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EP.12 [Jeanne Succumbing to Eugene's Male Charm]4
"The second daughter of Grand Duke Antoine de Sel Orléans, Lady Jeanne d'Arc de Sel Orléans, is entering!"
The chandelier, too grand to be described as merely splendid,
Illuminated a space filled with nobles, almost like a palace.
The villa's chief manager announced the entrance of Jeanne d'Arc de Sel Orléans, the acting host of the bazaar.
"Lady Jeanne is participating, I'm so curious..."
"She was such a lively and pretty child, I wonder what kind of lady she's grown into..."
The nobles gradually gathered towards the red carpet where Jeanne, the second daughter of the Orléans Grand Duke family, would walk out.
Though Jeanne struggled with feelings of inferiority among her accomplished family members at home,
It was different among other nobles.
Grand Duke Antoine had three of the most beautiful women in the empire under his roof,
This being the most circulated gossip among them.
Moreover, in the past 10 years, the Orléans Grand Duke family's influence had skyrocketed in the Imperium Empire,
And since Jeanne herself rarely appeared at social gatherings,
She was shrouded in an air of mystery to outsiders.
How could she not attract people's attention?
Rustle...! Rustle...!
Step! Step! Step!
Finally, Jeanne d'Arc de Sel Orléans appeared, slightly dragging her beautiful dress,
And beside her was Eugene Schneider.
"Hmm... Lady Jeanne's current appearance is truly groundbreaking..."
"Mmm... It feels avant-garde, beyond just being lively..."
As Jeanne appeared,
Murmurs began to spread among the audience.
As Jeanne had predicted,
The so-called noble celebrities were showing unusual reactions, fixated on her short hair and skin tone unbecoming of a noble young lady.
Though they whispered as quietly as possible behind their fans,
Their eyes alone were enough to clearly interpret what they were saying.
However, along with that first negative expectation,
"Who is that man beside her? Was there such a person in the Grand Duke's family?"
"He's so tall and handsome like a sculpture... Could he be Lady Jeanne's fiancé?"
"Judging by his physique and such, he seems to be a promising knight."
Jeanne's positive strategy also hit the mark.
The appearance of the tall, sculptured handsome Eugene Schneider,
Entering the social venue with a young lady of marriageable age from an influential family,
Quickly shifted the attention of those who had initially focused on Jeanne
To wondering who this man was beside the Orléans Grand Duke's second daughter.
Smile...!
Watching this situation, Jeanne gave a faint, satisfied smile.
Honestly, at first, she had proposed to Eugene thinking they should try something.
But after seeing Eugene's full setup a few hours ago,
Jeanne became convinced that this strategy would definitely succeed.
After all, wasn't Jeanne herself captivated by Eugene's handsomeness?
'Well... They're showing this much of a reaction?'
On the other hand, Eugene, who hadn't expected this at all,
Went from being very tense to slightly wide-eyed.
"Hey Jeanne, somehow the effect is too good? I think this changes things a bit. Even if it's after the fact, if we've drawn this much effect, we absolutely can't go empty-handed, you know."
"I got it. So manage your expression."
"Oops."
For Eugene, who had essentially lived in seclusion for 12 years, this was the first time receiving such attention from people.
He himself felt somewhat puffed up.
Furthermore, feeling that he was performing today's role well,
He judged that he had saved Jeanne and immediately presented his bill.
"Oh my! Come to think of it, I vaguely heard before. That the Orléans family had adopted a son. I heard he was a very young child, has he grown up so splendidly? I'm not one to believe in superstitions, but it seems the Orléans family's land is truly blessed!"
"Now that you mention it, I remember too. The story about adopting a son. I didn't hear it directly since Grand Duke Antoine never mentions family matters publicly or privately."
As the bazaar officially began, Eugene and Jeanne were surrounded by people.
As expected, not deviating from the two's predictions in the carriage, Eugene's background check began as if they had been waiting,
So Eugene introduced himself as Eugene de Sel Orléans.
