Drawing Manga in a Romance Fantasy – Chapter 141

“It’s such a waste, Master!”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, the talk of marriage between you and my sister came up.”

“W-wait, what did you just say?”

Adrian was taken aback by Edric’s bombshell.

If Edric’s sister was Princess Ioleen, then it was no surprise that the mere mention of her marriage caught him off guard.

Adrian scanned the surroundings, worried someone might have overheard.

Fortunately, the other members appeared to be engrossed in their tasks and seemed oblivious to Edric’s words.

“It’s not much of a secret. It came up during dinner with the family last weekend, so those who know probably already know.”

Despite Adrian’s reaction, Edric casually brushed it off, as if it were no big deal.

‘That’s a serious matter! You idiot!!!’

Adrian found it absurd that Edric thought his family was just an ordinary noble household.

How could he not understand just how many people would be eager to hear something that came from the Emperor’s table?

‘I can’t believe I once considered this child a crucial figure to shake the Empire…’

Though he had given up on that plan, Adrian couldn’t help but reflect on his own foolishness in trying to entice the Third Prince Edric to stir chaos in the Empire.

“But saying that Professor Rupert is a waste seems a bit excessive, don’t you think?”

“Excessive?”

“Your sister, the Princess, is someone who deserves to be called the flower of the Empire.”

Adrian recalled the image of Ioleen he had seen.

The royal family of the Empire, the Bell family, was known for their black hair and eyes passed down through generations.

Another notable trait was that they were all renowned for being beautiful.

Adrian didn’t want to admit it, but even Edric boasted looks that could easily attract numerous followers.

Princess Ioleen was no different.

With her black curls, she emanated an air of intellect combined with an aura of nobility that was truly noble like a flower.

‘If Amelia feels pure and innocent, then the Princess exudes nobility.’

Amelia, a fellow club member, had an eye-catching appearance as well but had a different allure than Ioleen.

“Your sister definitely doesn’t have any outward problems.”

“Outwardly? Isn’t she even more wonderful on the inside? She works harder than anyone from the royal family for the commoners and the poor of the Empire.”

“She’s better kept at a distance for her own good.”

Edric stubbornly maintained his opinion, insisting that Rupert was indeed a waste, despite Adrian’s comments.

Edric was equally frustrated.

“If you want to survive, Edric, you must wield a sword.”

No one believed that his intense swordsmanship training was just to survive against Ioleen.

“Ah!! Sister, this is truly dangerous!!!”

“It’s fine. You think I can’t control myself that much?”

Ioleen, who had taken up swordsmanship for pure interest, displayed a level of skill that was nothing short of insane.

That might not have been a problem, but the issue began when she made her younger brother the target of her training.

“Why practice on me, Sister?! There are knights around, or what about older brothers?!”

“If the knights lose against me, they’d be humiliated! And my brothers are just too weak.”

– Practice isn’t going well.

Though she said it in a roundabout way, it really meant that Edric was the most suitable opponent in terms of his eagerness.

“Why don’t you get that?”

“This is an unofficial plan of the Empire’s administration, isn’t it? How can you even understand…”

“Hmm… Is it that difficult? Have I overindulged my brother far too much?”

That wasn’t all.

The bureaucrats of the Empire would often bring him documents that even a ten-year-old child would struggle to comprehend, expecting his opinions.

And above all, after solving those tasks, when he confidently returned to his sister—

“Oh, that? I lost interest in that already.”

It was as if she had lost interest and moved on to seek something else more enjoyable.

“Surely, if Master discovers the true nature of my sister, he’d run away immediately.”

Edric desperately prayed that Rupert would escape from the schemes of his sister, Ioleen.

*

“Your latest comic was quite impressive.”

“Really?”

“It’s correct that you designed this piece with the actual card game in mind from the planning phase, right?”

“You hit the nail on the head.”

The fact that the author of <Puppet Theater>, which was still being serialized in Manapia, was Princess Ioleen remained a closely guarded secret.

Among the royal family members, only the Emperor and second son William knew about it.

Therefore, Rupert took it upon himself to meet her regularly to discuss matters related to her work.

At first, meeting Ioleen had been quite burdensome.

