If You're Going to Sell Yourself, Sell It to Me - Chapter 119

“Ahem, ahem. I’ll go downstairs now.”

After being in Locke’s arms for quite a while, Georgiana burst out of his room with a flushed face. Her heart pounded so fiercely, it felt like it could burst at any moment.

When she thought of everything from the past, it didn’t seem enough to make him do front and back rolls a hundred times on the hill, yet her heart kept growing soft.

It was likely not just Locke’s numerous scars or his changed attitude, but also the conversation with Henry last night that remained on her mind.

Last night, while Locke had taken one guard with him to look around the area, Georgiana, who had stayed at the mansion, was puzzled to see Henry still there.

“Oh? I thought the two of you always went out together.”

“There was a directive that until the South is safe, one of us must always remain at the mansion. Since the Count went on patrol today, it’s my turn to stay.”

Henry showed her the gun at his side, explaining that he was in charge of guarding the mansion. Though there were guards, he said he preferred to check everything himself.

Walking beside him as he inspected the building, Georgiana decided to ask some of the things she’d been curious about.

“If it’s not rude, may I ask you something?”

“Anything at all. If it’s something you’re curious about, I can tell you all of the Count’s childhood secrets and embarrassing past. Even what patterns of underwear he usually wears.”

At his cheeky reply, Georgiana laughed until her eyes crinkled.

“What I’m curious about isn’t Locke’s secrets, but how the two of you came to work together. At first, I thought it was just a superior-subordinate relationship, but it doesn’t seem like that.”

“You observed well. Rather than a formal superior-subordinate relationship, I’ve been following the Count around unilaterally.”

He openly admitted he was essentially Locke’s stalker.

“Locke doesn’t seem like someone easy to get along with.”

“That’s true, but I prefer someone who’s blunt but takes care of his people well, like the Count, over someone two-faced.”

“Is that so?”

Henry nodded and continued, “When I was young, I was the shortest among those around me. Small in build, too. Even the girls my age were a head taller than me.”

“You don’t seem that way now—that’s surprising.”

Though shorter than Locke, Henry was now well above average in height.

“So I was teased a lot and always shrank into a corner during gatherings. Then I met the Count. When I was being teased and trying to run away, he didn’t console me with words—he threw me a book that was bigger than my head.”

“A book?”

“Yes.”

If Henry had been a child, Locke couldn’t have been much older. Curious about what kind of book it was, Georgiana’s eyes sparkled.

“It was a book about the laws of heredity in plants.”

“Heredity?”

The concept was unfamiliar to Georgiana, and she tilted her head. Henry explained further.

“Simply put, it described the process of crossing beans to produce better or worse beans—applied to people, it’s about the traits or temperaments inherited from parents.”

“Ah… like hair or eye color. They usually resemble either the mother or father.”

“Exactly. Then he told me, since both my parents are tall, the chances of me being short were lower than his chances of liking chocolate.”

Georgiana imagined a young Locke explaining that with a stern face and couldn’t help laughing. Even the analogy was about chocolate, which he hated.

“Looking back now, it wasn’t much, but at the time, the Count seemed more impressive than any teacher. After that, I even started boasting about my ancestors’ height to the kids who bullied me. I ate anything and everything to grow taller and eventually did grow taller than them.”

“So that’s why you chose to follow him.”

“There were a few more things, but even as a kid, I was sure that if I stayed by the Count’s side, I could become someone great too. He’s never once let me down. And now… more than that, I just want him to find happiness. I guess you could say I want to see a happy ending, like in a fairy tale.”

“You’re a very good person, Henry.”

Georgiana felt reassured that someone like Henry was by Locke’s side.

How many people genuinely wish for others’ happiness without expecting anything in return?

“Locke may not say it, but I think he cherishes you the most.”

“Of course. He might not show it, but I’m probably his second favorite person after you.”

Henry, who had been boasting, cautiously glanced at Georgiana.

“Considering what the Count did to you, there were more than a few times I wanted to kick him myself.”

“Right?”

“Of course. And he’s often oblivious too.”

“Exactly.”

Georgiana agreed fervently with Henry. Lately, his obliviousness had become especially pronounced, and there were times she wanted to stop him in front of others.

He had become so brazen that she even wondered if someone else was pretending to be Locke.

“Until he met you, he only ever chased revenge. He was constantly tormented by nightmares and could hardly sleep. He had no room to care about anything around him.”

“Yes. I’ve heard. It’s really unfortunate.”

“But after meeting you, he became a lot brighter and started to change. A year ago, I mistakenly reported you as dead while tracing your whereabouts. Since then, his condition worsened.”

Georgiana widened her eyes, unaware of that part. So that’s what Locke meant when he said he thought she had died.

“I think he might have gone to the battlefield to die.”

“Locke… did?”

“Yes. After hearing you had died, he once stood still, letting an enemy’s sword come at him without trying to block it. He charged into places swarming with gunfire and blades. No matter how much we tried to stop him, it was useless.”

“So the scars on his body… did those come from then?”

“Yes. He didn’t fight to earn honors. It was as if he fought just to die. Every day, I lived in fear, thinking I’d be dealing with his corpse.”

The thought that he might’ve died on the battlefield tightened her chest. She never imagined she would be the cause.

“S-still, that doesn’t mean I can completely forgive him.”

Georgiana shook her head sharply, not even sure if she was saying it to herself or to Henry.

“I understand. But if someone tries to die to win back a lover everyone else has given up on—then please, at least acknowledge that the pain he felt after your separation was real. I’ve never seen him suffer that much.”

There wasn’t a hint of exaggeration or deceit in Henry’s words. It had to be true that Locke wanted to die.

Though angry at his recklessness, Georgiana couldn’t help but feel even more drawn to him, knowing how deeply he had cared.

She resolved to treat him a little better—so he could never think that way again.

Yet when she actually faced Locke, she found herself grumbling again without realizing it.

She complimented others so easily, but in front of him, it was hard to even meet his gaze, and she just ended up nitpicking.

She wasn’t a child throwing a tantrum, so why did her words and actions never match?

Blushing with frustration, Georgiana cupped her flushed cheeks and descended the stairs.

Through the stairway landing’s window, she spotted a carriage pulling into the entrance.

The cylindrical barrels piled high on top of the carriage made it clear they were the water containers Locke had mentioned.

How many did he order?

Watching the two carriages approach side by side, Georgiana headed toward the entrance in confusion.

The estate guards were already moving toward the carriage ahead of her.

As the carriage kicked up dust and came to a stop, a man in ragged clothing leapt down from the driver’s seat.

From her vantage at the top of the steps, Georgiana couldn’t see his face—but his awkwardly bent arm looked familiar.

N-no way…

Before she could be certain, the barrels began tumbling down from the cart—and the people hidden inside revealed themselves.

They were all armed with guns and swords.

And as she stared in horror, Willow removed his hat and looked at her smugly.

Georgiana went pale as a sheet.