….
Day.
Regal found himself standing outside a sleek building, the gss windows refleg the early light of the day.
He reached the location thirty minutes before his scheduled appoi with the editor.
Regal wasn't nervous.
Because he didn't have many hopes to begin with.
Even though he khe undeniable success potential of ＜Harry Potter＞, he wasn't na?ve enough to think he would secure a publisher on his very first tryout itself.
He prided himself on being a realist, someone grounded in the here and now.
Years of reje in both his past and present life had toughened him, and this was just aep.
It no longer fazed him.
If someone didn't reize the value of what he was ? That was their loss, not his.
At exactly 10:25 PM, he walked into Everleaf Press.
His white shirt pressed and tucked, the strap of a sling bag snug over his shoulder.
The building was modest, the offi the sed floor. The open door beed, aepped ihout pause.
Behind the desk, the receptionist gnced up. She appeared to be ie thirties, Regal a polite, professional smile. It was the kind of practiced expression desigo vey just enough warmth without veering into familiarity.
"Hello. How I help you?"
Regal responded, maintainirality. "I am Regal. I have an appoi with aor."
Her fingers glided over the keyboard as she quickly sed the day's appois.
A few moments ter, she nodded, reition fshing in her eyes. Rising from her seat, she gestured politely.
"Right. Please follow me."
Regal railing behind her as he took in the surroundings.
The space was pact, housing a team of perhaps 20 to 25 employees.
They stopped at a door, and she ope with a quick motion. "Please, wait inside. Someone will join you shortly."
"Thanks." Regal replied, stepping into the room.
It felt more like a small enclosed , with a few racks lining the walls and a table in the middle fnked by two sofas.
As he settled in, a peculiar quietness struck him.
The silence felt… unnatural.
The receptionist who guided him, still outside the room, offered a choice - coffee or tea.
He hesitated briefly, then opted for tea.
Within moments, a cup ced oable before him.
"So... Miss, are you the editor?" Regal asked casually as he picked up the cup, though he already knew she wasn't.
Sometimes, you just o break the ice.
The receptionist blinked, momentarily surprised by the question before rec quickly.
"Ah, no, I am not." She said, a small, polite smile. "Actually, the editor who was supposed to meet you today is on le-"
As she expined, Regal took his first sip of tea.
But suddenly, the door creaked open again.
?Regal's focus so the entrance as the door swung open.
A woman stepped in.
Was she the editor?
No, that didn't fit. He was sure the receptionist had just mentioned something about the editor being on leave.
But if, by some twist, this woman was the editor, she wasn't remotely what he had pictured.
She looked young, perhaps his age or a shade younger.
'…and her face, there was something strikingly familiar about it. Did she always wear gsses back then too?'
She paused just inside, surveying the room.
Her hair was swept into a messy bun, secured by a pen, though a few loose strands framed her face, softeniherwise sharp features.
There was a quiet charm about her, an uated fidehat felt entirely natural.
Her outfit struck him as... unventional?
A crisp white button-down shirt, sleeves rolled up as if she were perpetually ready for a, paired with a bck mini skirt that ended high on her mid-thigh.
She retty .
Regal's eyes drifted downward.
She wore no footwear, only sheer bck pantyhose, her toes flexing lightly against the tiled floor.
'Is that why I didn't hear her approach?'
An instinct stirred within him, subtle but insistent - this woman wasn't aor.
He didn't need firmation. His gut told him everything he o know.
She was the one running this pce.
The thought barely settled in his mind before his system pinged quietly, ting his suspis.
"Boss, I have told you not to walk around barefoot in the office." The receptionist's voice sliced through the moment, grounding Regal's thoughts.
And with that, everything clicked into pce.
She tinued her tone polite but carrying the weight of repetition. "This room is reserved for a meeting to happen."
The woman in the doorway barely aowledged her words.
Her attention flicked toward Regal, sizing him up with a ghat sted a moment too long before she casually returo the receptionist.
"I smelled the tea." She said with a casual shrug, her voice light and unbothered. "Thought little Maggie might be enjoying a break. Didn't know I was interrupting."
A faint, pyful smile tugged at her lips, a teasing glint in her eyes that made it clear she wasn't at all apologetic.
