Under Shaun’s lead, Lulumiya and her group entered the house.
Interestingly, before entering, Shaun blocked everyone else—including Cooper, Lijie, and even his own son—from coming in, making it clear he didn’t want anyone else to see the printing press itself.
Only when Lulumiya said there was no need to be so secretive did Shaun, after some hesitation, step aside.
Lulumiya had a simple reason for this.
Even though there had never been a printing press in this world before, the structure of the machine placed in the room wasn’t complicated.
Anyone with a glance could figure out how to make it, so even with strict secrecy, it was only a matter of time before it became known.
Moreover, if someone really wanted to make money from this, it was nothing like those stories where the protagonist becomes rich by cobbling together a few machines.
Without matching support and infrastructure, that’s just a child’s fantasy.
The printing press is only the beginning, not the pinnacle.
“This is it. Miss, please see if it’s up to standard.”
What appeared before their eyes was a large wooden machine, about the size of a wardrobe and occupying roughly 2.5 square meters of floor space.
Its outward appearance was nearly identical to the blueprints Lulumiya had provided.
Lulumiya reached out to touch it and tried pressing down the long lever, testing the various functions of the printing press.
Perhaps because Shaun thought he was working for the Fourth Princess, the wood used was sturdy and pressure-resistant oak.
Aside from the surface feeling somewhat rough and even a little splintery, there were no major problems.
Shaun rubbed his hands, looking a bit embarrassed.
“Time was tight, I haven’t had time to polish it yet. I’ll hurry to finish tonight, and I’ll deliver it tomorrow for sure. These are the letters Cooper carved—please see if they meet the requirements.”
Because Lulumiya had mentioned in the courtyard that she was the Holy Son’s doll, Shaun had unconsciously started using honorifics with her.
Lulumiya took the wooden blocks and examined them.
Just as in the design, they were about the size of a thumbnail.
Carving raised characters on such blocks resulted in what were called types.
She frowned in dissatisfaction.
“Your work on the machine is acceptable, and these types are barely neat, but their specifications aren’t up to standard. The blocks aren’t uniform in length and width, so there will be gaps when assembling. Moreover, the raised parts of each character are of different heights and need to be redone.”
“Uh, is that a big problem?”
“It’s a huge problem. The Fourth Princess would never be satisfied.”
Lulumiya spoke decisively.
She picked up three blocks engraved with Ornham Kingdom’s script and placed them on the table, assembling them in front of everyone.
All could see that, while the three blocks appeared the same size at first glance, once lined up, they were clearly uneven in size and height.
Especially when pressed together, gaps appeared between the blocks due to poor cutting, a sign of inaccurate technique.
“The assembled letters are all crooked and unsightly.”
“It’s just a little crooked, it should be fine, right?”
Shaun’s son, Shaul, said.
Lulumiya shook her head and took more blocks out of her cloth bag, assembling the phrase “Ornham Holy Nation.”
“With just three letters, the problem isn’t obvious, but as the number increases, it becomes glaring. Look at this: all crooked and out of order. Normally, there wouldn’t be such large gaps between letters, and just the words ‘Ornham Holy Nation’ already take up nearly half the table.”
While typesetting involves complex details like visual flow, font size, and combining characters—things impossible to perfect in three days—the inability to fit the blocks tightly together was something Lulumiya simply couldn’t accept.
If these types were set in the printing press’s type tray, never mind neat arrangement—the result would look as ugly as maggots dipped in ink.
“Indeed… with more letters, you can really see it. It’s like something a child just learning to write would make.”
Looking at the assembled “Ornham Holy Nation,” Lijie shook her head deeply.
“And the raised parts of each letter are uneven, which will make the prints unclear.”
“The raised parts have to be the same height too? That’s too hard.”
Cooper had long sensed Lulumiya’s dissatisfaction, but had never dared speak to this angelically beautiful girl.
Now being called out, he mustered the courage to respond.
“Hard or not, it must be done. You can plane them flat.”
Lulumiya swept all the types on the table back into her cloth bag, her delicate face turning stern.
“They must be redone. I can’t take products like these to Her Highness the Fourth Princess.”
