When was the last time she ran this fast? Perhaps when she was a child, chasing her beloved dog, now gone, after a ball in the backyard. Or when playing tag with her father in front of their house. Or maybe even now.
Josie ran as if the world depended on her last breath. Even Rae, who always won the inter-school running competition, would probably be speechless seeing how reckless her sister was this time. She ran fast down the street like an arrow released from a bow with only one goal in mind: The Blue Quill.
She had to hurry! She had to get there on time or she would regret it for the rest of her life!
In her blind speed, Josie did not realise the chaos she had caused. From the old ladies who scolded her for running like a madwoman on the streets, to a mother who ranted angrily because she almost hit her son, to a vendor who nearly had an accident because Josie almost crashed into his cart. She even nearly hit a soldier on duty this afternoon!
Josie, who was still running down the street, immediately broke into a wide smile when The Blue Quill appeared at the end of the road. Somehow, today the shop looked like a heavenly refuge for a desperate writer, so much so that she felt like bowing down in gratitude at the door.
Yeah, just a few more metres to go. Her feet ran faster and faster, and from a distance, Josie could already see Ed busy lifting stacks of used books and arranging them on a long wooden table neatly arranged in front of the shop. Then, without waiting for a signal, Josie immediately rushed towards the empty bench behind the table and threw herself down on it like a warrior returning from the battlefield.
Ed Harrington, the man with thick eyebrows, nearly dropped the pile of books when Josie suddenly grabbed the empty chair behind the table.
"You know that's not your regular desk, right?" he asked in surprise, still clutching two thick books in his arms.
Josie was one of five regular customers at his bookshop, who were supposed to have their own regular desks. Seeing the girl suddenly sit at another desk, especially one that was about to be used as a display table for his books, Ed paused for a moment before looking at her in confusion.
"Today I want a change of scenery," she replied quickly without turning her head. Her eyes were too busy watching the streets around her, scanning each person passing in front of the bookshop carefully.
Seeing her so busy watching the street and the people passing by, Ed clicked his tongue as he arranged the books on the table. "He'll be here soon."
"What?" The girl's forehead immediately wrinkled in confusion. How could Ed know the real reason she was sitting here? Her face immediately turned red when she realised the truth. Her wide blue eyes looked even bigger behind her amusing expression of surprise. "So you already knew?"
"It's not just me, Jo. Half of the guests at The Blooming Waltz last night heard that you were chasing after the Major General."
"Everyone?!"
"You really didn't realise, huh?" Ed raised his thick eyebrows. "Last night you shouted loudly that Major General Raymond was your missing 'Captain Valrick'."
"I … what?" Josie held her head, trying to remember something she had forgotten, but failed. "There's no way I said that!"
"You were so drunk with excitement that you forgot about the world around you." Ed grinned, amused by Josie's expression. "I'm just wondering why you didn't put up a sign that said 'Major General Raymond's future wife' so that no one would bother you when you approached the Major. After seeing him last night, I understand why the Bluebill girls are fighting for his attention."
"Hey! I'm not competing to be his future wife, okay?" she protested, half offended and half dramatic. She glared at Ed, as if she couldn't accept being compared to the single Bluebill women who liked to flirt with soldiers just for their status and uniforms. "I'm different! This is purely for character research. Remember, RESEARCH!" Josie emphasised, pointing at herself. "Don't get me wrong—"
"Shh ... if you're this noisy, I guarantee he'll think you're weird," whispered Ed without taking his eyes off the street in front of the shop.
"What do you mean—"
"He's coming," Ed cut in quickly.
As if her body had a special radar for men in uniform, Josie immediately turned her head sharply. Consciously, she pushed Ed away from the table, which had now unofficially become her operations headquarters—the real-world version of Captain Valrick's lookout post.
Josie hurriedly adjusted her sitting position, crossed her legs, and hid half her face behind her notebook. Meanwhile, her heart—oh, her heart was beating as if there was a huge commotion inside it! Why was it beating so fast? The man was less than ten metres away from where she was waiting.
