Kingdombuilding: All My Inventions Are Novelty

Excited chatter filled the room.

Having spent considerable time around Simon, Elin had gradually learned to recognise opportunities when they presented themselves.

Seeing the noblewomen admiring their reflections, she smiled and said, ”Sometimes, when it comes to men, a glimpse of beauty can be more captivating than revealing everything. These garments can create precisely that effect.”

The noblewomen exchanged knowing glances before nodding in agreement.

In the Eldorian Empire, it was common for noblemen to have multiple wives and concubines. Although the principal wives enjoyed a higher status, many still felt frustrated watching their husbands divide their attention among numerous women.

Naturally, they wanted to maintain their own appeal.

Elin’s words had struck a sensitive chord.

Even if the new garments offered no practical benefits, some of the noblewomen would still have wanted them simply because they believed the garments could help them stand out.

Now that they had also discovered their comfort and supportive design, their enthusiasm grew even stronger.

”Princess Elin, how much do these garments cost?” one noblewoman asked eagerly. ”I’d like to buy ten sets!”

”Ten? I’ll take at least twenty!” another declared. ”Some will be for my personal use, and the rest will make excellent gifts.”

A third noblewoman snorted playfully.

”I intend to make those little foxes in my household jealous!”

Her remark immediately provoked laughter.

The noblewomen continued chatting excitedly, each trying to secure an order before the others.

Watching the scene, Princess Lisa smiled at Elin.

”Princess Elin, your creations have certainly captured everyone’s attention. I like them very much myself. Why don’t you prepare a few sets for me as well?”

Elin smiled warmly.

”If Aunt likes them, I’ll personally arrange a selection for you within the next few days.”

She was delighted with the outcome.

The promotion had gone exactly as she had hoped. However, selling a few hundred sets to the noblewomen gathered in Brambleford was only the beginning.

Her real objective was to establish a profitable business that could reach wealthy customers throughout the Eldorian Empire.

”Aunt, you don’t need to worry about future supplies,” Elin continued. ”I’m planning to open a shop in the empire that will specialise in these garments. Once it’s established, you’ll be able to purchase them whenever you want.”

”Really?” Princess Lisa’s eyes brightened. ”That’s wonderful!”

She immediately understood what Elin was planning.

Opening a shop in the empire would make these products accessible to noblewomen who couldn’t travel to Brambleford. It would also allow Elin to expand her business far beyond the city’s current market.

”Once your shop opens, I’ll certainly visit and support you,” Lisa promised.

”Thank you, Aunt!”

Elin’s smile widened.

With Princess Lisa’s support, her future business would have a valuable advantage among the imperial nobility.

Meanwhile, the noblewomen onstage remained occupied with trying on different designs and comparing their appearance in the mirror.

Princess Lisa watched them with considerable interest. She, too, wanted to try the garments, but her status made her reluctant to join the crowd.

After a moment, she turned back toward Elin.

”By the way, how much do these garments cost per set?”

”Ten silver caps per set,” Elin answered.

”Ten silver caps?”

Princess Lisa raised her eyebrows.

Ten silver caps were no small sum. For that amount, a person could purchase a cotton jacket.

She glanced at the garments displayed on the stage. Compared with ordinary clothing, they required very little fabric.

”These garments use so little material. Why are they so expensive?”

Elin had anticipated the question.

”Aunt, although they use little fabric, their construction is more complicated than it appears. The bras contain steel wire that provides support. Without it, they would be little more than ordinary pieces of cloth.”

”Steel wire?” Princess Lisa repeated in surprise. ”What exactly is that?”

Elin shook her head slightly.

”I’m not entirely sure how it’s made. The wire comes from Brambleford’s steel workshop. My lord told me that it’s made from a special type of steel called spring steel, which is not produced anywhere else in the empire.”

Princess Lisa picked up one of the bras and carefully examined it.

She pressed the material around its supporting structure, feeling the difference between the flexible fabric and the firmer wire inside.

”I see. So that’s what makes them different.”

She nodded thoughtfully.

The explanation was convincing enough, and the noblewomen around her had little reason to question it.

After all, Brambleford had already introduced numerous products that were difficult for other territories to manufacture.

Elin watched the noblewomen’s reactions and smiled inwardly.

She had completed the task Simon had given her.

At ten silver caps per set, the sales from this single gathering had already exceeded five thousand silver caps.

That was an impressive sum.

And the noblewomen attending this gathering represented only a fraction of the wealthy women in the Eldorian Empire.

There were countless other noble households throughout the empire’s vassal territories. If Elin could establish shops in those regions, the potential market would be enormous.

The thought alone made her feel increasingly excited.