As comments from well-informed enthusiasts began to be added,
The fact that he was Antoine de Sel Orléans' adopted son was officially mentioned.
"Then will you follow your father's path and become a knight?"
In the past, the sickly-looking Eugene Schneider might have been held back by being an adopted son.
An adopted son is a kind of mercenary in the noble world.
Mercenaries are merely targets of attack unless they're exceptionally outstanding.
But the Eugene standing before people now
Is a handsome man with a superior physique.
Anyone could see he was someone the Grand Duke's family, which had no sons, had deliberately empowered,
So they set aside digging into the past and immediately asked about Eugene's future vision,
Connecting him to his adoptive father Antoine, a power player in the empire.
'It must be an important issue. Because there's no one visible to succeed Uncle Antoine, the Imperial Army Commander-in-Chief, in the Orléans family.'
Eugene Schneider knew the reason quite well,
No matter how much of a shut-in noble he was,
If one wore the armband of nobility, in the Elysium Empire, it would be more unusual not to know.
Grand Duke Antoine de Sel Orléans is the Imperial Army Commander-in-Chief, centered on the Imperial Knights.
In other words, he's the power among powers, holding military authority,
But while political skill is important in acquiring and maintaining the position of Imperial Army Commander-in-Chief,
Because the structure is centered on the Imperial Knights, what's needed above all is swordsmanship ability.
Therefore, even for a Grand Duke's family with solid power,
It's difficult to pass on power without forming a consensus about swordsmanship.
Meanwhile, the two geniuses who could be called the future of the current Grand Duke's family are not walking the path of the sword.
Therefore, noble families with young masters or ladies talented as swordsmen
Are calculating that if they do well enough, they might be able to enter that absolute power cartel, even if they can't overtake the Orléans Grand Duke's family.
"That's right. I intend to walk the path of the sword."
There are quite a few people here now who attended this social gathering hosted by the Orléans family with that thought.
Eugene Schneider can be seen as having not only marked his territory but also declared war on them.
'When I said I would attend too, Sister Charlotte's reply seemed to show some subtle expectations, so I should do it. If that's what the family wants.'
Grand Duchess Marianne and Lady Charlotte, given their personalities, didn't want to burden Eugene.
They just hoped he would grow up healthy and be part of a close-knit family.
However, since Eugene Schneider had shown such a dramatic change,
They began to show expectations that he would now become a strong pillar for the family.
In that case, from Eugene Schneider's perspective, there was no reason to hold back.
"Ohhhhh...!!"
"I see...!!!"
Murmur! Murmur! Murmur! Murmur!
As a declaration that the heir to the empire's top expert might be created had come out,
The banquet hall immediately began to buzz.
"I want to prove myself with my own sword and gain my father's recognition. That would be the way to elevate the family's glory without tarnishing the Grand Duke's reputation."
And the self-promotion method Eugene Schneider chose was confidence.
Antoine de Sel Orléans, one of the empire's official two Sword Masters,
Therefore, no matter how talented a person from a great noble family might be,
It's difficult to approach him without connections and tricks.
But Eugene is saying he will become Antoine's successor solely through swordsmanship, without such things.
"Ohhh...! Indeed! That's the spirit of the Orléans Grand Duke's family!! That's right!! If one wants to become the heir to the empire's top sword, one must be recognized through swordsmanship!"
"His gallantry is unparalleled. This gathering today was to introduce the talent that will lead the future of the Elysium Empire!!"
"Despite his sturdy physique, his features still look youthful, but there's a depth in the young master's demeanor that belies his age. It feels like Grand Duchess Marianne's influence. I wish our child would grow up like this..."
Eugene's bluff was properly swallowed by the expectant nobles,
And voices of praise for Eugene Schneider burst out here and there.
Nobles, while keen on their own interests,
Can also get buried in romance when gathered among themselves.
This is because visible honor is directly linked to profit in noble society.
