My third fairy tale book, ‘The Little Mermaid’, has been published.
The number of custom versions only increased by 2, totaling 12 copies, but the numbers for the hardcover and standard editions were significantly increased.
I was worried to see the Guild Leader so confidently ramping up production, but such concerns quickly dissipated.
It garnered astonishing popularity, with all copies selling out on the very first day reservations were accepted before the official release.
In particular, over 300 people participated in the lottery for the 12 custom copies.
Considering that only VIP clients of the Yuren Merchant Guild could enter the lottery, the competition was ludicrously fierce.
“Come on, everyone! Let’s do our best!”
Recently, many artisans have been invited to our family’s mansion within the territory.
As we continued adding production and working on new projects without pause, the existing workforce found it impossible to keep up with the overwhelming volume of work.
After discovering a book in the workshop a while back, I too agreed to the need for increasing the workforce with a heavy heart.
“Article 5, Section 3: Sentencing for Injuries to Imperial Nobles and Special Mitigating Factors.”
I came across a legal code that felt out of place in the workshop, revealing a folded page discussing injuries to nobles.
Lately, I had been sensing an ominous atmosphere from behind, and I hurried to expand the workforce, fearing that continued pressure on the artisans might lead to an ugly situation.
Nonetheless, it was gratifying to see that the money spent on hiring new workers was paying off, as the artisans had become proficient enough to operate much more efficiently under their leadership.
What initially felt like an excessively spacious bookbindery within the mansion now seemed rather compact.
With newfound resources, we were able to purchase a variety of tools, improving the quality of our books day by day.
Now, the skilled artisans are finding ways to advance the production without needing to be told.
One of the remarkable achievements was when a paper artisan, analyzing the new papers from the capital, created a self-repairing special paper.
Tear!
As I tore the paper in half and brought the two edges together, it was a fascinating sight to see the torn edges gradually align and restore to their original state.
“It’s amazing every time I see it.”
No matter how expensive the paper was, it was inherently weak against physical shock, but the “Shape Paper” we developed perfectly addressed this shortcoming.
Of course, if it was destroyed beyond a certain level, it couldn’t be restored, but it could easily recover from being torn in half, so it posed no issue even if children mishandled the books.
“Nobles may seem gullible, but they have surprisingly keen eyes for quality.”
Nobles might be generous enough to pay any price for rare items, but if something is simply a pricier version of what they already own, they won’t buy it.
To meet this demanding standard, we had to keep progressing.
“There are many items from the Magic Tower that are quite tempting.”
Although the current quality is excellent, it seems that human greed knows no bounds.
I recalled items from the Magic Tower that were once too pricey to consider.
Stones that could store sounds, magical projectors that displayed recorded images, and illusion magic circles that showcased fantasies to people.
Magic in this Another World was surprisingly advanced in practical applications.
With just a few combinations, one could replicate items from Earth.
However, the prices were too outrageous to even contemplate, and we couldn’t directly apply them to our fairy tale books either, so we needed to develop and enhance them ourselves.
If we requested them from the Magic Tower, the amounts they required were beyond imagination.
“It’s unfortunate, but still, this is quite something.”
The fairy tale books are evolving day by day.
This latest ‘The Little Mermaid’ stands at the forefront of this advancement, so I eagerly anticipate the public’s reaction.
*
Tears flowed.
As droplets fell from the sky-blue eyes of the dignified woman, the maid beside her gasped and approached hesitantly.
“Miss!”
“I’m alright. I just want to be alone for a moment.”
Despite the woman’s words, the flustered maid quietly left the room upon seeing her with her eyes closed.
“Is this your answer?”
The woman closed the book she had been looking at.
The cover of the book came into view, and the title caught her eye.
‘The Little Mermaid’
It was a new fairy tale book by Rupert Somerset, unmistakably based on her likeness.
This time, she had again failed to win a custom version lottery and had no choice but to purchase the hardcover edition.
Yet, because of that, she thought she could understand his feelings.
To her knowledge, the hardcover and standard editions were illustrated with the same images as the custom versions.
Thus, the pictures she was seeing could be viewed as the illustrations the author wanted to convey.
The man who had always enchanted her with sweet and beautiful tales now concluded his story with a tragedy.
Was it mere coincidence that he included a heroine resembling her in such a tragic tale?
It was hard to dismiss, especially considering that the male lead, the prince in ‘The Little Mermaid’, bore a striking resemblance to him as well.
“Are you saying that our relationship is like this as well?”
The Little Mermaid rescues the prince who fell into the sea.
They felt love upon their first meeting, yet it ultimately ended in a tragic conclusion that was never realized.
She had never once regretted being born as the eldest daughter of the Duke’s house, destined to inherit everything.
She thought of taking on the role of the lady of the Bluewell Duke’s family and leading her clan, succeeding her father, the family head.
Therefore, she could never promise love to someone like Rupert, the second son of the Count.
She must become a woman of iron and dedicate herself to protecting her family going forward.
