MTLNOVEL Chapter 50
After obtaining information about Parthanium from the Grand Duke, I immediately took action.
I made sure to send a letter to the Mage Tower stating that I would use my wish token as soon as possible, along with a detailed explanation of the tumbler’s design and functions.
I was worried it might take a long time, but as expected, the mysterious power of magic did not betray me.
“Miss! Something arrived from the Mage Tower!”
Had it been about two days?
I was having tea with Ashley while the Grand Duke continued to stay secluded within the palace when the long-awaited news made me jump to my feet.
“Already?”
“Yes! Huff, huff… Here you go!”
Bonita, panting as if she had run the whole way, placed a letter and a medium-sized box on the table.
I opened the sealed envelope first.
The letter stated, “We have accepted your request to use your wish token and will provide the necessary amount of Parthanium.” It also mentioned that they had sent a sample they had produced for testing.
‘I knew breaking the core was worth the risk.’
Recalling my past struggles, I smiled with satisfaction.
Next was the box.
Peeling away the soft cushioning material, I revealed a metal cup lying inside, exuding an enchanting presence.
“Oh my, it looks just like an ordinary cup on the outside.”
“I thought it would have a more extravagant design since it supposedly has the mystical ability to maintain the temperature of its contents.”
“Hehe… This is just a sample. Once the design is finalized, it will be made much prettier.”
I chuckled at Bonita’s excited reaction and gently ran my fingers over the cup’s surface.
The slightly bluish sheen of the tumbler’s exterior felt different from the stainless-steel cups I was familiar with.
But in a way, that made it fit the fantasy aesthetic even better.
Lifting the sample with trembling hands, I looked at Bonita and Ashley with an elated expression.
“Once we engrave an illustration and the Ghost Duke’s signature here, it’ll be complete.”
Of course, I still needed to test whether the sample functioned properly and finalize the design…
‘Hehehe, in any case, the finish line is in sight.’
I didn’t need to produce a large quantity.
Refining Parthanium required significant upfront costs, and limited-edition merchandise thrived on exclusivity.
Releasing too many at once could actually backfire.
‘A reasonable number would be 100. Would that be okay?’
For a moment, I worried that it might be too few. Then, I recalled the madness surrounding the blackout curtains from before.
The flood of orders from readers. The workshop running non-stop.
Those days when I was so overwhelmed with work that I barely had time to sleep.
‘…It should be fine, right?’
I forcibly ignored the creeping anxiety and hugged the cool tumbler tightly to my chest.
* * *
That afternoon, I hurriedly began the tumbler experiment under the pretense of a tea-time break.
“Alright, let’s check this out.”
I held in my hands a teapot that had just finished boiling.
‘I need to pour the tea and wait a little…’
Tilting the teapot, I let the steaming liquid flow into the tumbler.
Trickle.
Once it was about halfway full and I confirmed that there were no signs of contamination inside, I sealed the lid.
Now, I just had to wait a few hours and check the results.
“Haa, I hope it works well.”
Feeling a sudden wave of exhaustion, I instinctively staggered toward my bed.
That’s when I noticed the disaster zone my bed had become.
Scraps of paper from drafting letters, books about Parthanium, contract drafts for the Mage Tower…
Truly, it was a battlefield of relentless effort.
Sighing, I tidied up the mess and plopped down in the cleared space.
Not long after, Bonita entered the room carrying a tray of snacks.
“Miss, I made some simple sandwiches.”
“Thanks, Bonita.”
At this point, even eating meals on my bed had become second nature.
Taking a big bite of a sandwich, I mused to myself.
‘I’ll set the tumbler aside for now and focus on finalizing the design sketches.’
As she cleared the now-empty plate, Bonita glanced at the scattered sketches on the table and asked,
“Oh, did you draw all of these yourself?”
“A little?”
“You’re amazing, Miss! There’s nothing you can’t do.”
Hearing Bonita’s genuine admiration, I let out an awkward laugh.
‘Bonita, in Korea’s hellish corporate world, you either learn to do everything or you don’t survive.’
In a place where people joked that accountants somehow ended up becoming design masters… that joke was based on reality.
A wave of nostalgia for my past life hit me unexpectedly, and I shook my head, forcing myself to concentrate.
‘There are several tumbler design ideas, but which would be the most practical here?’
For portability, something smaller—just enough to hold a single cup of water—seemed ideal.
But in my past life, I lived off of coffee in venti-sized cups, practically substituting it for an IV drip.
A cup too small felt like a waste.
After struggling with the dilemma for a while, I decided to ask Bonita, who had been waiting nearby.
“Bonita.”
“Yes, Miss?”
“If you had to carry around a cup like this, would you prefer a big one or a small one?”
Bonita thought for a moment before answering.
“A small one, I think? If you had to carry a large cup, you’d also need a big bag, which would be a hassle.”
Hmm, she had a point.
Considering this world’s culture, people weren’t accustomed to walking around with large cups in hand.
Both nobles and commoners rarely carried bags, so a tumbler larger than a venti cup would likely be more of a burden than a convenience.
Using Bonita’s input as reference, I began sketching smaller tumbler designs.
After who knows how many sketches, my vision blurred, and I rubbed my tired eyes.
Outside, the sky had already turned a deep orange.
“Oh no, what about the tea?”
Realizing more time had passed than expected, I quickly rushed to check the tumbler.
Taking a deep breath, I carefully placed my hand on the lid.
And the result was…
“Oh…!”
A complete success.
A faint white steam rose from the tumbler, misting my face.
It might even be more effective than the ones I used in Korea.
Who would’ve thought that Parthanium, which seemed useless, would turn out to be so practical?
Silently celebrating, I brought the tumbler to my lips.
The reward of patience was always sweet.
After savoring the tea for a moment, I gestured to Bonita.
“Bonita, could you bring me a fresh sheet of stationery?”
“Yes! Right away!”
Now that the functionality test had passed, the next step was to officially commission the Mage Tower.
As soon as I received the stationery, I quickly wrote a thank-you note for their prompt work and moved on to business.
Tumbler sample functionality: Confirmed.
Design and exterior engraving: Attached.
And the most crucial part—quantity.
‘But… is 100 really enough?’
I had settled on that number for exclusivity, but doubts still lingered.
As the same dilemma circled back like a Möbius strip, I clutched my hair in frustration.
Should I prioritize rarity or go for a higher profit with mass production?
Frowning, I firmly wrote on the letter:
Tumbler order quantity: 100 units.
With the full intent of avoiding unnecessary workload.
Suppressing my creeping anxiety, I folded the letter with the design sketches and sealed it in an envelope.
“Bonita, could you send this out for me?”
“Yes, I’ll take it right away!”
As the envelope left my hands, I felt the immense relief of overcoming a mountain.
‘I won’t work anymore….’
Thud.
I collapsed onto my bed.
Unaware that I would soon regret this decision.