WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Haruto

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Pushover Young Lord in a Romance Fantasy Won't Take It Anymore ◈

Chapter 42: Why?

──────

Young Lord Astin had stepped forward to protect a mere commoner.

The representative's cold gaze moved between Astin and Irina.

Did he truly care about Irina?

'No way.'

He was only soothing and protecting Irina in front of everyone.

She probably had some sort of leverage over him.

"Tell us the real reason, Young Lord Astin."

The representative adjusted the collar of his suit, looking much more at ease than before.

"If this is about repaying the promissory notes, you should speak with me."

Astin was merely a creditor who had bought up Patrian's promissory notes.

Even if that was not his purpose, he would still have to go through Rosenthal.

Astin had come here knowing that.

"I have nothing to discuss with you."

Still clinging to his pride.

The representative snorted.

"Rosenthal says it will repay the debt on their behalf. What exactly is the problem?"

A creditor had no right to refuse when the debtor offered to repay the money.

If Astin did, there would have been no point in demanding repayment in the first place.

"I told you, I came here to cut you out."

Rustle!

Several documents slid across the round table and spread out before them. Everyone's eyes turned toward them.

Astin withdrew his outstretched hand and tipped his chin toward the papers.

The others exchanged looks before picking them up one by one.

Dozens of seals covered the documents.

Gasps burst from those who recognized them.

"I-Isn't this House Estella's seal...?"

"House Cavendish's seal is here as well. Young Lord, what is this...?"

"A boycott petition from the imperial capital's social circle."

Everyone's mouths fell open at those words.

"The merchant guild head committed fraud and deceived people with goods that did not exist. It is only natural for the entire social circle to call for a boycott of Patrian."

Astin lightly tapped the table with one finger.

"Even if you pay the penalty, what comes afterward will be the problem."

The color drained from every face in the room. The representative's mind began racing.

Had Young Lord Astin really persuaded the social circle to boycott Patrian all by himself?

Impossible. He could not have won over those proud noblewomen in such a short time.

Not even Cardenos had enough influence to force them.

Then there was someone who could unite the entire social circle so quickly.

One person who could wield that degree of influence without coercion.

Someone who possessed all that power through beauty and admiration alone.

'Lady Lucia.'

No one but her could have led public opinion toward such a boycott.

If there was someone blessed by the world's favor, not merely within the social circle but throughout the world, it had to be Lucia.

'I heard about what happened at the Founding Festival, but she's helping him this much?'

The representative narrowed his eyes like a bird of prey and stared at the seal at the top of the first page.

Just as expected, it was Lady Lucia's seal.

"And."

Astin spoke briefly before pulling another crisp document from his jacket.

Slap!

He placed it where everyone around the table could see it.

"It is an exclusive distribution contract for the cosmetic Mermaid’s Tears."

"...What?"

"D-Don't tell me that's...!"

Astin nodded.

"Yes, it is the cosmetic Lady Lucia uses. Cardenos developed it directly."

The elders' eyes filled with shock and greed.

That was the cosmetic that had turned the social circle upside down.

Cardenos had developed it?

The representative blankly looked between Astin and the contract.

He was not foolish enough to deny reality after seeing the proof with his own eyes.

'I suspected it, but...'

Cardenos was the one holding that cosmetic.

This had been a lost fight from the start.

"With this, you will not have to pay the penalty. It will be easy to quell the boycott within a day."

If they secured the exclusive contract, they could neatly resolve both the boycott and the penalty.

Still, there was no way Young Lord Astin, who held such overwhelming power, would willingly join hands with Ethan.

Patrian's fate now rested on Astin alone.

After thinking it over, the representative rose with a hardened expression.

"What...?"

Ethan looked up at him in alarm.

The representative irritably fastened a crumpled button on his suit.

"Effective immediately, Rosenthal's bailout funding will be fully withdrawn."

Even with the cosmetics, Ethan was bound to be cast aside in the end.

Ethan seemed to realize his situation as well. His eyes had gone blank.

Leaving the dazed Ethan behind, the representative looked at Astin. A hollow laugh escaped him.

"Young Lord Astin. I do not know what you want."

They called him Cardenos's wastrel, but rumors truly were only rumors.

"It will not be a good choice. Take this to heart as advice from an elder."

"Hope you step in shit on your way out. A nice big pile."

Was that gutter-level way of speaking deliberate too? A way to make others lower their guard?

Feeling as though he was being drawn into Astin's pace, the representative pushed the thought aside.

"We will meet again."

There was no reason to remain here any longer.

After giving a brief bow, the representative left through the meeting room's main doors.

As the sound of his footsteps faded, Astin turned to Ethan.

"Do you have anything else to show me besides Rosenthal?"

"You bastard..."

Ethan glared back and forth between Astin and Irina, rage burning in his eyes.

"You really mean to make Irina the merchant guild head to the very end. This was all planned from the beginning! You are going to put Irina in charge and swallow up Patrian!"

Removing the current merchant guild head, putting a puppet in their place, then controlling the guild from behind the scenes.

It was an all too common method among merchants.

Ethan himself had willingly become Rosenthal's puppet from the start.

No matter how much Ethan barked, no one was willing to listen.

"What nonsense. How could I use Irina? If anything, it would be the other way around."

Question marks seemed to appear over everyone's heads at once.

Ethan, the directors, the elders, and most of all Irina all froze.

Astin meant that Irina was too capable for him to use.

