Chapter 29
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
I possessed the body of a villainess locked away in a desolate tower.
Chapter 29
Why hadn't I thought of this sooner?
Having already endured similar suffering back in Salt, I felt almost resentful that the idea had only occurred to me now.
'I started with just an eye mask back then.'
But the cheap eye mask made from discarded monster leather was far too thick, leaving my face feeling suffocated, and inevitably the next day would bring a fresh outbreak of blemishes.
So the compromise I settled on was blackout curtains—precisely that!
The blackout curtains, which not only blocked light but also provided excellent draft protection, had become a glimmer of hope during my dreary enslavement.
The only drawback was that they weren't particularly aesthetically pleasing.
'Having woven together discarded scraps of leather haphazardly, calling it a curtain was rather embarrassing.'
Back then, since I was the only one using them, design hardly mattered.
But now I found myself thinking of people I'd like to gift them to—Bonita, perhaps, or Liam, or my unscrupulous employer...?
In any case, I didn't want to make them carelessly like before.
I couldn't very well hang tattered curtains in someone's chamber as a gift.
'...Is there something better I could use?'
As I sat frozen, staring at the steaming soup, I heard Bonita's concerned voice.
"Are you not hungry?"
"Bonita, do you know where I could find inexpensive, thick fabric?"
"Fabric? You mean...?"
At my sudden non-sequitur, Bonita's eyes widened.
"Fabric, I'm not entirely sure about. But there seems to be plenty of leather."
"Ah, there are many monsters in the Blaire Grand Duke Territory, aren't there? Is there perhaps any discarded byproduct?"
"Hmm..."
Seeing my serious expression, Bonita adopted one as well, falling into thought before suddenly lifting her head as if remembering something.
"Poleta leather, perhaps?"
As always, she did not disappoint my expectations.
"Poleta leather?"
"Poleta packs have made their nests below the Iscard Mountain Range, and they often descend to settlements, destroying crops and attacking livestock."
Poleta were common beasts in Salt as well.
While individual creatures weren't particularly powerful, they traveled in packs, and during their breeding season, herb gatherers who ventured into the mountains often returned injured or didn't return at all.
"Their numbers have grown alarmingly over the past few years, so they're culled periodically, but apparently the byproducts from Poleta, including their hides, are difficult to dispose of."
"Is that so? What are the characteristics of the leather?"
"It lacks elasticity and doesn't breathe well, I'm told."
"It doesn't breathe well?"
Draft protection is one of a curtain's functions. But if the material allowed air to pass through freely, there would certainly be a problem.
Therefore, based on what I'd just heard, Poleta leather seemed like it could be quite suitable material.
A light bulb seemed to flash in my mind, and I asked with a noticeably brighter expression.
"What about the pattern?"
"Oh, the pattern? Previously the patterns were considered quite elegant, so there was often demand for them as rugs, but... since there are so many superior materials now, apparently no one seeks them out anymore."
"Oh really? Where could I see them?"
"Miss, you must finish your meal before you leave!"
Bonita, restraining me as I looked ready to spring to my feet at any moment, shook her head.
"And His Grace the Grand Duke would know about such things better than anyone."
"...He knows about that too?"
It wasn't as though his hobby was leather collecting or anything like that.
As I pondered the Grand Duke's secret preferences for a moment, I nodded at Bonita's next words.
"Well, because Blaire Grand Duke stands at the forefront of the Subjugation Squad."
"Ah."
This was entirely new information to me.
Should I just go find him and ask directly?
Since the Magic Tower incident, we'd barely exchanged anything beyond occasional discussions about the comic book business.
I felt that if I could only make blackout curtains properly, it might also prove helpful to him in the bargain.
"Thank you, Bonita."
As I smiled at her while spooning the properly cooled soup, she returned the smile despite dark circles hanging down to her jaw.
'...I wonder if I look like that too.'
At the sight of Bonita looking rather forlorn, my heart ached for a moment.
It was a moment when the necessity of blackout curtains became painfully clear.
* * *
"Why are you suddenly looking for Poleta leather?"
His voice was clearly exhausted.
And his face looked unusually weary.
Upon encountering the Grand Duke in such a pitiful state after so long, I quickly surveyed my surroundings instead of diving straight into the matter.
I'd thought he had some breathing room since he'd readily agreed to my sudden meeting request, but stacks of documents towered around him like a mountain.
At this point, I wondered if my earning good money had simply earned me his favor.
After hovering about, my gaze finally settled on the Grand Duke again, now tinged with a hint of concern.
'He's still handsome, even like this.'
Whether it was the sleep deprivation or the darkened complexion, it somehow made his presence all the more profound.
Before I knew it, quite a long silence had passed, and the Grand Duke's voice came again from where he'd been buried in documents.
"Princess?"
"Oh."
Realizing I'd been staring blankly at him without responding, an odd embarrassment washed over me.
"I apologize. I was lost in thought for a moment...."
"Lost in thought while standing before me."
Strictly speaking, my thoughts were about the Grand Duke, so they weren't really about something else, but I couldn't very well say that outright, so I hastily waved my hand.
"No, I'm sorry...."
"Never mind. Let me ask again. Why are you looking for Poleta leather?"
There was nothing wrong with asking about common monster leather, but he seemed curious why I'd posed such a question in the first place.
This time, I answered without delay.
"I heard that Poleta leather is treated as a useless item in the Grand Duchy. I wanted to check if perhaps I could develop it into something else, so to speak."
"Poleta leather is in such excess supply that I'll have Liam provide you with the surplus. But what's the intended use?"
"Hmm...."
There wasn't much to say.
You couldn't sleep, I couldn't sleep, and everyone in the Grand Duke's Residence was suffering from sleep deprivation.
So I could simply answer that I was thinking of making blackout curtains from the excess Poleta leather—but for some reason, the words wouldn't leave my lips.
Was it because I didn't want my meddlesome goodwill to be discovered?
I shook my head and stepped back.
"It doesn't seem like the right time to discuss it yet...."
"Not the right time?"
At my response, his brow furrowed slightly.
"Well, yes. Not yet. I'm still in the thinking stage."
"Surely you could share your thoughts?"
"Until it takes concrete form, my principle is to avoid stimulating people's expectations...."
"...."
"...."
"Fine. Do as you wish, princess."
Hm?
Huh?
'What was that?'
His tone was the same composed one as always, yet why did it sound sulky?
But I dismissed the feeling as mere imagination and awkwardly lowered my head.
"Th-thank you."
"Yes, now go."
Just as I turned to leave, pushing aside the lingering unease, his voice came again from behind.
"Wait."
"Yes, sir?"
The Grand Duke regarded me with an odd expression before slowly opening his mouth.
"...Once it takes some shape, will you tell me then?"
As his uncharacteristic behavior continued, I suppressed my bewilderment and shook my head.
This was meant to be a gift presented only after completion, so this time had to be an exception.
"I'm afraid that won't be possible."
"...I see."
The Grand Duke's lips pressed into a firm line before he turned his gaze back to the documents without another word.
Stepping out of the Office, I paused at the door, caught in peculiar contemplation.
'Was he disappointed?'
I knew in my mind that couldn't be it, yet the subtly deflated tone of his voice left me feeling strangely unsettled.
But....
'Well, it must be my imagination.'
Dismissing the unfamiliar reaction, I quickened my pace toward where Liam was.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org