If You're Going to Sell Yourself, Sell It to Me - Chapter 93

“Angela, take care.”

Locke pressed a kiss to Angela’s forehead as she saw him off at the entrance.

“You’re leaving already?”

The child clung to Locke’s leg, reluctant to let him go after only one night.

“I’ll be back after sorting out my things.”

Though Locke had intended to stay for a few more days, encountering Georgiana’s presence at every turn made him feel like he was losing his mind. For now, he needed to escape.

The memory of last night felt so vivid, as if he could reach out and touch it.

Of course, being able to see the person he missed so dearly, even in such a way, was a small comfort. But he didn’t want to risk breaking down in front of Angela. And so, unlike himself, he chose to run away.

“Your leg is still injured. You should stay longer.”

Raymond also looked regretful to see his older brother leave after such a long time.

“Well, we’ll be seeing each other more often from now on.”

The coachman pulled the carriage up to the front lobby.

Angela, who had been clinging to Locke’s leg, gave him one last hug before walking over to Raymond.

“By the way, Dad, where’s Teacher Leona? I haven’t seen her all day. I wanted to introduce her to Uncle.”

“Ah, Leona is taking the day off today. Since it’s not a lesson day, I suppose no one thought to inform you.”

“She’s not sick, is she?”

“No, she’s just been busy lately. I gave her a break.”

Locke, who had been walking toward the carriage, suddenly came to a halt.

It wasn’t just the rarity of the name that startled him—something about it sent a cold shiver down his spine.

Henry also looked puzzled as he turned to Raymond.

“Teacher Leona?”

“She’s been Angela’s tutor since last year. I suppose the two of you haven’t had a chance to meet yet. I wanted to introduce you, but unfortunately, she’s off today. She also oversees the estate, so you’ll probably run into her soon enough.”

Raymond’s response made Henry blink in surprise before asking again, “But last time I visited, the head maid said no new staff had been hired. Isn’t that right? Also, I don’t see Catherine anywhere.”

“Don’t even get me started. I won’t go into details in front of Angela, but she committed all sorts of corruption, so I handed her over to the police. Lady Leona has done a great job filling in the gap.”

The trust Raymond had in her was evident in his expression alone.

Come to think of it, the mansion had a brighter, more elegant atmosphere than it had during his last visit. There hadn’t been any major renovations, yet the place felt noticeably different.

“Teacher Leona teaches me very well! And she’s so pretty. Except for Mom, she’s the prettiest person in the world!”

Despite usually being slow to open up to others, Angela couldn’t hide her smile.

“When did this Leona arrive here?”

Locke, standing motionless even as the coachman held the carriage door open, turned to look at the mansion as if trying to sense where the woman might be.

“Sometime after last summer… Right, Austin?”

“Yes, she arrived around the time of the tobacco harvest. It should have been this season.”

“Who… introduced her?”

Locke clenched his fists tightly, trying to keep his voice steady.

“She wasn’t introduced by anyone. I met her in front of the labor office—she was looking for work. But why do you ask? You’ve never cared about other people’s business before.”

A flicker of suspicion crossed Raymond’s eyes.

It was unusual for Locke, who usually responded to everything with a smirk, to suddenly become so tense. It only reinforced the feeling that something was off—like he was missing an important piece of the puzzle.

“C-could I see her? Just for a moment?”

As if sharing the same thoughts, Henry also turned to Raymond and made a request.

“Why? What do you need to see Leona for?”

“Well, we were looking f—”

“Henry.”

Locke shook his head at Henry, silencing him.

Even if they were brothers, there were some things he couldn’t bring himself to share—not when it came to Georgiana.

Of course, that didn’t mean he wasn’t curious about the woman.

But summoning someone he had never met just to satisfy his curiosity felt rude. More than that, he didn’t want to risk his disappointment being seen by others if she wasn’t who he hoped.

“Shall we depart?”

As he hesitated, the coachman, having finished loading the luggage, opened the backseat door and waited.

For some reason, Locke felt as if his feet were weighed down by lead.

He needed more time to find out about this Leona woman.

Before he could fully process his thoughts, Henry, ever quick-witted, subtly nudged Locke’s crutch with his foot as he passed by.

Thrown off balance, Locke stumbled, landing hard on his knees.

