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

TL Note :- Another bonus one as my thanks to Queenbb

“I Have No Excuse.”

Liam, standing before Kayan, lowered his head.

“I tried to prioritize the most urgent approvals, but due to a press inquiry from the Imperial newspaper about the follow-up to < Safety Rules for Writing Horror Stories>, I couldn’t even finish half of them. I sincerely apologize.”

At the bleak hour of dawn, Kayan, who had been gazing at the faint moon beyond the window, turned his head, disregarding his lingering fatigue.

His lips twisted slightly as he looked up at the towering stack of documents before him.

“It’s fine. Anything else to report?”

“We are distributing food and essential supplies to the residents of Salt near the border under the name of the Grand Duchy of Blaire.”

“And their response?”

“The Salt royal family is merely standing by and watching.”

Kayan, who had been listening in silence, impulsively asked:

“What about April Salt?”

“…Pardon?”

“Has there been no word from her since?”

Liam, lost in thought for a moment, finally grasped the question and nodded.

There was news about April that, while not particularly important, was still worth mentioning.

“…She inquired about hiring a bodyguard.”

Twitch.

One of Kayan’s eyebrows lifted.

Just in case, he had used the Grand Duke’s ring to alter his appearance and secretly followed her.

However, he couldn’t simply ignore April when she was pickpocketed and ended up helping her, leading to this entanglement.

Although the Grand Duke’s ring altered one’s appearance, it didn’t completely change one’s identity—it only adjusted distinctive features and overall aura.

To avoid suspicion from repeatedly rejecting her, he had halfheartedly accepted her suggestion… but he hadn’t expected her to be so serious about hiring him.

Liam, sensing the Grand Duke’s displeasure, hesitated before continuing.

“It seems she mistook you for a mercenary who entered the Grand Duchy looking for work. How should we handle this?”

Kayan’s green eyes turned toward Liam, and after a brief silence, his lips parted once more.

“Since his background is unclear, tell her that we need to conduct an investigation first.”

“Understood.”

It was true that April needed a bodyguard. Whether intentional or not, she was a talent bringing an enormous fortune to the Grand Duchy of Blaire.

However, the problem was defining her current position.

Since Salt had yet to publicly announce the second princess’s disappearance, leaking any information about April was out of the question.

Still, since she had brought up the topic of hiring a bodyguard herself, a backup plan was necessary.

Thud.

The door closed, leaving Kayan alone once more. He sank deep into his leather chair.

“Is it because I’m tired?”

His brow furrowed involuntarily.

He didn’t care what April Salt was up to, but he couldn’t shake the image of her when she got pickpocketed.

“She must have been really startled.”

Despite her bold demeanor, April was actually quite timid and cautious—just like her frightened-looking face suggested.

If he hadn’t stepped in to help, she might have gotten hurt trying to handle things on her own.

Snap.

Kayan looked up, realizing that the pen he had been gripping out of habit had snapped in his hand.

“I need to clean this up.”

Yes.

The reason this kept bothering him was simple. While he had been preoccupied, the security in the Grand Duchy had deteriorated so much that pickpockets roamed freely in broad daylight.

That was the conclusion Kayan reached as he rose from his seat.

The reason he was mobilizing the security forces, despite his busy schedule, was nothing more and nothing less than ensuring the safety of the citizens.

…At least, that’s what he told himself.

* * *

“Money is such a wonderful thing.”

The words escaped my lips as if I were possessed.

To be honest, after falling into this world, I had lived a life where I rarely needed to handle money directly. Maybe I had forgotten the satisfaction that wealth could bring.

But at this moment, I was reminded of a fundamental truth.

Materialism.

“I agree…”

Bonita nodded absentmindedly in agreement.

On the day I withdrew a large sum from the Pascal Trading Company, I went ahead and hired workers for processing Poletta leather.

Wandering laborers looking for seasonal work were more common than I had expected. I selected the most skilled among them and employed them at Lady Lainey’s sewing workshop.

With the right number of hands and sufficient funds, everything started moving smoothly.

At first, Lady Lainey had hesitated, overwhelmed by the sheer amount of leather that needed processing. But soon, she was so pleased with the extra wages that she even volunteered to work overtime.

And now—

The small hut that had once been stacked with smelly raw Poletta hides had completely transformed.

This was all thanks to abundant financial resources.

“My goodness…”

A beat late, the maids let out awed murmurs.

“So, this is what processed Poletta leather looks like.”

“This doesn’t even seem like the same material I knew before… At this quality, couldn’t it be presented to the imperial family?”

Their praise was somewhat exaggerated, but I had no intention of denying it.

As they said, the processed leathers neatly stacked inside the hut showcased beautiful and unique patterns.

They were refined enough to be sold directly to nobles.

“It’s all thanks to your generous support, my lady.”

Lady Lainey, standing at the entrance of the hut, bowed her head.

At first, she had been the most uncertain about the success of this business. But now, she was even considering specializing in Poletta leather processing.

“But… are you sure about this?”

“Why?”

Perhaps still seeing me as a naïve noble girl playing around, Lady Lainey cautiously spoke again.

“It’s just… the quantity seems quite large. Even if the leather is of good quality, wouldn’t its popularity as curtain material be limited?”

“Oh, that won’t be a problem.”

I shook my head firmly.

Of course, curtains made from Poletta leather couldn’t compete with the lightweight, airy curtains that were currently popular.

But they serve a completely different purpose.

My curtains were meant for those who worked at night and needed to sleep during the day.

“Let’s test it first, shall we?”

Since I hadn’t used them properly yet, the first test site was set—the small hut filled with processed leather.

Under Bonita’s direction, the maids began hanging the curtains on all the windows.

Once every single window and even the small openings in the doors were covered, Bonita gave the signal, and the thick curtains were drawn all at once.

“Gasp…!”

“Oh my!”

Even though it was broad daylight outside, the room was plunged into pitch-black darkness.

“It feels like night.”

“I know, right? How can it get this dark?”

As astonished murmurs spread through the shadowed space, I rejoiced internally.

Success!

Compared to the shabby blackout curtains I had once haphazardly stitched together from discarded scraps in Salt, this was on an entirely different level.

Even better, Lady Lainey had written a detailed instruction manual on how to handle these curtains. If distributed properly, there would be no issues in practical use.

“Bonita.”

“Yes, my lady?”

Her quick response came as I called out in excitement, my body trembling with anticipation.

“Could you arrange a meeting with the head maid?”

“The head maid? What for…?”

“Well, there’s something only she can help with.”

At my answer, Bonita’s eyes widened slightly, as if surprised.