Chapter 8: The Abandoned Prince is Indulged

One week has passed.

“Oh, so that’s the refrigerator Yelona made for you, huh?”

“Yeah!! Now we can have ice-cold juice anytime!”

I was boasting to Rosemary about the large refrigerator newly installed in the room.

Just the other day, while repairing the broken shower in the bathhouse, I asked Yelona to make this refrigerator for me.

I never expected it to be done in just one week…

Maybe Yelona is the best in the empire when it comes to making magical tools.

No, she’s probably the best in the world now.

As I grinned happily at the refrigerator Yelona made, Rosemary seemed genuinely curious.

“Sure, cold drinks might taste good, but did you really need a magical tool just for cooling? Isn’t the ice room sufficient?”

“That’s the mindset of the wealthy, Rosemary.”

“Huh?”

Certainly, if all you want is a cold drink, an ice room might suffice.

However, ice rooms are a luxury only the wealthy can afford.

During the summer, ice is ridiculously expensive, and in the Kingdom of Agaram, it was only accessible to nobles and some wealthy merchants.

On the other hand, a refrigerator, while moderately priced, can last for over a decade.

Well, it’s not cheap to produce immediately, considering the cost of materials and development.

Initially, it should be sold at a high price to the wealthy, then improved to be affordable for commoners once the existence of refrigerators is acknowledged.

In doing so, eventually, everyone will be able to enjoy ice-cold juice or alcohol.

I explained this to Rosemary.

“Hmm, I see. However, you seem to care quite a bit about the common people.”

“Huh?”

“Usually, such items are sold only to the privileged class to monopolize profits. They restrict production, reduce the workforce, and keep the structure and mechanism secret. By selling such items at higher prices, they can make more profit.”

Ah, I see.

In Japan, having a refrigerator in every household is so common that I thought everyone should own one.

Profit can be made just by selling to the wealthy, without the need to spread it among the masses.

For a moment, I thought that. But…

“Hmm, I don’t like that.”

“Don’t like it?”

I nodded.

“I feel like things like this develop more when they’re known by many people.”

“Hmm?”

“Someone will try to imitate and make a profit from refrigerators. But if the imitation isn’t better in some way than the original, it won’t sell better than the original. So they imitate and come up with improvements. I think technology is like that, so if you keep it secret, it’s hard to develop.”

That’s just my theory, though.

I don’t want to say it too much, but it’s the same with weapons used in wars.

To create weapons superior to the enemy’s in order to gain an advantage in battle.

For that, one needs to obtain the enemy’s weapons, understand their structure, and improve their performance.

The result of this repetition is things like nuclear weapons, those kinds of terrifying things.

So what if you create weapons but don’t use them?

The answer is simple.

The enemy won’t try to surpass it by imitating or improving their weapons, so there won’t be further development.

Thinking about this, I suddenly realized…

“…Is that why firearms and cannons haven’t developed in the Empire?”

In this world, I’ve never seen gunpowder, but I’ve seen something similar.

Like exploding minerals.

With the technological capability to store and utilize such materials, the Empire could easily produce firearms and cannons.

Right now, it’s just a lack of the “idea” to make such things.

But thinking about it, what’s strange is that no one has come up with the idea.

Geniuses exist in every world.

Even if not firearms or cannons themselves, it wouldn’t be strange for someone to come up with something foundational.

Actually, there might be geniuses like that being silenced in secret, huh?

…No, that’s probably going too far into conspiracy theories.

Maybe I’ve been reading too many novels like that in the Imperial Library lately.

Let’s leave these idle thoughts here.

“Well, anyway. Handy things like refrigerators might eventually contribute to my more comfortable life if widely known. So, secrecy seems a bit… off.”

“Hehehehe!”

Rosemary, who had been listening to me, suddenly burst into laughter.

“Huh, what’s so funny all of a sudden?”

“Oh, sorry. I just found it amusing. I can’t quite tell if you’re selfish or selfless.”

“I’d say more on the selfish side. It’s just my selfish desire to drink ice-cold juice.”

“That’s why I laughed. Reichel’s selfishness brings happiness to many. It’s wonderful. Truly, you’re the man I fell for.—Ah” 

…Huh? Oh?

“Ah, no, th-that wasn’t what I meant…”

“Ah, um, yeah. It’s, it’s okay. I understand.”

“I-is that so!? H-haha, it feels hot today for some reason!!”

“Ah, well, I’ve got some juice chilling in the refrigerator!! W-would you like some!?”

“I-I’d love some!!”

