Quietly Hiding that I am a Man chapter 91- Fake Skills

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The eccentric alchemist, Marchen.

A wealthy noble’s son, he was notorious in the story for constantly obstructing Luke.

His reason was simple: Luke had rejected his advances.

Marchen was a character driven by extreme likes and dislikes.

If a beautiful person requested a favor, he’d gladly oblige, but if someone turned down his affection, he’d relentlessly torment them.

His twisted nature earned him a record of 102 unofficial wives and 61 husbands.

His preference for beauty, regardless of gender, only added to his unbridled madness.

Standing nearly 190 cm, Marchen loved to adorn himself, often draped in gems and fur, like a peacock flaunting its feathers.

Though I’d created this character, I couldn’t think of anyone better suited for the Venus Guild, whose motto was “beauty above all.”

“How dare they let me, Marchen, walk on dirt… and no red carpet either.”

Glaring around with disdain, Marchen froze the moment he saw me.

The rings on his fingers sparkled.

While I was pleased to have been paired with a skilled alchemist, I couldn’t relax — Marchen was far too unpredictable.

Unfazed by my wary expression, he approached and muttered under his breath.

“So… beautiful.”

Marchen stepped forward, abruptly gripping my chin.

His labored breathing felt surreal.

Holding my face, he turned it from side to side, and with a reverent tone, he cried out.

“Utterly… beautiful!”

“…”

“Perfection itself, the pinnacle of beauty. Ah, how lucky I am, to meet such splendor by chance….”

Just then, a trickle of blood dripped from Marchen’s nose.

The freshmen around us looked horrified. Marchen, still staring with frenzied eyes, began to tremble.

“I could die happy right now!”

He unsheathed a dagger from his belt, its blade gleaming dangerously in the air, aiming it at his own neck.

Before he could follow through, I quickly brought the mirror down on his head.

The mirror, crafted with high-grade gemstones, made a resounding crack.

Thud!

Marchen dropped the dagger and collapsed to his knees.

The bizarre scene left the freshmen whispering in horror.

“D-did she just… kill him…?”

“This must mean Luna has declared all-out war on Venus.”

“Looks like the rumor about Jeanne bringing death is true.”

With gossip escalating like an avalanche, I felt numb.

If this kept up, people might soon come for Jeanne, labeling her as a heretic.

I shook Marchen’s limp shoulder.

“Drop the act and get up.”

As if he’d been waiting for this, Marchen seized my wrist and looked up, blood smeared across his face.

His dazzling features momentarily stunned me, but his cheerful voice froze me.

“If it’s you, I’d gladly make you my one true spouse. How about it? Spend the rest of your life in my lap, basking in affection? I’d feed you grapes grown in the finest sunlight.”

“….”

“Oh, and that indifferent look? It’s simply divine. Sure, a kind beauty is nice, but a cold-hearted one with high self-regard is simply irresistible. In fact, it suits you even better.”

“Hey—”

“I can already picture it — aloof today but blushing tomorrow, asking, ‘Why won’t you adore me?’ Or denying me with ‘There’s no way I’d like someone as plain as you’ and then quietly weeping alone.”

I scowled at Marchen’s dreamy monologue.

In the story, Luke had suffered after rejecting Marchen’s advances.

Marchen’s whims knew no bounds, and the only reason the Venus Guild entered the tournament was to make Luke taste bitter defeat.

Marchen’s father led the Alchemist Guild, and this petty brat leveraged it by ordering all alchemists in the Empire to refuse service to the Flare Guild or else.

This pushed Flare Guild into a dire situation, barely escaping thanks to Carlisle’s efforts.

“Wait, that means I’m in a crisis.”

Sweat trickled down my face as I belatedly realized the situation.

If I rejected Marchen here like Luke had, I could very well become his next target.

Besides, it wasn’t just about avoiding harassment; I needed Marchen on my side.

With his help, I might even get access to top-grade potions or complicated equipment upgrades that even the Flare Guild couldn’t obtain.

Trying to sound uneasy, I responded to Marchen, whose gaze felt sticky and intense.

“It’s not really an issue, but there’s already someone who wants me as their official partner.”

“What? Who is it? Whoever they are, no one has the right to covet Marchen’s precious little grape…”

“You know Jerome Howard?”

An inexplicable silence fell.

Marchen took a deep breath, and then with a shriek, he pushed me away, collapsing dramatically like a tragic heroine.

‘I expected this, but what kind of things has he done to provoke such a reaction at the mere mention of his name?’

In a way, his reputation was impressive.

I thought I might use it to fend off other troublesome admirers in the future.

Marchen wiped his sweat with a pastel pink handkerchief, looking visibly uncomfortable.

“You see, I’ve had countless beauties in my bed over the years. Ah, beauty is truly wonderful. Every day, a new type of beauty appears somewhere in the world, pleasing the eyes of ordinary people. I believe that beauty is the essence of life, its truth, a service to humanity.”