However, it had now reached a point where he looked forward to their meetings.

‘The princess and I surprisingly get along well.’

He had known that Ioleen was interested in comics, but it felt like her interest was sincere and beyond mere curiosity.

“You did an excellent job using both pages for the scenes in this chapter.”

“I think you’ll need more pens aside from the G-pen you made in your workshop. Maybe a pen for backgrounds instead of just characters!”

“I’m beginning to realize that comics should prioritize fun above all else.”

Especially since her views on comics were very much aligned with Rupert’s, time would pass quickly when they discussed them.

Moreover, Rupert truly believed that Ioleen possessed talent worthy of the label “genius.”

“That talent is something else.”

In fact, based on talent evaluation among the current authors of Manapia, Rupert would certainly name Saint as the first.

Saint, who was currently serializing <The Man of the Second Century>, was considered just behind Rupert in drawing skills.

His comics contained philosophical content not found in other works, which might reduce their popularity among children, but many adults preferred Saint’s works.

Nonetheless, this assessment was based on current skills.

Considering potential, Rupert would undoubtedly rank Ioleen first.

“Unique drawing style, bold developments, and exceptional emotional depiction.”

Looking at Ioleen’s growth from the first episode of <Puppet Theater> to the latest release, the difference was literally staggering.

The way she absorbed Rupert’s feedback like a sponge absorbing water was hard to believe.

“She’s definitely a talent who will take charge of Manapia.”

Though Rupert was still holding Manapia at the top with his influence, he was convinced that if someone were to take his place someday, it would be Ioleen.

“By the way, at the last demonstration, I saw some unexpected people.”

“Really?”

“There were many hard-to-find individuals, from Lady Bluewell to Yustaf’s disciple.”

After a lengthy discussion about comics, Ioleen suddenly brought up the topic of the demonstration.

Anyone with a bit of awareness would have likely perceived her intention when hearing the names of those two.

However,

“Yes, both of them became acquainted by chance. They’re all wonderful people.”

“Really?”

“In the case of Lady Amelia, she came to order a fairy tale book for her younger sibling a long time ago. And Lady Jenia was involved in the recent Abyss Cult incident…”

Rupert was happily sharing the stories of how he got acquainted with them, as if it were an entertaining tale.

If he had been paying attention to Ioleen’s expression, he might have noticed it was gradually hardening.

“Oh, is that so?”

“Yes!”

While he answered cheerfully without catching Ioleen’s change, she began to miss the wooden sword she had sealed deep in the storage from her childhood.

“Both of those women are stunning; are you possibly dating either…?”

“Oh, of course, both are beautiful, but I don’t have any ties with them.”

“Is that so? You seem like you’d be quite a match for them.”

Though pleased by his response, Ioleen concealed it, feigning indifference as she inquired.

On the other hand, Rupert’s mind was slightly tangled.

He, himself, knew he wasn’t the most perceptive person, but he felt something strange about Amelia’s recently altered demeanor towards him.

‘Edric is acting weird.’

In fact, more than Amelia’s behavior, it was Edric’s transformation that had given him a sense of certainty.

“Master, the character of Marie in the card game is truly fantastic. From her defiant attitude to her obsession with victory, it blends wonderfully. Especially that outfit that presents a rough yet feminine image is so artistic…”

The original protagonist, the Third Prince, was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a deep otaku that one would expect to find at Seoul Comic World.

“E-Edric, do you have anyone you’re dating or have feelings for?”

“Why wouldn’t I?! Of course, my first is Elza, but I can’t overlook Windy Rockbell’s charm. And the latest character Marie from the card game is also emerging as a strong candidate….”

Rupert realized that Edric actually had no relationship with Amelia at all.

‘So then?’

Recalling what he had done in front of Amelia recently, he found himself having nightmares about the Duke of Bluewell appearing in his dreams, strangling him.

‘By the way, who did Ioleen end up with in the original story?’

He then became curious about Ioleen’s future, especially since the original work never revealed her partner until the series concluded.

‘Ioleen is truly beautiful, though.’

Watching Ioleen, whose lips were pursed and frowning, made Rupert ponder.