increased sales, whether much or little. In the case of Dennis Howle, it would be even more so. When a young and beautiful unmarried female author appeared in the newspaper, public interest was bound to explode. That was the first thought that came to Bryant’s mind when he first saw Evelyn Dale.  

This woman would become a tremendous asset. The best-selling asset, selling much more than now.

At that moment, there was a knock at the door.  

“Come in.”  

He answered as if he had been waiting, and the office door opened. Bryant acknowledged that he was somewhat tense. He first checked the item in the employee’s hand with his eyes. An envelope half the size of a palm. It was undoubtedly what he had been eagerly waiting for over the past three days.  

“A telegram, addressed to you, sir.”  

“Ah. Thank you.”  

He received the envelope with a feigned nonchalant attitude. Picking up a paper knife, he neatly slit one side. By the time he took out the folded telegram sheet, the employee had left, and the door was closed. Alone, Bryant immediately unfolded the paper. The telegram’s message was briefly printed in type.  

I will meet her. I refuse public activities.

He read the short two sentences with his eyes. He gently bit his lower lip. Then one corner of his mouth slightly lifted. In that state, he read the woman’s message once more, and then once again, before finally putting the paper down.  

Sitting at his desk, he crossed his arms. He looked at the reception sofa and tea table across from him. And he slowly murmured.

“I refuse public activities.”

Refuse. He repeated it to himself as if savoring it. Refuse. That simple word felt strangely unfamiliar. Why was that? After pondering for a while, he soon realized the reason. Bryant Clifton was not someone accustomed to being refused.  

It was a peculiar feeling. Was he disappointed? It seemed he was a bit displeased, too.

Bryant was not an optimistic person. He was fundamentally a pessimist who viewed things with skepticism. Therefore, the fact that he had changed the woman’s steadfast refusal to go to Issen did not bring him much comfort. The half disappointment held much more significance for him than the half good news.

It was because the meeting with the Empress would bring honor to Evelyn Dale, but it was a business with little gain for Bryant. 

Wasn’t I unnecessarily bothered and had his time wasted in the middle? Far from gaining anything, it was actually a loss.  

A loss. A loss, indeed.  

“That cannot be.”  

As a businessman, that absolutely cannot be.