I Became A Squirrel Seeking For The Villain [EN]: Chapter 50

“What.”

Roymond grinned and interjected.

“If you want to fulfill Duke Hyrard’s wish sooner, we should get married quickly.”

At those words, people’s mouths dropped open again.

Goodness.

This was the most important statement of the entire banquet.

Meriel and Roymond’s marriage… in other words, the Medest ducal family and the Crown Prince’s state marriage!

Until now, Meriel had always been seen only as a war hero’s partner, so she hadn’t been a major variable in society.

So even when Meriel came as the Crown Prince’s partner, everyone just assumed that Roymond was personally escorting the Medest’s daughter, who symbolized the end of the war.

That’s because Meriel and Roymond had been meeting secretly due to the condition placed on her.

‘And like this…….’

Eurica thought confidently.

‘The Second Prince’s engagement is buried.’

Scandals erupted one after another as soon as the Second Prince’s engagement announcement ended. In terms of the importance of the figures involved, the Crown Prince and Duke Hyrard’s scandals were far more impactful.

If both marriages were to be concluded, it would connect not only Medest and the Imperial Family but also Hyrard.

Besides, this ‘engagement’ was undecided anyway.

Unlike Theodor and Rivena’s engagement, which was completely set.

People naturally prefer to discuss possibilities rather than things that are already faits accomplis [accomplished facts].

I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone gets heated up in all sorts of social gatherings starting tomorrow, debating, ‘Will both of the Medest duchess sisters really get married?’

‘Now, I’ve succeeded in drawing the topic here…….’

Eurica smiled brightly and hooked her arm deeper into Johann’s, saying, to embark on the next plan.

“Anyway, Johann.”

“Hmm?”

“About the engagement gift. Have you decided? Are you going to buy it for me?”

“Of course. Just tell me. Whatever jewel you want, I’ll fill your room with it.”

Johann replied sweetly.

“If there’s not enough space in your room, I’ll tear down the walls of the Duke’s mansion to make your room bigger…….”

His purple eyes were filled with her.

“If even the Duke’s mansion isn’t enough, I’ll magically tear down the walls and build new ones like a fortress with those jewels.”

His seductive voice continued slowly.

His voice wasn’t loud, but it naturally drew people’s attention.

But even amidst the attention of so many people, Johann looked as if he only saw Eurica.

“You know, Eurica. If such things could win your heart, I could endlessly offer you anything in the world.”

A moment of silence flowed.

It was a bizarre idea, but looking at Johann’s serious face, it seemed like he would really do it.

Such excessive cooperation. Eurica clicked her tongue inwardly, but it was still an impactful line.

“N-not jewels.”

Eurica, who had almost been captivated by his sweet expression, quickly regained her senses and smiled brightly.

“I heard from my uncle that artificial leather goods are so well-made these days.”

“Artificial leather?”

“Yes! It’s similar to real leather, but it’s good for environmental protection because you don’t have to kill animals.”

Eurica continued with a bright smile.

“There’s a legend that the first head of Medest was a beast-man. So I don’t like harming animals forcibly. But it’s such a relief that there’s a substitute.”

At those words, Rivena’s face turned pale for a moment.

She had pre-purchased a lot of leather goods in the East. She thought it was a structure where she couldn’t possibly lose money.

But now, Eurica had completely turned the tables.

Since she had attached a moral reason to using ‘artificial leather,’ there was no way to object.

In the meantime, the temple had been spreading malicious rumors about Eurica, calling her a ‘cocky orphan who’s getting arrogant with Meriel and Johann’s favor.’

But even the ‘cocky orphan’ was mentioning moral reasons that she, the ‘wise prince’s fiancée,’ couldn’t refute.

She even brought up the Medest family’s tradition to show her aversion to leather products…….

Now that Medest, which could be connected to the Imperial Family and Hyrard through marriage, no one would dare to go against them and deliberately use leather products.

‘No. Artificial leather… it’s of poor quality, so it can never be a substitute, never.’

Even in the midst of that, Rivena recalled the artificial leather she had seen before and clung to a glimmer of hope.

