Chapter 53
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 53 "Hmm...."
I'd been staring blankly at the floor, but I carefully lifted my gaze.
"So, I'm curious what answer you'll give me, young lady."
The Empress's seemingly benevolent smile felt unusually menacing today. I supposed I should be grateful that all my efforts to build favor meant she wasn't openly displaying hostility. Yes, this was the Empress Palace. I'd rushed here early this morning after receiving word that the Empress was looking for me. Why? Because news had spread far and wide that I was manufacturing tumblers in large quantities. Of course, I'd deliberately spread that rumor to lower the premium as much as possible.... 'I never expected those who owned rare merchandise to become this upset.' I'd anticipated some backlash, but I hadn't imagined the Empress would summon me directly. In the rigid atmosphere, I clasped my hands tightly and opened my mouth.
"First, I was deliberating how best to explain to Your Majesty that this situation contains room for misunderstanding."
"You're saying this situation is my misunderstanding? How do you plan to convince me?"
I didn't need to ask why the Empress was displeased—I could sense it clearly. The Empress had openly displayed her ownership of the merchandise and carried the tumbler to every social gathering. For someone who had only ever used items specially crafted for her alone, wouldn't this situation feel like a challenge to her authority? 'Since I created this situation, I need to resolve it myself.' After observing her expression and grasping the situation somewhat, I continued speaking.
"...First, what's currently being manufactured in the Grand Duchy is not the Ghost Duke's tumbler."
"I don't understand what you mean."
At my words, the Empress furrowed her brow and raised her voice.
"I sent people to investigate after seeing advertisements in all sorts of magazines, and they confirmed that your cooperation with the Magic Tower is proceeding very smoothly...."
So she actually sent people to investigate. I'd suspected as much, but she really is consistently meticulous.... I set aside my thoughts and nodded in acknowledgment of her words.
"Yes, of course we are manufacturing tumblers in the Grand Duchy, Your Majesty."
"Young lady, are you trying to play word games with me now?"
Before her patience could run out, I began again with a slightly softer tone.
"That's not it. What Your Majesty and the other ninety-nine devoted readers possess is a rare Ghost Duke's cup, but what we're currently manufacturing is merely a product that borrows only its function."
"You borrowed only the function?"
"Yes, including the design, it's essentially a completely different item from what Your Majesty possesses."
But even with my explanation that limited merchandise and mass-produced goods were different, the Empress's expression showed no signs of softening. Then I'd need to present Plan B. After steadying my breath, I suddenly let out a heavy sigh and spoke miserably.
"In truth, Your Majesty, 'The Ghost Duke's Castle' was facing a crisis of losing its readers' attention due to the scammers rampant in the Imperial Capital."
"What do you mean? I've also heard that tumbler fraud is rampant in the Imperial Capital. But that has nothing to do with readers losing interest, does it?"
"The more widespread the damage becomes, the more readers' affection for this work will diminish."
"So? People who like it will continue to like it anyway."
No, that wasn't it. I shook my head quickly.
"A work that falls out of favor with the masses will lose its opportunity to be recognized for its artistic merit, and if that happens, the possibility of discontinuation or serialization halts becomes quite real."
Of course, the likelihood of it reaching that point was only about 0.1%, but I deliberately refrained from mentioning just how slim those odds were. Perhaps because of that, the Empress's expression darkened as though she'd just heard the worst possible news.
"Is that truly the case?"
"Yes, of course this incident could be dismissed as a simple fraud matter, but... for the sake of the readers who love this work, I believe we cannot simply overlook it."
Though I didn't say it outright, there was also consideration for those readers who, unable to obtain the limited merchandise, wished to possess something similar. After all, only one hundred people, including the Empress, possessed the genuine articles. With my supplementary explanation, the Empress's expression softened slightly, and she slowly reclined her previously rigid posture against the chair's back. Soon after, she parted her lips with a somewhat stern expression, her mouth set in a thin line.
"Indeed. Moreover, if this fraud matter tarnishes the honor of 【Safety Guidelines of the Ghost Duke's Castle】, we must resolve it swiftly."
And before I could say anything, she swiftly added her own thoughts.
"I shall handle this matter."
"Yes? How will you—?"
But the Empress seemed already to be formulating her own plan. Perhaps that's why my objection went unheard. 'She'll handle it well, won't she?' In the end, contrary to being summoned so sharply, I received only a simple dismissal and trudged out of the palace. * * * And so, now, after much back and forth, I received word that tumbler production was nearly at its final stages. I examined the letter from the Magic Tower once more, then rested my chin in my hand and sank into contemplation.
"Hmm..."
No matter how I thought about it, producing the Ghost Duke tumblers again in limited quantities would greatly offend those who already possessed the merchandise. Which meant... I couldn't make special exceptions for people like Fabron Marquis. 'The internet hasn't developed here, so no one would know, but a promise is still a promise...' Yet to brazenly pretend ignorance gnawed at my conscience terribly. Why? Because Fabron Marquis had squandered his entire fortune and had to care for a wife whose body was frail. I'd even requested a separate background investigation to see if he might be a fraud, but the results matched my expectations. His financial state was so clean that not a speck of dust would emerge even if thoroughly shaken—evidence itself of how honorably he'd lived.
"I heard the tumbler excels at heat retention. I simply wanted to obtain one so that the soup I feed my wife wouldn't grow cold..."
I lay sprawled across the cluttered table, sighing heavily. I wanted to stop torturing my brain with such deliberation... 'Is there perhaps another way I could help?' Someone might reproach me for indulging in unnecessary sympathy. But with the sensibilities of a modern twenty-first century person, it was terribly difficult to turn away from someone struggling right before my eyes. 'I was a diligent child who faithfully participated in helping the underprivileged back in elementary school.' In any case, what was certain now was that I couldn't produce tumblers with the identical design. As I sat in silence with my chin resting in my hand, my gaze suddenly fell upon the papers with the tumbler designs sketched on them. '...The current tumbler design isn't really suited for storing food rather than simple beverages.' If it's meant to store food for an ailing wife, it would need to be larger than what's currently available on the market. A handle would make it even better.
"...!"
Then, in a sudden flash of inspiration, a rather promising idea crossed my mind. 'If the insulation effect works for food as well as beverages, it should keep things warm for at least half a day. So why not a thermos bottle?' Besides, thermoses had actually existed before tumblers anyway. I slowly propped myself up and straightened my posture. Though I'd gotten the order backwards, a thermos bottle would likely prove far more effective than a tumbler. A faint smile played at my lips as I searched for paper and pen, beginning to draft a new letter.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org