Chapter 36

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 36

Chapter Title: Special Edition Frenzy

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—Kletan Empire, Lady Pliana's Salon.

Splendidly dressed noblewomen gathered as always, and the hottest topics scorching the current social scene inevitably came up for discussion.

As the last to arrive, a blue-haired noblewoman took her seat, and someone murmured as if they'd been waiting for just this moment.

"Phew, who knows when it'll come out."

"Right? I'm going insane waiting for this."

"I wonder what happened in the end?"

Thud.

Someone set a single magazine down in the middle of the table.

Etched elegantly on the conveniently portable cover was the title Safety Rules of the Haunted Duke's Castle.

"I'm dying to know what happens next, but the publisher won't even respond to messages!"

"I heard they're swamped with complaint letters demanding the follow-up that their operations are paralyzed."

A salon was originally a place for noblewomen to gather, elegantly sip tea, and share the latest society gossip.

But lately, Lady Pliana's salon echoed only with talk of the comic serialized in that magazine: Safety Rules of the Haunted Duke's Castle.

And for good reason—this comic was the one sweeping through high society and leading the trends.

"Nothing's as fun as this these days."

"Exactly. Even Avije Magazine started imitating it, but theirs is just no good..."

"The storyline isn't solid, for one. What do they take our refined tastes for? And don't get me started on the art style and coloring—those are crucial."

The room buzzed with agreement, growing noisier by the second.

Bang!

The salon door flew open.

"Special edition! Special edition!"

It was the bookseller boy Lady Pliana had granted constant access to, for the noblewomen parched for news of new releases, rain or shine.

Panting as if he'd rushed over, he caught his breath amid all the focused stares and shouted again.

"A special volume of Safety Rules of the Haunted Duke's Castle has been surprise-released!"

Safety Rules of the Haunted Duke's Castle, special volume, surprise release.

The noblewomen instantly grasped the key phrases and shot to their feet.

News of the new installment they'd awaited more eagerly than their husbands dyed their hearts pink.

"W-what did you say?"

"Oh my! We have to buy this!"

The bookseller boy, who'd set down the new volumes before the flock of noblewomen whipping out their purses, flashed a triumphant grin as he tallied his daily sales goal already crushed.

"It's a special edition, so the page count seems a bit short, but..."

Lady Pliana, the hostess, gently urged the noblewoman smacking her lips at the thinner-than-usual book.

"Then how about we spend the rest of the time on a reading session?"

"What a splendid idea!"

Shared disappointment among like-minded souls could be soothed just by chatting about it—덕톡, as it were.

Brimming with anticipation for the new content, the noblewomen dove into a reading trance that lasted until their steaming teacups went stone cold.

And soon enough, Lady Pliana—the fastest reader—closed her book and murmured in a daze.

"Blackout curtains...?"

Another noblewoman who'd reached the final page chimed in right after.

"We absolutely need to get these. Where on earth do you even buy them?"

The crowd stirred.

Someone shouted amid the unexpectedly ignited spending frenzy.

"Ah! The contact for the custom blackout curtain maker is on the very last page!"

"Good heavens, it is!"

The noblewomen's servants, dragged along with them, were the only ones left scrambling in the rush.

And right then, another place plunged into similar frenzy: the Kletan Empire's imperial palace—or more precisely, the heart of it all, the Empress's Palace.

"Yawn..."

A figure lounging crookedly on the sofa let out a light yawn.

She looked mid-thirties at first glance, but in truth, Empress Oriana of the Kletan Empire had passed forty over a decade ago.

A great empress who seemingly wanted for nothing—yet lately, she hadn't been sleeping a wink...

"Merlin."

Her languid call dropped, and the head maid standing nearby stepped forward at once.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"You still haven't found out who the artist behind that comic is?"

"Regrettably, no, Your Majesty."

Her response brimmed with embarrassment as the maid's graying head bowed low.

"Haaa..."

This time, a deep sigh.

When had it started? Like the women of ordinary noble houses, the empress had fallen head over heels for the society-sweeping comic Safety Rules of the Haunted Duke's Castle.

The problem was that her passion went far beyond mere appreciation.

For starters, she'd collected every installment from the magazine and reread them endlessly whenever the mood struck, even summoning scholars to compile analyses of the lore.

She'd gone so far as to commission fan stories based on the characters from Safety Rules of the Haunted Duke's Castle to entertain herself while waiting.

"Your character interpretation is all wrong!"

"I-I'm sorry, Your Majesty..."

"Apologize to the ghost duke you've ruined—not to me!"

From the empire's famed storytellers to clowns and theater actors.

All were suffering under her exacting critiques, their efforts falling short.

"When the heck is the next part coming out?!"

Her pent-up frustration finally erupted in a roar.

She was dreaming of the continuation every night—how much longer must she wait?!

She'd unleashed agents to track down the publisher directly, but daily reports of zero progress had pushed her to the brink.

"P-please calm yourself."

"Haa..."

At the head maid's plea, the empress reluctantly sank back into her seat.

"This is truly frustrating."

Oriana had long reigned atop the double-edged sword of power's epicenter, forever fearing it might one day sever her own neck.

A barren palace life of snatching what others held and desperately defending her own.

Only now, with her son as crown prince, did she enjoy greenhouse peace—but until Emperor Lloyd Kletan suddenly collapsed into a vegetative state, she'd lived in ruthless intensity.

So perhaps that's why, just as those tranquil days grew dull, she'd encountered Safety Rules of the Haunted Duke's Castle—and it became her new joy.

The downside? It quenched her thirst a bit too well.

"Your Majesty!"

Just as another complaint was about to spill from her lips, her personal maid Louise burst in at full sprint.

"...What is it."

Her voice was ice-cold indifference, but Louise ignored it, whipping something from her bosom.

"A special volume of Safety Rules of the Haunted Duke's Castle has been surprise-released! I've fetched it for you, Your Majesty!"

She prostrated flat, a hefty book resting atop her upturned hands.

"Good heavens..."

Whoosh.

The empress bolted up, entranced, her voice trembling with awe.

'What I really need is the next volume, but...'

When you're starving, it hardly matters if what's before you is rice or bread.

Snatching the book, she pored over every word from her plush armchair.

When the marathon reading session ended at last, her reaction was as expected.

"Blackout curtains?"

Thud.

I have to get these!

A scorching instinct set her blood ablaze.

"Does the palace have blackout curtains?"

"Pardon? What are those...?"

But she got only baffled responses.

Even the empress, who'd seen every rarity under the sun, was hearing "blackout curtains" for the first time.

"If you knew, I wouldn't ask. In any case, I must have these blackout curtains too."

"Ah, Your Majesty!"

Since Louise had grabbed multiple copies, Head Maid Merlin—who'd been reading along—pointed to the final page.

"It says to order here! The purchase info is printed at the back of the comic."

"Oh ho."

Clap!

The empress clapped once, her tone brightening as she issued the command.

"Investigate that purchase contact."

"...Pardon?"

"Something unheard of like blackout curtains appears in this comic. And they've kindly listed the vendor too."

Her socialite instincts, honed over years in the fray, remained sharp as ever.

"That means there must be some deal between the artist and the blackout curtain seller."

The head maid nodded, stunned by the keen insight, as a low murmur slipped from the empress's lips.

"We will track them down, no matter what..."

No matter what.

'And find out when the lady and the duke get together.'

It had been ages since her competitive spirit last flared so hot.