Once Claus finished explaining his idea to Jeanette, she immediately set about making preparations. Her task was to arrange for a diamond-based product that would be easily obtainable even for the middle class. Luckily, plenty of diamonds could be procured from the mine she’d received from her father, so all that was left was finding craftsmen who could work with them.
Other than their price, the reason diamonds hadn’t appeared on the regular market so far also had to do with the difficulty of processing them. But...
Thank goodness! I can definitely do this!
Whatever the circumstances, finding people was Jeanette’s specialty. She had plenty of connections: her fellow merchant acquaintances Edmond and Gautier; the jeweler Guajardo, who she’d made contact with during the Bairapa tourmaline incident with Duke Pablo; and of course, her father. She made full use of her contacts.
Jeanette had also warned a lot of people against buying tulips during the height of the mania, helping them avoid massive losses. She’d made numerous allies as a result, so if she told them she wanted to stir the market anew, they’d be happy to cooperate.
The diamond processing proceeded at a rapid pace. Meanwhile Claus had, as expected, begun making large-scale preparations too. The Guivarch estate saw plenty of visitors every single day, including artisans and traders who’d come to see Jeanette, as well as various other people Claus had summoned. There was constant noise inside the mansion. At one time, Jeanette thought she heard someone singing, and at another she saw a group of dour-looking men whispering among each other.
Other than having meetings with the craftsmen on the estate, Jeanette also went out to visit their workshops. There were a lot of diamonds that needed to be processed, and she made periodic visits to ensure that everything was going well.
One afternoon, she was on her way to a craftsman’s place, when something caught her attention. “Oh? Is that...?”
The plaza, which was the busiest place in the area, was filled with the loud sounds of the carpenters swinging their hammers. Drawn in by the noise, Jeanette stepped closer to take a look and realized they were assembling a wooden stage. Not far off, Claus was speaking with the site foreman. Jeanette remained in the thin shadow cast by the streetlamp and gazed at Claus fixedly.
His silver hair glimmered in the sunlight, and his flawless face retained both sweetness and gallantry. He was tall and slender, and the air around him made him stand out among everyone else. The proof of that lay in the fact that the women in the area had forgotten all about their work and just stared at him longingly.
Lord Claus looks amazing even from a distance. I’m not surprised...! Jeanette thought, unintentionally joining the group of women enchanted by Claus as she exhaled dreamily. She had gotten used to seeing his bright smile, but looking at him now made her realize all over again how conspicuously beautiful he was. Of course, he’s very good-looking, but it’s like...all of his movements are full of such elegance and dignity! He really draws the eye... Jeanette let out a sigh of admiration.
Right then, a low, familiar voice addressed her. “What are you doing, Jeanette?”
She whipped around to find Kyuriakris giving her a puzzled look. “Lord Kyuriakris! What a coincidence to run into you here!”
Like her, Kyuriakris had been going around visiting craftsmen. Usually, he took a different route from hers, but on occasion they ran into each other.
Noticing what she’d been looking at earlier, the prince murmured, “Ah, Claus, huh? He really does stand out. But don’t you think that’s true of me too?” he asked with a bold smirk.
Jeanette’s eyes widened. Kyuriakris was right—he did stand out just as much as Claus. He was taller, with a broad build and large, dark, ferocious eyes. All of that combined with his dark complexion made him exude an exotic air. The women who passed by must’ve thought so too, as they blushed and cast him glances. Unlike the other nobles, Kyuriakris had a wild sex appeal about him. If Claus was a holy angel, then Kyuriakris was like a demon straight from the underworld.
“Yes, you’re very beautiful, Lord Kyuriakris! As expected of someone with royal lineage!” Jeanette said with an impressed nod.
Kyuriakris’s shoulders sank, as if he’d lost all strength. “I wanted to make your heart throb here, but...I see. This must be the thickheadedness that Claus mentioned...” he grumbled, face-palming.
Suddenly, someone pulled Jeanette from behind. “Ah!” she shrieked in surprise, hurriedly glancing over her shoulder only to see a pleasantly smiling Claus. He must’ve shown up at some point, and now he remained behind Jeanette, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer.
Despite his smile, a vein was bulging on his temple. “I can never relax with you around, can I, Kyuriakris?”
“That’s right. Who do you think I am? You can’t take your eyes off me.”
Another vein appeared on Claus’s temple in response to these nonchalant words. However, they were in the middle of the street right now. Seeing two beautiful men had caused the girls in the area to gather and shout, “Look over there!” in shrill voices.
Jeanette was also garnering attention, as some wondered out loud, “Who’s that girl?”
Those two really attract attention when they’re together! I feel like the air around us is enormously sparkly! Jeanette thought. Perhaps because the sun was shining brightly today, the two men she was caught between looked downright dazzling. Everyone in the area, regardless of gender, came to a halt just to look at them. They’re so gorgeous that it’s sinful! Even the carpenters are petrified! The economy will stagnate because of their beauty!
Jeanette pulled on Claus’s hand in a panic. “Let’s go home, Lord Claus! At this rate, the labor force will be completely decimated!” she cried.
“What are you talking about, Jeanette? Regardless, I’m just glad I get to hold your hand,” Claus responded with a smile, following after her.
“All right, our preparations are in their final phase now. We’ll be able to announce the new product shortly,” Claus said with satisfaction while looking at the stage which had been constructed in the plaza. He must’ve been thinking about the unveiling of the diamond goods aimed at the general populace.
“The stage is large and impressive. But will it really be enough to convince everyone to buy diamonds?” Kyuriakris questioned.
Indeed, he had a point. Making a grand announcement upon a gaudy stage was sure to attract attention. But whether that would lead to actual sales was a separate matter entirely.
“Obviously, we have a strategy in mind. