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Chapter : 09
A week had passed since Emilia’s visit.
A lot had happened in that time, but to summarize the outcome in one sentence…
They were moving.
To a new house.
“Should we place the desk over here?”
“Yes. Be careful, it’s large. And I ordered the chairs separately, so leave enough space.”
As workers constantly carried furniture in and out, I approached my father, who looked completely bewildered.
He stared around the house and spoke in a dazed voice.
“Ed, are you sure this is the right house? It looks far too large for three people.”
“I didn’t expect it to be this big either.”
Just as Father said, the house was enormous.
And luxurious.
Most importantly, it was free.
Because it had been provided by the Marquis’s family.
Father and I stepped outside and admired the view together.
The stone walls weren’t overly flashy, but they possessed a subtle sheen.
The ceilings rose high, the elegant blue roof curved smoothly, and there was even a garden.
Lugbadin was already a prosperous city, but this residence would still be considered one of the finest within it.
“To think Marquis Rinter would show us such generosity…”
Father stared at the house in fascination before suddenly asking:
“But is sponsorship normally like this?”
“Haha… probably not.”
Usually, sponsorship meant covering living expenses and providing tools and materials needed for artistic work.
Sometimes a patron would provide lodging as well, but that generally meant living in the noble’s estate while working for them.
It didn’t mean buying an entire house for someone.
As for why we received one…
That had been Emilia’s suggestion.
A week earlier.
“You may not realize it, but the name K.H is already famous among the nobility.”
Emilia’s purpose in visiting me hadn’t been simple sponsorship.
“Especially after The Sorrows of Young Werther. It’s already become required reading throughout the Marquisate. Do you know how curious people are about your identity?”
“Should I say I’m honored?”
“Of course not. A masterpiece so powerful that readers commit suicide, written by a ten-year-old commoner? I can’t even imagine what some nobles would think. The gentler ones would probably stop at kidnapping and confinement.”
“The nobility’s definition of ‘gentle’ seems a bit extreme.”
“…I’m a gentle noble too, you know? Come live with the Rinter family.”
That was it.
From the beginning, Emilia had come intending to bring me to the Rinter estate.
The offer was lavish.
Ten gold coins a month.
Personal servants.
Unlimited support for writing new novels.
Any ordinary artist would have fallen to their knees and shouted,
“I pledge my loyalty to House Rinter!”
while cheering three times.
For the record…
I declined.
“Thank you for the offer, but I must refuse.”
“What did you just say? Do you know how many artists dream of working from a Marquis’s estate?”
“Quite a lot, I’m sure. It would be a great honor. But…”
My reason was simple.
“My parents’ livelihood is here. And I don’t think I’d be able to write properly if I suddenly changed environments.”
That was my official explanation.
The real reason was simpler.
It sounded like too much trouble.
Lugbadin was already a perfectly good city.
I earned more than enough to live comfortably.
The publishing company was here.
My parents’ workshop was here.
There was no reason to move somewhere else.
Most importantly…
I had a terrible feeling that if I lived at the Marquis’s estate, Emilia would visit every single day to check my writing progress.
When I used my writing as an excuse, Emilia pondered for a moment before nodding.
“A writer unable to write would be a problem. Fine.”
Oh?
She accepted surprisingly easily.
Maybe she really was a reasonable person.
“But your current house won’t do.”
“…Pardon?”
“I told you already. From now on you’ll be under the sponsorship of House Rinter. Naturally, that includes personal protection.”
“Just what kind of things do you think other nobles would do?”
Ignoring my exhausted expression, she ordered Dmitri to find a suitable residence in Lugbadin.
And so…
Today had arrived.
“Let’s enjoy this.”
“It’ll probably take a week just to finish enjoying it.”
Father and I wandered through the house, marveling at everything.
While inspecting the garden, Father suddenly shouted.
“Ed, look at this! Carp! There are carp in the garden pond!”
“Should we raise them and sell them later?”
“Carp are a family’s final emergency fund before total ruin. We must treasure them.”
Naturally, a new house couldn’t erase our commoner habits.
I thought I heard some workers snickering nearby, but what could I do?
Even compared to my previous life, this kind of house was a first.
As Father and I happily explored our new home—
A now-familiar voice sounded behind me.
“Is the move going smoothly?”
It was Emilia Rinter.
She was still staying in Lugbadin.
Apparently it had been quite some time since her last visit, so she was likely touring the city.
The problem was that she somehow found time to stop by and see me constantly.
“Y-Young Lady Emilia!”
Every time she appeared, I had to watch my father panic and bow deeply before a teenage girl.
Well, that was simply how this world worked.
I bowed as well.
“Thanks to your assistance, everything is proceeding smoothly.”
“That’s good to hear. You may raise your heads. There’s no need to be overly formal.”
At least from what I’d observed recently, Emilia truly was an educated noble.
She didn’t discriminate against commoners.
She always spoke politely.
Ludwin had once said:
“If Lady Emilia were like most nobles, Author K.H would have been dragged away long ago. To somewhere nobody could ever find him.”
That alone said enough.
Personally, I was simply taking her at her word and behaving comfortably.
Oblivious to my thoughts, Emilia continued explaining things.
“I instructed them to finish all the work today. I’ve also spoken with the local lord, so you shouldn’t encounter any difficulties while living in this city.”
“Thank you.”
“Of course, I haven’t revealed that you’re K.H. It would be best to keep it hidden for the foreseeable future.”
“Understood.”
“I’ve already found suppliers for paper and pens. Only the finest quality. I’m sure you’ll be satisfied. And…”
Watching me nod obediently to everything she said, Emilia hesitated before speaking again.
“By the way…”
She asked carefully.
“Are you really going to start writing right away? The third volume of Romance of the Three Kingdoms.”
“…?”
What kind of question was that?
It had already been over four months since Volume 2.
At this rate I’d age another year before publishing Volume 3.
Seeing my expression, Emilia’s face reddened slightly.
“I-I’m not trying to take back what I said. It’s just that… a masterpiece like The Sorrows of Young Werther…”
“Ah.”
Right.
The Sorrows of Young Werther.
The very book that had led Emilia to seek me out.
To my surprise, she confessed:
“To be honest, after reading that novel, I thought perhaps the publication ban on Romance of the Three Kingdoms shouldn’t be lifted.”
“So you’re saying I should spend my time writing more novels like Werther instead?”
“…Yes.”
Her face was now completely red, looking ready to burst if touched.
Yet her voice grew even stronger.
“I told you before. Cultural development has an order. If the nobility become more refined and educated, that influence will eventually spread to the common people. The shock I experienced while reading Werther was that profound.”
“Hmm… was it really that impactful?”
I wasn’t trying to belittle Goethe.
I just found it amusing that a romance novel could supposedly improve society.
But Emilia clearly believed it.
“You know what kind of novels nobles have been reading until now. Displays of strength, displays of virility—basically exhibitions of pleasure.”
“That’s true.”
“That’s the current level of this country’s nobility. But Werther changed things. Never before have they discussed love with such depth and seriousness.”
Thinking about it…
She had a point.
Great works sometimes changed an entire nation’s way of thinking.
If noble perspectives changed, perhaps commoners’ lives could improve as well.
In that case…
After organizing my thoughts, I replied.
“I’ll write Volume 3 of Romance of the Three Kingdoms first.”
“First…?”
“Yes. After that, I’ll write the kind of work you’re talking about.”
“…Do you realize how casually you’re saying something impossible?”
Oops.
To an outsider, I probably sounded like some unprecedented literary genius.
I hurriedly corrected myself.
“It’s just that our conversations have given me a lot to think about. I need time to organize those thoughts before I’ll know for certain.”
“I’m glad I could inspire you, then.”
Emilia smiled brightly.
She really was different from most nobles.
To smile like that in front of commoners…
I smiled back.
“I hope my works can inspire you as well, Lady Emilia.”
* * *
The year changed.
The weather remained cold.
Perhaps because of that, the popularity of The Sorrows of Young Werther continued to grow steadily.
People gathered in taverns warmed by fireplaces, gazed out at the snowy landscape, and shared stories.
“Days like this remind me of her.”
“I had a first love I could never have as well.”
Everyone had experienced being drunk on love.
Everyone carried memories of love that never came to fruition.
A deep, heavy, yet universal story.
For commoners, Werther had gradually become a mirror reflecting their own memories.
“At first it was painful to read. Maybe books change depending on the season.”
“Now I understand why owning a book is worthwhile. You can revisit it whenever you want.”
Books were expensive for commoners.
But a truly good book revealed something new every time it was read.
People were now rereading Romance of the Three Kingdoms and The Sorrows of Young Werther repeatedly, discussing them with increasing depth.
The cultural growth Emilia had spoken of.
Its seeds were slowly beginning to sprout among the people.
But…
“Even so, I still want to read Romance of the Three Kingdoms.”
“Agreed. The author must have suffered a terrible heartbreak. He probably isn’t in the right state of mind to write something like that anymore.”
The overwhelming popularity of Romance of the Three Kingdoms remained unchanged.
Those awaiting Volume 3 constantly talked about it.
“I hope Author K.H recovers from his heartbreak soon…”
“They say love can only be forgotten through new love.”
“But it won’t be easy. Anyone capable of writing sorrow that deep…”
Apparently the rumor that K.H was suffering from lovesickness had now become accepted fact.
People everywhere raised their glasses, wishing for K.H’s emotional recovery.
Then, on a day that seemed completely ordinary—
The tavern door burst open.
BANG!
“Volume 3 is coming out!”
Every head turned toward the man who had just entered.
“What?”
“Volume 3?”
“You mean that Volume 3?”
“The bookstores have already put up notices! It’s real!”
News of K.H’s newest publication began spreading throughout the entire Rinter Marquisate.
The new year had only just begun.
