Chapter 260: Serialized Work
After hugging the manga she had drawn for a while, Velvet-san suddenly realized that I was looking at her warmly. Flustered, she tried to compose herself.
Although it seemed a little late, I understood the embarrassment of losing composure in front of others, so I decided not to comment on it.
“—Mmm. Thank you for strongly recommending that I display it. I really feel like it was good to put it here.”
“It was an interesting manga, so I had no doubt it would be well-received. Rather than thanking me, you should praise yourself.”
“Praising myself feels strange… but… hmm, maybe, actually, I feel pretty confident now.”
Velvet-san’s eyes were burning with enthusiasm, showing that she wanted to start a new manga immediately.
However, I hadn’t read her new work yet, and during her stay, she was scheduled to help with farm work. So it seemed that actually starting on a new project would have to wait, which made me feel a little apologetic.
“That’s good to hear. Then, may I read your new work?”
I reached for the new manga on the table, but Velvet-san silently stopped me. She took a deep breath, apparently preparing herself mentally.
“…Huh? Didn’t you say you felt confident now?”
“This is a work from before I gained confidence. Even if I feel confident, I still get anxious about people reading it! …Suu—haa—… okay, you may read it.”
After that declaration, she took another deep breath and finally gave me permission. I immediately took the manga and began reading without hesitation.
This time, the genre was mystery.
However, it wasn’t a serious mystery—it was a comedy-tinged story where familiar, mysterious troubles are resolved.
The protagonist was a princess, helping her attendants with small troubles. The descriptions were detailed, giving the impression that real-life events were mixed in, making the castle’s daily life very engaging and entertaining.
Even though the content was cute—like “Who ate the snack?”—the story had solid foreshadowing, allowing the reader to enjoy reasoning through the mystery as they read.
Unlike her previous works, this wasn’t an emotionally-driven story, but its episodic structure could support a long-running series, one that could be enjoyed continuously.
“—It was really fun! It was heartwarming, yet the mystery was solidly crafted—it was great!”
“R-Really? I’m relieved if you think so.”
“Don’t you think this work could support a long-running series? You could continue with chapters two, three… The concept is really good.”
“Hmm… possible, yes, but thinking up the mystery parts is tough. I have some interesting events for the next two chapters, but after that, creating new material from scratch might be impossible.”
“I see… It feels a waste since the format is already set, but I understand—it would be hard to come up with ideas.”
If this could become work, I would encourage her to draw it no matter what—but currently, it’s not a paid job.
If Velvet-san resolves to make her manga available outside this place, it could become work eventually… but that would take some time.
“If Sato thinks of something, I could draw it, but do you have any mystery ideas?”
“Hmm… starting from scratch is difficult.”
“I see. If Sato can’t, it would probably be tough.”
I could suggest ideas from existing works, but even in another world, I feel uneasy about copying material. Drawing that line is tricky, and I’d rather not do it.
While thinking that through, one person came to mind who might be able to come up with mystery ideas—Rose-san, who happened to be here. Somehow, I felt she could generate good mystery ideas.
“How about asking Rose-san? She said she reads a lot of books, and if we bring her on board as an author, there could be some creative synergy.”
“No way! Absolutely not! I gave permission to display the manga here, but you must never say I drew it!”
“It’s highly praised, so it shouldn’t be a problem to mention it… But if Velvet-san doesn’t want it, I can’t force you.”
“Not yet! I’m not sure if this work will even be accepted…”
“It’s interesting, so I don’t think that’s an issue. Anyway, since Rose-san is here, why not talk about manga with her? She also reads a lot of manga, and you can get along without revealing that you’re the creator.”
“Hmm… it’s true we had a fun conversation, and I did want to talk more, but approaching her is still difficult.”
“It’ll be fine. You two are similar, so just give it a try.”
Velvet-san hesitated a little but ultimately nodded.
If the two of them hit it off and one of them eventually comes clean, their bond could deepen quickly… though that might be expecting too much.
With permission to display her new manga, our conversation ended.
Next, it would be time to talk with Rose-san. I intended to approach her as well.