Drawing Manga in a Romance Fantasy

Chapter 159

“This manga you’ve presented is quite entertaining, but its major flaw is the way it depicts the state as though it were the villain,” the emperor remarked.

Rupert had no room for excuses.

After all, no matter how much he had softened the portrayal of pirates into adventurers, the ultimate antagonists in the story were still the World Federation—a coalition of nations—and a portion of the privileged elite.

“I now fully understand the power of what you create with your pen,” the emperor continued sincerely.

Rupert’s works had educated the common people by encouraging them to learn to read through comic books and awakened their awareness through fairy tales.

Furthermore, the fervor exhibited during the recent card tournament had been comparable to that of a triumphal war parade.

Until now, the emperor had allowed Rupert’s works to continue because they helped to check the power of the aristocracy. However, he could not ignore the potential ramifications if such influence ever turned against the royal family.

“I’m aware that you’ve received a marriage proposal from the Bluewell family. You must make your choice.”

The emperor’s tone was clear: the royal family or the noble faction.

If Rupert chose Iolin and sided with the royal family, he would be permitted to continue his creative activities freely as he had until now.

But if he chose otherwise, the emperor would have no choice but to cut off the budding threat before it could grow.

‘Rupert, to be honest, I still covet your talent,’ the emperor thought.

He had always valued Rupert’s abilities so highly that he had once considered making him the crown prince’s right-hand man. This was why he had allowed Rupert’s creative pursuits to flourish up to this point.

However, if Rupert married into the Bluewell family, the Seven Great Noble Houses would become the Eight Great Noble Houses, and Rupert, no matter how favorably he had been regarded, could not remain an exception in the fierce political struggles between the royal family and the nobles.

“…May I meet with Her Highness the Princess and speak to her?” Rupert asked.

“Of course,” the emperor replied.

Rupert could not make a decision on the spot.

The first person who came to mind was Amelia, who had confessed her feelings to him. What lay ahead depended on the choices he made now.

Leaving the royal court, Rupert began making his way to Iolin’s residence, plagued by deep contemplation with every step.

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"Come in."

Creak.

At the sound of the door opening, Iolin paused her drawing and turned around.

“Greetings, Your Highness.”

“Ah, Rupert, I trust you’ve been well?”

“Actually, I’ve come today to discuss something important.”

At Rupert’s words, Iolin gestured for the maids in the room to leave.

“This should be private enough for an important conversation, don’t you think?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Seeing the firm expression on Rupert’s face, Iolin felt a sense of foreboding.

‘What happened at the imperial court before he came here?’

She had already been informed that Rupert had entered the palace to meet her father, the emperor. While she didn’t know the details, she assumed it was just another of his private audiences with the emperor, as it had been the last time.

But Rupert’s expression now suggested he was deeply troubled.

“Your Highness—no, Iolin.”

“Yes?”

“What do you think of me?”

“What?”

“I just came from speaking with His Majesty, who brought up the matter of marriage to you.”

Iolin was startled by Rupert’s abrupt remark and felt a wave of confusion as she realized her father had intervened.

‘Is this my doing?’

She had told her father she wished to hasten her marriage to Rupert, but she hadn’t expected him to act so directly.

“I’ll be honest. I like you, Rupert.”

Now that things had come to this, she decided to take the reins herself.

“However, I don’t want you to choose me because of my father’s wishes. I want you to choose me of your own will.”

—Just as I chose you from among countless suitors.

Iolin spoke with unwavering sincerity, and this time it was Rupert who found himself at a loss.

He hadn’t anticipated such a straightforward confession and found his thoughts in complete disarray.

“Are you saying… you like me?”

“Yes. I thought I’d made it obvious, but it seems you didn’t notice at all.”

“…I apologize, but I truly didn’t.”

Rupert began recalling his interactions with Iolin.

She was the one who had initially summoned him to the palace with a letter complaining about the ending of one of his works. Since then, she had become a trusted friend and colleague with whom he could share serious discussions about manga.

Her boundless talent had always fascinated Rupert.

Iolin was like the protagonist of a sports manga—a person whose growth inspired those around her. While Rupert had honed his craft by studying countless modern works, Iolin seemed to absorb and master concepts effortlessly, often needing only a casual suggestion from Rupert.

