I Decided to Kidnap the Male Lead

CH. 8: Nice to Meet You (II)

Ophelia exited the aide's office, leaving behind Cooper, who was laughing pointlessly, and Iris, whose eyes were as cold as icicles that were about to fall.

'It's sacred...' She arrived at the warehouse where the beans were piled up with sand.

It was a warehouse, but it was enshrined in the center of one of the guest rooms in the crown prince's palace; perhaps it was impossible to arbitrarily pile up things containing divine power.

When the servant left after the guide, Ophelia was left alone with the beans, or rather, beans mixed with sand.

—Tak tak.

Ophelia knocked on the huge barrel of beans and sand, then put her hand inside it.

She picked out a couple of beans from the much more finely grained sand than she expected, and proceeded to take out beans one after another.

However, it was impossible to pick out all the beans in a container large enough for one person to fit in by hand even if you were given a long time.

Ophelia muttered, searching for a solution while picking out the beans.

"I think I've seen something like this somewhere..."

Ophelia, who had tilted her head greatly, immediately widened her eyes.

"It's Psyche!"

Psyche, unable to resist temptation at the whispers of her older sisters, eventually lost her husband, Eros.

One of the things she received from Aphrodite, the mother of Eros and the goddess of love, to make up for that mistake.

"Is it classifying pigeon feed?"

Ophelia couldn't remember the details, but it was regarding sorting out things of different sizes, be it sand or something else.

"It's not exactly the same thing! But the story is a myth and this world is in a novel, so something similar may be done. What did Psyche do then?"

Although the basis for finding a solution was absolutely poor, Ophelia was serious.

Rolling the beans she had picked out while being immersed in her thoughts, Ophelia suddenly patted her numb leg and got up.

"The ants sent by Eros helped to classify them."

In other words, Psyche's story was of no help to Ophelia now.

"How can I use ants.... There really is no answer."

As Ophelia shed a dry smile, a familiar voice resounded from behind.

"Ants?"

"Your Highness?"

She didn't know how or when he came in, but Richard was leaning his back against the closed door, tilting his head.

"Ants."

Ophelia approached Richard in a heartbeat.

"Your Highness! Don't you have anything to do?"

"It sounds quite unpleasant, it makes me feel uncomfortable when you say it so refreshingly."

"No, I don't mean it in a bad way. I was wondering if you could help me."

Richard covered Ophelia's forehead with his palm as she approached him, holding both hands together and with her eyes shining brightly.

"I thought I heard you say you'll work hard like a cow as an assistant. You want me to help you? You can't pick up all the beans by the end of the day even with one more hand."