Irina was certainly competent, but it seemed excessive for a grand duke's heir to say so.

Flinch!

Irina's shoulders twitched when she met Astin's eyes.

"Director Irina. Our negotiations are still pending, are they not? I am the one who put them on hold, though."

Irina's blue eyes trembled faintly.

Negotiations? They had spoken privately, but it had never taken the form of negotiations.

Especially not something he could bring up in a public setting like this.

Astin picked up the parchment lying on the table. It was the exclusive distribution contract for Mermaid’s Tears.

The meaning of that action was clear.

"Could it be..."

"Young Lord Astin! Have you discussed a contract with Director Irina?"

"Since everyone is here, I will announce the final decision."

Astin slid the contract across the round table once more.

"I will grant the exclusive distribution rights stated in this contract to the Patrian Merchant Guild."

"What!?"

"Young Lord! Is that true!?"

Rather than answering, Astin casually gestured for them to read the contract.

"Read from the next page."

The delighted elders scrambled to examine the contract. Soon, their mouths fell open.

"I-Is this even possible...?"

"Young Lord, I think there may be something wrong with these figures..."

The stated distribution margin was beyond all common sense. If anything, it was an unfair contract.

It favored Patrian far too heavily, while Cardenos gave up a portion of its profits.

"It is not a mistake. Those figures are correct."

"Y-You mean this is correct?"

"T-This makes no sense. Why offer such extraordinary terms?"

"Young Lord! Are you certain there is no mistake?"

The terms were absurdly favorable to them.

They could not believe what they saw, so suspicion came before joy.

"However."

Astin raised his index finger.

"There is one absolute condition for this contract to take effect. Look at the bottom."

The elders' eyes turned to the bottom of the contract at once.

[This exclusive distribution contract shall remain valid only while the Patrian Merchant Guild's person ultimately responsible is Irina. If the representative changes, the contract shall be terminated immediately and a penalty shall be claimed.]

"As I said earlier, I have been negotiating in secret with the managing director for several days. Throughout that process, I realized something."

There was a reason Astin had gone this far.

In the original story, Irina was cast out by the merchant guild, then built a major merchant guild of her own within two or three years.

But he did not have that kind of time.

Leaving Patrian behind and taking only Irina would cost him time instead of money.

Before the Ashen Forest Expedition, he needed cosmetic distribution and expedition supplies arranged as quickly as possible.

To meet the deadline, Irina had to be in charge of an established merchant guild.

It would be even better if he firmly secured her position within it.

He had given up part of the profits, but it was well worth the price.

"If some worthless bastard sells it, they will be too busy lining their own pockets. This woman is different. Even if I concede the margin, I am certain the absolute profit will be far greater if I contract with Irina."

"...What?"

Irina let out a foolish sound without realizing it. Her face remained completely blank.

Astin was elevating her from a mere spy or puppet.

He was making Irina out to be a genius merchant even a grand duke's heir had no choice but to recognize.

'Why...?'

Astin's intention was obvious. He was trying to strengthen Irina's standing in the merchant guild.

That was exactly why she could not understand.

She absolutely did not deserve this kind of treatment.

The value she had shown so far had sunk to the very bottom.

An incompetent business partner who had been caught because she did not realize she was being recorded.

A disposable piece who could not distinguish friend from foe and had failed to act because she pointed her blade in the wrong direction.

She deserved to be discarded, yet he was cutting into his own profits for her sake.

Why would he save her?

"What will you do now?"

Even under Irina's questioning gaze, Astin calmly continued.

"Decide here and now. Do you all agree to make Irina the merchant guild head?"

"That is absurd!"

Bang!

Ethan slammed his hand on the table and shot to his feet. His face flushed red, then pale.

"This merchant guild was built by my grandfather! Who do you think you are, trying to drive me out?"

Whether he barked or not, no one paid him any attention.

"Young Lord Astin is right! Of course Director Irina should become merchant guild head!"

"This man, honestly. What do you mean, Director Irina? It is Merchant Guild Head Irina!"

"Ha ha! Congratulations on your appointment, Merchant Guild Head Irina!"

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Before anyone knew it, applause filled the meeting room.

The elders stood and cheered for her. Astin remained seated, clapping without much expression.

One person stood apart from the mood. Ethan stared vacantly into the air, utterly devastated.

Irina was just as stunned.

"..."

Relief at being saved? No.

Joy at fulfilling her lifelong wish? Not that either.

More than any sense of accomplishment, Irina was trapped in a vague question she could not escape.

"...Why?"

Her voice was swallowed by the applause.

Irina had lived her whole life through thorough calculation, weighing gains and losses.

Astin's treatment of her was incomprehensible.

He had chosen the most profitable option, then taken care of someone without value.

"...!"

Astin turned to her with a faint smile.

His eyes held trust, without the slightest trace of suspicion.

Irina hurriedly lowered her head.

She could not bear to meet his eyes. No, she was not even worthy of it.

She had distrusted Astin until the very end.

She had been ready to stab him in the back at any moment.

Using the ugly excuse that it was for survival as her shield.

'If this is how things turn out, then I...'

Irina bit down hard on her bloodless lips.

The preparations she had hidden for a possible betrayal now became guilt that squeezed her throat.

She was a pathetic and ugly person.

Irina could not raise her head until the very end.

Author's Note

Double release today. Another chapter will be uploaded at noon.

Footnotes:

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried