Afterword

Afterword

 

IT’S BEEN SOME TIME since we last met. Thank you so much for reading the second volume of this story. I truly wasn’t expecting the story to continue, so I really appreciate your support. Thank you so much.

To be honest, it didn’t feel real when I was approached about getting my story published, not even after discussing it with my editor and sending off the manuscript. Every day felt like a dream, and it didn’t seem the least bit like reality. It only hit me that it had really happened when I stood in the bookstore and saw the book on the shelf.

By the way, a friend of mine read the previous volume and remarked, “The afterword you wrote really sounded like you.” Yup, they commented on the afterword before they said a thing about the actual content of the book. But I suppose my friend had actually been to my house and seen the bookshelf in question, so that perspective makes sense. All my friends said, “We told you to straighten up your bookshelf!” or “Why don’t you just start buying e-books?”

But don’t you feel a sense of accomplishment when you put books on a shelf? It’s that certain buzz you get from collecting things. I tried to buy e-books and read them that way, but I always end up buying a physical copy of the book anyway. So it doesn’t look like I’m going to whittle down my book collection anytime soon.

Also, imagining a book I wrote on a bookshelf makes me incredibly happy. Like maybe someone will go to clean up their bookshelf or go to read another book, and they’ll get distracted by my book and think, “Oh, yeah, that’s where that book was! Brings back memories…” Then they’ll pick up the book and start rereading it. I love the thought of that.

In recent news, the manga version of Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter was published in Young Ace Up in the April 2016 edition. I really love Suki Umemiya’s vision of the Duke’s Daughter manga. She’s really brought all the characters to life. It reminded me once again of how amazing manga is. Iris’s father, Louis de Armelia, appears in the third chapter, and I had to murmur, “Ah, I forgot how intimidating her father is! Like a demon king or something!” But she’s really captured all of the characters’ individual styles. Thank you so much, Umemiya-sensei.

And thank you, everyone. Thank you to those of you who have been reading since this story was published on the internet. There are so many scenes in this published version that were not included in the first internet drafts. I really hope you enjoy seeing those differences.

Thank you also to my editor for giving me so much support. When I get advice from my editor, I get so inspired to write, thinking, “Ooh, how about I do this here?” or “I should add this here!” But mainly, I just want to hurry up and keep writing!

Apparently, once I get inspired, I just want to go all out. But putting all jokes aside, my editor’s words are really a huge source of my motivation. I can’t wait to keep working with you.

To Haduki Futaba-sama, thank you so much for your magnificent illustrations. Ever since I heard the second volume would be published, I couldn’t wait to see what the cover would look like. I want to keep diligently writing stories worthy of your art.

And to everyone who has helped me, given me comments, and encouraged me: I was only able to get this far because of all of you. Please keep supporting me.

And to the people who bought this book—thank you so much. I’m honored that you continued this journey with me after Volume One. I will work even harder to make sure you enjoy future stories. And I hope that we meet again soon.

 

—REIA