MTLNOVEL Chapter 52
“Hmm…”
I examined the object in front of me with a flustered expression.
On the table sat an item that had appeared in the latest secret auction.
‘No matter how I look at it, it’s definitely that….’
A sleek body, a familiar illustration.
…Even if I did a forward roll or a backward roll, it was unmistakably the limited-edition Ghost Duke tumbler I had ordered.
Still staring blankly at the tumbler, I was snapped out of my daze when the Grand Duke casually asked,
“Princess, what are you going to do now?”
“Uh, um….”
Yeah, good question.
Scratching my cheek, I went over what the Grand Duke had just told me once again.
The title ‘Limited Edition: 100 Pieces’ had successfully triggered readers’ desire to buy, leading to a surge in demand for the comic itself.
What I hadn’t accounted for was how intense the people’s consumer instincts were here.
In Korea, where advertisements were everywhere, people had built up a certain level of resistance to marketing tactics….
‘But not here.’
Thanks to its rarity, the tumbler’s popularity skyrocketed—to the point where it had even made its way into a secret auction.
Not some grand jewel. Not even a legendary sword. Just… just a tumbler!
‘Brushing off that uneasiness I felt last time was my biggest mistake….’
Looking back, whenever I underestimated things, they always came back like a boomerang.
As I struggled to recover from the karmic smackdown I had just received, Bonita approached and spoke up.
“Um, My Lady. The meal you requested earlier is ready.”
Ah, right. Mealtime. Maybe my exhaustion was just from low blood sugar.
Now that I was aware of it, hunger hit me all at once. As I clutched my empty stomach, Bonita gestured toward the garden.
“I’ve prepared it over there, My Lady.”
“Thanks. I should eat first and think later.”
Just as I expressed my gratitude and was about to tell the Grand Duke we’d discuss this tomorrow—
“Ahem, hm!”
He let out a cough so loud that there was no need to ask who it came from.
…And it was a very meaningful cough.
‘Huh?’
What’s this?
It felt like he was sending me some kind of signal, but what was he trying to say?
As I looked at him, confused, the Grand Duke coughed again—louder this time.
“Ahem!”
He definitely wanted to say something.
Was he expecting me to present a solution right now? But I had only just learned about this! I needed time to think.
Carefully, I tried to deflect.
“I know you’re busy, but I really should—”
“AHEM!!”
Was that wrong?
“Why are you— Ah, wait, have you not eaten yet?”
At my question, he immediately responded, as if he had been waiting for it.
“Well, my duties have kept me occupied.”
Ah, I see.
And since we were in the imperial palace, he probably couldn’t eat as freely as he could back at the ducal estate.
Glancing at the mountain of documents behind him, I casually offered a solution.
“In that case… how about having some simple finger foods while you work?”
“AHEM! HM! HMM!”
However, instead of appreciating my suggestion, the Grand Duke’s coughing fit only grew worse.
‘Wait, what am I missing?’
Did I mess up somehow? But I didn’t say anything wrong, did I?
I was just worried about him skipping meals—so why was he acting like this?
As I stood there, utterly baffled, Bonita, who never spoke up in these situations, suddenly interjected.
“W-We actually prepared quite a lot of food. If my Lord hasn’t eaten yet, perhaps you could dine with my Lady….”
“I shall.”
The Grand Duke cut her off and agreed instantly.
…So that’s what this was about?
He was just hungry?
Was he eyeing my meal this whole time?
“Haha….”
I guess the grass is always greener on the other side applies to powerful people too.
With a small chuckle, I nodded and followed him as he swiftly led the way to the garden.
* * *
The meal with the Grand Duke was unbearably awkward.
‘What’s with him?’
He kept staring at me as if he had something to say, but whenever I met his gaze, he would suddenly pretend to be uninterested and look away.
On top of that, he remained silent throughout the meal, only putting food into his mouth with a serious expression.
‘He must have something to say.’
And judging by his demeanor, it was probably something unpleasant.
What could it be?
Could it be… No way… Is he going to ask me to pay more for my lodging?
“Um.”
Just as I was about to firmly establish that I wouldn’t accept any changes to our agreement, a commotion broke out nearby.
“What’s that noise?”
“Looks like some criminals are being taken away.”
“Criminals?”
“The imperial palace has been cracking down on illegal gambling and auctions. Our family’s knights were involved in the operation.”
Following the Grand Duke’s explanation, I glanced toward the source of the noise.
Just as he said, a line of people was being escorted away, and one man in particular was struggling, shouting at the top of his lungs.
I frowned at the sight of him—his body was as thin as a twig.
But then—
‘Huh? Did he just look at me?’
For a brief moment, our eyes met, and an ominous feeling washed over me.
A prickling sensation, the kind that triggered my homebody instincts, telling me something troublesome was about to happen.
Feeling a sudden wave of unease, I quickly averted my gaze and spoke to the Grand Duke.
“We should probably wrap things up and—”
“P-please! Please hear me out!”
But as expected, my intuition wasn’t wrong.
Summoning unexpected strength, the man shook off the towering knights restraining him and dashed toward me.
However, before he could reach me, the Grand Duke moved swiftly, blocking his path. The man stumbled backward and fell to the ground.
“Argh!”
Now that he was up close, his pitiful state was even more apparent.
His shirt, though clearly chosen to appear decent, had frayed cuffs. His hair was disheveled…
“Are you all right?”
“Oh, I’m fine.”
I nodded at the Grand Duke’s question, then turned to the fallen man.
The knights quickly moved to restrain him again, but something about his desperate voice and expression made me feel like I had to listen to him.
So that’s why my instincts had been so strongly rejecting this situation…
“I… I think we should at least hear him out.”
At my words, the Grand Duke made a small gesture, and the knights loosened their grip, stepping back.
The man finally looked up at us.
“Th-thank you. My name is Baron Pavron. My crime is participating in an illegal auction, but the reason I was there in the first place was…”
I listened carefully to his trembling voice, organizing the information in my mind.
And soon, I reached a conclusion.
‘This tumbler issue is more serious than I thought.’
The solution itself was simple. The problem was that I couldn’t use it.
“Princess.”
“Yes?”
“What exactly did you request from the Mage Tower?”
“If you mean the request….”
Why was he asking this all of a sudden?
I tilted my head in confusion but carefully recalled the details.
If I remembered correctly, I had asked them to provide as much Parthanium as needed.
When I explained this, the Grand Duke responded in his usual calm tone.
“Then there’s no reason we can’t continue producing tumblers, is there?”
“…What?”
“You seem eager to keep making them. Am I wrong?”
Huh? How did he know that?
As I blinked in surprise, he glanced at my face and gave a small smile before continuing.
“People like tumblers as souvenirs, but they’re also quite interested in their function.”
His words made my eyes widen.
Where I used to live, keeping food warm or cold was easy, but things were different in this world.
Unless you were a high-ranking noble or incredibly wealthy enough to hire a mage, food preservation was difficult.
‘…Now that it’s been invented, it’s only a matter of time before it spreads to the public.’
In my original world, tumblers had been created first and then turned into merchandise. Here, it was the opposite—merchandise came first, and now tumblers were being mass-produced. That was the only difference.
With that, I had made up my mind.
Only…
‘When am I supposed to rest?’
As an extreme introvert, I was simply exhausted.