Chapter 28
I'm a Homebody, But I Possessed a Dark Captivity Novel
Chapter 28
Pushing through the wizards' endless thanks, I returned, but before I could even catch my breath, I had to stand before the Grand Duke.
"That hammer."
It was the one thing he said after a long silence.
In the heavy atmosphere for a long while, I, who was trembling with tension, flinchingly shook at the Grand Duke's voice.
"Yes...?"
"That ultra-light Partanium hammer."
"Y-yes..."
This was more uncomfortable than sitting on pins and needles.
Though I couldn't find any particular anger on the Grand Duke's face, my guilty conscience made me unable to lift my head.
After another short silence, his voice was heard once more.
"Liam, didn't it seem familiar somehow?"
Huh? Familiar?
"Yes, Your Highness."
Liam, who felt particularly irritating, chimed in, cleared his throat, and then launched into a long, drawn-out explanation.
"That hammer was a gift from Master Bruschetta, a craftsman from the Kingdom of Milef, to commemorate the previous Grand Duke's birthday. It's a specially made, ultra-light Partanium, top-of-the-line hammer capable of breaking any magical restraint."
Wait a minute. I never considered this kind of development!
I stared at Liam with my mouth agape in shock, but he continued speaking as if unaware of my desperate plea.
"It's a masterpiece with astronomical value, enough to make even craftsmen give up on their emotions! In any case, that Partanium hammer, which cannot be obtained anywhere, is a precious item left by the previous Grand Duke to the family."
"Yes, it certainly looked like that very item to me."
S-so, it's a memento from the previous Grand Duke? And... a masterpiece with astronomical value?
I didn't want to believe it, but the conclusion was that I had used the Grand Duke's property without permission.
...No way. Please tell me it's a lie. Bonita said it was just some junk lying around in the warehouse!
Giving up on understanding Liam's explanation, which continued to pour out like a machine gun, I swallowed my tears inwardly.
'W-what should I do!'
However, the more I realized the reality, the colder my blood felt.
This was because, in the Cletan Empire, the punishment for theft was notoriously harsh compared to other countries.
And on top of that, I had stolen a noble's property and used it without permission?
If I were unlucky, the penalty could go up to 'execution.'
Moreover, I was in a situation where I could be caught on any pretext and my life could be hanging by a thread!
'I have to make up for it.'
The instinct of a homebody who wanted to live a peaceful and quiet life was issuing a strong warning.
"U-um! I actually had something to tell you, Your Highness. I was going to say it first. Haha, hahahaha."
"...What is it?"
"So... I'd like to transfer one of my wish tokens to you, Your Highness! Is that okay!?"
Actually, this wasn't a difficult decision.
Of course, giving up one of the three wish tokens, which represented the 'unconditional support' of the Magic Tower, felt a bit wasteful...
But if things hadn't gone well this time, the Grand Duke Bleil would have been the one to take the fall.
"Princess, the scope of help you can request from the Magic Tower through the title 'Ear of the Magic Tower' is vast. Despite that, you intend to do so?"
The Grand Duke seemed quite surprised by my proposal.
Yes. He would be. I knew the value of this wish token well, even without him explaining it so kindly.
'But it's not more valuable than my life....'
I want to live.
"Yes! You have three, so I think it's only right to give one to Your Highness."
"Hmm."
"I also want to thank you for your generosity in overlooking my accidental use of Your Highness's property..."
In short, it was this:
I'll give you a wish token! You overlook my unauthorized use of your property!
As if he understood the hidden meaning, he narrowed his eyes, looked me up and down, and then nodded.
"...Princess, you have a generous heart. I accept it gratefully."
"Haha, it's nothing. Then, may I... may I go pack my things now?"
"You may."
"Yes! Thank you!"
I bowed my head quickly and ran towards my room before he could change his mind.
Even if we seem to be on good terms now, the world of the powerful is one where you get bitten the moment things go wrong!
I would eliminate all risk factors and maintain my life as a safe homebody!
That's why sacrificing one wish token was nothing.
...Really.
To get straight to the point, the comic book was a massive hit.
With one token taken by the Grand Duke, leaving only two, the first volume of <Safety Guidelines for the Haunted Duke's Castle>, printed in small quantities after paying a hefty price to the Magic Tower, sold enough to cover its printing costs in less than a week.
It was a shame that only a few large bookstores in the Grand Duchy of Bleil and the Imperial Capital were distributed, in case the reception was poor.
"Please, give us the chance to stock the 'comic book' in our stores!"
Furthermore, the Grand Duke's residence's mailbox was overflowing with letters, and some even used teleportation arrays, which were difficult to use even once, to beg for distribution rights...
Naturally, the demand for the next volume also increased.
"The more this happens, the harder we must work."
"Let's grind our bones to dust!"
The artists involved in the comic book production poured all their passion and sincerity into meeting the deadlines.
They even finished the second volume earlier than scheduled and immediately began production on the third without rest.
Consequently, the Grand Duke, who was in charge of distribution, began to divide his already busy days even more finely. And that...
It was no different for me.
"Ugh, ugh..."
I woke up at dawn again today.
The time was six in the morning.
I tossed and turned, but it was useless as the intense sunlight illuminated the entire room.
"Haa, please..."
It was fine that the Grand Duke, in his benevolence, had let me escape the dark prison room(?) I had been in before, but the problem was that this room was a prime spot that received direct sunlight every morning.
And now, it was midsummer when the sun was longest.
My nerves were fraying from the constant forced awakenings.
'I, I want to sleep more.'
I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to force myself to sleep, but I eventually couldn't overcome the sunlight that relentlessly woke my mind and sat up.
"I-I didn't want to live like this."
As I opened my mouth, a sigh of lament naturally escaped.
I thought it might get a little easier after the Magic Tower work was done, but after a day of frantic activity, it was already four in the morning.
And then, unable to give up on the comic book, I'd read it until dawn broke.
Considering that it was impossible to fall asleep once dawn broke due to the room's nature, my lifespan must have been cut by ten years recently.
As I clutched my head in distress, the door opened, and Bonita entered.
"Miss, you couldn't sleep properly again today."
She looked just as exhausted, with dark circles under her eyes reaching her chin.
It was her karma for becoming a dedicated hot chocolate shuttle while trying to gather gossip from the artists who stayed up all night.
Bonita, who stumbled like a zombie, placed a simple breakfast in front of me as I sat up straight, yawning repeatedly as she fought off sleep.
"Ugh, I'm dying..."
I pointed to the window, as if to show her.
The midsummer morning sunlight streamed through the thin curtains adorned with delicate lace, visible to Bonita's eyes.
She gazed out the bright window with a weary look and muttered in a gloomy tone.
"It would be a little better if the curtains were a bit thicker."
"Huh?"
"Of course, it's good to have the house bright, but for people in our special circumstances, there's a need to keep it dark even during the day..."
"Ah."
As I listened to her continuing words, a thought suddenly struck me, and I opened my mouth.
'Blackout Curtains!'
