Though I’m a Homebody, I Found Myself in a Dark Captive Genre - Chapter 17

The work after that proceeded swiftly and smoothly.

As Ashley began to take charge of the apprentice artists, everything started running like a well-oiled machine, with each task falling into place effortlessly.

At first, it seemed that Barrymore and the other apprentices were full of complaints, but once they were assigned to places where they could fully utilize their abilities, their anger faded, and they dedicated themselves to their work.

Such passionate people, indeed.

“I never knew Ashley had a knack for dividing roles like this,” Lord Robid said, his face bright with what seemed like pleasant surprise.

“Seeing her persistently working so hard, I thought she might be someone you could not give up on, right?” he added.

“I too had my doubts, and I worried for you, Lord Robid, but it seems those worries were unfounded. Everyone had their own strengths,” Lord Brown and Lord Cedric chimed in.

After all, though Ashley was overseeing the overall direction, their apprentices were also playing a significant role in the artwork, which was the highlight of the comic.

Knock, knock.

Just as the elderly gentlemen were exchanging compliments with wide smiles on their wrinkled faces, I predicted the visitor’s identity and opened my mouth.

“Come in!”

“Oh, hello.”

Ashley, who looked a bit tired but much more cheerful than before, walked in and bowed.

“It’s a little ahead of schedule, but… here it is, Volume 1 of ‘Safety Rules for Writing Horror Stories’.”

After speaking, Ashley handed me a hefty book.

The cover was made of black leather, decorated with golden embroidery, fitting the eerie theme of the work.

Given the appearance alone, it had considerable value as a collector’s item.

‘Let’s see how it turned out.’

I had only conveyed the plot and didn’t know how it had been adapted, so I opened the first page with high expectations.

“Ah.”

I stood frozen with my mouth agape.

The first page, almost entirely covered by the background, was nothing short of stunning in terms of quality.

The eerie atmosphere of a gloomy night sky, the somber gray fog, and the faint shadow of a gigantic castle in the distance.

It was enough to make you look forward to turning the next page.

The localization? It was flawless.

Considering that the horror genre might be unfamiliar and difficult for the people of this world, I had worried unnecessarily. It seemed that concern was unwarranted.

Ashley’s direction and the artists’ exceptional skills made this product comparable to modern webtoons or masterpieces of comics in terms of quality.

“How is it?” Ashley asked with a tense expression, looking at me anxiously.

I noticed that a few artists, who had followed Ashley, were eavesdropping outside the door.

Perhaps they had become bonded through the long nights of hard work.

As I looked at the shadows under Ashley’s eyes with a hint of sympathy, I closed the book and stood up.

“Should we have a little celebration?”

“Pardon? What do you mean by that…?”

“Oh, right.”

In an attempt to look considerate to the workers, I had thought of an irregular dinner gathering… but of course, such a thing wouldn’t exist in this world.

Besides, I had always preferred the quiet solitude of working overtime rather than participating in a communal celebration. Maybe I had been working so hard recently that I had lost my usual nature.

I shook my head and changed my approach.

“I think I should give you some extra pay. This work is absolutely wonderful, I’m completely impressed!”

Clap clap clap!

Seeing me stand and give a standing ovation, Ashley’s eyes widened.

It might have felt a bit different from the last time when I had reviewed the ‘Blaire Chronicles,’ which had a completely different atmosphere.

“His Grace the Duke would love to see this. No, I think he would find it refreshing.”

“Really?”

I was sincere. After all, I had learned that the Duke and I shared a similar taste, so I expected the result to be the same this time.

And, of course, I wanted to show him how much worthwhile work I had done.

“In that case, I’ll take it to him myself.”

“…Ah!”

Suddenly, a shadow stepped into the room, and before I could stop him, Liam snatched the book from my hands and arrogantly nodded.

How long had he been watching?

“Have you read it all?”

“I haven’t read it all, but… since His Grace the Duke is the one who made this comic possible, it’s only right that he sees it first.”

Seeing my powerless expression, Liam handed the book back to me.

“No, it’s not necessary.”

“…What?”

“The Duke said that you should bring it to him once you’ve read it completely.”

I had hoped to quietly enjoy the comic in peace, but I responded with gratitude.

“Oh, then I’ll hurry up and read it. Actually, I should go right now.”

Before I could finish my sentence, my feet were already heading toward the door.

“Everyone, thank you for your hard work! Liam, you’ve probably heard everything, so don’t forget the bonus!”

“Miss! I’ll grab the cake and coffee and bring them up!”

Bonita, always so thoughtful!

As I walked toward my room with excitement, a thought suddenly stopped me in my tracks.

I had just picked up on Liam’s behavior.

…Could he be keeping an eye on me?

* * *

After a long time without any interruptions, I was happily holed up in my room with sweet snacks, coffee, and the comic book.

But even in this joyful time, my mind was elsewhere.

As I turned the thin pages, I mumbled with my face buried in my blanket.

“Ugh, the quality is just too good…”

Was this really something I should keep to myself? It felt too good to keep it all to myself.

I wasn’t that selfless, and I wasn’t interested in world peace—I was just an ordinary citizen…

But!

“Why does it feel so precious?”

The fact that so much labor had already been poured into the creation of this comic made it absurd for me to keep it all to myself.

And more importantly, realizing that the comic book market in this world was a complete blue ocean, I began to feel a growing sense of desire.

If public appeal was an issue, promoting it in serialized form, like the way Korean newspapers used to with comics, could be a good start.

“Besides, famous artists are few and far between in this world.”

That meant that so many talented artists, like Ashley, could vanish without ever having their names recognized in history.

That felt like such a waste.

Perhaps, had Ashley not had this opportunity, she could have become one of those forgotten artists.

“If I seize this opportunity well, I could open up more chances for artists in the future.”

As I piled up these reasons, it felt like the task was becoming bigger.

Of course, the voice inside my head told me to stop all thoughts and rest on the bed. But…

With a sudden burst, I sprang up and muttered under my breath.

“So what? I’m not the one doing it.”

They say even a stray dog can recite poems after three years, right? I was now at a level where I could even beatbox.

After living a life similar to that of a slave, I had learned a few things.

One of them being that I should never take the lead.

Since the people in this world were unfamiliar with comics, exposing them to it through a familiar medium was a good idea.

But there was no need for me to do it.

Right here, there was someone who could do it…

“How unfortunate. In that case, I will become your first sponsor.”

“…What?”

“Those with talent deserve an opportunity.”

A savior for the talented ones!

It was fortunate that I had a perfect excuse to deliver the comic book to the Duke.

“Bonita.”

“Yes, Miss!”

“Can you ask His Grace the Duke if I may come to see him now?”

“Certainly! I’ll ask!”

Watching Bonita run off energetically, I couldn’t hide my sly grin.