I Don't Know the Original, I'm Too Busy Trying to Make a Living-Chapter 176

“The document translation is complete... I brought it,” Ivette managed to say, regaining her composure. She had never felt so acutely aware of the fact that Penelope’s boyfriend was the Tower Master.

“Already? Thank you, Ivette! You’ve made things so much easier,” Penelope said with a bright smile, taking the documents from her. She placed the paperwork on the desk, sat down, and pulled out a thick notebook. Then she began sketching something.

“...”

Before long, Ahwin leaned closer to Penelope, observing the notebook with a serious expression.

‘What is she drawing now?’ Ivette wondered, cautiously glancing at the two. Curiosity got the better of her, and she stepped closer to see what Penelope was sketching.

“...!”

The moment she saw the drawing, Ivette was stunned. It was terribly drawn.

‘What on earth are those weird circles? Is this supposed to be abstract art?’

She had never heard of Penelope having a hobby for drawing. Suppressing her surprise, Ivette continued to silently observe the peculiar sketch.

Unable to resist his curiosity, Ahwin finally asked, “What is this?”

“A wringer,” Penelope answered promptly. Ahwin raised an eyebrow.

“A wringer? You mean something to squeeze out water?”

“Exactly. I want to create a magical device that uses centrifugal force to extract water from laundry.”

“....”

Ahwin’s expression turned incredulous. It was obvious, even without reading his thoughts, that he wanted to ask, Why would you make that?

Ivette felt much the same. After all, wringing out laundry was the servants’ work, easily done with their hands.

‘Why would anyone create a magical device for something as simple as wringing laundry?’ Ivette, who had never done such menial chores herself, was baffled.

But Penelope’s eyes gleamed with determination. She knew how grueling the task of wringing wet laundry could be.

Turning to Giselle, Penelope asked, “What do you think about making a device to wring water out of wet laundry? If it works, even soaking wet winter blankets could be handled with ease.”

“Winter blankets too?” Giselle’s jaw dropped, as did Laura’s and Dorothy’s. Thick winter blankets, stuffed with fur, were notoriously difficult to wash, let alone wring dry.

“Is that even possible?” Giselle asked.

“It’s simpler than you’d think,” Penelope replied with a confident smile, returning her focus to the notebook. On the page, she sketched two cylindrical drums—one small, one large.

The smaller drum was filled with tiny holes to allow water to escape as the laundry spun inside it. Below that, she drew a motor, a small lid to secure the laundry, and a larger outer drum to catch the expelled water. A hose connected to the larger drum for draining the water completed her design for the wringer.

Ahwin’s expression grew even more serious.

“What’s this part? It spins, and water comes out?” he asked.

“You put the wet laundry in this smaller drum and spin it. Centrifugal force will push the water out through the small holes into the larger drum. From there, the water will drain out through this hose,” Penelope explained.

It was a simple yet innovative wringer.

Ahwin’s eyes gleamed with interest. Sensing his reaction, Penelope asked, “What do you think? Does it seem feasible?”

Ahwin didn’t take long to answer. “Theoretically, it’s definitely possible.”

“Ah! That’s great! Let’s make it next. Should I send a letter to Professor Orlan and ask him to come here? That would be best, right?”

“If you call him, he’ll come immediately,” Ahwin replied. Penelope’s face lit up like the full moon.

“Then let’s hurry and call him!”

“Give me some time. I’ll have to redraw your... uh, unique blueprint first.”

“Unique? I think I’ve done a great job making it clear for anyone to understand.”

“No one will understand it,” Ahwin said bluntly, unable to lie. Penelope pouted in response.

Ivette simply stood there, watching the two with wide eyes, unsure whether to laugh or be impressed.

***

A week later.

Professor Orlan arrived at Halo Castle alongside Rector.

Seeing them again after such a long time, Penelope noticed they looked just as they had the last time they parted—exhausted to an indistinguishable degree.

Penelope greeted them warmly. “It’s been a while. I’m so glad to see you both again.”

