Drawing Manga in a Romance Fantasy

Chapter 181

Starting with Aramen, Rupert was soon overwhelmed by invitations pouring in from countries across the continent—so much so that even two bodies wouldn’t have been enough to keep up.

“We want to see the animations too!”

Since only the countries Rupert visited were granted permission to import animations, the hardliner nations found themselves in a difficult position.

“What’s so special about animation that people are complaining this much?”

“It seems we misjudged the situation. This was already an unstoppable trend, but we tried to control it too hastily and only made things worse.”

“Should we open our doors now, even if it’s late?”

“It’s already too late. There’s a line of countries waiting to invite him.”

Never before had a figure, whether from the Empire or elsewhere, been so desperately sought after by every nation.

The closest comparison might have been Yustaf, once hailed as the continent’s greatest mage, who had only ever visited a handful of countries at the fervent request of mages.

But unlike Yustaf, whose appeal was limited to a specific class, Rupert was being passionately courted by people across all social classes.

This hunger stemmed from a deep thirst for new cultural experiences.

“Plays are nice, but the tickets are expensive, and they always repeat the same stories….”
“Concerts? Proper performances are for nobles. People like us can’t afford them.”
“All we have is listening to wandering bards at taverns.”

Culture in this world had primarily developed to cater to the aristocracy, making it difficult for commoners to enjoy.

Even when opportunities did arise, most people found them hard to appreciate.

“I can’t even read, so books are out of reach—and they’re expensive too.”

Literacy, the most basic requirement for enjoying culture, was rare.

As a result, most people had little choice but to spend their time in taverns listening to wandering minstrels.

For them, Rupert’s books were more than just surprising—they were revolutionary.

“You don’t need to read to enjoy this?”
“I picked up reading without even realizing it just by having someone read to me!”
“I heard you don’t need to know how to read at all to watch animations.”

The thirst for something new was a universal instinct that transcended class and status.

And Rupert’s works, which had opened the floodgates, were now eagerly awaited not just in the Empire but across the entire continent.

And the one responsible for igniting this cultural wave—

*****

“Ugh…”

The morning sunlight streaming through the window warmed Rupert’s body, even in the middle of winter.

Rupert lingered in bed, savoring the soft texture of the blanket as his mind slowly drifted awake.

Ever since receiving the goddess’s blessing, he no longer felt tired no matter how busy his schedule was.

But even divine blessings couldn’t make getting out of bed in the morning any easier.

“Time to get to work.”

After a brief moment of laziness, Rupert pushed himself up and climbed out of bed.

“Good morning, Young Master.”

A maid, waiting by his door, handed him a glass of lukewarm water.

“Thanks. Where are Father and Ada?”

“Both of them are in the dining room.”

“Ada’s already up?”

Rupert raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.

He had fully expected to go wake up Ada, who was usually still lost in dreamland at this hour.

“Ah, that girl must be excited about going out again.”

“Miss Ada seems very excited to see the sea for the first time today.”

Rupert quickly realized why Ada was awake so early.

Today was the maiden voyage of the Merry Ground, a ship operated by Ismael.

Since it was just a trial run, only close acquaintances had been invited, including Sena and Ada.

Rupert would have joined them if his schedule had been even slightly less chaotic, but with everything going on, he had no choice but to sit this one out.

“You’re up?”

“Yes. Did you sleep well, Father?”

“No.”

When Rupert arrived in the dining room, he saw Marquis Bradley sitting at the table with a sour expression.

Meanwhile, Ada sat nearby, impatiently tapping the table with a fork and knife in each hand.

“Ada, I told you not to bang on the table like that.”

“It’s fine!”

“Seriously, this troublemaker.”

Ada completely ignored Rupert’s scolding, her excitement plain as day.

Rupert ruffled her hair before taking a seat and preparing for breakfast.

“Rupert, your father had a terrible night, and you don’t even ask why?”

“Nope. Let’s eat.”

Rupert brushed off his father’s complaint as if it were background noise and turned his attention to the food.

The soup in front of him radiated a clear, golden hue, and its aroma filled the air.

“The soup smells especially good today.”

“Yes, Young Master. We had some excellent meat available, so I made consommé.”

The chef, who had once struggled to work with cheap ingredients, now prepared luxurious meals with no expense spared, as if making up for lost time.