If she were to marry, her sister Evelyn should take over the family.
Passing this heavy burden to her younger sister was a choice she could never make.
Had he known this from the very beginning, treating her so coolly during their first meeting?
Though they hadn’t met since, it was strangely enchanting how his feelings resonated through the pages of the book.
He was a person who, unlike his appearance, held warm feelings inside.
And he was confident that she would read the fairy tale book where he expressed his own emotions and story, depicting their conclusion like this.
Thus, even knowing the ending, she found herself wanting to meet him once more.
She wished to tell him that the feelings weren’t solely his.
“Will there be a banquet at the Somerset residence?”
While she didn’t know the details, she knew that noble families hold a banquet at least once a season, so she felt compelled to find out.
She was aware that attending a banquet where she played no role could stir controversy, but still, all she felt was the desire to meet him.
*
“Your Highness, the Princess… perhaps you should stop looking at that.”
“Aiden, don’t you think it’s a bit disappointing?”
Without turning her head, the Princess’s response while glancing at the ending of the fairy tale book she had seen several times left Aiden feeling exasperated.
With the author who had recently been bothering him, seeing the Princess make a scene over a fairy tale book made him want to prohibit its publication altogether.
Usually, she remained so composed, but whenever that fairy tale book was involved, she acted like a child.
In fact, when he heard that the new ‘The Little Mermaid’ was being released, he even considered hiding the news from her.
“If that got out later, it would really be a mess.”
Not wanting to be hated by the Princess, whom he regarded almost like a granddaughter, Aiden had still managed to acquire a custom version for her.
However, that was not the end of it.
“Aiden, I want to see both the hardcover and the standard editions in addition to the custom version!”
With her insistence on wanting to have them all instead of just one copy, the guild leader cast doubtful glances at him, as if to say, “This is something you’re trying to hoard for yourself, isn’t it?” He wanted to explain himself but figured that the more he spoke, the more it would come off as justifying his actions, so he gave up.
“The Little Mermaid, it certainly is different from his previous works.”
Now in his old age, he didn’t experience much emotional upheaval over trivial matters, but he did feel a stirring when he first read that poignant ending in the fairy tale book.
If he felt that way, the reaction from the Princess, who was at a sensitive age, must have been even more intense.
Thus, her current reaction didn’t seem overly frivolous.
“Aiden, I think the ending of this book is rather good.”
“Is that so, Your Highness?”
Thank goodness. He felt relieved that he wouldn’t have to make another trip to Goldpool Valley to deliver one of the Princess’s letters, as he did last time.
Even if he used the Magic Tower’s teleportation array, a trip to the southern region was more than enough with just one visit.
Moreover, as the head butler of the Imperial Family, frequently visiting a particular noble house could lead to unintended misunderstandings.
“Although I doubt it, rumors can be quite terrifying.”
The Princess was nearing adulthood.
Looming questions about whether she was looking for a suitor was a concern. In her case, with the Crown Prince already in existence, it wouldn’t significantly affect the royal authority. Nonetheless, it was not wise to send her to a family with too much power.
If a powerful family were to receive the Imperial Family’s favor, it could pose serious issues.
On the other hand, if she were sent to a family too modest, it wouldn’t be appropriate for the dignity of the Imperial Family, and the Emperor would absolutely deny such a union.
“A Count’s house. The fact that he’s the second son might be a drawback, but considering the first son is missing, he could be regarded as the practical heir.”
Someone like Rupert would barely meet the criteria. Considering the recent downfall of the Somerset Count’s house, while they lacked significant power, they still belonged to a traditional noble family.
Typically, marquesses or foreign royalty are considered suitable matches, so while this situation was lacking, it wasn’t completely out of the question.
It was a very delicate balance.
“But no matter how I think about it, after the ending, the prince should regret a bit more… No! They should coincidentally meet again, and then he becomes obsessed after that!”
Aiden, who had briefly been lost in thought, snapped back to attention at the Princess’s words.
“Pardon?”
“The prince regrets missing the opportunity with the Little Mermaid upon seeing her with someone else and becomes obsessed, leading to his decline…”
“Y-Your Highness, please calm down.”
“Wouldn’t that make for a better plot? I have so many questions! The author must have had something in mind. I must go meet him in person!”
Aiden suddenly felt a headache coming on. The thought that just his visit could spark rumors about the Princess and Rupert, and now she wanted to confront the author directly.
This was certainly a scenario that would leave him speechless if rumors did circulate.
“Your Highness, perhaps it would be better to invite him directly to the palace.”
“Oh, that could work.”
If he couldn’t stop her, it would be better to call him to the palace instead.
Of course, inviting him wouldn’t mean that rumors wouldn’t get out, but it was still a hundred times better than going in person.
As he watched the excited Princess thinking about meeting the author Rupert, he started pondering what excuse he could use to invite him.
At the same time, he briefly considered whether he should even suggest to the Emperor that they apprehend the author of the fairy tale book in order to put an end to the Princess’s antics.
—
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