Chapter 50

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 50

Chapter Title: Tumbler Sample Success

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After obtaining information about Partanium from the Duke, I immediately got to work.

I didn't forget to send a letter via the fastest courier to the Magic Tower, stating my intent to use the wish voucher, complete with explanations of the tumbler's design and functions.

I was on pins and needles wondering if it might take forever, but sure enough, the mysterious power of magic didn't let me down.

"Miss! Something arrived from the Magic Tower!"

Had it been about two days?

While sipping tea with Ashley, leaving the Duke—who was still holed up in the palace—not far from my thoughts, I jumped to my feet at the news I'd been waiting for.

"Already?"

"Yes! Huff, huff... Here it is!"

Bonita, panting as if she'd run without stopping, placed a letter and a box of reasonable size on the table.

I opened the well-sealed envelope first.

The letter stated that they accepted my use of the wish voucher and would provide the necessary amount of Partanium, with a sample of their initial test production enclosed.

'I was right to risk it all and crack open that core.'

I recalled the past events and smiled with satisfaction.

Next came the box.

Peeling back a layer of soft cushioning revealed a metal cup lying there in all its alluring form.

"Oh my, it looks just like an ordinary cup on the outside."

"They said it has this mystical function to keep liquids at a constant temperature, so I imagined something far more elaborate."

"Hehe... This is just the sample, after all. Once the design is finalized, it'll be made much prettier than this."

Letting out a low chuckle at Bonita's fussing, I gently ran my fingers over the cup's surface.

The tumbler's faintly bluish surface felt a bit different from the stainless steel cups I was used to.

But somehow, that made it fit even better with the comic's vibe.

Lifting the sample with trembling hands, I looked at Bonita and Ashley with an expression of overwhelming excitement.

"Once we engrave the artwork and the Ghost Duke's signature on it, it'll be complete."

Of course, I still needed to test if the sample worked properly and finalize the design...

'Hehehe, victory is right around the corner anyway.'

There was no need to produce a ton of them.

Refining Partanium required hefty basic costs, and with merchandise, scarcity was key to value.

Flooding the market early on could even backfire into a loss.

'A hundred units seems just right... but is it?'

Just as I worried it might be too few, memories of the blackout curtain frenzy came flooding back.

The readers' barrage of orders, the workshop running nonstop.

Days on end where I couldn't even sleep amid the onslaught of work.

'...Yeah, it'll be fine.'

I shoved down the creeping anxiety and hugged the cool tumbler close to my chest.

That afternoon, I dove straight into tumbler testing under the guise of teatime.

"Alright, let's check it out."

The teapot I'd just boiled was in my hands.

'First, pour the tea and wait a bit...'

Tilting the pot, hot steam billowed out as the contents poured into the tumbler.

Glug glug.

Once it was about half full and I'd confirmed no issues inside, I sealed the lid.

Now, a few hours of waiting to inspect the contents, and the test would be done.

"Haah, hope it works great."

A wave of sudden fatigue hit me, and I stumbled unconsciously toward the bed.

That's when I finally noticed the mess on it.

Papers with letter drafts, books on Partanium, contract drafts for the Magic Tower...

It was traces of such intense effort that it nearly brought tears to my eyes.

With a sigh, I tidied up a bit and plopped down in the cleared spot.

Soon after, Bonita entered with a tray of snacks.

"Miss, I made some simple sandwiches."

"Thanks, Bonita."

These days, even in the imperial palace, eating meals in bed felt perfectly natural.

I took a big bite of a sandwich and thought.

'Set the tumbler aside for now—time to finish more design sketches.'

Bonita, clearing the now-empty plate in a flash, glanced at the sketches scattered on the table and asked me.

"Huh, did you... draw all these yourself?"

"A little?"

"It's impressive all over again—you really can do anything."

I listened to Bonita's genuine admiration with an awkward smile.

'Bonita, hanging out on Korean X all day turns you into a master of everything.'

A place where the joke "Started in accounting, ended up a design master" was basically real life.

The sudden rush of memories from my old life made me shake my head and refocus.

'There are several tumbler designs, but which would be most useful here?'

For portability, something holding just a single serving of water seemed better than a huge one.

But my past self had lived on IV-drip-sized coffees instead of fluids.

Already accustomed to venti sizes no matter what I drank, anything too small felt like a loss.

After wrestling with it for a while, I turned to Bonita, who was waiting nearby.

"Bonita."

"Yes, Miss!"

"If you were carrying around a cup like this, would you prefer a big one or a small one?"

Bonita pondered briefly before giving her opinion.

"Smaller would be better, right? A big one means lugging around a big bag too, which sounds like a hassle."

Hm, that made sense.

Considering this world's culture, carrying a large cup and sipping drinks on the go was still rare.

Nobles and commoners alike didn't tote bags much, so a tumbler bigger than venti would just be baggage.

Taking Bonita's answer as a guide, I started sketching small-sized tumbler designs.

How many patterns had my pen sketched by then? I rubbed my tired eyes.

Sunset had already settled outside.

"Oh no, what about the tea?"

Realizing more time had passed than expected, I hurried to the tumbler.

After a few deep breaths, I slowly placed my hand on the lid.

The result was...

"Oh...!"

A resounding success.

Faint steam rose from inside the tumbler, dampening my face with moisture.

It even seemed more effective than the ones from Korea.

Who knew Partanium—what I'd thought was useless—could be this practical!

Cheering inwardly, I brought the tumbler to my lips.

The reward of patience is always sweet.

Savoring the tea for a moment, I beckoned to Bonita beside me.

"Bonita, could you grab me a fresh sheet of stationery?"

"Yes! Right away!"

With the function test greenlit, all that remained was formally commissioning the Magic Tower.

On the stationery, I wrote a brief thanks for their quick work, then got to the point.

Tumbler sample function test complete; sending product form design and surface patterns.

And most crucially, the quantity.

'But seriously, is a hundred really okay?'

Despite settling on the number with scarcity in mind, the worry lingered.

Facing the problem looping back like a Möbius strip, I gripped my hair tightly.

Prioritize scarcity, or go big on orders to rake in cash?

Furrowing my brow, I racked my brain and wrote each character with force on the paper.

Tumbler quantity request: 100 units

Packed with my selfish desire to avoid overwork.

Suppressing the nagging unease, I folded the letter and designs into the envelope.

"Bonita, could you mail this?"

"Yes, I'll head out right now!"

As the envelope left my hand, a sense of liberation washed over me, like summiting a massive peak.

'No more work from now on...'

Thud.

I shuffled back to bed and sprawled out.

Blissfully unaware that I'd soon regret this decision.