If You're Going to Sell Yourself, Sell It to Me - Chapter 28

At the man’s words, all heads turned toward him simultaneously.

The man wearing the blue wolf mask was as tall as Lockwood. Georgiana had to tilt her head back just to look up at him. Beside her, Sarah, who was shorter, had to crane her neck even more.

However, the man’s physique was leaner than Lockwood’s, so she could tell right away that he wasn’t Lockwood. Especially since, recently, Lockwood had taken to working out every morning in the living room, to the point where she even knew the number of scars on his torso. She was sure of her guess.

She wished she could take back her words from that day on the deck. Every time she saw him exercising shirtless, it was she who was left feeling embarrassed.

Come to think of it, the faded ash-gray hair visible outside the mask looked familiar. And so did the lively voice.

It didn’t take long for her to realize who he was.

The guard must have thought the same, for he opened the way without checking the man’s face under the mask, as if his party had a free pass.

As they passed by and entered the banquet hall, Georgiana thanked the man. “Thank you. That saved us a lot of time.”

“A beauty in distress should always be helped, especially one from far away.”

The silver-gray eyes behind the mask winked playfully, twinkling like a mischievous child’s.

The silly joke confirmed her suspicions that it was Anthony.

From his light-hearted demeanor, it was clear that he was the type of person who easily became the center of any group. Yet, despite his carefree exterior, there was something about him that made others find him both amusing and a bit intimidating.

“Since you’re so grateful, how about treating me to a drink?”

“A drink?”

“Oh, I forgot, it’s free here. I’ll consider it as my treat. How unfortunate!”

“Yes…”

Unlike Georgiana, who awkwardly smiled, Sarah was laughing so hard she was clutching her stomach. What was so funny about it?

“But seriously, where have such beauties been hiding? Thanks to you, the banquet hall looks twice as bright tonight.”

“You’re too kind.”

Though her face was mostly hidden by the mask, he still called her a beauty.

“Well then, I should go join my party. Would you like to come along?”

He gestured with a fingertip towards a part of the banquet hall where several plush sofas were arranged. The tables in front of them were laden with food. Around them were gathered people, including a man with red hair like Isabella’s, all seemingly focused on Anthony.

Seeing that, Georgiana finally understood the meaning behind Sarah’s confident claim that she could find them even while standing on her hands.

Though many people were wearing masks, there was no one who looked like Lockwood.

That fact brought her a sense of relief. Even if he were there, she had no desire to mingle with so many people and exchange pleasantries.

Without hesitation, she declined Anthony’s offer.

“Oh, no.”

“It’s alright.”

Both she and Sarah answered simultaneously. Georgiana declined out of discomfort, while Sarah, looking around, seemed to want to explore more of the banquet.

“Rejected by both of you, I’m twice as heartbroken,” Anthony said, clutching his chest with a mock expression of sorrow. Yet, even beneath the mask, his handsome features were evident.

If Lockwood was the epitome of chiseled good looks, Anthony was the kind of soft-featured, charming man who drew everyone’s affection.

Not many would refuse him, and he seemed slightly surprised that both women did so without hesitation. Beneath his exaggerated actions, she could sense a hint of genuine surprise, as she saw his eyes waver slightly.

“Then have a good evening. Who knows? Maybe I’ll return when the dancing begins.”

With that, he kissed the back of their hands lightly and left. Even such a gesture, which could easily come off as too forward, was somehow endearing when he did it.

“Do you know him?” Sarah asked, leaning close to whisper in her ear as they watched him walk away.

“It seems so.”

“Not someone you know personally, then? So, he must be an acquaintance of Mr. Limberton?”

“Yes. Locke said they were quite close, but I haven’t seen much of him.”

“Mr. Limberton and that man seem like an odd pair… Watching him, I can’t help but feel he’s a bit strange, yet somehow not strange at all.”

Sarah’s observation made Georgiana burst out laughing, forgetting she was wearing a mask. It was, indeed, an apt description of him.

