Princess's Struggle for Survival-Chapter 131: Hype for Empire Monthly

As the sound of hurried footsteps faded, the maid disappeared from Sally's sight.

Sally took a sip of tea handed to her by another servant and continued to leisurely listen to the stories.

The Empire Monthly was a novel item that had recently caught the attention of the nobility.

It was said to have been founded by a mysterious member of the royal family and was being distributed in collaboration with the Velmont family as a bi-weekly publication.

Sally had never heard of such a form of reading material before and was immediately intrigued.

Although the price was steep, her curiosity was insatiable. Just as she was about to send someone to purchase it, she learned that the first edition had already sold out.

This news only deepened Sally's curiosity, especially when she overheard her friends discussing its contents the next day.

The feeling of being left out was akin to the time she was publicly warned by Princess Astrid at the entrance of the Elizabeth Academy of Magic.

Although Sally disliked Astrid deep down, she had to curry favor with the princess due to her status.

Astrid's stunning beauty, which drew attention wherever she went, also fueled Sally's jealousy.

If only she could be as beautiful as Princess Astrid.

With this thought in mind, Sally often imitated Astrid's fashion choices when they weren't seen together, as if doing so could momentarily merge her identity with Astrid's and make her the second gem of the Valeria Empire.

Thus, when she heard that the Empire Monthly featured fashion tips provided by Astrid, Sally's desire to purchase it became overwhelming.

She even considered borrowing a copy from her friends, but as a noble, she couldn't bring herself to lower her pride and ask. While she hesitated, she heard that the publication had been reprinted.

The reprinted edition had the same content as the original, and the price remained unchanged.

This seemingly ordinary move gave Sally the feeling that she would miss out if she didn't buy it immediately, so she assigned someone to keep an eye on it and be ready to purchase it at any moment.

Sally, who spent her days sipping tea and chatting, had no idea that this was all part of the Velmont family's marketing strategy.

From creating hype to raising prices and fostering a sense of scarcity, every step was orchestrated under Elowen's direction to stimulate consumption.

While the first edition was novel, it wasn't enough to convince all the nobles to buy it.

Astrid, besides agreeing with Elowen's strategy of creating a buying frenzy, proposed another marketing tactic: spreading the word that the Emperor of the Valeria Empire had purchased the publication and praised its content.

This rumor spread like wildfire, and soon, everyone who knew about the publication was willing to spend a small sum to see if it lived up to the hype.

As for how many customers would stay, that depended on the publication's ability to captivate readers and encourage them to continue purchasing and reading.

Half an hour later, the maid returned with a thin publication and handed it to Sally with utmost respect.

"Miss Sally, this is the reprinted Empire Monthly. Please take a look."

Taking the book, Sally eagerly flipped to the first page, her eyes landing on the fashion recommendations she was most interested in.

Today's recommended outfit was a casual style submitted by the Empire's princess, the third princess, Astrid...

Sally carefully read the content, wishing there were pictures to make it more visually appealing.

As she turned the page, she saw an illustration of a silver-haired woman in a white shirt and black skirt, exuding an air of noble elegance.

The illustration wasn't printed directly on the parchment but on a thin sheet of paper tightly adhered to it, making it appear seamless from the side.

Sally glanced at the illustration and then back at the text, imagining herself in the outfit.

For a moment, she felt as if she were standing before her crush, feeling their intense gaze and unspoken admiration.

Perhaps she could try this outfit, with a few minor adjustments.

As she continued reading, the next section was about jewelry appreciation.

Sally noticed the author's name, a renowned jewelry appraiser in the capital and the exclusive auctioneer for the Honeysuckle Guild.

After finishing the first two sections, Sally skimmed through some current affairs news, which didn't interest her.

She then came across a striking architectural drawing, though it wasn't to her taste.

Finally, there was a serialized story, the part Sally's friends had talked about the most.

The title was "The Overbearing Prince and His Runaway Bride's Peerless Pampering.".

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As the first edition, Astrid had put considerable effort into this story to captivate readers.

The synopsis provided a clear and engaging overview, hinting at the prince's transformation from overbearing to devoted, enticing readers to continue.

The chapter was also longer than other sections, about four times the length, to immerse readers in the story.

It explained the backstory while leaving a cliffhanger: who was the girl the prince met at age three, and why was their token of love in someone else's possession?

Sally read every word, gradually immersing herself in the story, feeling as if she were the heroine.

"That girl is obviously the heroine. How could the prince not recognize her... and mistake someone else for her..."

"So overbearing... but he's so handsome..."

"How did that gem end up with that person? Couldn't the prince take a closer look..."

Though Astrid felt her story was somewhat clichéd, for young noble girls like Sally, it was a captivating read. The intricate plot twists left them yearning for more.

When Sally reached the last line and turned the page, she was met with nothing. Her thoughts, halfway through the story, were abruptly cut off.

"That's it?!"

The next page was the end of the publication, with thin strings binding the parchment into a complete booklet.

Realizing there was no more to read, Sally flipped back to the end of the story, where a small note read: To be continued. Next chapter: The runaway bride is captured by the overbearing prince. She demands to know why he won't let her go if he doesn't love her. His response is...???

Sally's eyes fixated on the note, as if she could decipher the prince's answer. She quickly flipped to the front, searching for the release date of the next issue.

The next issue of the Empire Monthly will be released on June 15th. Stay tuned.

Sally stared at the page, her heart itching with anticipation.

She wanted to read the next chapter now, to know what the prince would say, how he would win back the heroine, and what twists lay ahead.

The heroine mustn't forgive him too easily. He must suffer for his love.

Meanwhile, many other noble ladies, like Sally, were eagerly awaiting the next issue.

Some were interested in the jewelry reviews, others in the fashion tips, but all were captivated by the story, desperate to know what happened next.

The story's cliffhangers became the main topic of conversation during their afternoon tea gatherings.

Of course, it wasn't just the young noblewomen reading the publication.

Some imperial officials were also perusing it.

The Minister of Finance, looking at the architectural drawing signed by Amalia, was struck by the cold, sharp lines that intertwined with heavy ink on the small canvas.

From a professional perspective, the artist was undoubtedly a genius. He wondered who she was in real life.

Meanwhile, in the third princess's chambers, Astrid was reviewing the first sales report provided by Elowen while listening to Elise's update on the second round of sales. A faint smile played on her lips.

"The additional thousand copies, except for the hundred reserved for the capital, were sent to other regions. The copies left in Capital City were sold out within half an hour."

Pleased with the sales figures, which exceeded expectations, Astrid set down the report, her lips curving into a beautiful smile.

"Excellent. It seems we'll need to hire more staff soon."

With the first edition's success, Astrid could now expand her business further, aiming to make this form of information dissemination more widely accepted and to secure a dominant position in public opinion.

"Miss Astrid, there's one more thing. Earl Tristian has invited you to dinner at the Bolin Restaurant tomorrow."

Astrid thought for a moment before replying, "I have something else to do tomorrow. Ask him to reschedule."

Tristian's invitation was likely to discuss the publication's distribution. It was a pity he had to initiate contact with someone he didn't particularly like.

Astrid usually didn't refuse business meetings, but unfortunately, Tristian's invitation clashed with something far more important.

Livia had promised Amalia to spend the entire day with her at the dark castle tomorrow.

Compared to her neglected foster sister, Tristian's invitation seemed trivial.

After dinner, Astrid invited Lyra and Elise to her room to carefully discuss the details of tomorrow's plans.