Strange. Really strange. But who cares?
Josie tried to steal a glance, peeking quietly from behind his shoulder. There she saw Atlas Raymond walking tall beside Baron Kingsley, whose body looked even more bulky in his tight pastel suit. The man's stride was long but measured, without any sense of haste. His eyes were sharp, his gaze straight ahead as if he could cut through the crowd with his presence alone.
Josie's eyes then shifted to the group that obediently followed behind the two men of high social status. There were quite a number of them. Most were the Baron's personal bodyguards, and Josie immediately recognised one of them, Sir Benjamin, who stood tall as usual in his distinctive blue coat.
Josie had a fairly close relationship with Sir Benjamin, the head of the Baron's personal guards. Especially after she made the man in his late 30s the muse for the male lead in her story about a knight and a princess. So when Sir Benjamin's gaze met her blue eyes, he immediately smiled, and Josie, who was in "stalker" mode, immediately looked down in panic.
Josie felt panicked now. Her stalking could be exposed not only by Sir Benjamin, but also by the mayor and his guards. Although they were fewer in number than the baron's men, their military uniforms made them far more frightening. Her mind was instantly filled with images of ambushes, dark interrogation rooms, and merciless punishment.
However, she couldn't pass up this golden opportunity. Meeting the mayor on the streets of Bluebill was a blessing to be grateful for.
Josie nodded as she clenched her fists on the wooden table, encouraging herself to stay motivated and never give up on becoming Captain Valrick. She then looked ahead, directly at the major who was slowly walking past her.
The aura he exuded was the same as Josie had felt at the spring dance. He was so handsome, authoritative, and calm in the midst of the crowd. Even among the crowd of citizens passing by on the city streets, his gait remained steady, as if unaffected by the noisy world around him. When people began to slow down and even stop completely just to stare at the man in uniform, he seemed completely unaffected.
And that face ….
Josie sighed, trying to look away but unable to. No one could deny that Major General Raymond was a man blessed with extraordinary good looks. Not just aesthetically handsome, but handsome with character. Even Sir Benjamin, who had always been touted as the most charming mature man in Bluebill, looked like a background actor compared to General Raymond.
She looked down, her fingers trembling slightly as she held the pen. She hurriedly wrote a line in her notebook, trying to capture that impression before it evaporated.
「Unpretentious good looks! His gaze was direct, calm, and deadly. His jaw was firm, as if carved from stone. His gaze is not meant to please anyone, but to observe. Important note: Captain Valrick is completely unaware of his own charm, just like the major!」
Then, below that, Josie added a few more scribbles.
「I think he's almost 188 centimetres tall? I thought he was as tall as Sir Benjamin, but he's actually a little shorter. A bit of a shame? Not really. He's still taller than me. So he's still considered a tall man, right? And I think Henry is shorter than him.
Note: his palms are perfectly clenched, a sign of high emotional control. This man has no wasted movements. His intimidation is very natural, just like Captain Valrick in my imagination!」
Then, as if the universe deliberately wanted to test his composure, Atlas Raymond turned his head. Just as Josie looked up to spy on him again. Their eyes met unconsciously. Then in an instant, Josie felt as if the man knew exactly who she was and what she was doing here. And before Josie had a chance to look away, those grey eyes had already caught her.
The man looked at Josie as if he could see right through her without asking any questions. Although it was only for a moment, that gaze was enough to make Josie's pen fall from her hand, hitting the table with a sound that seemed too loud for such a small moment.
A split second later, Atlas shifted his gaze expressionlessly. As if he saw nothing. As if there was no girl staring at him with wide eyes and bated breath. He walked away, followed by Baron Kingsley, who loyally trailed behind him like a dog obedient to its master.
Meanwhile, Josie remained silent for a split second, staring at the pen lying on the paper. Her hand trembled slightly as she picked it up again. Then, slowly, she wrote a single sentence.
「He saw me. Oh no! Has he found out now?」