After spending more time accompanying Princess Lisa and the other noblewomen as they tried different designs, Elin finally managed to excuse herself.

The women were reluctant to let her go, but they had already secured their orders and were satisfied with their purchases.

For them, the visit to Brambleford had been an eye-opening experience.

Not only had they discovered an entirely new type of undergarment, but they had also learned that the princess consort possessed an unusual talent for creating practical and fashionable products.

After bidding farewell to Princess Lisa, Elin hurried back to the castle.

She could hardly wait to share the good news with Simon.

***

Inside the castle, Simon was sitting at his desk, writing a book.

When Elin entered, he looked up from his work.

”How did the underwear promotion go?”

Elin lowered her head slightly and deliberately put on a disappointed expression.

”They didn’t like the garments at all.”

Simon paused and looked at her.

Although Elin’s expression suggested disappointment, her sparkling eyes betrayed her excitement.

He immediately understood what was happening.

”You can’t even lie properly,” he said with a helpless smile. ”Humph. Judging by your expression, I suspect the promotion was a tremendous success. I told you it would be.”

”Hehe! Nothing escapes My Lord.”

Unable to maintain her act any longer, Elin broke into a smile and moved closer to him.

”Princess Lisa liked the garments very much, and so did the other noblewomen. They bought everything I brought with me! I earned more than five thousand silver caps in a single morning!”

As she spoke, her cheeks flushed with excitement.

Although she had grown up in a noble household, earning money through her own efforts was an entirely different experience.

For the first time, she could see the direct results of her work.

The feeling of accomplishment was intoxicating.

”Excellent! Excellent!”

Simon laughed warmly.

”No wonder you’re my princess.”

He remembered his mother’s earlier assessment of Elin. She had believed that Elin would become a capable partner, and the results before him proved that judgment correct.

Elin was not merely a noblewoman who could manage a household. With the right guidance, she could become an important contributor to Brambleford’s development.

After congratulating her, Simon remembered something.

”Did Aunt ask about anything else?”

”Not much,” Elin replied. ”She was mainly concerned about the price. I explained what you told me about the steel wire and why the garments were more complicated to manufacture than they appeared.”

Simon nodded in satisfaction.

”Good. That should discourage people from assuming they can easily copy our products.”

In the Eldorian Empire, society followed a familiar division of labour: men generally handled external affairs, while women were responsible for domestic work, including weaving and sewing.

For many noblewomen, making clothes was an ordinary household skill.

If Simon allowed people to believe that the new undergarments were nothing more than pieces of fabric sewn into an unfamiliar shape, imitation would be inevitable.

By emphasising the specialised materials and construction involved, he could make the products appear much more difficult to reproduce.

And there was some truth behind the explanation.

The bras produced in Brambleford used specially manufactured steel wire to provide their supporting structure. However, the claim that the wire was made from a unique spring steel available nowhere else in the empire was an intentional exaggeration.

Nevertheless, Brambleford did possess a genuine advantage.

Its steel workshop could produce wire of a quality that other territories would struggle to match.

To support the new underwear business, Simon had already assigned several artisans to manufacture steel wire.

Without advanced industrial machinery, they had to rely on relatively primitive methods.

They heated the steel, worked it through small moulds, and then stretched the resulting wire further until it reached the required thickness.

The process was labour-intensive, and production remained limited.

Even so, the finished wire was sufficiently flexible and strong for the bras they were manufacturing.

More importantly, reproducing the entire process would not be easy for outsiders.

Competitors might eventually imitate the appearance of the garments, but producing undergarments with the same combination of support, comfort, and durability would require more than ordinary sewing skills.

This gave Brambleford an advantage in the early stages of the business.

Simon intended to make the most of it.

With the first promotion already proving successful, he could begin expanding production and preparing to sell the garments in other parts of the empire.

The possibilities were considerable.

However, his excitement was tempered by a pressing concern.

Brambleford’s finances were still tight.

The territory was investing heavily in workshops, infrastructure, military equipment, and industrial development. Every new project demanded money, and the returns from those investments would take time to materialise.

The underwear business offered something different.

It could generate substantial profits without requiring the construction of enormous factories or the purchase of large quantities of expensive raw materials.

If managed properly, it could become a valuable source of cash for Brambleford.

Simon set down his pen and looked toward Elin.

”Since the first promotion went so well, we should prepare for the next step. We need to increase production and establish a reliable way to distribute the garments beyond Brambleford.”

Elin nodded enthusiastically.

She had already begun imagining what the business might become.

Simon, however, was thinking even further ahead.

The noblewomen’s enthusiasm had confirmed that the market was far larger than he had initially imagined.