How to Survive as a Princess in a Reverse Harem Game - Chapter 90
“Next time we meet, will you call me ‘sister’? The way you address me now feels a bit distant. I’d like to get closer to you.”
“Really? Is that okay……?”
“Of course.”
Her wide-eyed gaze as she looked up at me was endearing. When I nodded with a smile, Cirilla nervously moved her lips.
“Um…… Sister?”
I didn’t expect her to call me that so quickly. Though I had heard that title countless times before, it carried a hint of nostalgia this time.
After sending Cirilla back, I returned to Isaac.
“It’s done now. Thank you, Lord.”
“It’s nothing.”
He replied curtly, bowing slightly with his usual expressionless face. However, it seemed he couldn’t hold back his doubts any longer.
“But…… are you truly fine with this?”
“Are you referring to what Cirilla told me?”
“Yes.”
“I’m worried, but it’ll be fine.”
“Do you have a plan in place?”
“I do have something up my sleeve…… but honestly, I’m not sure if it’ll work. If it doesn’t, there’s not much I can do.”
Though it was a bit disappointing, I truly wasn’t too concerned. If Morris Futurum had managed to steal the iron supplement before I showed it to Evgenia, it would’ve been a disaster. But at this point, it was too late for them to pull such a move.
From the moment Evgenia got involved, this project stopped being solely mine. If all my preparation went to waste, the same would apply to Evgenia.
No matter how influential Morris Futurum might be as the Royal Secretary, there was a clear distinction between the Secretary and the Duchy. Evgenia wasn’t foolish enough to sit idly by if the Duchy tried to hijack a royal project.
Still, I couldn’t help but hope Morris Futurum would make a foolish mistake, one that played right into my hands. After all, that would work out much better for me.
* * *
A few days later, the trial batch of iron supplements, Coquo, entrusted to the royal forge by Evgenia, was completed.
Since the items were destined to leave the palace eventually, I headed to the storage area where the Coquo supplements were gathered to inspect the finished products.
The iron supplements, marked with a small dragon emblem symbolizing the Lublin royal family, came in two shapes: a fish and a rectangular prism.
The former was designed to create a favorable “image,” while the latter was a temporary shape used to facilitate mass production until proper molds could be made. Despite being iron supplements, they closely resembled lumps of metal, so it seemed wise to give them a shape that would remind people of something edible.
‘People are easily swayed by appearances.’
After all, there’s a reason for the saying, “A pretty rice cake tastes better.” Given two similar items, people tend to choose the cuter or more aesthetically pleasing option.
‘If the response is good, I should suggest making them in shrimp or clam shapes later.’
It might be premature to think about that now, but still.
“Wow…… It really looks like there are a thousand of them, just as you said, Your Highness.”
Reno, who had been inspecting the goods beside me, muttered as if he were overwhelmed. It seemed he still hadn’t fully believed me despite my prior notice.
“Do we really have to hand all these out?”
“Don’t worry. We’re not the only ones distributing them. The palace staff who used to work at the distribution centers will help, too.”
“Even so…… A thousand trial items…… I mean, it doesn’t matter to me, but I’m concerned about whether you will be okay, Your Highness.”
“I’ll be fine. I’m not handing out all the thousand by myself.”
“Are you sure your delicate arms can handle it? What if they break?”
“Arms don’t break as easily as you think.”
Of course, there are unexpected situations where they can, but distributing iron supplements the size of two segments of my finger wasn’t going to do it.
Ignoring Reno’s exaggerations, I continued inspecting the goods and passed the time.
It was in the afternoon when a royal mage burst into the storage room, their face pale as a sheet.
“B-Big trouble!”
“……?”
“Futurum! The Futurum Duchy is distributing something identical to what we’ve prepared…… to the commoners!”
This was the moment when the tip Cirilla had given me came to life.
* * *
The news spread quickly. Upon returning to the princess’s quarters, I found Killis waiting for me.
“Your Highness, are you alright?”