Rupert had grown quite fond of mealtimes, thanks to the chef’s exceptional skills.

“It’s perfect—clean and refined.”

“Thank you, Young Master.”

Rupert’s praise after tasting the soup brought a satisfied smile to the chef’s face.

‘Not long ago, we were eating rock-hard bread.’

Rupert was reminded of how much had changed.

When he first woke up in this world, the Somerset family’s breakfast consisted of stale bread and watery soup.

Back then, he’d spent every day worrying about how to pay off the family’s debt.

Now, debt was no longer a concern. Instead, Rupert was starting to wonder how to manage the ever-growing surplus of wealth.

“Rupert! No matter how I think about it, this isn’t a proper life!”

“Well then, would you like to trade jobs with me?”

"Well..."

Even Marquis Bradley, who was now complaining about having too much work, no longer resembled the man who had once been weighed down by poverty.

He was still simple and overly trusting, which sometimes made Rupert worry, but as the head of the family, Bradley was surprisingly competent.

In fact, he was even more popular than Rupert among the estate’s residents, so there was no room for problems to arise.

If anything, the people’s affection for the marquis only continued to grow.

“Our lord is truly a gift from the goddess herself.”
“Exactly! I haven’t seen him raise taxes or punish us unfairly even once in the past 30 years.”
“Who else would still visit the villages after becoming a marquis and ask how we’re doing?”

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that Bradley was popular enough for his people to willingly lay down their lives for him if he asked.

Bradley had also played a large role in maintaining smooth relationships with neighboring nobles.

At first, some had tried to take advantage of him, remembering the previous marquis’s softer demeanor.

“Do you even know who you’re dealing with right now?”

But Bradley’s kindness and leniency only extended to his own people.

He didn’t seek personal revenge for past wrongs, but he remembered them clearly and no longer let himself be exploited.

Instead, he handled disputes and negotiations in ways that heavily favored Somerset.

After spending decades navigating noble society, Bradley’s experience remained an invaluable asset—one Rupert had yet to fully replace.

“All my sons are completely useless….”

Of course, now Bradley was desperately looking for ways to pass the family headship to Rupert, complaining that the workload was too much.

‘Just endure for ten more years.’

Rupert also needed to focus on building achievements over the next decade to rise to the rank of honorary duke, so he didn’t have the time or freedom to take over as head of the family yet.

“Maybe Ada should be the family head?”

“No way!”

When his complaints fell on deaf ears, Bradley turned to Ada, who was busy chewing her food, but her rejection was immediate.

Of course, he had no intention of forcing such a burdensome position on his youngest daughter.

But her firm refusal still left him a little wounded.

“Then what does Ada want to be when she grows up?”

“I’m going to be a princess!”

“A princess?”

Rupert, amused by their conversation, had casually asked Ada what she wanted to be.

“I’m going to be Cinderella, Snow White, the Little Mermaid! And I have to be Pinocchio too….”

Ada eagerly listed off every fairy tale heroine she’d ever read about.

Rupert couldn’t help but laugh at her answer.

‘Becoming an honorary duke sounds easy now.’

Compared to his sister’s dream, which might require founding an entirely new kingdom, Rupert’s goals suddenly felt like nothing more than a light chore.

“Promise not to ride Raschu and run away?”

“I promise!”

“Promise to listen to Ismael on the ship?”

“I’ll listen!”

“Promise to have fun and come back safely!”

“I’ll have fun!”

After Rupert finished giving her instructions, Ada jumped onto his shoulders, laughing as she rode on his back.

Rupert finally managed to peel her off and handed her over to Owen, who stood waiting beside him.

“Sir Owen, please take care of Ada.”

“I’ll do my best to stop her.”

Rupert chuckled at Owen’s response.

Once tasked with protecting Ada, Owen’s primary duty had now shifted to keeping her out of trouble.

“Let’s go catch a mermaid!”

“You can’t catch mermaids, Miss Ada. And mermaids are an underwater species, so you won’t be able to see them.”

“No! I can see them! Owen, you’re stupid!”

“Want to bet on it? If you can’t see one, you have to stay home and study quietly for a week.”

“Deal!”

As the two bickered their way to the teleportation gate that would take them east, Rupert stepped onto the teleportation circle bound for the academy.