10.5 The Clock (What Used to Be)

The condom that marked the end of the first season after I opened my eyes in this world left my hands.

Matters related to materials were Jane’s job from the start.

Jane, who was reluctant to reveal me, also took charge of matters related to equipment blueprints.

If that’s the case, why did she name the trading company Maylily?

Anyway, the conclusion was that my work instantly disappeared.

Occasionally, it was just evaluating the new products Jane developed.

My mood became incredibly unsettled, going from being extremely busy to suddenly having nothing to do.

This churning and restless feeling, a sensation I had felt before.

Now, I feel like I’m going crazy from boredom.

“Ugh…”

Feeling as if I had become unemployed again, I eventually picked up the mop.

It was because my previous life, where I struggled with design blueprints at a small company, came to mind.

“Being unemployed used to be my dream.”

Of course, I’m not really doing nothing.

If I had to specify my job, it would be a part-time employee at an Adult Shop?

Today, too, Jane went out, and I was left alone at the Fairy’s Playground.

Since Master-nim wasn’t here, the shop door was closed.

Still, to keep myself from being lazy and to alleviate my boredom, I started cleaning.

-Tick-tock

I dusted the dicks made of various materials displayed on the shelves.

I wiped down the tables and chairs that were meant for customers but which I used more often.

I idly counted the newly displayed Condoms and checked the condition of the Contraceptives and love gel.

And I even cleaned the glass windows, which looked even more special because they were rare in the surrounding buildings.

-Tick-tock

I unconsciously checked the clock at the irritating, regular sound.

“Time really isn’t moving today…”

I definitely felt like I had done a lot, but only an hour had passed.

Lunchtime was still far away, and Jane said she would be back late today.

“Should I at least feed Mandy…”

The Mandrake in the Laboratory came to mind.

But I shook my head vigorously.

Its food was my female ejaculate.

Since there was none stored, I’d have to extract some new, but masturbating in broad daylight felt a bit… off.

-Tick-tock

Unable to bear the idleness, I had been drawing blueprints for a Spinning Machine for several days.

But today, I didn’t feel like touching anything.

“I’ll do it later.”

Actually, I had also stopped halfway through drawing the Weaving Machine blueprints.

I roughly finished cleaning and leisurely began brewing black tea.

Today’s tea was Lady Grey, a blend of orange peel and lemon peel.

Plain black tea was still difficult for me.

-Tick-tock

“Ah, this is really annoying.”

The clock’s ticking, which was always present, sounded particularly loud today.

Spreading jam on the scone the Next-door Aunt had made for me, I looked at the clock standing in a corner of the shop.

A Grandfather Clock with a heavy pendulum swinging from side to side.

It was an item Jane had personally improved after consulting ancient documents.

Outwardly, it just looked like an ordinary mechanical clock.

But it was said to be more accurate than those used in the Royal Palace.

What was its principle?

“Hmm…”

I became curious about its internal structure.

I had asked Jane before if I could disassemble it.

She had said no, on the grounds that there were no documents she had referenced when improving it.

“I think I can do it…”

If I disassembled it and drew the internal blueprints, wouldn’t I even be praised?

A well-founded confidence swelled within my chest.

The mechanical clocks I had disassembled in my previous life, to exaggerate, amounted to a truckload.

“I can just reassemble it, right?”

As if possessed, I pulled the floating cart from the Laboratory.

The movable trolley that could move while slightly floating in the air was something Jane had made for me.

Using the cart, I brought the clock to the Laboratory.

And then, I excitedly began disassembling it right away.

-Ting

“Huh?”

-Ttuduk

“Th-this isn’t right?”

***

-Knock-knock

An Attendant wearing white gloves carefully knocked on the office door.

A clear and confident voice flowed from inside.

“Come in.”

The door opened smoothly without a sound.

Jane strode in and plopped down on the sofa as if it were her own home.

“Would you wait a moment? I’ll be done once I look at this.”

Edward, the King and owner of the office, asked for a moment of understanding.

However, Jane’s expression stiffened slightly.

It was such a subtle change that it would be hard for others to notice.

But the King, who was focusing all his attention on Jane’s reaction, profusely sweated as he spurred on his paperwork.

Of course, Jane had merely begun imagining what her cute jewel was doing at home.

By now, she must have finished cleaning the shop and be having tea time.

She seemed to have adapted to black tea to some extent; should I get some tea leaves?

Last time, it seemed she preferred pound cake over scones.

Her eating habits have also increased recently.

Isn’t she gaining weight?

Ah, Lily would be cute even if she gained weight.

Her thoughts flowed freely, one after another.

What stopped that flow was the King’s groan of relief, having hurriedly finished his work.

“Huuuh. I finally finished.”

His skin was still tanned, and his actions were still frivolous.

Moreover, he had unbuttoned four buttons on his shirt, making his attire untidy.

He looked more like a swaggering thug than the King of Albion.

The thug-no, King Edward said.

“I apologize for making you wait.”

“Yes.”

“Hahahaha! Jane, you’re still as blunt as ever. Haha… *ahem*.”

Despite Jane’s seemingly impudent reaction, the King burst into laughter.

But he shut his mouth at her chilling gaze, which seemed to pierce right through him.

“Lord Batory.”

When he called her by her surname instead of her given name, Jane finally withdrew her aggressive gaze.

An awkward silence filled the office for a moment.

During that time, Jane savored the aroma of the Darjeeling tea brought by the Attendant, and the King wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

This time, Jane spoke first.

