Chapter 262: Velvet’s Opinion

That night.

Even though she must have been tired from farm work, I asked Velvet-san to take some time for me.

The reason, of course, was to show her the manga that Rose-san had drawn.

I already had Rose-san’s permission, so there was no worry about showing it.

“Sato, why did you call me? Did you forget to tell me something?”

“No, it’s a new matter. There’s something I want you to read, Velvet-san.”

“Something you want me to read? What is it?”

I handed Velvet-san the manga by Rose-san. At first, she didn’t seem to understand what it was, but once she looked at it, she immediately got it.

“…Eh!? Could it be… a manga!?”

“Yes. There’s too much text to really call it a manga, but it’s Rose-san’s first work. Please, give it a read.”

“Rose drew it? …Alright, I’ll read it.”

Velvet-san began reading with a serious expression.

Both Velvet-san and Rose-san have a solid foundation in their skills, so even as a first work, the content’s quality was comparable. I was very curious to see what Velvet-san’s judgment would be.

“…This is interesting! It’s definitely more like a novel than a manga, but the illustrations interspersed throughout are beautiful and captivating! And this is her first work—amazing!”

“Right? That’s what I thought too, so I’m glad you agree, Velvet-san.”

“—But, was it okay to show it to me? She must have hated the idea, right? You didn’t show it without permission, did you?”

Velvet-san’s wide-eyed expression and the way she leaned toward me made it clear that if I had shown it without permission, she might have reacted physically.

As someone in a similar position, she probably couldn’t forgive seeing it without consent.

“I got her permission to show it to you. Oh, and of course, I haven’t told her that you also draw manga.”

“That’s good then! But… Rose-san drew manga too. I didn’t know that, but I’m really happy to hear it.”

“You can tell from the fact it’s her first work, but she only recently started drawing. She said she wants advice from you on how to make it more like a proper manga.”

“How to—huh. That’s difficult, but I think the first step is just to write lots of storyboards and get used to it.”

Hmm… the advice felt a bit weak, but it also proves there’s no shortcut.

She can draw interesting stories and solid illustrations, so for now, it’s just a matter of putting in effort until she gets used to it.

“There really is no shortcut, huh. If it’s okay, could you give her advice directly, Velvet-san? I’ve already told her you’d be seeing it, so I think she’d appreciate hearing advice straight from you.”

“Eh! I’m not really qualified to give advice… but since she showed it to me, should I?”

“Please do. You don’t need to tell her that you also draw manga.”

“Of course, I’ll keep that secret. If I say anything, I’d have to show mine too, which is impossible.”

“Well, I’ve already read it anyway.”

Velvet-san had praised it highly, and it would be great if she could also come out about her own work, but I can’t force that.

If, through this, Rose-san gets advice and their relationship improves, I’d be happy.

“Even so, no! …But this is really an amazing work. I understand now why she said she’s read so many novels. As Sato mentioned earlier, Rose-san might even come up with ideas for my work.”

“I think she definitely could. Though I’m not sure if she’d stick strictly to the original story.”

If the two cooperate, it would be a powerful combination.

But even if they become rivals and push each other to improve, that’s good too. In any case, their relationship would grow closer.

“Alright, I understand. When we return to the villa, I’ll talk with Rose-san immediately. During her stay, I’ll give her advice.”

“Thank you. I think it’ll be good motivation for Velvet-san too, so I’m excited to see how both of their works evolve.”

“It won’t evolve that dramatically. I’m not coming out about mine!”

Saying that, Velvet-san returned to the villa.

In any case, this event was a big step forward.

For me, the ultimate goal is to release both of their works as manga to the world.

Not just something confined here, but shared globally. And if it generates income, that would be a bonus.

Well, both Velvet-san and Rose-san are princesses, so they probably don’t care about money, but having their work recognized and turned into money would bring a different kind of joy.

With that quiet dream in mind, I returned to the villa, looking forward to how their relationship would develop.