The empire is not only in its heyday, but as systems become more organized,
The so-called romance is increasingly being treated like a relic of the past.
Because Eugene Schneider's eloquence skillfully touched on that,
The audience couldn't help but show such an explosive reaction.
'My tongue is quite loose today. Past life memories are quite useful, huh?'
Honestly, the previous Eugene Schneider would have found it difficult to speak so much,
But thanks to the memories of his past life, which had lived longer than his current life and had social experiences,
Eugene was able to deliver lines uncharacteristic of his 21 years of age even to the nobles.
'What's this...? Has Eugene always been able to speak so well? Honestly, things have seemed a bit off since the night before last, but even considering that, his current appearance is too...'
Jeanne, maintaining a noble young lady-like demeanor while trying her best not to show habits picked up from mercenary life,
But as she glanced slightly at Eugene Schneider,
She couldn't help the situation of her eyes continuing to widen.
Eugene Schneider's eloquence last night during their bickering could be understood given how much time Jeanne herself had been entangled with him.
However, as he was now saying things in front of many nobles that he had never said before,
The thought that 'Is this guy really the Eugene Schneider I knew?' was circling in Jeanne's mind again.
"That's right. I think I was able to grow up well because my family has cared for me, who came in as an adopted son, so indiscriminately until now. And especially, the person here with me,"
Swish...!
Naturally, when an excellent person emerges from a family, praise for the family members follows,
Feeling that timing had come, Eugene Schneider slightly turned his body to his side.
"Lady Jeanne d'Arc de Sel Orléans, the second daughter of the Orléans Grand Duke family, has made many efforts for my existence."
The acting host of today's bazaar,
It was to praise Jeanne.
"....??"
Jeanne's eyes, which had been watching Eugene Schneider's eloquent speech with dilated pupils, widened even more.
"As you all know, she is my sister with tremendous passion. I was quite a lacking younger brother, but my sister never gave up on me and has led me to this point with that passion."
Eugene Schneider is merely an assistant at this bazaar.
The true flower should undoubtedly be Jeanne d'Arc de Sel Orléans.
Therefore, Eugene thoroughly blocked people's distrustful gazes towards Jeanne as per the original plan,
Then directed all the sweet fruits of the affectionate hearts that had begun to pour towards him to Jeanne.
'Me...???'
It was a display of tremendous acting skills by Eugene Schneider.
As a result, multiple question marks floated in Jeanne's mind.
If the acting had been awkward, she would have thought this bastard was just paying lip service with lies, but it didn't feel like that at all.
So even Jeanne, who had prided herself on playing the role of an older sister,
Doubted whether she was really the subject of expression that Eugene Schneider was describing so positively now.
"Indeed, Lady Jeanne! It's known to the world that Lady Jeanne is a person full of responsibility and warmth!"
"Like summer sunshine! I too have gained vitality in life every time I've seen Lady Jeanne since the past!"
"The young ladies of the Orléans Grand Duke's family are all beautiful and of excellent character! It's truly an honor to be able to contribute to the social work of such a Grand Duke's family!"
But if the nobles attending the bazaar believe so, from Eugene's perspective, it's mission accomplished regardless of how Jeanne takes it.
Given such a solid build-up for this achievement push,
The nobles showed great interest and praised Jeanne d'Arc de Sel Orléans, who had usually been overshadowed by Charlotte and Elizabeth.
"How about it, isn't this enough to say I've fulfilled my role?"
As the bazaar atmosphere ripened,
A light social dance time was created in the center of the hall.
So Eugene, holding hands with Jeanne and proceeding with the dance steps,
Slightly relaxed his expression and joked.
"It seems, it was quite good...?"
Jeanne answered while avoiding Eugene's gaze, glancing slightly to the side.
'Calm down! Calm down, you stupid Jeanne! This is just doing family business!'
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
It was because she felt like the sound of her heart pounding madly just from seeing Eugene's eyes
Would be transmitted to him through her own eyes.
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