“Planing them flat is one thing, but making all the blocks the exact same size is truly difficult. Each one must be cut by hand, and even measuring with a ruler, small errors add up when you make many, and the difference becomes obvious.”
“Then try your best to match the measurements. Look at what you’ve made—do you call this ‘a little error’? If we weren’t pressed for time, I would already be asking you to answer to the Fourth Princess. You wouldn’t get even a single copper coin for this work.”
“Uh…”
Cooper opened his mouth, but couldn’t say a word in rebuttal.
In the end, he hung his head like a deflated ball.
Though the little girl before him had a childish face, she gave off a pressure comparable to a debt collector.
Of course, he had no way of knowing that this was something Lulumiya had cultivated from her long experience as a client.
“Can it be done in one night? If not, I’ll find someone else.”
Since her own life was on the line, Lulumiya couldn’t afford to play the good guy.
Faced with Lulumiya’s relentless questioning, Cooper simply bit the bullet and spoke honestly, his honest face full of bitterness.
“I really wasn’t slacking, Miss Angel, I did my very best. But during the day, I have to unload goods at the dock, and I only have time at night. At night it’s dark, and I have to borrow light from others’ houses to carve. This is already my limit—”
“Pa!”
As soon as Cooper finished, Shaun slapped him with a thick, callused hand—not on the face, but on the back of his head.
“Useless!”
Shaun’s square face was full of anger, and even his breathing became loud, as if he might hit someone at any moment.
“Working for Her Highness the Fourth Princess, and you’re fitting this in when you can? You might not care about your life, but I still care about mine!”
“Miya, is this urgent?”
While Shaun scolded Cooper, Lijie quietly squeezed closer, looking worriedly at Lulumiya’s serious face.
Lulumiya nodded.
“It’s very urgent. If I can’t deliver the finished product to Her Highness the Fourth Princess tomorrow, even if Eno helps me, I’ll be in serious trouble. And I don’t want to get Eno involved either.”
There was something wrong with Eno’s title.
Lulumiya kept that thought to herself.
“Then we’ll help you.”
Lijie’s black eyes were filled with sincerity.
“I see there aren’t many wooden blocks in your bag. It’s not nighttime yet, so if a group of us helps to fix them and you supervise, we should manage it in one afternoon.”
“But you still have class…”
“Shaul and I will do it. You all don’t have the skills for woodworking and can’t achieve the effect Miss Lulumiya wants.”
Shaun cut in, shooting Cooper a fierce glare.
“And you, don’t go anywhere this afternoon—stay and help. If we mess up a block, you can carve a new one on the spot.”
“But—but I haven’t asked for leave from the dock yet.”
“Ask for leave? You’ve worked there a week—did you make more than working one day for Her Highness?”
“How should I know? You never told me the pay…”
“You—! Don’t you know who’s more important?!”
Shaun was nearly bursting a vein, hand raised to hit Cooper again, but with Lulumiya present, he managed to restrain himself.
Anyone would be furious with such an incompetent teammate.
“Miya, do you agree with Shaun’s plan?”
“It’s come to this, so we have to try.”
Lulumiya sighed deeply, frowning.
“Shaun, I’ll have to trouble you. I have other things to take care of. If I’m not back before sunset, I’ll come check on the results in the morning.”
“Understood. My son and I will get it done for you.”
Shaun promised.
Since there was a problem with the types, as the middleman he naturally felt responsible.
As for the “other things” Lulumiya mentioned, it was to return to the church and see if she could use her connection with Eno to contact other craftsmen.
That way, if Shaun couldn’t finish the types properly, she’d have a backup.
After that, Lulumiya approached the young man named Cooper.
“Do you remember the first page of the Istelle Church doctrine?”
“Y-yes, I do.”
“Carve the whole page onto a wooden board. I’ll check it tomorrow. If you fail, be ready to answer to Her Highness the Fourth Princess.”
It wasn’t a negotiation, but a command.
After speaking, Lulumiya left the cabin and called Lijie out.
By now, the sun was in the late afternoon, and their shadows stretched long behind them.
