The Versatile Master Artist

Every customer attending the book signing event received a survey card made of cardboard before entering, intended to gather statistics on why they purchase fairy tale books and what they consider the strengths of this book.

To encourage serious completion.

At the checkout counter, this card can act as a 2-pound cash voucher.

The market department of the Scholastic Group will collect these cards, analyze the sales data and feedback from readers for each book published by the group, and fill their business data model.

”Sir, I need to deliver these to the manager immediately.”

The staff appeared a bit anxious judging by their expression.

”No worries, I’ll just take a handful, you go ahead and deliver the rest.”

Dean Hawke casually grabbed a handful of ten or so survey cards from the basket and waved his hand to signal the staff to attend to their own matters.

The survey is divided into four sections—

[Do you have a regular habit of purchasing physical books? Have you previously purchased the Little Prince published by the Townesman Group?]

[How did you learn about this book signing event?]

[Have you previously heard of the translator Charlie Hawke?]

[Based on what reasons did you decide to purchase this book?]

Below each section is a row of printed possible options, allowing readers to conveniently tick directly.

Dean Hawke glanced casually, noticing a row of no’s right in front.

The translator couldn’t help but furrow his brows.

If not filled in randomly, looking at this survey card.

This reader buying the Little Prince neither regularly buys books nor knows about the book signing event, not even having heard of Charlie Hawke’s name.

”Came to attend the signing, yet doesn’t even know me!”

Mr. Hawke displeasedly tugged at his chin beard.

To be honest, he is not some world-renowned figure.

George R.R. Martin, Stephen King, even when they walk on the street, there are still people who don’t recognize them.

Yet this reader who just asked for his autograph surprisingly had no knowledge whatsoever of his literary achievements prior.

Mr. Hawke couldn’t escape a feeling of inexplicable melancholy.

In the final column, in the section driving the customer’s decision to purchase the book.

The tick made by the reader was neither for Saint-Exupéry’s literary reputation, nor for the thirty years of translation prowess of the Dean of Oxford, nor for the publisher’s marketing ads, but surprisingly for the last option — the illustrations by Detective Cat.

Illustrations.

Illustrations again!

”A case of buying the packaging for the jewels inside, huh. My translation’s language is so refreshingly innocent, now that’s real skill. If they like pictures, they might as well read comics, every page full of illustrations with just a few simple dialogues…”

The elder gentleman lamented helplessly.

Dean Hawke casually tossed this survey card aside and picked up the next one.

And was taken aback once again.

The information ticked on the next card was completely identical to the previous one.

If not for the different contact phone numbers filled in for reading feedback below, he would have thought it was the same person who submitted two survey cards.

”Strange.”

Dean Hawke laid all the survey cards on the table in a row.

This time, he didn’t wrinkle his brow.

His eyes slightly widened, his mouth gently parted, and his whole face contorted briefly in shock.

On the table before the elder gentleman were a total of eleven small survey forms.

Only one mentioned having heard of his name and one purchased it because they were a fan of Little Prince.

The remaining ten were all filled out exactly like the first survey card without exception.

Every person’s reason for purchasing had a tick next to the option [beautiful illustrations, exquisite packaging].

This…

Hawke seemed to realize something.

He gazed at the crowded readers in the bookstore before him, signing books until dusk, and swallowed with a deeply complex mood.

The poor Dean of Oxford’s mindset was akin to a dumpling shop’s master chef.

After honing his skills for more than a decade, he created lamb dumplings with thin skin, huge filling, and oozing juices. On opening day, people indeed filled the shop, and everyone kept praising.

But upon careful listening, every customer was complimenting the fragrant vinegar at the dumpling shop, asking if they could pack some to take home.

Surely the chef’s emotions must be indescribably complex.

Neither happy nor displeased.

Could it be… I really owe my thanks to that online illustrator?

Dean Hawke turned his gaze to the fairy tale cover of the new edition of Little Prince beside him.

[Illustration by: Detective Cat (a)] with the name prominently displayed below his signature.

The elder gentleman started preparing to translate this classic fairy tale from the early 2000s.

After a decade of sharpening his skills, upon learning that a newly hired illustrator was given the same signature rights as him, Dean Hawke couldn’t express his disapproval.

Just someone drawing a few pictures, he felt even adding a line of small print on the title page was giving her enough face, with no entitlement to a spot on the book cover.

This situation after release, however, was completely unforeseen by Charlie Hawke.

If one or two readers were buying books because of the illustrations, it could be deemed a coincidence, but with ten survey cards owners paying for books due to their love for illustrations, it was no coincidence.

In fact,

Even the only reader who purchased because they were a Little Prince fan had ticked two reasons.\\p>

Apart from ticking that they were a Saint-Exupéry fan, the other was liking the illustrations in the little box.