The surrounding area was mostly quiet, with only occasional small noises breaking the silence. The tables were spaced far apart, and soft music flowed through the air, ensuring that there was no need to worry about their conversation being overheard. The waiter was polite, and the atmosphere was pleasant, yet Seol Yu-jin sat stiffly in his seat. It wasn’t just the opulent restaurant, which was obviously expensive at a glance, or the distinguished guests that made him feel out of place—it was the man sitting across from him that made him the most nervous.
What was he going to say?
Yu-jin had no clue. He hadn’t dared to imagine this meeting even happening, yet a growing sense of anticipation kept creeping up inside him. Inviting him to a place like this—surely that had to mean something positive? The email had only said that they wanted to discuss the piece he had written. He was eager to hear what the man had to say, but he couldn’t bring himself to rush him. Instead, he kept taking small sips of his wine. Whether the editor knew how anxious he was or not, he continued to smile as he finally spoke.
“Was it difficult for you to find this place? Some people say it can be a bit tricky.”
“Oh, um… No, it was fine.”
Fortunately, the driver at the mansion had known the location. Perhaps Winston had been here before as well.
Had he come with Evelyn?
The thought popped into Yu-jin’s head, and he quickly shook it off. What was he thinking? Even if that were true, it had nothing to do with him.
As he set his glass down after another sip, the waiter arrived with the first course. After explaining the ingredients and the dish, the waiter left, and the editor offered a warm smile as he gestured for Yu-jin to eat.
“This place is known for its excellent cuisine. I hope you enjoy it.”
“Oh, uh, yes.”
Caught off guard, Yu-jin nodded awkwardly and cut into the beautifully plated scallop dish, placing a bite into his mouth. It seemed the editor planned to discuss business after the meal. This was an entirely new experience for Yu-jin—he had no idea what to expect.
“I thoroughly enjoyed reading the manuscript you sent. How did you come up with the story?”
It wasn’t until the middle of the meal that the editor finally broached the topic. Yu-jin quickly swallowed his bite and cleared his throat before responding.
“I tell stories to my child every night, and eventually, I thought I might try writing them down.”
At first, it had been because he couldn’t afford to buy picture books. He had relied on his memory to retell stories, but as he started running out of material, he began making up his own. Before he knew it, he had started entertaining the idea of submitting something. He gave a brief, condensed version of this to the editor, who suddenly paused mid-cut, knife still pressed into his steak, and looked at him.
“This is the first thing you’ve ever written?”
“Yes… Y-yes.”
Startled by the editor’s wide-eyed expression, Yu-jin stammered his reply. The editor fell silent, as if deep in thought, and Yu-jin grew uneasy. Did I say something wrong? Does he think the writing is terrible because it’s my first piece? What should I do? I should have phrased that better!
“Was our publishing house the only one you submitted this manuscript to?”
Once the course was finished and they each had their dessert and coffee in front of them, the editor finally spoke. Yu-jin hesitated for a moment, wondering how best to answer, but if he had ever been good at navigating social nuances, his life would have turned out completely different. Resigning himself to honesty once again, he answered truthfully.
“I sent it to about four publishers… but Grant Publishing was the only one that responded.”
“You sent the emails all at the same time?”
“Yes.”
Yu-jin nodded without hesitation.
“I kept checking my emails… but when I didn’t hear back, I gave up.”
The last time he had checked was the day he heard that Harold had died. That day, he had hurriedly boarded a train with his child to attend the will reading. He remembered stopping by a nearby internet café while holding a still-sleeping Angela, checking his inbox one last time. Thinking about it now, an odd feeling washed over him.
“I’m glad… Ah, I apologize. I didn’t mean it like that…”
The editor quickly tried to smooth over his words, but Yu-jin found himself more curious than offended. What exactly did he mean by that? He wanted to ask, but he didn’t want to make the man uncomfortable, so he kept quiet. The editor cleared his throat awkwardly before forcing a small chuckle.
“I meant that it’s fortunate we didn’t miss out on this opportunity. And that we were the only ones who recognized the potential of this work.”
It felt like they were finally getting to the main point. Instinctively, Yu-jin tensed and focused all his attention on the man across from him. At last, the editor spoke the words he had been waiting for.
“Mr. Seol Yu-jin, we would like to officially publish Juliana’s Garden through our publishing house. Would you be willing to sign a contract with us?”
Yu-jin was so shocked that he accidentally dropped his dessert fork.
***
“Daddy!”
Angela, who had been watching the approaching car, immediately ran down the steps and threw herself into Yu-jin’s arms.
“Daddy, where did you go? You left me all alone! I was so lonely!”
“I’m sorry, Angie. Did you wait long? Were you scared?”
He kissed her cheek as he spoke, and the little girl tightly wrapped her arms around his neck, shaking her head.