Now, she was so skilled that many considered her second only to Rupert in illustrating battle scenes.

She also shared Rupert’s views on manga, and their discussions were always enjoyable.

But the idea that this was anything more than camaraderie hadn’t crossed Rupert’s mind, leaving him completely unprepared for her confession.

“I am, in many ways, an incomplete person,” Iolin suddenly said.

“Pardon?”

Rupert couldn’t understand why someone as brilliant as Iolin would describe herself this way.

‘If you’re incomplete, then the rest of us should just give up on life….’

Rupert thought her claim was absurd, given her status as a princess and beauty rivaling that of Amelia.

But Iolin’s expression grew serious as she continued.

“From a young age, I’ve always been able to master whatever I wanted or found interesting.”

She gave a wry smile.

“People call me a genius.”

It wasn’t without reason that some had once advocated for Iolin, despite being a woman and having two older brothers, to be named the heir apparent.

Her accomplishments in swordsmanship, academics, magic, and administration—all of them seemed to prove the saying “show her one thing, and she’ll grasp ten.”

However, there was only one thing Iolin had truly desired since childhood.

‘Someone who could accept all of me.’

She had taken up swordsmanship because her brothers and younger siblings seemed to enjoy it so much.

She thought it would be just as fun for her if she learned it too.

‘I will no longer practice swordsmanship.’

But her exceptional talent ended up crushing the spirits of those around her. Teachers and peers alike often despaired when they realized how quickly she surpassed them.

‘I have nothing more to teach you, Your Highness.’

At first, her instructors celebrated her as a heaven-sent prodigy. But as her seemingly limitless talent became apparent, their admiration turned to fear or jealousy.

This led Iolin to give up on learning altogether.

She had only ever wanted to connect with others, not to overshadow them.

What others envied as her talent felt more like shackles to her.

But then—

“Your Highness, manga is about connection. It’s about bridging the gap between what you find entertaining and what others will enjoy.”

Rupert, the man who had reignited her interest with fairy tales and comics, was different.

He constantly created things that exceeded her expectations, always managing to surprise her.

Iolin had fallen for comics not just because they were enjoyable, but because she had finally met someone far more talented than herself—someone whose abilities were on a whole different level.

“To me, you are the person I’ve waited for my entire life.”

Rupert hadn’t realized it, but Iolin was socially inexperienced.

Deprived of opportunities to interact with others, she had mostly followed formal etiquette rather than forming genuine connections.

Her closest relationships were with Aiton, her head attendant, her younger brother Edric, and, more recently, Jorge, her shadow guardian.

The fact that Iolin was now directly speaking with Rupert and openly sharing her thoughts was unprecedented.

“Iolin…”

Hearing the sincerity in her voice, Rupert couldn’t help but feel conflicted.

He had enjoyed their time together, their conversations, and their shared passion for manga.

‘Could she be the ideal partner?’

Someone who truly understood him and whose genuine self he had come to admire—Rupert’s heart wavered.

“I apologize for not noticing your feelings until now.”

“It’s not your fault. I was the one who was clumsy.”

“And as for my answer…”

Rupert paused before continuing.

“Before Your Highness confessed to me, Amelia also confessed her feelings.”

At his words, Iolin’s expression hardened.

She had always worried that Amelia or Zinnia might make a move before her, and it seemed her fears had come true.

“I haven’t given Amelia an answer yet.”

“Not because you’re uninterested, but because you can’t answer her right now?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Rupert explained the same thing he had told Amelia—that he couldn’t consider marriage at the moment due to his responsibilities.

Iolin’s mind raced.

‘So I’ll have to wait ten years while he decides between us? Should I just live with this uncertainty?’

She was willing to wait if it meant being with Rupert.

But if he ultimately chose Amelia, she knew it would be disastrous.

‘If it’s come to this, I need some assurance.’

Even if it wasn’t the perfect solution, she needed to secure her position somehow.

“Rupert, are you familiar with ‘that’?”

“Pardon? What do you mean?”

Iolin began to speak of something, and as she did, Rupert’s expression shifted to one of shock.