Chapter 33

When I get back to the mansion, I want to relax, but that’s impossible because I have to make a pony for the king.

"Sir, are you sure it’s fine to present the king with just a regular self-driving machine?"

The factory manager looks uneasy.

"Should we make it a luxurious pony? We could make the four pillars and the roof out of ebony and embed jewels in the brake lever."

"Miss, that’s... well..."

"It’s in poor taste."

Prince Alexandre cut him off bluntly.

"The strength of a pony lies in its simplicity and practicality. No jewels. How about we just paint it black? I think Father likes black."

"Will that be alright, Prince?"

"I think the fastest delivery will make him happiest."

Oh, the factory manager ran off. He’s probably going to work all night to finish it quickly.

"By the way, Marianne, I heard from Mother that Halberry proposed various things to you today. I’ll give you a warning tonight too."

"No, that’s fine. If anything happens in the future, I’ll consult with Prince Alexandre before responding."

"That’s good. Use me as the point of contact. Tell them I’m the investor."

The words of a prince are very reassuring.

"And, the inspection team from Holland is willing to accept us. I’ll express my gratitude too."

"Without coal, there would be no self-driving machines. I hope the two countries can help each other."

"The world doesn’t always go as smoothly as we’d like. If Marianne were to be my brother’s partner, this country would be... no, that would be a problem for me. Yeah, let’s forget that."

"Actually, I prefer Prince Alexandre. No matter what you say..."

Seeing Prince Alexandre’s ears turn red, I realized I had just said something quite bold.

Oh my.

The prince wrapped his arms around me loosely and sat us down on a two-seater chair.

"Say that again," he said.

No way, no way. It’s too embarrassing.

I shook my head from side to side.

Still, the prince smells really good. What kind of soap does the palace use? Maybe even his clothes are washed with high-quality soap. Sniff, sniff, sniff.

"Ah. What a soothing scent."

"Cough!"

I tried to pull away at the sound of what I assume was my sister’s cough, but his loose embrace didn’t budge. Being caught in a romantic moment by family is such a humiliation. I tried to push him away, but Prince Alexandre didn’t budge.

He replied calmly.

"Katarina, I’m borrowing Marianne for a moment."

"Yes. My sister has kept you waiting for so long. Please take your time, and if you could, tell me about the inspection team."

Sister, you’ve changed. When did the Ice Lady become such a workaholic?

□ □ □ □ □

Ten days later, the black self-driving machine for the king was completed. The black paint, applied multiple times, gives it a luxurious feel, but it remains a standard model.

Father, the factory manager, and I went to deliver it to the palace while the inspection team from our country was visiting.

As a supplier, we planned to enter through the service gate and have our items inspected, but the guard, recognizing the pony, said, "Is this for His Majesty?" When we confirmed, the captain came out and led us directly to the palace courtyard with the pony on the carriage.

From there, it was the same as when we first presented our invention.

The king, queen, and the inspection team from Holland were all excited and chattering happily.

It’s great to see everyone having fun. It’s a developer’s reward. The members of the Holland inspection team were younger than I expected and were enthusiastically examining the drive parts.

"Do you have plans to make a larger version of this?"

When asked, I replied, "Yes, but we don’t know when it will be completed."

After that, we moved to our factory for a Q&A session.

The inspection team members were very enthusiastic and seemed satisfied with the detailed explanations.

"To think that coal imported from our country would be used in this way! What a delightful surprise!"

The team leader, around thirty years old, said this with a smile, and everyone’s faces brightened. I think people who work in manufacturing live on the fuel of "fun and delight."

As the enjoyable time settled down, the deputy team leader, Peter Viz, said,

"By the way, Lady Marianne, I heard your mother is from the Vins family. This is actually a family tradition of ours. My great-great-grandfather was from this country and the Vins family. He was the second son of a family known for breeding excellent horses."

"Could that be the person!"

My mother, who was present, opened her eyes wide and waited for the next words.

"Yes. The person who engraved diagonal wheat stalks on his inventions. In our country, he was known as Harold Viz.

When he passed away, surrounded by many children and grandchildren, he told those present, ‘Don’t give up your freedom. Life is short.’ He was always absorbed in his inventions and was truly a free spirit.

Also, the number of his descendants is now 431. Isn’t that amazing? My grandfather was an expert in creating a family tree of those who inherited the blood of the wheat stalks."

My mother’s eyes were moist.

Her family felt so ashamed of the relative who had renounced his title and disappeared that they even avoided saying his name, referring to him as ‘that person.’ It must be touching for her. I feel a lump in my throat too.

Mother is shaking hands with the team leader, tears streaming down her face. I need to tell Grandfather about this story too.

The unexpected meeting with a relative made the dinner that night lively and enjoyable.

‘Don’t give up your freedom. Life is short.’

I repeated these words to myself and quietly looked up at Prince Alexandre, who was having a lively conversation next to me.