Endless Debt Chapter 728 - 210: Handwritten Signature

When Palmer woke up, Bologue had already left. Palmer wasn’t sure what Bologue was busy with, but it seemed unrelated to him. Otherwise, with Bologue’s dedication, he would definitely not let Palmer off the hook.

After a quick wash, Palmer changed his usual laid-back outfit. He rifled through his pitifully small wardrobe and pieced together an extremely formal attire from the reserves aboard the Horror.

Looking at himself in the mirror, Palmer almost felt as if he was going to attend a date. For a moment, even he was captivated by his reflection.

After indulging in some narcissism, Palmer carefully opened the cabinet and took out a box wrapped in layers. After the Paradise incident, Palmer and his companions were transferred to the Horror, basically remaining on board around the clock.

With the isolation of the sea, leaving the Horror was an extremely challenging task. However, this didn’t restrict Palmer, who was proficient in gliding with the wind due to his own Secret Energy, especially on this turbulent ocean.

Since realizing Ewen was the Crowned Blue Jay, this plan had been forming in Palmer’s mind, until it was put into action last night. Now, all he had to do was complete the final step of the plan.

Palmer hugged the box while sprinting down the corridor; he remembered the location of Ewen’s room well. He had visited Ewen these past few days, but most of the time, Ewen was asleep, so Palmer didn’t disturb him. Instead, he silently left a fruit basket on his bedside table, with a tag thoughtfully bearing Palmer’s name, though he wasn’t sure if Ewen noticed.

Palmer’s heart was beating wildly, and he felt his cheeks heat up, akin to a young man falling in love. His emotions were in a panic, yet filled with anticipation.

Ewen wasn’t always asleep; sometimes he would briefly wake up and write something in his notebook. Palmer longed to go in and say hello, but considering the odd circumstances of their meeting and the subsequent events, he, usually so bold, didn’t know where to start.

Palmer felt he wasn’t this conflicted facing Vasilina, who was always proactive. Whenever Palmer was torn, she would burst in and shatter his tangle of emotions into pieces.

Then Palmer thought, why was he so tangled over Ewen? He truly admired the writer and looked forward to him. So, he should bravely move forward. Who knows, by tomorrow, the Curved Path Gate might be set up, and he’d have to return to the Order Bureau. He absolutely couldn’t miss this opportunity.

With all sorts of chaotic thoughts racing through his mind, Palmer puffed out his chest and strode forward. With every step, Palmer’s mood became more sanctified, as if on a pilgrimage. He was finally about to meet the Crowned Blue Jay he yearned for, and perhaps he could chat with him for a while or even get his autograph...

With boundless vitality, Palmer turned the door handle and pushed open Ewen’s door.

With his first glance inside, Palmer spotted Ewen sitting on the bed, holding an apple he’d eaten halfway through. Cinderella sat nearby, her face lowered, her gaze fixed on the ground, embodying a pale, desolate aura.

"Uh... are you guys busy?"

This bizarre scene caught Palmer off guard, but he wasn’t one to back down.

Ewen explained for Cinderella, "No, just chatting and encountering a few disagreements."

Ewen’s voice paused for a moment before confirming again, "Yes, disagreements, between fantasy and reality."

Cinderella thought that every word, plot, and peculiar nuance in Ewen’s book carried deep meaning... When in fact, Cinderella was overthinking; Ewen hadn’t thought much about these things while writing and sometimes couldn’t even remember what he’d written.

When Cinderella inquired about a character’s storyline, Ewen instead puzzledly asked her who the character was, whether he’d written about this person.

Like a cruel execution, Ewen, with a chisel, meticulously shattered all of Cinderella’s fantasies about the Crowned Blue Jay.

Cinderella had begun to regret it; she shouldn’t have asked Ewen about these matters. She could no longer approach these stories the way she did before.

Ewen asked, "Should I call you Shaw, or... Palmer?"

Palmer warmly approached the bedside, "Palmer Clarks, that’s my real name. As for Shaw, it’s just a pseudonym needed for certain missions."

"Oh, that makes sense."

Ewen nodded. He thought Palmer was a nice guy, serious but with a touch of humor, which slightly changed his impression of those cold and lethal Condensers. Most importantly, Palmer had saved his life, although it was because of his identity as the Crowned Blue Jay.

After many years, Ewen still marveled that writing could indeed save one’s life.

Palmer’s expression became troubled, "Umm..."

"Just call me Ewen."

Ewen understood Palmer’s dilemma, "Outside of working hours, I don’t like others calling me the Crowned Blue Jay; it feels like I’m working overtime."

"Haha."

Palmer laughed, realizing that before pushing the door open, he had been anxious, fearing Ewen might be difficult to deal with. But now, it seemed they were both kindred spirits.

Ewen noticed the box tucked under Palmer’s arm, "What is this?"

"Ah... well, just a moment."

Palmer quickly opened the packaging, revealing a rectangular box. Its packaging was exceptionally exquisite, made of wood with an antique finish. A brass clasp secured the crate, and brass protective corners adorned its eight vertices.

Ewen found this wooden box somewhat familiar. After a moment of recollection, he realized that there seemed to be quite a few of such boxes in his home’s storage.

"Wow!"

Cinderella exclaimed, recognizing what the wooden box was. Her hands pressed on the box, her eyes locking with Palmer’s.

Without exchanging words, merely through eye contact, they acknowledged each other’s identity, reaching out and shaking hands firmly.

"You can call me Cinderella."

"Palmer Clarks."

This time, Ewen found himself puzzled. He sat upright and asked, "What’s in the wooden box?"

Palmer was surprised, "What? You don’t know what this is?"

"It’s somewhat familiar. Previously, my editor seemed to have mailed me quite a few of these."

Ewen reached out to drag the box closer. It turned out to be heavier than he imagined. On the top of the box was a gold-printed name, gleaming brightly.

"The Journey of Absolute Night?"

Ewen was somewhat surprised, as he had just discussed this derivative tabletop game with Cinderella.

"No," Palmer promptly corrected Ewen, "this is The Journey of Absolute Night’s Limited Deluxe Edition!"

"Huh?"

But Ewen’s astonishment didn’t stop there. Palmer opened the box, revealing neatly arranged items—pieces, Identity Cards, game maps, dice, rulebooks, and more.

Palmer took out the rulebook, devoutly handing it to Ewen. Ewen recognized this scene well, as even though he never appeared in public, he often received such requests from his editor.

Ewen proficiently picked up the pen, mechanically signing the Crowned Blue Jay signature on the rulebook. Palmer then took back the rulebook, glancing at the signature and at Ewen. He pressed the rulebook to his chest, displaying a countenance full of harmony and calmness.

"It was worth it."

Palmer murmured, realizing that compared to any primal matter or Gold, it was Crowned Blue Jay’s autographed copy of The Journey of Absolute Night that he truly wanted.

From a certain perspective, Palmer was indeed an easily satisfied person.

Ewen spoke, "Do you have any questions about the story you want to ask?"

Palmer was both excited and anxious, "Can I?"

Ewen smiled, "Of course, accepting readers’ questions is also part of an author’s job."

Palmer seemed even more thrilled, while Cinderella sensed a hint of trouble. She intended to stop Palmer, knowing that he would likely dislike Ewen’s answers.

Like an unfeeling steamroller, Ewen would crush everyone’s fantasies into fragments.

However, just as Cinderella was about to jump in and stop Palmer, she suddenly paused, a bleak smile curled at the corner of her mouth.

Why should she be the only one hurt?