Chapter 29
I Was Reincarnated as a Shut-in in a Dark Imprisonment Novel
Episode 29
Why hadn't I thought of this sooner?
As someone who had already experienced similar suffering once in Salt, it was almost frustrating that the idea only just occurred to me now.
'At first, I just started with an eye patch.'
However, the cheap eye patch made from discarded Monster Hide was too thick, making my face feel stuffy, and perhaps because of that, I would break out in pimples the next day.
So, my second choice was none other than Blackout Curtains!
The Blackout Curtains, which not only blocked light but also had excellent windproof effects, became a ray of light in my dreary slave life.
The downside, perhaps, was that they weren't very aesthetically pleasing?
'Since I gathered discarded hides and wove them together haphazardly, the shape was rather embarrassing to call a curtain.'
Back then, I only needed it for myself, so design didn't matter.
But now, people I naturally wanted to give gifts to came to mind. Bonita, or Assistant Liam, or my wicked employer...?
In any case, I didn't want to make them carelessly like before.
I couldn't possibly hang a rag curtain in someone's room and call it a gift.
'...Is there anything good?'
Bonita's worried question reached me as I sat frozen, staring at the steaming hot soup.
"Are you not feeling hungry?"
"Bonita, do you have any cheap, thick fabric?"
"Yes? Fabric?"
Bonita's eyes widened at my sudden, unrelated question.
"Fabric... I'm not sure. We seem to have a lot of leather, though."
"Ah, the Grand Duchy of Bleil has many monsters, right? Are there any discarded byproducts?"
"Hmm..."
Seeing my serious expression, Bonita also became serious and pondered, then her eyes lit up as if she'd remembered something.
"Like Poleta Leather?"
As expected, she didn't disappoint me this time either.
"Poleta Leather?"
"There's a Poletta pack nesting below the Iscard Mountains, and they often come down to the villages to ruin crops or attack livestock."
Polettas were common magical beasts, also found in Salt.
Individually, they weren't powerful, but they traveled in packs, so herbalists who ventured into the mountains during Poletta breeding season sometimes returned injured or dead.
"For the past few years, their numbers have increased significantly, and they're periodically culled. I heard that Poletta byproducts, including their hides, are difficult to dispose of."
"R-really? What are the characteristics of the leather?"
"It lacks elasticity and doesn't breathe well."
"It doesn't breathe well?"
A curtain's function includes windproofing. If the fabric lets wind whistle through, there's bound to be a problem.
Therefore, Poleta Leather could be a very good material, based on what I've heard so far.
With a lightbulb moment in my head, I asked with a slightly brighter face,
"What about the pattern?"
"Ah, the pattern? In the past, the pattern was quite luxurious, so there was some demand for rugs... but now, with so many better materials available, no one seeks it out anymore."
"Oh, really? Where can I see it?"
"Miss, you must finish your meal before you go!"
Bonita, stopping me as I was about to leap up, shook her head.
"Besides, the Grand Duke would know best about these things."
"...He knows about this too?"
His hobby isn't collecting leather, is it?
After briefly pondering the Grand Duke's secret tastes, I nodded at Bonita's next words.
"Well, Grand Duke Bleil himself leads the hunting parties."
"Ah."
This was new information.
Should I go ask him directly then?
Ever since the Magic Tower incident, our interactions had been minimal, only discussing the comic book business occasionally.
If I could make proper Blackout Curtains, perhaps it could be of help to him as well.
"Thank you, Bonita."
I scooped up some of the perfectly cooled soup and smiled at Bonita. She smiled back, dark circles under her eyes reaching down to her chin.
'...Am I looking like that too?'
Seeing Bonita's somewhat pathetic state, my heart ached for a moment.
It was a moment that clearly highlighted the need for Blackout Curtains.
\ \ *
"Why are you suddenly looking for Poleta Leather?"
His voice was clearly exhausted.
And his face looked exceptionally tired.
Seeing the Grand Duke in such a state after so long, I didn't get straight to the point but slowly surveyed my surroundings.
He had readily agreed to my sudden request for a meeting, so I thought he might have some free time, but stacks of documents towered beside him.
At this point, I wondered if he was just showing me favor because I brought in good money.
My gaze, after circling the room, settled back on the Grand Duke, now tinged with a bit of pity.
'He's still handsome even now.'
Perhaps it was the lack of sleep, but his darkened complexion only made his aura more profound.
A rather long silence must have passed without my notice, as the Grand Duke, who had been buried in his documents, spoke again.
"Princess?"
"Ah."
A strange sense of embarrassment washed over me as I realized I had been staring blankly at him without answering.
"I'm sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment..."
"Lost in thought while I'm right in front of you."
Strictly speaking, it was a thought about the Grand Duke, so it wasn't entirely a different thought, but I couldn't say that directly, so I hastily waved my hand.
"Ah, no... I'm sorry..."
"It's fine. I'll ask again. Why are you looking for Poleta Leather?"
There was nothing wrong with asking about common Monster Hide, but he seemed curious as to why I was asking such a question.
This time, I answered without hesitation.
"I heard that Poleta Leather is treated as a useless item in the Grand Duchy. I wanted to see if I could develop it into something else."
"We have an excess of Poleta Leather, so tell Liam to provide you with some. But for what purpose?"
"Um..."
The answer was obvious.
You can't sleep, I can't sleep, everyone in the Grand Duke's residence is suffering from sleep deprivation.
So I wanted to try making Blackout Curtains with the abundant Poleta Leather... It was something I could answer comfortably, but my lips wouldn't move.
Was it because I didn't want my unsolicited favor to be revealed?
I shook my head and took a step back.
"I don't think it's at the stage to be discussed yet..."
"Not at the stage to be discussed?"
His brow furrowed slightly at my reaction.
"Um, yes. Not yet. It's still just an idea."
"Can't you share an idea?"
"Well, until it's fully realized, my policy is to avoid stirring up people's expectations..."
"......"
"......"
"Hmph. Fine, Princess. As you wish."
Huh?
Hmmmm?
'What was that?'
His tone was calm, as usual, but why did it sound like he was sulking?
However, I dismissed this feeling as a mere illusion and lowered my head awkwardly.
"Th-thank you."
"Yes, you may go."
As I turned to leave, with a lingering sense of unease, his voice called out again from behind me.
"Wait."
"Yes, yes?"
The Grand Duke looked at me with a peculiar expression and slowly opened his mouth.
"...When it's a bit more concrete, will you tell me then?"
His actions, so unlike his usual self, made me try to hide my slight bewilderment as I shook my head.
This was meant to be a surprise gift, to be presented only after it was completed, so this time had to be an exception.
"Hmm, I don't think that will be easy?"
"...Is that so."
The Grand Duke, his lips set in a firm line, turned his gaze back to his documents without another word.
Stepping out of the office, I paused at the door, lost in a strange contemplation.
'Was he disappointed?'
My head knew that was unlikely, but his voice, with its subtly drooping tone, made me feel strangely.
But...
'Well, it's probably just my imagination.'
Dismissing the unusual reaction as insignificant, I quickened my pace towards Liam's location.