That’s when it happened.

“Yes, artificial leather goods are really well-made these days.”

Jayden, who had been standing far away, smiled and approached Eurica.

“It must have been quite impressive. But if you had told me, I would have given you plenty without having to break down the Duke’s mansion.”

Jayden took off the gloves he was wearing and handed them to Johann.

“This is artificial leather, take a look. Shouldn’t the person who’s going to give it as a gift touch it himself?”

People’s attention turned to Jayden’s gloves.

Just by looking at them, they looked shiny and soft like real leather.

“Hmm.”

Johann, who received the gloves, narrowed his eyes and admired.

“Excellent. So indistinguishable from the real thing.”

At those words, not only Rivena but also Theodor, who had stockpiled leather products believing in Rivena, stiffened.

Of course, Eurica, who didn’t miss that sight, smiled inwardly.

People tend to remember one good deed done by someone who has committed a hundred misdeeds.

Saying that she didn’t want to kill animals for luxury was the only good thing she, who had a terrible reputation, had said.

So people will naturally avoid leather luxury goods in order not to become worse than Eurica, whom they had cursed so much. Because it’s not a necessity anyway.

Moreover, since there are cheap artificial products that are indistinguishable, the function as a luxury item disappears.

Just in time, the second song began, and people who had gathered in groups of three or five to find topics of conversation began to enjoy the banquet again.

* * *

The second dance was with Jayden.

Johann said there was someone he wanted to be wary of and didn’t dance with anyone else.

“It seems like there’s an unexpected wizard.”

“Wizard?”

“……But I have a feeling that the wizard is going to do something today. Something very annoying.”

It was a somewhat nonsensical statement.

“Do wizards have some kind of connection?”

“Not really…… it’s just an instinctive sense.”

“Well, I understand. But how are you going to watch?”

“I have to be openly annoying.”

Johann raised his eyebrows and said ominously.

“I have to let them know firmly that I’m wary so they can’t do anything reckless.”

Before I could ask more about what he was talking about, the song began.

Inevitably, I left Johann, who was looking at Theodor and Rivena, and began to dance with Jayden.

Strangely, Theodor and Rivena danced together for the second dance as well. Usually, according to social etiquette, they didn’t dance two songs in a row together. Especially if it was the first and second songs.

‘Did something suddenly come up to discuss? But it won’t be easy to turn the tables now.’

I smiled inwardly and glanced at the two people who looked quite serious.

Of course, there was Johann, who was looking at them with even more wary eyes than me.

“Did I do well?”

“Yes.”

In the meantime, Jayden asked anxiously, and I nodded greatly.

“It was perfect.”

I had confirmed the momentarily collapsed expressions of Rivena and Theodor, so it was a success.

Bringing the image of ‘the daughter of a merchant’ to the first social gathering was enough to predict that Rivena was already planning to make a killing at this banquet.

Especially since she can no longer sell divine beasts, she must be short on money.

Of course, I didn’t go into Rivena’s mind, and I didn’t even expect the item to be leather goods.

However, I had made arrangements with Jayden in advance. Whatever item came out, we would use the same repertoire to prevent it from gaining attention.

“My uncle is a well-known successful merchant. So whatever he says is credible enough to create a momentary public opinion.”

“Ahem, it’s true that I’m a pretty good merchant! To the point where there are thugs trying to take my life.”

Whatever Rivena said, our original plan was to somehow give a moral reason and leak the fact that there was a cheap item that could replace it.

If it was jewels, we would have given the reason of a mine accident, and if it was handicrafts, we would have given the reason of labor exploitation.

But leather, it was perfect to sell the name of Medest.

‘In some ways, I was lucky. Because it was a very good excuse to attach.’

Of course, there were no real artificial leather goods that were the same as the real thing.

In fact, the technology wasn’t developed enough to make artificial leather. The leather gloves that Jayden gave to Johann were real leather.

However, it was important to convey only the message that ‘there are cheap artificial products’ to make people lose interest in it as a luxury item.