Regal's grip oeacup tightened, and a small smile formed on his face.
Little, huh? The ent lingered in his mind.
Internally, he raised an eyebrow.
The receptionist, little Maggie, was clearly in her forties.
Befal could dwell on it, the woman in the doorway shifted her weight and dismissed the moment with a breezy wave of her hand.
"…Anyway, you seem busy. I will leave you to it."
She didn't wait for any response.
Her presence disappeared as swiftly as it had arrived, like a sudden breeze moving through the room, leaving only an uling quiet in its wake.
Regal couldn't let it end there.
Something inside him stirred - an instinct, a flicker of ambition.
Words formed before he could stop them.
"I have the best-selling book for the decade with me."
Thud–!
The door clicked shut behind her.
Her footsteps didn't stop either.
Regal exhaled through his nose, fog his mind.
He listened closely. Her barefooted steps were light, almost ghostly.
Eae grew fainter until…
Silence.
His jaw tightened. Did it fail?
He couldn't shake the feeling something was off.
Seds ticked by, stretg into an agonizing minute.
Guess it did nal thought, giving up as he leaned ba his chair.
But then -
Tud–!tud–!Tud–!tud–!
The echo of footsteps returned.
However, unlike before, they were louder, authoritative, and purposeful - like trying to make their presenown.
The sound of the footsteps reached its peak before stopping again abruptly.
This time, Regal wasn't fused.
He kly where she had halted - directly outside the door.
She had returned.
There was a brief pause, and then -
Creak–!
The door opened again, revealing her.
She looked like a pletely different person.
No longer in a loose shirt and skirt, she now wore a coat draped over her outfit, her hair slicked bato a polished ponytail, and sleek heels now adorned her feet.
She stood in the doorway, her gaze sharper than before.
Regal lips curved into a smirk.
"So, do you still stick to your earlier cim?" Her voice yful, yet carried an undeniable edge, as if daring him to backpedal.
He didn't hesitate.
fidence radiated from him, unshaken. "A minute and twenty-five seds. That's how long it took you to return after hearing my cim. Impressive how quickly you readjust. But yes, my words still stand."
Her eyebrows rose, a flicker of surprise breaking her mask of indifference, but she quickly posed herself.
"That's quite a pliment." She replied, her voice measured. "I am not sure if I should thank you or feel insulted."
"If it leans toward the tter." Regal said, his tone light. "I will be sure to apologize."
"...." Her eyes paused on him, then in a momehey melted into something more curious. "I won't lie, you pyed that well. You have got my attention."
"Gd it worked out." Regal replied, his toinged with satisfa.
She didn't say anything, just stared at him for a beat lohe sileretg.
Regal broke it first. He stood, extending a hand toward her. "I am Regal Seraphsail."
Her ha his. "Gwendolyn Oulworth."
"Right, Miss Gwendolyn." He said with a nod. "Shall we begin?"
Her eyes narrowed slightly, sizing him up once more, before she wordlessly moved to the coud sat down.
Regal took his seat again, but his attention flickered to his system window, where a familiar cascade of information appeared.
?----?
[Name:] Gwendolyn Oulworth
[Skill:]
? Pnning (Rank –> S)
? Ma (Rank –> A)
[Traits:] Rexed, Venturesome, Leaderly
[Unique Skill: ] Resourceful
?----?
Regal swallowed hard, fighting the urge to react outwardly.
His mind raced beh his calm exterior. She is the real deal.
Since acquiring [Insight], Regal had sed hundreds of people in his day-to-day life.
She was the first person he had entered with a unique skill, aside from himself.
His gamble, based oraits, had paid off.
Rexed, Venturesome, Leaderly.
He had seen the rexed nature in her casual entrance, but it was her Venturesome trait that he had been ting on.
And he had been right.
That trait had worked in his favor.
Thank goodness for that. He allowed himself a small, relieved smile.
Otherwise, he would already be out the door.
.
….
[To be tinued…]
★─────??★??─────★
Author Note:
Visit Patreon to instantly access +4 chapter for free, avaible to Free Members as well.
For additional tent, please do support me and gain access to +8 more chapters.–> [email protected]/oWriters
