Lord of The Mysterious Realms-Chapter 93: The Gentleman from the Bookstore
"I'm still working on the concept."
He gave a noncommittal answer, but the truth was, he hadn't even started.
"Now that you've built a readership, you could try exploring more mature themes."
Briny Mikhail shifted the parasol to shade Hathaway's exposed shoulder, then continued, "For instance, tales of pure friendship, passionate romance, or intricate court intrigue. If you added a few mysterious witches or elves, that would be even better. Girls adore those subjects. Why, I imagine even a novel based on the story of Cinderella would be wildly popular. The publishers would certainly appreciate it—stories like that mean gold pounds."
Jenkins nodded. Tangled, melodramatic, and overwrought love stories were easy enough to write. After all his recent study, his writing skills were probably up to the task. Still, his last book had been a collection of fairy tales. Wouldn't this be too sharp a turn?
"What sort of stories do you and Miss Hersha enjoy, Miss Mikhail?"
He decided to consult his readers.
"What we like...?"
Briny Mikhail glanced at her companion, who blushed faintly. "Stories about the pure friendship between girls."
"I see."
Jenkins grew thoughtful. Considering his own abilities, an equation began to form in his mind:
Fairy Tale + Girls' Love + Fantasy + Royalty = Frozen.
The idea, once sparked, grew like wild grass in spring, quickly consuming his thoughts. The theme was perfect! There was just one problem: Jenkins, the pauper, had never seen all of *Frozen*.
"A story of kinship and powerful bonds... yes, that would make for an excellent tale."
He had made his decision, but he would have to carefully consider the details once he got home.
"In that case, we will eagerly await your next book, Mr. Williams."
The two young ladies climbed into their carriage. With his cat tucked under one arm and his cane in the other hand, Jenkins offered them a polite farewell.
"You weren't quite yourself back there, Hathaway."
Their maids hadn't followed them inside, so with just the two of them in the carriage, Briny Mikhail no longer felt the need to conceal their affectionate gestures.
She took her companion's delicate wrist, bringing her jade-white fingers to her lips for a soft lick.
"It's nothing, Briny. For a moment, I thought Mr. Williams had intentionally staged this meeting, just like all those other fools."
As an Enchanter—and an unregistered one at that—Hathaway's acting skills were impeccable. She drew her hand back, a look of concern clouding her features.
"Really? You're being paranoid. That little cat is definitely his, and besides, no one else knew where we were going today. So... who did you think he was after? You, or me?"
Briny giggled, blowing a soft breath against her companion's ear. A shiver ran through Miss Skylark, and a tempting blush crept across her cheeks.
"Of course it was for you, Nini. You're so beautiful, you could put a goddess to shame."
"Don't say such things. That's blasphemy."
Briny placed a finger against Hathaway's soft, red lips. "Come over to my house today. For the usual reason... studying."
Hathaway clutched the corner of her dress, resting her head of fiery hair on Briny's shoulder.
She bit her lip gently.
"Mm."
By the roadside, in the fading days of summer, wild lilies bloomed one last time, their beauty more radiant than ever.
That same day at noon, in the distant royal capital of Bel Diran. Silver Cross Road. The Owl Bookstore.
Young Wood and his companion struggled to haul five cardboard boxes of newly arrived books from the back warehouse into the shop.
He rubbed his aching back, rotating his wrists as he grumbled under his breath, "Honestly, why are we suddenly getting new books delivered? Didn't Mr. Ou say there was nothing worth reading on the market these days?"
"I hear it's a bestseller over in Nolan," his companion explained. "Mr. Ou is working with a Mr. Buro from Nolan, so he's doing a trial run, a local printing of the first hundred copies to see how they sell."
His equally young and vibrant companion explained. The two were both students at the National Academy. As a follower of the Legacy Sage, Mr. Ou was more than happy to offer jobs to help young people like them earn some pocket money while learning about the world.
"Nolan?"
Young Wood curled his lip.
Bel Diran may have been the kingdom's capital, but its economy couldn't hold a candle to the major port city of Nolan—a fact made plain by the sheer thickness of the smog choking each city. Still, the capital was the capital, and its residents felt they had every right to look down on any "country bumpkins," including those from Nolan. It was the prevailing attitude in Bel Diran.
There was a saying in the kingdom: Even beggars yearning for a better life chose to hide in the sewers of Bel Diran.
Of course, the saying could also be read as a sarcastic jab at the Bel Diran city council's policy of driving out beggars; it was the only city in the kingdom to have banned the practice.
Together, they broke the seal on a box. The first thing they saw was a cover illustration of a girl, rendered in a striking art style. She wore an azure gown, her skin was white as snow, her lips were red as blood, and her hair was as black as ebony.
The girl held up her long skirt with her left hand, bending slightly to pick up a sickly green apple from the ground with her right. Her face wore a smile of childlike innocence.
"I'm in love."
Wood was snapped out of his daze by his companion's voice and gave him a playful punch on the shoulder.
"Cut it out. It is a strange style, though. Very original. It's not realistic like most modern paintings, but it has its own unique charm. Is it by some famous artist?"
He and his companion began stocking the shelves with copies of the *Stranger's Story Collection*, marking each with a paper price tag.
He hesitated for a moment. There weren't many customers in the store, so Wood picked up a copy and started reading it by the shelves.
"Fairy tales, huh? This art style is perfect for them. It's a little expensive, but the unique illustrations for each story make it worth the price."
Wood wasn't studying art, but as the unfavored second son of a baron, he still possessed a decent eye for it.
Perhaps drawn in by curiosity about the stories told through such a peculiar art style, young Wood leaned against the bookshelf without realizing it and turned to the first page...
"Sir? Sir."
Wood didn't stir until a customer called out to him, startling him from the depths of the story. He took a few gasping breaths, his mind still hazy. Glancing toward the entrance, he saw that the setting sun was already hanging low in the sky.
"When was the last time I was this lost in a book? Probably when the first volume of the *Detective Knight Biography* came out."
Wood composed himself, remembering he was at work:
"Hello, how can I help you?"
.
!
Chapter 93: The Gentleman from the Bookstore
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