Vote for Your Knight! - Chapter 2
‘Of course, even if I were a commoner, gaining trust wouldn’t be easy.’
Yet, the criticisms voiced by the common people were understandable.
The nobles were arrogantly overbearing.
Especially Count Monsieux, who was my age, openly mocked me.
“The people of this country lack unity due to their ethnic differences. I’ll donate the funds to cover the princess’s playtime if that’s what she wants, so let’s just abandon this Cartamen.”
He was unnecessarily competitive with me because we were the same age. That was why he felt comfortable enough to insult me.
‘But to belittle even our people!’
Though infuriated, I held back and offered a lighter response.
“That seems inappropriate coming from someone who’s desperate to squeeze every penny from those same people. And…”
“?”
“I doubt you’re in a position to donate when you’re drowning in debt due to your extravagance.”
I made a vow.
‘I will definitely make the Cartamen a success, they’ll see.’
May the nobles who look down on the common folk fall flat on their faces!
—But despite my ambitions, the Cartamen faced obstacles from the beginning.
“My daughter, I have sad news and even sadder news. Which one should I tell you first?”
“Both are sad news. Just tell me whichever one first.”
“First, the sad news, then. We invited those whom you had deemed ‘worthy’ to participate in the Cartamen, but they didn’t even blink at the offer.”
“And the sadder news?”
“That they turned us away at the door without even a meeting. My poor servants.”
“Hmm, turned away at the door, you say?”
I mused. My father’s shoulders twitched, sensing something ominous.
“Daughter, you don’t mean to…”
“Do you think they could leave the princess waiting at the door?”
I looked up at my father with a smirk.
‘I’m used to doing the scouting and casting myself, because I did it in my past life!’
Although I’ve mentioned it before, in my past life, I was an assistant PD[1] on the survival program ‘Idol Paradise.’ That show also struggled to find talent in the beginning.
‘There was an already successful idol survival show scheduled to air its second season in the same time slot.’
So, I rolled up my sleeves and hustled.
I personally scouted talents, running around to find hidden gems. The storyline was fresh, the editing was provocative, capturing the taste of the Korean public. We didn’t forget to showcase the skills and charm of the participants, and we made an effort to honor their hard work and dreams.
Thanks to that, ‘Idol Paradise’ recorded the highest ratings of the year. It swept not only the PD Award but also Best Program at various broadcast awards. Of course, someone else accepted the trophy, not me.
‘I thought it was a memory I didn’t want to look back on, but it’s actually turning out to be quite helpful.’
The sudden decision to open Cartamen was also influenced by my experience planning ‘Idol Paradise.’
In my previous life, the Idol Paradise craze was like a religion. There was even a meme that people who met for the first time would get to know each other by talking about their picks from the cast of Idol Paradise.
So, applying this concept, it should be possible to get people together through the Cartamen. It would be a great way to build consensus around a single topic.
Besides, there’s not much entertainment in the Empire right now for the people to enjoy.
‘At best, there are a few festivals a year.’
In these circumstances, a show like Cartamen would be a welcome distraction. I wanted to provide a bit of solace to the exhausted hearts of the people, drained from the reign of a tyrant.
‘A plan created by pouring all the memories and know-how from my past life. Literally a competition meticulously crafted by pouring my soul into it.’
In this life, I will ensure the success of the competition with my name on the line. For my father, for the people, and for myself, by all means.
‘But there’s a catch!’
There were only a few dozen applicants so far, most of them barely good enough to be knights. Even if the god of broadcasting descended, it would be a failure at this rate.
You can make a serviceable dish by adding spices to slightly damaged ingredients. But trying to make something decent out of rotten ingredients will inevitably result in a disaster.
In other words, we need good participants. Even if they are a bit lacking, there should be the potential for growth.
‘Although, it would be better if they had a complete skillset from the start.’
Of course, if someone fitting that description wanted to participate in the knight competition, they would have already applied.
‘I have my eye on some candidates, but most of them haven’t applied.’
I told them it was free to enter, and they didn’t even bother. They were crucial for the success of the competition. Although, it’s still up to them to make it to the final five.
“But surely, Dmitry Cassel wouldn’t participate in the competition, right?”
Just then, a voice rose up from the crowd.
Dmitry Cassel. It was a familiar name. So familiar, in fact, that he was walking beside me, his face covered.
He was a palace knight, but today, he came out with me as my escort. Despite my father’s objections, I insisted.
“He has to go with me.”
I planned to move quietly, so that meant taking as few escorts as possible. Dmitry Cassel was the perfect fit. He was more than capable of protecting me on his own.
Of course, my father had a point. He was a recognized pariah of the empire—the final victor of the tyrant’s bloodbath, the only one who accepted the role as his knight. That was Dmitry Cassel.
¹ Abbreviation for Producer-Director. They are in charge of both planning and running the show.↩