“Still, if he’s a first-class passenger, he must be wealthy, right?”

“He probably is.”

Though she held back from saying just how wealthy.

“I’ve only ever been around people like me, so being here feels like a different world. Like I stepped into a storybook. But it’s the kind of storybook where I’m not the main character,” Sarah said, her eyes behind the gold cat mask growing somber as they took in the opulent surroundings, from the glittering chandeliers to the ice sculptures.

Georgiana understood her feelings completely.

When she was among them, she often felt the same way. It wasn’t just the sense of being an outsider, but rather the feeling of being separated by an insurmountable barrier.

Even if, by some miracle, Lockwood had truly fallen for her and married her, she knew she would never be able to overcome that wall.

The stark contrast between the noble, well-born Isabella and her friends only made that difference more apparent.

But she didn’t envy them. Simply being away from Willow and Marianne was enough to make Georgiana happy.

Sarah quickly regained her cheerful demeanor, lifting her head with renewed determination. “Even if I’m just an extra, so what? What matters is that I’m here, wearing this dress.”

In her navy dress adorned with a lavender ribbon, Sarah twirled around like a little fairy. With her small frame and gold cat mask, she looked every bit like an elegant, playful cat, bringing a smile to Georgiana’s face.

“You’re right, Sarah. And to me, you’re the star of tonight’s ball.”

“Well then, shall the star of the night enjoy the banquet with me?” Sarah asked, imitating a gentleman’s bow and offering her hand.

“I won’t refuse.”

Georgiana also bent her knee slightly, placing her hand atop Sarah’s small one.

Giggling, the two women roamed the banquet hall, catching the attention of many, despite their masks. Perhaps it was because their presence was different from the usual guests. They had to decline several offers to step aside for conversation.

There was hardly any time to actually eat. After enduring about an hour of mingling, the two women finally managed to fill their plates with food and found a quiet spot between a pillar and the wall to hide.

“Do you think people might mistake us for the hosts? I can’t understand why they keep approaching us… No, wait, I think I do know,” Sarah sighed, looking at Georgiana in her white butterfly mask. “How can you live with such a face? Being more beautiful than a butterfly must be exhausting.”

“Oh, no.” Georgiana quickly shook her head, but before she could respond, a small macaron was popped into her mouth.

“Thank you, Georgiana. Because of you, I’m experiencing something I’ll never forget.”

“I wouldn’t have come without you, Sarah.”

“I don’t know what life you’ll live in the New World or who you’ll meet, but let’s keep in touch and see each other often.”

“That’s exactly what I wanted to say.”

Sarah felt more like a close friend than anyone Georgiana had known for years. Even if she had a lifelong friend, she was sure she wouldn’t feel as comfortable as she did with Sarah.

Just as they finished their food, the piano music stopped.

“It looks like the dancing is about to start!”

The soft piano music that had filled the hall was replaced by an orchestra setting up on one side of the room, each musician holding their instrument.

People began to move towards their partners. As they watched, the man who had repeatedly tried to engage them in conversation suddenly appeared again.

“I’ve been looking for you two everywhere. Would you care to dance with me when the music starts?”

“No, we’re fine.”

From his raspy voice to his arrogant attitude, he was exactly the type of person they both wanted to avoid.

Both Georgiana and Sarah shook their heads, looking down at the short, stout man’s outstretched arm. He hadn’t even bothered to decide which of them he wanted to dance with, seemingly indifferent to whether it was Georgiana or Sarah.

When both women refused, the man’s expression hardened, and he stepped closer, his demeanor turning threatening.

“If you’re not well-known, you should learn not to refuse too many offers. I’m a big player in the New World’s liquor business. You have no reason to turn me down.”

With their backs against the wall, there was no escape. Just as Georgiana and Sarah exchanged troubled glances, the man was suddenly pulled back as if lifted off the ground.

“You must already be drunk from your own liquor business.”

A familiar voice came from the person gripping the man by the back of his collar.