“Miya, are you having other difficulties?”
Lijie’s not-quite-pretty face was filled with concern.
Lulumiya couldn’t help feeling a warm current in her heart.
It’s easy to add flowers to a brocade, hard to send charcoal in the snow.
Lijie was the one who always helped in times of need without holding grudges, offering the purest and most sincere care.
I really need to treasure her.
Suppressing the emotions swirling in her emerald vertical pupils, Lulumiya paused before speaking seriously.
“Lijie, do you know any students who are short on money, but don’t have a way to earn it? It’d be best if they’re honest and don’t slack off.”
“Hmm… There are a lot of students like that among the commoner trainees. They usually work in the cafeteria or library to earn living expenses. Why do you ask?”
“I want to ask you to keep an eye out for them. After a while, I might contact them. I’ll need help.”
“You need help? Is it for the Holy Son? Can I come too?”
Hearing there was money to be made, Lijie’s eyes lit up, her tone half joking, half serious.
“My family may live in the capital, but we’re actually pretty strapped. Magic tools are too expensive, and my teacher keeps saying that if I had some magic potions, I might move up to the second year next year.”
“Of course you can join! I’d be delighted to have you!”
Lulumiya’s response was exactly what Lijie wanted to hear.
Before, when she saw Lijie take out a silver coin, she thought Lijie’s family was well-off, so she hadn’t considered her.
Having such a cute little girl look at her with such excitement and anticipation—and with Lulumiya leaning in so the two were even closer—made Lijie a bit embarrassed.
She turned her head slightly, averting her gaze and lowering her voice.
“My parents would definitely be happy if I could help at the Holy Son’s place. I’ll ask my classmates when I get back. About how many people do you need, and when?”
“For now, six or seven is enough. Mainly they need to be hardworking and not lazy. As for timing, I’ll let you know, since I still have to get through the Fourth Princess tomorrow.”
“Okay, I’ll help you find people.”
“Thank you, Lijie.”
If they hadn’t just met recently, Lulumiya would have rushed over for a hug.
As a friend, Lijie was unbelievably reliable.
Lijie couldn’t help but blush, dropping her eyes and giggling.
“No need to thank me. You’re now the Holy Son’s magical doll, not a commoner anymore. I should be using honorifics when I speak to you.”
“Please don’t, it gives me goosebumps.”
Lulumiya giggled, pretending to shiver as she rubbed her arms.
Then she took six silver coins from her pocket and placed them in Lijie’s hand.
“This is payment for Shaun and the others. Please keep an eye on things here. If their work is acceptable, pay them. I’ll treat you to a meal in return.”
“Six silver coins? Where did you get the money? Don’t tell me you borrowed it again?”
Lijie’s eyes widened in shock, a bit anxious.
At their age, six silver coins was a huge fortune.
“Of course not.”
In the setting sun, Lulumiya winked playfully.
Her fair skin and silk-like silver hair shone so brilliantly that Lijie felt dazzled.
“Eno gave me pocket money. I used it for wages. Thanks, Lijie. I have other things to do, so I have to go.”
“Okay, don’t worry about things here.”
“Bye-bye~”
“What does ‘bye-bye’ mean?”
Though Lijie didn’t understand Lulumiya’s words, the lively, playful smile on her face made it clear that it couldn’t be anything bad.
She’s completely different from before now.
Watching Lulumiya’s linen-wrapped figure in the twilight, Lijie couldn’t help but think that the current Lulumiya was a far cry from the sharp-tongued girl she used to know.
Now, Lulumiya was not only adorable, but eloquent, unafraid even in front of adults, sometimes even forceful.
That kind of confidence, even Lijie herself couldn’t muster.
More than that, Lulumiya now carried an air of mystery she couldn’t quite grasp.
Despite being kidnapped, she seemed unfazed, even excited to explain how she was taken in by the Holy Son.
Either event alone would have left her hiding in her room for days.
Is she really the same person…?
“Lord Istelle above, setbacks really can change a person…”
With a long sigh, Lijie placed the six silver coins carefully in her inner pocket and walked toward the wooden house.