“Why did you call me?”

“Ah, I heard you started a new business this time.”

“Yes, we decided to collaborate with Rosefield.”

“I see. Well then, I don’t have to worry about tax evasion. Anyway, that Condom you made this time, would you show me the actual product?”

For a moment, Jane’s left eyebrow slightly rose.

“Tell someone to buy it and bring it.”

At Jane’s answer, full of annoyance, the King grinned.

“If you bring it, it’s free, so why spend money-. It’s a joke! A joke!”

At her gaze, colder than when he had called her by her name, the King desperately waved his hands.

“As I’ve said repeatedly, when you look at me like that, my heart feels like it’s going to stop. It’s terrifying, you see.”

“Haa…”

Jane sighed at the King’s behavior, who, despite fearing her, didn’t stop being cheeky.

And she put her hand inside her clothes.

The knight standing behind the King could be seen flinching in surprise.

But Jane calmly took out three boxes and placed them on the table.

“Ohh, so these are the new Condoms. Are you giving me three boxes?”

“They’re packaged by size.”

“Hmm, I see.”

The King, who had been examining the boxes containing the Condoms for a moment, looked at Jane with an exasperated expression.

“Maylily. You really are something…”

Jane had taken a Half-blood from the Slave Merchant Guild.

And the King found it quite fascinating that she occasionally showed signs of being deeply infatuated with that Half-blood whenever he saw her.

An ordinary noble wouldn’t care this much.

But Edward, as King, could not let go of his interest in Jane Batory.

“It’s her Achilles’ heel, isn’t it?”

It felt as if he had discovered the weakness said to be possessed by dragons of the East.

The King could only hope that there would be no fool who would carelessly touch it and incur the dragon’s wrath.

“Hmm? What’s this?”

The King, who had refocused on the boxes, discovered something strange.

It was because he had found unusual size markings written beneath the brand name.

“Why are these written like this?”

The King asked, pointing at the letters marked L (Large), G (Gigantic), and H (Extra Large) respectively.

“Haa…”

Jane, who sighed deeply, slowly began to explain.

Originally, the Condom sizes were marked S (Small), M (Medium), and L (Large), and after sales began, only the L size sold in huge quantities.

And people who came to complain, claiming they were defective, overflowed the Rosefield Shop.

The reason was that the size didn’t fit.

Most of the customers who came for refunds were men.

The current size labeling was suggested by Lily to the Baroness, who had been pondering a solution.

And the refund issue was resolved absurdly easily.

“Hahahaha! So that’s why the size names are like this! It’s absolutely brilliant! It understands men’s pride so well! Hahahaha!”

Ignoring the King, who was laughing so hard his uvula showed, Jane took a sip of her moderately cooled tea.

The King, who had been gasping for breath for a while, wiped his tears and unwrapped the Condom.

“Anyway, something truly useful has been created. I really needed something like this.”

At his words, Jane simply closed her eyes.

Then the King waved his hand and made an excuse.

“I don’t have any Sexually Transmitted Diseases! I just felt that contraception was necessary now.”

“What?”

The duty of the royal family is to produce many descendants.

And the King was now in his 30s, and the Queen was still in her 20s.

Contraception already, at an age when they should still be in their prime.

“If you’re going to say the same things as old people, don’t. Aren’t four enough? I’ve been fruitful and multiplied enough, so now I just want to enjoy myself.”

Jane decided to let the King’s incredibly excited words go in one ear and out the other.

***

In the end, Jane was caught by the King and even ate dinner.

If he hadn’t generously packed tea leaves for Lily, she would have cast a curse magic spell on him.

For example, a curse of the kind that makes hiccups not stop for three days.

Anyway, Jane’s stiff expression only softened after she arrived in front of the Fairy’s Playground.

Seeing that the lights were still on, it seemed Lily was waiting.

“I’m home, Lily.”

Feeling her heart pleasantly thumping, Jane opened the door and was met with an unexpected sight.

“W-welcome back, Master-nim?”

“What are you doing?”

Lily, kneeling, was performing self-punishment with both hands raised.

Could it be that her masochistic tendencies had become excessive?

A strange thought crossed her mind for a moment.

But Jane immediately dismissed her thought.

Lily was dry and fresh, not having shed a single drop of sweat, suggesting she hadn’t been holding her hands up for long.

In other words, it was an action to show that she was reflecting on her actions.

“What happened?”

Jane asked in the gentlest voice possible.

But there was no answer.

The silence flowing through the Fairy’s Playground made Jane’s chest feel a little tight.

Then, she suddenly realized that the sound that should be heard wasn’t.

Jane slowly looked at where the clock should have been.

Sweat began to bead on Lily’s forehead.

“Lily.”

“Yes.”

“Where’s the clock?”

“W-well, that is… Um…”

Jane lightly pulled Lily’s cheek, who was avoiding her gaze.

But when the desired answer didn’t come, she slowly began to put more force into her hand.

“Huuuuh.”

“Lily.”

“Hyunhuhihiyeo.”

“The Laboratory.”

Jane picked up Lily and strode down to the basement.

And she could see what used to be the clock, scattered on the desk.

“I-I-I can assemble it right away, you know? So please, just forgive me this once. Please?”

Jane slowly covered her mouth with her hand.

At her appearance, as if she was suppressing her anger, Lily’s anxiety swelled even further.

Her yellow Jewel Eye trembled as if an earthquake had struck.