“It’s been a while, my lady. Lord Ahwin also seems to be doing well,” Professor Orlan remarked with a knowing smile as he glanced at Ahwin. The look suggested he was well aware of how things were progressing between Penelope and Ahwin. Ahwin ignored him with a blank expression, while Rector chuckled to himself, as if he’d expected such a reaction.

Before Ahwin’s mood could sour further, Penelope quickly broke the silence.

“I hope I didn’t disturb you when you were busy, Professor.”

“Not at all. Ever since hairdryer production hit its stride, I haven’t had much to do.”

“That’s a relief to hear.”

“It’s all thanks to you, my lady.”

“No, it’s thanks to what you created, Professor.”

The two of them exchanged compliments, each crediting the other.

For context, hairdryers were currently flying off the shelves across the continent. The Elano Empire and neighboring nations were all clamoring to import them. It was truly an invention that had shaken the continent. (The Emperor hadn’t granted Penelope her title for no reason.)

Imperial citizens, especially noblewomen with long hair, praised Penelope every time they dried their hair. Each day felt like a revelation as they cared for their now lustrous hair.

Riding on the hairdryer’s popularity, curling irons and hair essences were also swiftly becoming essentials in noblewomen’s powder rooms. Beauty salons were growing more popular by the day as well.

“The Invention of the Century That Changed Imperial Life!”

“Noblewomen Sing Praises to Halo!”

“Five Rules to Follow at Beauty Salons!”

Newspapers from the capital published articles about Penelope’s inventions nearly every day.

Penelope received sales reports from Lucas twice a month, smiling from ear to ear as she read them.

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‘Is it really okay for me to be earning this much money?’

That thought was fleeting, quickly replaced by sheer satisfaction.

While Penelope was lost in thought, Professor Orlan asked, “What do you plan to create this time? I was so excited about the idea on my way here.”

“Oh, this time, we’re working on a wringer,” Penelope replied.

“A wringer?” Rector’s puzzled expression revealed that he had come here without knowing anything about the project.

Penelope hadn’t shared any information about the wringer beforehand, as Professor Orlan had been cautious about potential leaks.

“Now that our business has grown, it’s essential to guard against information leaks,” he had explained.

It was a valid point, and Penelope had complied without question.

“I think it’ll be easier to explain once you see the blueprint.”

Penelope placed the wringer design on the desk. It was a revised version that Ahwin had painstakingly redrawn.

Professor Orlan and Rector leaned in, scrutinizing the blueprint closely.

“This is...”

“A magical device that uses centrifugal force to extract water from wet laundry,” Penelope explained.

“So that’s why it’s called a wringer,” Rector said, his expression clearing.

“Removing water from wet laundry—what a... ingenious idea,” Professor Orlan said, his eyes gleaming with interest.

Penelope asked, “Do you think it’s possible to make?”

“I believe it’ll be much easier to create than the hairdryer. The principle is simpler,” the professor replied.

“Really?”

“I estimate we could create a prototype in about a week.”

“Materials should be obtainable from the Tower’s regional branch in the Grand Duchy,” Rector added.

The fact that the prototype could be completed in just a week brought a radiant smile to Penelope’s face.

‘This means the maids won’t have to struggle wringing laundry anymore, and we won’t waste so much time on it!’

The wringer’s main advantage was how quickly it dried laundry. There would no longer be a need to rely solely on sunny days, and as long as there was good ventilation, clothes could even be dried indoors.

‘It’s going to be so useful.’

Once people experienced a wringer, they’d never want to go back to wringing laundry by hand.

Suddenly, a thought struck Penelope, and she asked, “I heard Halo will be getting its own Tower branch soon. Won’t we be able to source materials from there?”

“That’s still a bit premature,” Professor Orlan replied. “We’ve purchased ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) a building for the branch, but a head hasn’t been appointed yet. When the branch officially opens, I plan to attend the opening ceremony.”

“In that case, I should attend as well,” Penelope said decisively.

Hearing this, Ivette quickly jotted the event down in Penelope’s schedule.