IDURHF 39-PART 4

Chapter 39

The Stuffed Animals and Dolls Made by Lacy

Cecil made a white dog stuffed animal for me.
I played with it together with the wooden blocks Cecil had bought for me.

“Big sister, I made a house for the dog!”

When it came to houses, the only ones I knew were Cecil’s home and the Imperial Palace, so I used all the blocks to build a fence around a house for the stuffed animal. The blocks were small and there weren’t many of them, so it wasn’t quite enough—but I decided to make up the rest with my imagination.
As she watched me play, Cecil was doing her sewing.

“You made a big house,” she said.
“So you and I can live there too,” I replied.

Cecil paused her needlework to talk to me, and that made me so happy that I kept chatting with her. No matter how many times I interrupted her, she continued sewing while talking with me.

“I made that dog to look like Garne,” she said.

The dolls and stuffed animals in this country seem to value realism, and because of that they don’t feel very cute.
The stuffed animals Cecil makes are adorable, and playing with them fills me with excitement.
I thought that if Cecil made more stuffed animals and sold them, she could make a good profit—but at the same time, I also felt a selfish desire to keep all of Cecil’s stuffed animals to myself.
At six years old, even while thinking about Cecil, I was driven by a childish sense of possessiveness.

As autumn deepened, I began wearing an extra layer over my jacket.
When I returned home, Lacy greeted me in the entrance hall, and my eyes were immediately drawn to the stuffed animals and dolls she was holding. They looked very similar to the ones Cecil had made for me.
Compared to the rather un-cute stuffed animals common in this country, these were adorably stylized.

“Did you make these, Lacy? This doll looks just like you. Are the stuffed animals supposed to be me and you?”
“Yes. The Viscount Dian family asked me to create patterns, so I made these as prototypes.”
“They’re wonderfully made. Have you already had tea, Lacy?”
“No, I was so focused on my work that I haven’t yet.”
“Then I’d like you to show them to me properly over tea. I’ll go change my clothes.”

Seeing how absorbed I was in the stuffed animals and forgetting my greeting, Lacy spoke to me.

“Welcome home, Your Majesty Alexanteri.”
“I’m home, Lacy. Right, I hadn’t greeted you yet. It makes me very happy when you say ‘welcome home’ to me. Thank you for remembering.”
“And it makes me happy when Your Majesty says ‘I’m home’ to me as well.”

—Will you say “welcome home” when I come back?
—“Welcome home”?
—Yes. Put into it your gratitude that the day ended safely, and your happiness that I came back. I’ll say “I’m home.”
—All right. Promise me—make sure you always come back safely, okay?

The promise I had exchanged with Cecil was still alive between Lacy and me. That realization brought me a sense of comfort.

In the tea room, I carefully examined the stuffed animals and dolls Lacy had made.
There were two stuffed animals: one was a rabbit made of black fabric with purple eyes, and the other was a dog made of white fabric with deep crimson eyes.
Cecil had also made me a dog stuffed animal—had Lacy been conscious of that, I wondered.
As for the dolls, there was only one, with black hair and purple eyes.

“They’re both very well made. It’s nice that you’re the rabbit and I’m the dog. You’ll make a doll version of me too, won’t you?”
“Of course. The outfits are makeshift because I didn’t have much time, so I’d like to make the engagement ceremony outfits. For the wedding outfits, I’ll make them to match once they’re finished.”
“Little versions of us preserving the memories of our engagement and wedding forever… I know—Lacy, since I want to see the wedding and engagement outfits at the same time, how about dressing the stuffed animals in wedding attire and the dolls in engagement attire?”
“That’s a wonderful idea. Being able to see both at the same time is excellent.”

When I voiced my idea, Lacy nodded, then her expression grew slightly complicated.
Stuffed animals and dolls dressed in the Emperor and Empress’s wedding attire would surely sell well, and stuffed animals dressed in replicas of one’s own wedding outfit would probably become popular too.
However, that seemed to differ slightly from what Lacy had in mind.

“But wouldn’t that make the target audience mostly nobles?” she said.

Lacy wanted dolls and stuffed animals to reach commoner children as well. Hearing that, I drew on all my memories from when I was “Garne.”
Though I was six, I often got my stuffed animals dirty. I never meant to handle them roughly, but sometimes I accidentally snagged and tore them. When that happened, Cecil carefully washed them and mended the torn parts.
Every time they got dirty or ripped, I would cry in sadness, but Cecil would smile and say, “It’s all right,” and wash and mend them again and again.

“How about changing things up a little between versions for nobles and for commoners? For example, using fabrics that are more affordable for commoners. Wouldn’t that make them easier to wash?”
“You’re right. Since children will be using them, we have to think about washing.”

Nobles might display dolls and stuffed animals without ever getting them dirty, but with children, getting them dirty is inevitable. The idea of using expensive fabrics for nobles, and inexpensive, sturdy, and washable fabrics for children seemed to resonate with Lacy.

“How about offering repair services when they break? Children often end up breaking their dolls.”
“I think that’s a great idea too. If aftercare is thorough, sales will improve even more. I’m sure the initial investment will be recouped quickly.”

As Lacy eagerly offered her ideas, I nodded in agreement.
Then she told me the contents of a letter from the Viscount Dian family.

“Actually, my parents are planning to use the existing factory as it is. There are many shops that make human clothing, but hardly any that make dolls, stuffed animals, or their outfits.”
“In that case, it seems like you won’t even need my investment.”
“That’s right. The Viscount Dian family has decided to stake everything on this business.”

If the Viscount Dian family was betting on this venture, then I couldn’t very well refuse to cooperate.
How should we promote these stuffed animals and dolls?
For now, perhaps it would be enough to show that I personally cherish and use them.

“Then we need to be thorough with the promotion. Lacy, could you lend me those stuffed animals?”
“What are you planning to do?”
“I’ll display them on the desk in my office. And on our wedding day, we’ll display them at the venue. They’ll surely draw the nobles’ attention.”

First, by placing the stuffed animals on my office desk, I could show that I—who had been devoted solely to work—was deeply taken with the stuffed animals made by my prospective consort, Lacy. Displaying them at the wedding venue would further increase demand for the dolls and stuffed animals.
Lacy happily agreed with my proposal.

“We’ll standardize the outfit sizes using this stuffed animal as the base for stuffed animals, and this doll as the base for dolls. That way, seamstresses will find their work easier, and we can offer a wide variety of outfits.”
“You really are a merchant, Lacy.”
“The Viscount Dian family was originally a merchant house. I believe a merchant’s spirit lives on within me as well.”

As I admired Lacy’s excellent proposal, I saw her clench her small fists with determination. She wasn’t just a capable merchant—Lacy had also been educated as a ruler.
She possessed a mind that prioritized thinking about how the people of her domain could prosper.
That was an essential quality for an Empress.
Both the Emperor and Empress must always think about how the people can become more prosperous. Seen in that light, Lacy’s down-to-earth sensibilities were something to be welcomed.