chapter 24
“It feels risky. Will we really be able to retrieve the projection stones? Even if they’re made from leftover magic stones…”
“Shipping projection stones is already no easy task. And now you’re saying we’ll have them sent back in just one day?”
“Madam, if we lend them out and they aren’t returned, calculating overdue fees and collecting them would be quite troublesome as well.”
Melanie nodded at their concerns, having anticipated these questions.
“That’s why I thought of letting them borrow the stones for a full two weeks and return them whenever they want.”
“What? You mean you don’t want to set a fixed return period at all?”
Her bold statement stirred the employees. Only Melanie remained calm.
“Usually, rental services set a borrowing period of three days, a week, and so on. They also charge overdue fees just in case the item isn’t returned. But I don’t intend to charge any overdue fees here.”
“Madam, what exactly are you saying?”
Instead of answering, Melanie asked back.
“Imagine a rental service. What would you do if someone refused to return the projection stone?”
“That’s why rental services are problematic…”
“As an alternative, I propose a monthly subscription plan.”
Her confident suggestion left the employees bewildered.
“Wait, I thought we were talking about a rental service. What does a subscription have to do with it?”
“If we remove the borrowing period, overdue fees disappear naturally.”
The employees panicked at her words.
“But then, people might not return them even after a month of subscription!”
“What if we send the next projection stone only after confirming the previous one is returned?”
“You mean they’ll return it just to get the next one?”
“Exactly. Then wouldn’t everyone try to return it quickly? Even though you can borrow infinitely during the subscription, borrowing just one stone would be a waste.”
The employees who initially thought her idea was absurd gradually began to understand Melanie’s reasoning.
“…Since the projection stone business is a new field, I think advertising it as ‘borrow as much as you want for a fixed price’ can lower the entry barrier for first-time users.”
“That sounds reasonable, I suppose…”
“But will people really return them promptly?”
Of course, not everyone’s concerns were fully eased.
And the wizard Prinz, who had strongly opposed the popularization plan, spoke:
“Ah, I am merely a wizard who works on developing projection stones, so I dare not offer my opinion. Since it’s Madam Clotilde’s suggestion, it must be right. Isn’t that so?”
Though polite, it was clear he was mocking Melanie.
Yet Melanie wanted to push this idea forward.
“Not only is the projection stone business unfamiliar… but we also need to face the public opinion that Lady Ingda is stirring up in society. Please trust me this one time.”
Silence fell over the meeting room. Only Lord Damian of the Matap House nodded.
“I trust Madam Clotilde.”
“L-Lord Matap?”
In fact, if the projection stone business failed, Damian would suffer the most alongside Melanie.
Expecting him to act conservatively, she was surprised by his serious support.
“No one has been as earnest and passionate about this project as you, Lady.”
“…”
“So, let’s give it a try, as you say.”
Those words calmed Melanie, who had been slightly shaken by others’ objections.
‘Alright, let’s do this.’
‘Hmm… what’s so special about this projection stone business that Lady Ingda is attacking it so fiercely?’
Whenever public opinion becomes too extreme, opposition naturally arises.
At a social gathering attended by Lady Ingda, Lady Lenaid casually looked at a projection stone recently delivered to her mansion.
‘Hmm, so this is the theater-specialized projection stone I’ve heard about.’
It was small enough to hold in both hands.
Unlike the giant projection stones seen during national festivals, this one felt different.
Lady Lenaid glanced at the instruction pamphlet that came with it:
Watch famous plays that are no longer performed at theaters!
Watch any play you want, whenever you want!
Enjoy cultural activities from home, without going to the theater! Even plays from overseas!
Honestly, Lady Lenaid wasn’t very interested in theater.
Some ladies became excited when they first saw the Black Moon promotional pamphlet, but not her.
She had no interest in projection stones or their business at all.
Her curiosity was piqued only because Lady Ingda and her group were loudly criticizing them.
‘Clotilde was once engaged to Polyus Beldert, wasn’t she? So perhaps Lady Ingda is deliberately disparaging this to keep her in check?’
In truth, she didn’t care much about either Clotilde or Ingda.
Ingda’s overly zealous criticisms annoyed her, and Clotilde’s previous quarrels over her fiancé had left a poor impression.
‘Still, since it’s free for two weeks, I won’t lose anything, right?’
The price would probably be lower than the enormous projection stones used at national festivals.
But even so, she wouldn’t have bought one.
‘Wait, if I try it for two weeks and cancel, wouldn’t Clotilde lose out instead?’
Projection stones were probably made from expensive magic stones; the ducal family might take a hit.
‘Well, I guess that’s what happens when you grow up in a ducal family—some girls just don’t understand the real world.’
Lady Lenaid chuckled.
Whether the ducal family succeeded or failed wasn’t her concern.
It was a quiet night, and she had nothing else to do, especially since going out was difficult.
If they offered it for free, she might as well use it.
Pouting slightly, Lady Lenaid thought:
“Why bother attending banquets if you’re not popular with the young masters!”
“Lady Lenaid? I haven’t seen you recently—why did you say we were close?”
Pressure to marry was mounting, and a comment from a lady she thought was friendly days ago lingered in her mind.
‘Perfect timing—I can finally watch a play alone late at night. Not easy to do this.’
No, it wasn’t just difficult—it was entirely new for her.
Especially watching it while lying in bed.
Perhaps today I will…
Late in the night, she was alone in her bedroom.
The play began quietly, matching the calm air.
Even the seemingly ordinary noblewoman in the play struggled with similar worries as her own.
Maybe that’s why she became unusually absorbed in the story.
It’ll be okay. No, even if it’s not, what does it matter?
Lady Lenaid realized she was far more immersed in the play than she initially expected.
“‘Black Moon’… it’s actually not bad, you know?”
A few days later, at a tea party with a close friend, Lady Lenaid subtly brought up the projection stone.
Though she spoke calmly, inside she was excited and eager.
“The projection stones from Black Moon are surprisingly good and convenient!”
There was no rush to return them—just within a month.
However, she returned them quickly to watch new ones.
Over the past few days, she had watched several projection stones.
Some were enjoyable, others unexpectedly dull.
But that was fine—it was free anyway!
Lady Lenaid realized she had become a huge fan of the subscription service.
“Hmm, I watched it out of boredom, but the projection stone quality was actually quite good.”
“Really? I’m curious, but I’m not sure if there’ll be anything to my taste. It’s bothersome to search, and I’ve lost interest in theater lately.”
Her friend, Lady Belta, looked indifferent.
“If you just choose based on the list, you’re more likely to pick something bad.”
She didn’t dislike theater, but her tastes were firm.
“Have you ever been tricked by a title or play description? If it’s in the theater, you can ask someone. But choosing from a list, few people even know the plays.”
Lady Lenaid had an answer:
“If you participate in a survey about your tastes, it will recommend plays suited to you.”
“Really? There’s such a thing?”
“Well, it’s free for two weeks anyway. If it’s not good, just cancel it.”
