Chapter 45

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 45

Chapter Title: The Empress's Personal Request

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‘What does that mean?’

Her attitude—angry or something else, I couldn’t tell—kept me on edge, so I stared straight at her, refusing to let my guard down.

From snapping at me like I’d dared to mock her, to forcibly kicking me out of the dining hall.

In that brief moment, countless worst-case scenarios flashed through my mind. But…

“I never imagined a story like that could come from an ordinary person’s head.”

Her next words completely derailed my expectations.

“……”

Was she calling me crazy in a roundabout way?

But the Empress seemed in a better mood than I’d thought, so I nodded eagerly.

‘Well, since it’s come to this, let’s stick with the eccentric genius concept.’

“Still, it’s a shame…”

Just when I thought it was all settled, the Empress spoke up again.

‘What now?’

I blankly lifted my head to find her smiling benevolently, chin propped on her hand, tossing out a new proposal.

“Since I’ve called you all here, I’d like to make a personal request.”

“A personal request, Your Majesty? What might that be…?”

“You must know that not just me, but all of high society is obsessed with the Ghost Duke’s tale. But society heats up fast and cools just as quickly. So…”

What was she getting at? With every artist’s eyes on her, the Empress’s lips parted.

“Create something special for readers like me—something that captures the Ghost Duke’s essence.”

A special item?

As if answering my thoughts, she continued.

“I tried the blackout curtains you gave me, and it felt like sharing the comic’s world itself. I was quite satisfied.”

…Which meant.

‘Merch?’

A lightbulb went off in my darkened mind.

“I’ll cover all the costs, so don’t refuse. Understood?”

Behind the beaming Empress, I could almost see a halo of glittering gold coins.

And rightly so—her offer was basically a die-hard fan declaring she’d foot the bill for merch production.

Merch.

By definition: ‘Promotional items from a specific brand, celebrity, drama, anime, fan club, etc.’

An absolute essential for any fandom.

…But what kind of merch would suit this world?

“Are you planning to refuse even this?”

Lost in thought, I snapped back at her elegant, insistent voice.

…Truth be told, turning down free funding would be idiotic.

“If Your Majesty insists…”

It was a no-brainer win for me, so I nodded as if reluctantly agreeing.

“Well then, shall we discuss the artwork again?”

After that, whether she’d accepted my eccentric persona or not, the Empress didn’t make any more outrageous demands.

Thanks to that, I spent the rest of the time answering her questions moderately and enjoying the lavish meal in peace.

Perhaps out of consideration for us older artists, she even treated us to fine liquor after dinner.

By the time we received her courteous farewell and stepped outside, the sky had turned pitch black.

“I-I thought I was gonna die from nerves.”

The moment we reached the open courtyard of the Empress’s palace, Ashley let out a huge sigh of relief beside me.

For an aspiring artist like her, seeing royalty up close—something she’d never encounter in her lifetime—was nerve-wracking enough.

“Me too. Honestly, I thought my heart was gonna jump out of my chest.”

If my act hadn’t worked, we’d have badly offended the lofty Empress.

I teased Ashley playfully as we headed to our rooms, but my mind sank into deep contemplation.

‘So, what merch should I make for this world?’

Sigh.

I’d come here precisely to prevent any incidents, and yet another one had cropped up.

Was it the lingering unease?

I couldn’t fall asleep, no matter how late it got.

The Empress had kindly installed blackout curtains on every window, and it was the dead of night when they weren’t even needed.

Yet my mind was as alert as if I’d chugged five triple-shot Americanos.

The environment wasn’t the issue.

If I compared the Kletan Imperial Palace to the real world, it was like a five-star hotel.

No, comparing it to one felt inadequate—it was on another level entirely.

The room was spotless, without a speck of dust, and the bathroom was, if anything, bigger than my quarters in the Brail Duchy.

‘I was dead tired in the carriage just earlier.’

But sleep wouldn’t come.

That left only one reason.

‘Introvert trait number one: Sensitive to sleeping arrangements.’

It had to be my innate constitution.

I’d already started treating my room in the Brail Duke’s residence like home, so this vast, ornate chamber only amplified my discomfort.

‘This won’t do.’

After tossing and turning wide-eyed, I finally gave up and got out of bed.

On the way in, I’d glimpsed a garden nearby.

To reset my wrecked biological clock from sleepless nights before, a light stroll was perfect. I threw on a thin shawl and headed out.

To avoid unwanted questions from anyone I ran into—which might tire me out more—I stuck to the most secluded paths.

Trickle, trickle.

How long had I walked?

After passing a narrow corridor barely wide enough for one adult man, a faint sound of water reached my ears from somewhere.

“Ah, found it.”

The entrance was deliberately hidden by bushes, as if on purpose. Beyond it lay a serene garden.

Perfectly modest in size, it felt like a secret spot made just for me.

“Haaah.”

This quiet garden, with just a few trees and patches of grass, brought peace to my mind just by gazing at it.

I plopped down on a suitable rock instead of a chair and pulled out the worry that had plagued me all day.

‘What merch should I prepare?’

It had to be high-quality enough for the Empress, universally usable by many people.

And maybe because I favored practicality, I didn’t want to mass-produce pretty but useless junk.

‘Nothing’s coming to mind.’

To clear my cluttered head, I looked up at the sky, where a large moon hung.

Rustle.

Just as I was absently fixating on the pale moon, a small noise came from behind.

Startled, I turned to see a large shadow facing me directly.

It was too dark to make out details, but I could tell the figure was male.

“Who’s there?”

“Ah, I’m…”

What should I say?

While I hesitated, I decided on honesty.

He might be a guard on patrol, after all.

“A guest invited by Her Imperial Majesty. I’m staying in the annex back there.”

I stood, gave a brief introduction, and added a formal greeting for good measure.

I was maxed out on social skills in situations like this, after all.

But the man’s response was nothing like I’d expected.

“So?”

“Uh… yes?”

“This is a restricted area.”

“Oh, ah, r-right.”

So that’s why the entrance was so well hidden?

Such places existed everywhere, not just in the imperial palace. Even in Salt Kingdom, there were plenty of off-limits spots.

But those areas had one key trait: they were restricted without any real reason!

The man didn’t seem in the best mood, but I didn’t want to lose this rare alone time, so I tried negotiating.

“Um, if it’s okay with you, could we both just pretend we didn’t see each other…?”

“Pretend I didn’t see you?”

“You’re in a restricted area too! Whether you snuck in on purpose or by accident like me, we’re both in trouble…”

The man showed no reaction.

But it didn’t feel like a outright no, so I cautiously asked again.

“Is that no good?”