chapter 25
“Then, well…”
Another young lady who was there showed interest and asked Lenaid a question.
“Isn’t the video stone really expensive? Is it really okay to lend it out like this?”
Even for nobles, something like a video stone isn’t something you can just casually buy.
But the rental fee was fairly cheap, and on top of that, it was free for two weeks?
Thus, thanks to Lady Lenaid’s promotion, the two of them started the two-week free service.
‘Wow, what is this? I don’t even have to leave the house, it’s so convenient.’
Both of them quickly became absorbed.
And there was also the popcorn that came as a bonus if you subscribed this month…
‘When did I even finish all of this?’
They had only touched the bag, yet somehow it was already gone…?
What on earth was happening? They were dumbfounded.
Like Lady Lenaid, they found themselves unconsciously promoting the service whenever they met friends.
“Have you tried the popcorn that comes when you subscribe to the Black Moon service? Do you know where to buy it?”
“If you mention it when you subscribe for the video stone, you can buy it together.”
“What? A new dessert that didn’t exist before?”
Even people who weren’t interested in plays started subscribing to the video stone service because of the new dessert.
“Hmm, ahem. And I’m only telling you because we’re close… There’s a play where four men fight over one woman. There are quite a few scenes where they take off their shirts and fight.”
“Oh my!”
Even content that might make noble ladies feel self-conscious about being seen could be subtly enjoyed.
After all, they were watching alone!
So, those who were initially indifferent to the video stone gradually became hooked.
“Representative Clotilde, people were supposed to only watch for the first week, but the number of subscribers for the next week is also amazing!”
It was almost three weeks since the launch of the video stone.
Melanie at the Magi Tower office received the delightful news.
Everyone, including Lord Damian of the Magi Tower, the wizards, and the staff, was thrilled by the good news.
“The first two weeks are free, so it seems even people who weren’t interested initially became curious.”
“Even those who were wary of the video stone couldn’t stop once they tried it. They initially planned to cancel after two weeks, but…”
Watching a play through a video stone had felt unfamiliar at first, but the response was far better than expected.
“I was worried about the screen being small… but it seems fine for one or two people to watch.”
When conducting a survey on recommending movies according to personal taste, they also asked for opinions on the size of the video stone, and the response was positive.
‘Yes, people can watch movies just fine even on a small smartphone.’
Since Melanie had experienced it in her previous life, this wasn’t a source of anxiety.
Additionally, it was portable enough to watch during carriage rides, making it more convenient.
At this early stage, the reaction was better than expected.
Of course, it was still far from the 500,000 subscribers that Wizard Printz had mentioned.
Unlike worries about losing the rental stones, returning the video stones was easy.
As I had insisted, you had to return the video stone you had to rent another one, so there was nothing to worry about.
‘There’s still too little content.’
Early expenses would be high, but I had no intention of stopping investment.
‘I might not make huge profits for a while. But now is the time to expand the business.’
The funds going into the business were considerable, but still manageable.
After all, I was making the video stones myself.
‘It’s fortunate that I supply the magic stones and also produce the video stones.’
Moreover, Lord Damian of the Magi Tower had researched technology that allowed video stones of decent quality to be made from leftover magic stones—a brilliant move.
This meant the production cost wasn’t as high as others might think.
‘I can definitely invest more.’
I smiled.
“Lord Magi Tower, thank you for trusting me.”
It might have been hard to accept using leftover magic stones or a subscription service, but because Damian, who developed the video stones, supported me, I was able to stick to my policy.
“You’ve always been bold from the moment we first met, and it’s never been wrong.”
Lord Damian smiled slightly at me.
Thinking back, it was true—there had been nothing conventional from the very start.
“Then, don’t you like bold moves yourself, Lord Magi Tower?”
“Well…”
“You’ve agreed with most of what I said all along.”
I teased Lord Damian in a lively voice.
“Think whatever you like.”
Then, when I turned my head, I noticed others looking at me strangely… no, with expressions mixing shock and disbelief.
‘Oh dear, was I too careless?’
I cleared my throat and lowered my head.
“Sorry. I was noisy even though the meeting isn’t over yet.”
“No, it’s not that… it’s just… you were joking with Lord Magi Tower…”
“Yes?”
I scratched my cheek, observing those who couldn’t hide their embarrassment.
“By the way, you mentioned attending the ball together as partners last time, right?”
“You seemed really close. Could I ask if you’d met before your business?”
However, the flood of questions directed at me quickly subsided.
“Too noisy.”
Lord Damian frowned and blocked the questions directed at me.
“Have I been too relaxed recently?”
“No, not at all.”
His voice wasn’t loud, just a single word.
The previously loose atmosphere suddenly cooled.
I tilted my head, puzzled, noticing people straightening up.
I thought the Magi Tower had a pretty free-spirited atmosphere, but now it felt strict.
‘Why is the mood like this all of a sudden…?’
It seemed people assumed Damian and I were romantically involved.
‘…Then I don’t really need to explain.’
After breaking off the engagement with Polius, I had already explained to my father that I would be changing partners anyway.
We had already attended the foundation festival as partners.
‘So there’s no need to keep distance, right?’
Meanwhile, Lord Damian added forcefully:
“Don’t bother Representative Clotilde when I’m not around. She’s not in good health as it is.”
“……”
I let out a relaxed smile.
Yes, it’s fine if rumors spread that Damian and I are on good terms. I don’t need to correct it.
…Though I was a little curious about Damian’s expression, I decided not to look. Yes, that’s fine.
Contrary to Josephine’s expectations, the video stone service was doing extremely well.
Something was off.
People were talking about Black Moon every time they met.
“Shall we discuss something more refined?”
Josephine, attending a social gathering, tried to shut down the conversation from the start.
“The video stone is poor quality and not very good…”
“It’s not that bad. Of course, watching in the theater is excellent, but it gives a different feeling.”
But the atmosphere had changed.
Many had watched the video stone, so now there were people who could refute her.
“Some works actually suit being recorded with the video stone. You can see the actors’ expressions more delicately than in the theater…”
“Exactly. Sometimes in the theater, I didn’t know where to focus. But with the video stone, you can catch everyone’s expressions at the right moment.”
“Especially in Spring of Prisenia, when the heroine is hurt because of the male lead, the alternating close-ups of their faces are amazing!”
Josephine wanted to interrupt her immediately.
But another young lady joined in.
“And what about foreign works? It was my first time seeing a play from the Kingdom of Nezirrel, and it was excellent.”
Besides, Black Moon was also bringing in foreign plays that were difficult to see in the Empire.
Fortunately, language differences weren’t a major issue.
Famous foreign content guaranteed a certain level of quality.
Foreign plays that were hard to watch in the Fraizen Empire also appealed to people’s intellectual vanity.
“Really, I’m so glad Black Moon provides the video stone rental service!”
Josephine fell silent. She wasn’t stupid—she knew criticizing the video stone now would backfire.
Still, she had been the one to try changing the topic. If she didn’t redirect, it would feel like a dog retreating with its tail between its legs.
After a moment, Josephine decided to shift focus from the video stone to Melanie instead.
“Yes, the video stone has that advantage.”
She gave a positive comment on the video stone to support the conversation.
“But I wonder if Lady Clotilde can manage the video stone business well. I heard she spent a fortune buying a mine that had dried up… even using loans.”
She shifted the focus to Melanie, who was running the video stone business.
