IWEML 48

Chapter 48

“…C-Couldn’t we just ask the wizard to return the investment? Maybe even sue them!”

“We can’t lose the wizard’s trust. A contract is a contract.”

“But this… it’s just too much—”

Unlike Pollius, who had fallen into panic, Josephine, who had been silent until now, suddenly clenched her fist tightly and spoke.

“Pollius. You’ve been whining since earlier—what other choice do we have? All the money’s about to be lost. There’s no turning back now.”

Until now, Josephine had been more hesitant, while Pollius had taken the lead.

But things had changed.

Josephine gritted her teeth. Pollius squeezed his eyes shut and shouted.

“Right, there’s no going back now!”

I smiled brightly upon hearing that the magic stones I had supplied had sold to Josephine and Pollius at ten times the original price.

I generally considered hoarding and price manipulation to be improper, but it felt incredibly satisfying to see them fall perfectly into the trap I had deliberately set for them.

It was obvious that the value of the magic stones would rise further in the future—but ten times the price? That was ridiculously overcharged.

‘If someone buys magic stones at that price, the unit cost won’t even make sense.’

It was amusing to think that just making the stones feel luxurious and selling them expensively would be enough.

If you want to give a luxurious impression, magic stones should be used like this:

“We will release the home theater after incorporating all the feedback you provided. As you instructed, regardless of who ordered it, we will strictly deliver in the order reservations were received without considering titles or status.”

I nodded as I listened to the staff report.

The home theater was still in the experimental phase, but after unexpectedly gauging demand, we decided to release it.

‘Thanks to Father, there’s been some unintended promotion.’

Previously, the Prinz Wizard, who insisted that releasing magic stones cheaply for rent would ruin the business and that only the high-end market was viable, hadn’t been seen much lately.

‘He seems to be going to work at Black Moon, but is he avoiding me these days…?’

Perhaps he was relieved that the conditions for the wager were based on subscriber numbers rather than something else.

Well, even without my father’s accidental promotion, I would have been confident of its success. I just hoped it would go well quickly.

However, I didn’t act like a fool who had stumbled into sudden luck. I maintained a strict and expensive stance.

“Remember what I said.”

“Yes! I remember: never compromise on quality, and don’t rush production.”

Still, the staff looked worried.

“But wouldn’t it be better to make them quickly when orders come in? Those who ordered probably developed the desire to buy after seeing Duke Clotilde, so delivering them quickly—”

“No, absolutely not.”

I shook my head firmly.

Even if someone asked for a release, we shouldn’t rush to make it and just say ‘thank you’ with a bow.

‘Since the magic stones are being rented cheaply, the high-end line must clearly show its distinction.’

The more we can give the impression that these high-end products are rare and not easily obtained, the more valuable they become.

‘I’m special.’ ‘I spend this much on cultural experiences.’ That’s exactly the feeling the home theater gives.

If we rushed production and a problem arose, it could even impact the smoothly running magic stone subscription service.

And it wasn’t just that—the home theater had been personally introduced by my father to other nobles, so it could even affect the Clotilde household.

The Mages’ Tower, recognized as the most skilled among wizards, needed no further mention.

“Please remind the wizards at the Mages’ Tower to be courteous when delivering and installing, but never to act subservient.”

The staff left after understanding my instructions, and I fell into thought.

Thanks to the home theater’s unintended popularity, my dilemma was quickly resolved.

‘Since the magic stones and home theater succeeded, these products should get a good response too.’

I looked over the sketches scattered across my desk, planning the next release after the magic stones.

The Black Moon hadn’t yet reached the 500,000 subscribers set by the Prinz Wizard for the wager, but it was growing steadily.

Though I was quite busy, my physical condition had improved thanks to not taking painkillers.

Even if occasional symptoms occurred, it seemed unlikely I would collapse, coughing up blood as before.

‘Hmm, it’s too early for the appointment. Forty minutes early, in fact.’

Today, I was going to visit the filming site myself for the first time in a while.

However, a previous engagement had ended early, leaving me with awkwardly spare time.

‘If I visit too early, it might surprise them.’

After a brief consideration, I decided to get off the carriage early and walk, both to arrive early and to look around.

“Miss, aren’t you overdoing it?”

“Haha, it’s fine. A walk like this is good for me.”

My escort glanced at me worriedly as I shrugged and smiled.

Since I hadn’t been able to walk much due to muscle spasms from painkiller side effects, I wanted to walk as much as possible now that I’d stopped taking them.

…Of course, the disease itself wasn’t fully cured.

But my walk ended abruptly.

‘Oh, isn’t that Director Chillen and Scriptwriter Meiron?’

I ran into people I hadn’t expected so soon. Why were the people I was meeting in forty minutes already here?

“Shh, quiet.”

I put a finger to my lips, signaling my escort.

I intended to pass by quietly so as not to disturb them, but…

Then Director Chillen’s words pierced my ears.

“Haha, seeing Pollius Veldert act as if The 13th Knight is entirely his own work makes me furious.”

Oh? Suddenly, The 13th Knight is being mentioned?

I narrowed my eyes and stopped walking. Whether I stayed or not, their voices continued.

“But what can we do?”

“Are you really okay? The 13th Knight could never have existed without you.”

“Well, that’s precisely why Director Chillen…”

“But now, the credit is being claimed by those scoundrels.”

Chillen continued in a low voice.

“If only they had at least given us a heads-up that they were making The 13th Knight into a magic stone version. But the sense of emptiness we felt when learning about it through the newspaper!”

“…”

“The Veldert troupe was disbanded in an instant because it wasn’t profitable… yet now the play they created is being used as needed? Hah…”

Chillen chuckled dryly, but his sense of loss made it impossible for him to seem happy.

“Probably, allowing us to work for a few months instead of making us quit immediately was all to make us create the magic stone version.”

Of course, Pollius didn’t anticipate the magic stone business then, but the circumstances were coincidentally aligned.

It wasn’t unreasonable for them to see Pollius as a more cunning villain than he really was.

“…”

“And we had to watch, thinking we were being considerate… haha. If the representatives hadn’t summoned us, we would’ve been like hunting dogs after the hunt ended.”

Chillen then glared at Scriptwriter Meiron.

“Haha, you seem fine since it was decades ago? Does it not matter? How can you stand this situation? Huh!”

“…What do you expect if we don’t endure it?”

Meiron, who had been quiet, finally snapped.

“As co-creators, we hold copyright too. But it’s just words. We are commoners, and they are nobles. Can we demand the story or direction be altered?”

“You…”

“Can we enforce copyright against the Red Sun? The Veldert Count, no, now even the Ingda Marquess is involved.”

Meiron bowed his head. He seemed calm, but only on the surface.

His despair continued to seep through his voice.

“If we intervened unnecessarily… and caused trouble for the representatives who gave us a new chance…”

“Meiron…”

“Like Director Chillen, when the Veldert troupe I had devoted my life to was disbanded, I wanted to give it all up. If it weren’t for my niece!”