Drawing Manga in a Romance Fantasy

Chapter 162

"Welcome, Lady Zinnia."

"Have I caused you any inconvenience?"

"This is the least I can do as a colleague from the academy. You are always welcome."

"...I see."

As the day of the Imperial Academy's second-semester closing ceremony arrived, the entire campus was imbued with a festive atmosphere.

Normally restricted areas of the academy were bustling with visitors who came to sightsee, along with merchants selling various goods. Among all the attractions, the most attention-grabbing spot was none other than the manga club’s animation exhibition.

"The people who saw the Sylvanian Orchestra last time couldn’t stop bragging about it."

"Of course. Wasn’t it the very first animation ever created?"

As people gathered around the auditorium where the manga club's exhibition was taking place, excited chatter filled the air. Everyone's focus was on seeing the new manga club production being screened.

The previous semester's closing ceremony had featured The Sylvanian Orchestra, a piece now hailed as a masterpiece. Its exclusivity—shown only at the academy as a student project with no further screenings—left audiences clamoring for more.

"To think I have to discuss animation with someone who hasn’t even seen The Sylvanian Orchestra."

While many in the Empire believed that the Somerset Workshop’s Kingdom of Ice was the first animation, the true trailblazer was The Sylvanian Orchestra. Those who had seen it wore that fact as a badge of pride, their love for manga and animation intensifying.

This exclusivity fueled massive demand for tickets to the manga club's new screening at the current closing ceremony, to the point where they had to distribute entry tickets by lottery.

Even Zinnia, despite her status, hadn’t been able to obtain a ticket. Rupert, noticing her disappointment, had specially arranged a seat for her. Yet his explanation—"It’s just something I’d do for a colleague from the academy"—stung her heart.

"We’d like to thank everyone for coming to watch our manga club's new production. Without further ado, we will now begin the screening of our latest work, Heart of Steel."

Before she had time to dwell on her emotions, Adrian, now the manga club’s president, stood before the crowd and signaled the start of the screening.

"Isn’t he the Prince of Sylvanna?"

"I heard he enrolled here specifically to foster goodwill with the Empire."

As Adrian finished his speech, the lights dimmed in the auditorium, leaving the audience in eager anticipation of the new work. The short synopsis provided upon entry only deepened their curiosity, leaving them unable to predict what lay ahead.

"‘I wanted to be happy... and to make someone else happy too.’"

"Where did it all go wrong?"

The soft strains of music filled the air, gradually pulling the audience into the story. A piece by one of the Empire’s most renowned orchestras reached Chris’s ears, awakening him from his slumber.

"What’s this? There’s no way that brat has developed enough to play music to wake me up..."

Chris dismissed the notion that Arctik, his creation, had developed such sophistication. The golem, akin to a human child of five, lacked the intelligence to select and play music tailored to Chris’s taste.

"Did you wake me, Arctik?"

"Hmm?"

Arctik tilted its head, failing to understand the question.

"Of course not. It couldn’t have been you."

Suddenly, a voice broke the quiet.

"Good morning, Master Chris."

"Who are you?"

"I am your creation, Master."

"What?"

Before Chris stood a humanoid figure—a machine with the form of an adult woman.

"I am Genesis, the ultimate evolutionary form of mechanical beings."

In that moment, Chris realized what she was: a fully evolved version of the artificial humans he had once created—Genesis.

The audience’s initial murmurs faded as Heart of Steel progressed. The tale of Chris, the isolated inventor of mechanical beings, and Genesis, the pinnacle of their evolution, captivated everyone.

"Why did you create us, and why did you abandon us?"

Genesis’s quest to uncover her purpose and confront her creator mirrored the audience's own curiosity, delving into Chris's motivations for creating mechanical beings and his choice to remain secluded with only the obsolete Arctik at his side.

Soft sniffles began to break the silence as the emotional weight of the story settled over the crowd.

"I now understand why we sought to evolve even after you disappeared. It was so that you would no longer be alone."

As the final line of dialogue accompanied the closing scene, the audience erupted into applause.

"That was incredible!"
"I thought animations were for children, but..."
"Chris’s story was so tragic. How could anyone endure such pain?"

