Chapter 342: Return of the Soldier King?

"Gervas, try this roasted beast meat—I knew you liked it, so I had my servants prepare it specially a few days ago!"

"Of course! Since it's specially prepared by Catherine, I absolutely must taste it! Hmm, excellent! The beast meat is perfectly roasted!"

"I'm glad you like it!"

After returning to the dining hall, Gervas and Catherine's performance became remarkably synchronized.

This back-and-forth exchange naturally made Scarlett, Doyle, and several noble youths' expressions grow even darker.

"Catherine, cousin, I'm not saying this to criticize you, but now that you've become a blood heir of the Hernand family and hold the rank of count yourself, you must be extremely careful—not to be deceived by those with ulterior motives!"

"Some minor nobles love to flatter just to climb the social ladder!"

"That's right, Catherine, Doyle speaks truly—I've seen countless minor nobles try to flatter me before!"

"But they had neither gold nor talent—how could I possibly be fooled by their empty words?"

"Moreover, as heirs of great families, we should choose partners from families of equal standing—that's the only way to ensure our future happiness!"

Damn! Gervas silently exclaimed Damn!

Isn't this the exact plot from Qianshi 's "Return of the Soldier King"?

I've already been reincarnated!

And now I'm actually experiencing it firsthand.

"Cousin Scarlett, Cousin Doyle, I don't understand what you're talking about!"

"But Catherine hates nothing more than hearing others speak ill of her friends—especially Gervas!"

"If such things happen, I won't hesitate to throw them out of the castle!"

"Catherine, you…" Scarlett's face changed, barely holding back a harsh retort.

After all, Catherine was disregarding the Hernand family's honor for the sake of an outsider—this was utterly intolerable.

Fortunately, Doyle still had enough composure to hold Scarlett back.

"Catherine, we mean no harm—we're only warning you!"

"By the way, Catherine, Maurice and the others heard you were hosting a visit, so they've brought gifts!"

As he spoke, Doyle gave Maurice and the others a meaningful glance.

Maurice and the others immediately understood his intent.

They had indeed prepared gifts.

Gifts meant to be presented only if they won Catherine's favor.

Now, they all wanted Catherine.

But the situation had shifted slightly.

The original gifts were for internal competition among the five.

Now, they needed to unite against a common foe—outdo this pretty boy with their offerings.

"That's right, Miss Catherine, our unannounced visit was impolite, so we've brought gifts to express our apologies—please allow us to present them!"

The men quickly ordered their personal servants.

Catherine could guess what they intended to do—she was about to refuse outright, but Gervas suddenly smiled and shook his head to stop her.

Though puzzled, Catherine calmed down.

Soon, the noble youths' personal servants returned, each carrying a gift box.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let me, Dant, go first!"

One of the noble youths stood up.

The others had no objections, so he took the box and opened it himself.

Two pigeon-egg-sized magic pearls, glowing faintly blue, came into view.

"Miss Catherine, let me introduce these—these are the famed Magic Condensation Pearls."

"Everyone knows the sea is full of dangers; even gathering ordinary seafood is difficult, let alone magical items from the ocean!"

"These Condensation Pearls, due to their unique properties, are even more valuable than ordinary magical items."

"They can condense pure water at any time and place—so as long as you carry one, you'll never worry about running out of water."

"Though the southern lands aren't dry, they're immensely convenient during travel."

"Each pigeon-egg-sized pearl costs roughly seven or eight gold coins—but they're almost never for sale."

"Whenever one appears, western drought-stricken duchies' caravans snap them up at premium prices."

"These two were given to me by a deputy commander of the Western Legion when he visited my father in the east!"

"Now I offer them as a gift to Miss Catherine—please accept them!"

Dant placed the box containing the two pearls before Catherine.

Of course, as he spoke, his gaze swept over Gervas, laced with mockery and provocation.

Clearly, this poor minor noble Gervas had no business competing with them.

Gervas felt the "Return of the Soldier King" experience growing ever more real.

This feeling… was incredibly satisfying!

The more these bastards flaunt themselves now, the harder their faces will sting when they're humiliated later.

After all, I didn't watch hundreds of "CEO Falls in Love with the Security Guard" dramas in my Qianshi for nothing.

Catherine glanced at Gervas and saw his expression calm, even giving her a slight nod.

She signaled her personal maid, who accepted the gift.

At the same time, she murmured, "Thank you."

The youth named Dant blinked.

Was a gift worth over ten gold coins really worth just these two bland words?

Logically, even a duke's daughter would be delighted by such a beautiful, valuable gift.

More importantly, the neighboring baron's son showed no reaction at all.

"Now it's my turn!" At that moment, a youth named Liam stood up.

He waved to his servant behind him.

The servant carried a large box, covered with festive red silk.

At his command, the servant pulled away the red silk, revealing the wooden box beneath.

It was a small beast cage.

Inside the cage lay a tiny red object.

But the cage's window was too small to see its full form.

Still, Liam didn't make them wait long—he stepped forward and lifted the lid himself.

There, before them, appeared a small, fiery-red rabbit.

"It's a Rank-One beast, the Firedown Rabbit!" Scarlett immediately recognized it, her eyes gleaming.

"That's right—it's a Rank-One beast, the Firedown Rabbit!"

"Though the Firedown Rabbit has no offensive power and is small in size, with little culinary value compared to other beasts, its greatest advantage is that it emits heat!"

"Its body temperature is far higher than ordinary animals, constantly radiating warmth—imagine holding such a fiery-red rabbit during the bitter winter; how comforting that would be!"

"Miss Catherine, this is the gift I've prepared for you—I hope you like it!"