“……”

“But.”

Marchen, now looking pale, bit the edge of his handkerchief and muttered.

“No matter what, I don’t want to become an enemy of that weird guy…”

“There’s a hierarchy even among madmen, huh?”

“Of course! And that guy even pours tea into his milk first! Isn’t pouring milk first just common sense?”

Once again with the milk tea. I scratched my cheek and murmured.

“Honestly, it tastes the same to me.”

“It’s different! You wouldn’t understand as a Sacre, but in the Kaiser Empire, pouring tea before milk is weirder than using the handle side of a fork to eat. Why do you think families here have tea ceremonies with their children’s betrothed? They believe a person’s character is revealed by how they drink milk tea.”

Just as Marchen described, people from Kaiser drank milk tea as often as Koreans drink iced americanos.

When Cedrick visited the Luna Guild house, the first thing he looked for was a spot to have tea.

I watched Marchen grumble and smiled faintly.

‘Maybe it’s time to make use of that.’

Marchen flinched when he caught sight of my mischievous smile.

After a few awkward coughs, he turned away, suddenly embarrassed by his own rambling.

“Well, whatever. But I don’t go out of my way to be nice to beauties who aren’t mine. So, have fun with that strange guy. I’m off.”

“Peacock, hold on.”

I called out to Marchen, who was about to leave without hesitation.

This felt similar to when I’d encountered those troublesome rabbit brothers—a rare SSR Gold Card moment.

‘Like I’d let such a valuable asset go so easily.’

I strode over to Marchen and handed him a small mirror.

He took it suspiciously, casting a doubtful look.

Smiling warmly, I spoke.

“Regardless of Jerome, you’re my mentor this year. Are you planning to ignore Academy regulations?”

“……”

“I’m not just asking for your help outright. I want to form an alliance with you. So how about testing me to see if I’d be a useful ally?”

While Marchen might find it slightly inconvenient, this was a matter of life and death for me.

As I shamelessly extended my hand for a handshake, Marchen dropped the mirror he was holding.

The sound of shattering glass filled the room, and the broken pieces reflected Jeanne’s hardened expression.

Marchen gripped my hand firmly, his blue eyes gleaming with a touch of madness.

“Fine, let’s make a bet. If you win, I’ll be your mentor or whatever you need. But if I win…”

“……”

“Tell Jerome yourself.”

This turn of events was rather troublesome. I didn’t want to get caught in some unnecessary love triangle.

Frowning as Marchen gripped my hand painfully tight, he seemed to enjoy watching my reaction and spoke with a faint smile.

“Tell him that you’re now Marchen’s 164th spouse.”

A cold wind blew, and I narrowed my eyes as I responded.

“164th? That doesn’t feel threatening at all. Do you even remember who’s who?”

“How rude! I remember and cherish every single one of them.”

“What’s the name of your 42nd spouse?”

“Well… Ah, never mind. I’ve changed my mind. If you lose this match, you’re dropping out of the Academy. How about that? Doesn’t that feel more serious?”

Damn it, I shouldn’t have pressed him.

After a brief silence, I sighed.

Since this was a life-or-death situation either way, I figured it was better to try and survive than to give up.

Pulling my hand back, I shrugged.

“Alright. What kind of challenge are we talking about?”

“Hmm, you’re such a rare beauty that I’ll be generous. You can choose the contest. But I get to pick your opponent.”

Marchen already seemed confident in his victory.

The whole Academy knew that Jeanne, being admitted on special grounds without an entrance exam, couldn’t use magic.

I could feel how much he underestimated me.

‘Unless Duke Carlotte completes the development of rechargeable mana stones, Jeanne can’t hope to win a magical duel. So in that case…’

Ignoring Marchen’s smug smile, I headed to the table where weapons lay.

Instead of a sword or staff, I picked up a bow.

Some students watching me burst into laughter.

“Is he an idiot? He looks like he’s never touched a bow in his life.”

“Well, at least we won’t have to see that annoying Sacre around here anymore.”

Many still didn’t approve of Jeanne.

Undeterred by their glares, I strapped the bow over my shoulder.

Marchen, arms crossed, looked at me with satisfaction and shouted loudly.

“Luke!”

The familiar name made my eyes widen.

At some point, Luke had arrived and was staring at me, expressionless.

I tightened my grip on the bow. Marchen nodded with a grin.

“Win an archery match against him, and I’ll lift the Flare ban for the Empire’s alchemists. It must be difficult to participate in trials without potions or enhanced equipment, even for Flare.”

Despite his nonchalant appearance, he was the guild master of one of the major guilds, Venus.

It was hard to believe he’d set up this challenge purely for his own amusement.

Luke, who had been silent, took a bow from the man next to him.

With a frosty expression, he said,

“Don’t call my name so casually. It’s offensive.”

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