The reactions far surpassed those of the first semester’s The Sylvanian Orchestra. What once had been admiration for animation as a groundbreaking medium had now evolved into deep appreciation for storytelling and character depth.

"You crafted an incredible story, Adrian."

"And your characters truly came alive, Edric."

From the back of the auditorium, Adrian and Edric exchanged a firm handshake. Though often bickering, the two understood each other’s dedication to the project and shared the joy of the audience’s reaction.

"Even if it’s just fiction, I don’t care."

Edric thought of the recent criticisms within the Empire targeting people like him—those who admired female characters in manga. Dismissive remarks about "falling for something fake" were all too common.

"Adrian, I want to tell a story where the fake becomes real."

Thus, Heart of Steel had been born.

"There doesn’t need to be a reason for something to be good."

For Edric, the joy of immersing himself in manga and loving its characters was enough. That happiness was all he needed.

+++++

"Thank you for giving me the opportunity to see such a wonderful work, Lord Rupert."

"I’m glad you enjoyed it."

Rupert, who was busy praising the manga club members who created Heart of Steel, smiled warmly at Zinnia as she expressed her gratitude. Despite his modesty, Rupert was clearly proud of the club’s achievement. He had only provided minimal assistance during the production process, yet the final result exceeded all expectations. His excitement was palpable as he shared their success.

However, Zinnia’s thoughts were elsewhere, consumed by the profound impressions left by the work she had just witnessed.

"I thought becoming a genius would make me happy."

The monologue of Chris, the protagonist of Heart of Steel, echoed in her mind. Chris, a man blessed with unparalleled intelligence and groundbreaking technological prowess, yet burdened by loneliness, had created mechanical beings to fill the void in his heart.

Zinnia couldn’t help but reflect on her own life. Though she had thought she’d overcome her inferiority complex after becoming Yustaph’s disciple, meeting Iolin and Amelia had rekindled those deeply rooted insecurities.

"You were born with everything..."

A flare of resentment had once surged within her. She envied how they had been born into environments of love and privilege, yet still seemed to take away the one thing she desired most.

But now she understood.

"I had to build it for myself."

Zinnia realized that the fairytale prince she had once longed for didn’t exist. On a bitter winter day, when a young girl with cold hands had to warm herself while washing laundry, there was no prince to save her—only herself.

Chris’s story hit home. He had believed his own perceived flaws made him unworthy of love, but in truth, the person who loved him the least was himself. Watching Chris come to this realization and regret his choices struck a deep chord within Zinnia.

Her status as an orphan or Yustaph’s disciple didn’t matter.

"Lord Rupert."

"Yes, Lady Zinnia?"

"I like you. From the moment we first met—no, even before that, from the first time I read one of your books."

"Lady Zinnia… What are you saying all of a sudden…?"

Rupert had suspected Zinnia’s feelings for him for a while. At first, he thought she was simply an enthusiastic fan of his works. But recently, he had started noticing the subtle ways her admiration shifted into something deeper—something more romantic.

Still, Rupert was unsure how to react. The image of Zinnia from their first meeting—so much like a young girl—remained vivid in his mind, leaving him awkwardly fumbling for a response.

"Of course, I’m not asking you to accept my feelings right away," Zinnia continued, meeting Rupert’s eyes directly. "But today, I realized I was wrong to think I needed to prove myself to you before I could even be worthy of liking you."

She held his gaze unwaveringly, something she had never dared to do before.

"I couldn’t even look him in the eye before."

In the past, she had feared her feelings would burden Rupert, convinced her unworthiness would only cause him trouble. But now she understood that status and utility didn’t matter when it came to loving someone.

"I just wanted to tell you how I feel before it was too late," she said.

Zinnia took a step closer, her eyes locked onto Rupert’s. Instinctively, he stepped back, startled by her sudden boldness. Before he could react further, she leaned in close, her breath tickling his ear as she whispered softly.

"And by the way, there’s something you’ve misunderstood… I’m actually older than you, Lord Rupert."

With that, Zinnia turned and walked away, leaving Rupert frozen in place. He collapsed onto a nearby seat, staring blankly after her, utterly speechless.