“No! I knew you would never leave me behind, Daddy. That’s why I wasn’t scared at all!”
Her voice was filled with unwavering trust, and Yu-jin couldn’t help but smile. He pressed his lips all over her cheeks, rubbing against her affectionately.
“Of course not. Daddy can’t live without Angie.”
“That tickles! It tickles!”
Angela burst into giggles, squirming in his arms as Yu-jin continued to tickle her. He laughed along with her, though a pang of guilt lingered in his chest as he thought about how she had been playing alone all day.
At the same time, he still couldn’t quite believe it.
I’m really going to publish a book.
Of course, he had submitted the manuscript with that hope in mind, but he never truly expected it to become a reality. And that wasn’t all—the editor had even offered him a contract with an advance payment of $1,000.
“But in exchange, Juliana’s Garden must be published exclusively through our company. In a way, I suppose you could say we’re trying to tie you down.”
Yu-jin was too stunned to respond, and the editor gave a wry smile before continuing.
“Honestly, we should be offering you more, but our company is quite small, so even this is an exceptionally generous offer for us. If other publishers contact you, please promise to sign with us instead. We’ll do everything we can to make this book a success.”
Watching the editor speak with such sincerity—even looking slightly apologetic—Yu-jin felt flustered and shook his head.
“Oh, no… Even a thousand dollars is a huge amount for me…”
Besides, this was the only publishing house that had reached out. It wasn’t as if Yu-jin was in any position to negotiate better terms. He could hardly believe he was receiving such an offer at all. And yet, the editor had only asked for two conditions. The first was that some scenes should be revised—but only if Yu-jin was comfortable with it; he had the choice to refuse. However, the second condition was non-negotiable.
“The title needs to be changed. It’s too ordinary.”
The editor stated this firmly and even suggested that they could brainstorm a few alternative titles together. Yu-jin had no reason to refuse. He agreed, saying he would also consider other title ideas himself, and with that, their meeting ended on a positive note.
This doesn’t feel real.
Yu-jin remained in a daze, as if he were dreaming. He had already pinched his cheek and thigh several times, yet no matter how much it hurt, it was undeniably real.
After returning to his room to shower, he checked the business card he had received. The small rectangular piece of paper clearly displayed Grant’s name and the publishing house’s details.
It’s real.
Yu-jin covered his mouth with both hands and let out a silent scream.
***
Winston arrived home at the same time as usual. Yu-jin, who had been preparing Angela for bed after her bath, stepped out of the room to greet him.
“Welcome back.”
As always, Winston gave a brief nod and headed straight to his room. Once he finished showering, they would have dinner together—it was part of their routine.
Yu-jin gently stroked Angela’s hair as he tucked her into bed.
“Good night, Angie.”
“Good night, Daddy. Sleep well.”
Angela obediently closed her eyes. Yu-jin watched her for a moment before standing up and switching off the bedside lamp. Quietly, he left the room, closing the door behind him.
Now what?
He hesitated for a moment, his gaze drifting toward Winston’s room. Should he tell him about today? It seemed like the right thing to do.
But why bother?
Winston wouldn’t be interested anyway. And it wasn’t like Yu-jin was obligated to tell him everything.
……But.
They had agreed to a truce. Things had been going smoothly between them lately, and keeping unnecessary secrets would only cause trouble later. It was better to be upfront now than to regret it down the line.
Building trust should come first. That’s what we lack.
Recalling Winston’s words, Yu-jin took a deep breath. If trust was what they needed, then there could be no secrets between them.
…Secrets.
A long-buried thought suddenly resurfaced. Should he tell him? That he couldn’t have children? Winston had never even considered the possibility that Angela wasn’t his biological daughter. All Yu-jin had to do was keep insisting that she was Harold’s child. There was no way they would dig up Harold’s body for a DNA test.
His throat went dry, and he swallowed hard.
Maybe now was his chance.
For a brief moment, conflicting emotions waged war within him, but he quickly steeled himself and lifted his head. There was no real reason for him to stay here any longer. He had already received a $1,000 check as an advance from the publisher, and once the contract was finalized, he would receive a portion of his royalties in advance as well. That meant he could manage on his own, at least for now.
But what if Winston’s reaction was different this time?
Lately, in their daily interactions, Yu-jin had caught glimpses of something—small but unmistakable—something that gave him hope. Now, an incredible stroke of luck had come his way. Maybe, just maybe, another one would follow.
Taking another deep breath, he stepped forward and knocked lightly on the door. After a brief pause, he pushed it open. Winston, who had been sitting on the sofa, turned his gaze toward him. Yu-jin inhaled sharply again before stepping inside.
As he closed the door behind him, a strange tension filled the air. He could feel it settle between them, pressing against his skin.
Standing there, Yu-jin simply looked at Winston’s face—silent, unmoving.