I took a bottle of juice I had chilled in the refrigerator, opened it, and poured it into a glass.

Handing the glass to Rosemary, she quickly gulped it down.

“Mmm, it’s delicious and cold!! Hahaha!!”

“T-that’s good… Wait?”

“What’s wrong?”

I tilted my head as I looked at the juice bottle.

Upon closer inspection, it was a label of juice I didn’t remember chilling.

“Did I chill this juice?”

“Gah!?”

“Huh? W-wait, Rosemary!?”

“W-what’s… this…”

Rosemary squatted, gasping for breath, looking distressed.

Oh no. There must have been something in this juice!!

Could it be poison!? Who did this!? No, I’ll think about that later!!

“I-I’ll heal you right away, so just stay still!!”

I hurriedly touched Rosemary and used ‘Complete Restoration.’

I thought everything would be fine now—but Rosemary still looked as distressed as before.

“W-why!? I’ve never encountered a poison I couldn’t cure before!!”

“Rei…chel…”

“I-it’s okay!! I’ll definitely do something about it!! But damn it!! I’ve been relying on cheats all this time, so I don’t know what kind of poison this is!!”

“Haa, haa, Reichel…”

“W-what!?”

Rosemary called my name, and then she continued:

“D-don’t touch me…”

“Huh? Oh, no, um, th-that’s not it. I-I mean, that juice wasn’t prepared by me!! Someone must have—”

“It’s not like that!!”

Rosemary suddenly shouted, and I flinched.

Then, blushing, with her breath uneven, Rosemary said:

“I-I can’t… bear it♡ Whenever I look at you, I feel a throbbing deep inside me♡ If it continues like this, I’ll…♡ I’ll do something terrible to you♡”

Comparing the juice and Rosemary, I finally understood.

I understood what was in the juice.

My ‘Complete Restoration’ prioritizes removing harmful substances from the body.

On the other hand, harmless substances like medicine aren’t removed unless consciously addressed.

Probably, what was in the juice was an aphrodisiac.

Aphrodisiacs are still potent medicines.

But well, if I’m conscious, I can remove even aphrodisiacs!!

“Just, just wait. I’ll heal you right away—”

Though I didn’t know who put the aphrodisiac in the refrigerator, I hurriedly tried to treat Rosemary, touching her body.

And then…

Rosemary grabbed my arm, pulling herself closer.

“Ro-Rosemary?”

“Haa♡ Haa♡ It’s your fault♡ I told you not to touch me♡ It’s your fault♡ It’s all your fault♡”

“W-wait, calm down for a moment!!”

Rosemary pressed closer as I tried to retreat.

However, before I knew it, I was cornered against the wall.

With no escape behind me, I tried to sidestep along the wall, but in that moment…

Thud!!

Rosemary pounded the wall, blocking my escape route.

“Reichel.”

“R-Rosemary?”

We stared at each other at an extremely close distance.

Feeling Rosemary’s breath on me, I couldn’t help but feel nervous.

Even my beloved sword reacted.

I averted my gaze from Rosemary’s eyes and glanced downward.

There, Rosemary’s ample bosom greeted me, further stirring my excitement.

Perhaps understanding this, Rosemary leaned in and whispered to me.

“Reichel♡”

“W-wait, calm down. Rosemary, you’re… you’re not yourself because of the aphrodisiac.”

“Be quiet♡ Your body is reacting too♡ What an exquisite size and shape♡ I can’t even imagine such beauty from your appearance♡”

Rosemary said, stroking my beloved sword.

Calm down. That’s what I thought, but then Rosemary whispered again.

“Say you love me♡ Say you want me♡”

She was demanding a confession.

It seemed like a last-ditch effort of resistance from the rational part of Rosemary that remained.

Not to violate me forcibly, but to convince herself that it was consensual.

Strangely, I didn’t feel any discomfort.

But I couldn’t believe that being embraced by Rosemary here was truly what she desired.

Right now, she was just affected by the aphrodisiac.

Thinking this, I showed faint resistance to Rosemary’s demand.

“W-what if I refuse?”

“Is that so♡ Then I’ll violate you until you say you love me, until you say you want me♡”

T-There’s no way out.

Then, should I just say it?! I do love Rosemary too!!

It’d be shameful for a man to run away from here!!

“Rosemary. I love you. I do.”

“――Ah♡♡♡♡ Yes♡ I love you too♡ I do♡ You’re mine♡”

And so, I was thoroughly enjoyed by Rosemary, body and soul.

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