Chapter 20: And Then I Went Back to Sleep Again
The air in the conference room had sunk heavily, like a damp weight.
The grand conference chamber of the royal palace.
Across a long table, officials of the Kingdom of Lutetia and the Eastern Empire faced one another.
I was seated on a chair against the wall in my position as Lord Claude’s fiancée.
Purely decorative.
‘…I’m hungry.’
I glanced at the clock.
11:15 a.m.
There were only fifteen minutes left until lunch, yet there was not the slightest sign that the meeting was about to end.
“That is precisely why we are requesting support of fifty thousand tons of wheat!”
The Empire’s negotiator slammed the table.
Opposite him, our kingdom’s Minister of Finance shook his head, drenched in cold sweat.
“That’s impossible!
If we transport that amount overland, no number of carriages would suffice!
There’s also the risk of spoilage while crossing the mountains.
The transport costs alone would blow away the national budget!”
The discussion was going in circles.
The Empire wanted to resolve its food shortage.
Lutetia was willing to help, but lacked the physical means to transport it.
“…So, negotiations are breaking down after all.”
Someone muttered.
The air froze.
If talks collapsed here, then all the time spent bonding with Lady Hilda and even the barbecue at the hunting grounds would have been for nothing.
And more importantly, Lord Claude would end up pulling several all-nighters to handle the aftermath.
That would be a problem.
A very serious problem.
Having my “Lord Claude” unavailable directly impacted my quality of life.
I looked at his back.
He was frowning slightly as he stared down at the documents in his hands.
Then, suddenly, he turned around and looked at me.
Our eyes met.
I gave a small nod.
Go on.
Do it.
Lord Claude stood up as if he had made up his mind.
“…If the issue is transportation cost, then there is a solution.”
His clear voice cut through the noise of the conference room.
“A solution?
Lord Chancellor, are you suggesting we erase the mountains with magic?”
The Empire’s negotiator snorted.
Lord Claude remained unfazed and slid a thin booklet across the table.
“It is not magic.
It is ‘wisdom.’”
On the cover, in plain lettering, were the words:
‘Logistics Efficiency Plan
— A Loading Method Based on Tetris Theory —’.
The origin of this had been three days earlier.
“Master.
Why is it that Imperial supply wagons can carry so little?”
Lady Hilda had voiced this complaint in the library.
According to her, to prevent cargo from collapsing, the Empire’s supply units left many gaps in the wagon beds, resulting in low carrying capacity.
I replied while organizing the shelves.
“It collapses because there are gaps.
If you pack things tightly with no empty space, they support one another and won’t fall.”
“What!?”
“It’s the same as organizing books.
Standardize the sizes and combine them.
…You just need to make boxes.”
I quickly sketched a diagram on a memo sheet.
It combined the concept of container transport from my previous life with Tetris-style block fitting.
Supplies would be packed into standardized wooden crates, and those crates would be stacked on wagons like a puzzle.
On top of that, by applying a variation of the 《Cleansing》 spell to create a drying effect, spoilage could be prevented.
“…With this, loading capacity increases threefold, and storage life becomes five times longer.
Unloading also becomes much easier.”
Lady Hilda’s eyes had gone wide, and Lord Claude had shouted, “Write this up properly!”
That was how this manual had come to be.
Back in the conference room.
The hands of the Imperial technical officers began to tremble as they flipped through the booklet.
“T-This is…!”
“Standardizing cargo…?
That idea never occurred to us!”
“Vacuum sealing through drying magic…
Even meat wouldn’t spoil!”
“This is a revolution…!
A logistical revolution!”
The murmurs turned into cries of amazement.
Even Marquis Gandalf’s eyes were wide open.
“With this… it’s possible!
Costs could be reduced to less than a third!”
A confident smile appeared on Lord Claude’s face.
“How about it?
On the condition that this system is adopted, we will provide support.”
“No objections!
We adopt it immediately!”
The Empire’s negotiator shouted.
Then Lady Hilda stood up and slammed the table.
“It’s settled!
I’ll explain everything to Father Emperor myself!
…As expected, Master’s wisdom is worth its weight in gold!”
She suddenly turned toward me.
Everyone’s gaze focused on the wall where I sat.
“Eh?”
I tried to look out the window and pretend nothing was happening, but escape was impossible.
“Lady Eliana… no, Lady Eliana-dono.
You devised this?”
“…It’s a hobby extension.”
I answered briefly.
It wasn’t a lie.
I had thought it up while organizing shelves.
Like solving a puzzle.
“Remarkable…
If only our country had someone like you…”
An Imperial official groaned regretfully.
Lord Claude immediately stepped in front of me.
“We refuse.
She is our kingdom’s greatest treasure, and my fiancée.
Attempting to recruit her will be considered an act of war.”
The Ice Chancellor’s eyes were not smiling.
His possessiveness was on full display.
Thus, the long negotiations came to an abrupt conclusion.
My hunger was saved just before reaching its limit.
A few days later.
The storm-like days passed, and tranquility returned to the Second Royal Library.
Lady Hilda had returned home yesterday, leaving behind a mountain of souvenirs and a new vacuum cleaner.
This one was a handheld model that would not go berserk.
As she left, she shouted, “I’ll be back!
Next time, I’ll get one over on you, Master!”
She would surely bring another storm with her.
But not today.
“…Fua.”
I let out a big yawn.
Two in the afternoon.
Soft spring sunlight streamed through the window.
Birdsong drifted in.
On my usual sofa seat, there was already someone there.
“…He’s sleeping well.”
It was Lord Claude.
He was lying on the sofa with his head resting on my lap.
A proper lap pillow.
I was in the middle of recharging him after exhausting diplomacy and follow-up work.
“Lord Claude, shouldn’t you be working?”
“My brother told me to rest today.
…He said that if thanks to you the borders will be stable for the next ten years, it’s a small price to pay.”
“That’s good to hear.”
I gently ran my fingers through his ash-gray hair.
It was smooth and pleasant to the touch.
“…You know, Eliana.”
“Yes?”
“I’m happy.”
He murmured with his eyes closed.
“I’m glad I met you.
…I’m truly glad you chose ‘not trying too hard.’”
If I had chosen to grit my teeth back then and aim to become a perfect noble lady.
We would probably have passed each other by, both wearing masks.
Because I fled into the library, and he wandered in after me, this peaceful time existed.
“…I feel the same.”
I smiled.
Outside the window was a blue sky and white clouds.
Climbing the ranks?
Revenge?
Such things were lighter than dust before a comfortable afternoon nap.
I would continue living here.
With the person I love, delicious tea, and unfinished books.
No matter how noisy the world became, this place would remain my sanctuary.
“…Good night, Claude.”
“Yeah.
Good night, Eliana.”
We closed our eyes at the same time.
The temptation of going back to sleep was irresistible.
And there was no need to resist it.
Surely tomorrow, and the day after that too,
This library door would quietly open for someone tired.