Gasps of shock erupted from those around him as they watched him fall.

“My apologies! Are you all right, sir?”

Feigning concern, Henry helped him up, discreetly winking.

“I’m fin—”

“You’re not fine at all! The doctor already said you need complete rest. This is a problem.”

Henry let out a deep sigh and glanced around as if searching for help.

Locke, who had barely regained his balance using the crutch, belatedly played along with Henry’s scheme, pretending to stumble.

“Uncle, are you okay?”

Angela quickly ran up and patted his knee with her small hands.

“It seems returning today will be impossible. The mansion hasn’t been sorted out yet, and if he forces himself to travel in this condition, he might end up needing a crutch for life.”

At Henry’s serious expression, everyone nodded in agreement.

Since the moment Locke had appeared with a crutch—something no one had ever seen him use before—everyone had been full of worry. Now, they clung to him, urging him to stay at least a few more days.

Locke feigned reluctance, limping even more exaggeratedly as he turned back toward the mansion.

As soon as they returned to their room, the two men locked the door behind them.

“Do you think it’s really her?”

Henry looked up at Locke with a mix of fear and hope in his eyes.

He feared that if she wasn’t Georgiana, Locke would be hurt all over again. Yet, at the same time, he wanted to cling to the possibility that it truly was her.

“It might not be.”

Locke had been about to tell Henry not to get his hopes up. But then, the ghost he had seen last night suddenly came to mind—what if it had really been Georgiana?

If so, then even the lingering presence he had felt that night had to be hers.

And if the butler had guided him to a different room on purpose, it all made sense.

His heart, which he had thought long dead, began pounding wildly in his chest.

“We’ve bought ourselves time. We’ll find out soon.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. If she truly is Lady Georgiana, then I’m the one who should apologize. It’s my fault for not confirming things properly.”

“Catherine was the one who said it, wasn’t she? This isn’t your fault.”

“Even so… she looked uneasy at the time.”

No matter the past, Locke knew that if Georgiana was alive, he would forgive everything.

“I’ll gather information around the mansion.”

Henry, visibly excited, left the room. It had been a long time since he had looked so animated.

After all, while Locke had been trapped in his own torment, Henry had suffered as well. More than once, he had blamed himself for losing track of Georgiana in that town.

Locke realized that he wasn’t the only one who had been stuck in time.

***

Watching from the window, Georgiana was in utter shock as she saw Lockwood—no, Locke—turn back toward the mansion.

She even ducked behind the curtain when he looked up, as if sensing her presence.

“Why isn’t he leaving?”

Her heart pounded so violently she thought it might give her away.

Since she had locked her door under the pretense of being sick, there was no one she could ask for answers.

Could it be that his fall had injured him more seriously than expected?

His unsteady gait had been bothering her all along—it didn’t seem like him at all.

Regardless of the reason, the fact that they were unloading his luggage meant he was staying for more than just a day.

“Haa…”

A long sigh escaped her lips.

She couldn’t avoid him forever.

Wouldn’t it be better to face him first and get it over with?

After all, it wasn’t her who had committed any wrongdoing. The more she thought about it, the less reason she had to hide.

It would be uncomfortable for a while, but since he wasn’t a permanent resident of the mansion, she would only have to deal with him occasionally. With time, it might even become easier to greet him without hesitation.

If the situation called for it, she could even ask him to verify her true identity.

Determined to think positively, Georgiana took a deep breath to steady her nerves.

More than anything, she wanted to be called by her real name again—by Raymond and by everyone in this house.

With that thought, her trembling heart gradually settled.

Since she had already been granted a day off, she resolved to rest properly.

But no sooner had she lain down than she abruptly sat up again.

It had been so long since she had done nothing all day that she felt restless.

She considered doing embroidery, but after pricking her fingers multiple times, she gave up.

The result was a mess, like something a child would stitch.

With so many thoughts swirling in her mind, there was no way she could focus.

Unable to sleep all night, she spent the dark hours tossing and turning.

By dawn, she had already finished preparing for the day ahead, determined to work twice as hard to make up for yesterday.

She wouldn’t let herself be swayed by him anymore.

Bracing herself, she stepped out of her room—only to immediately regret her decision.

Leaning against the wall right outside her door was Locke.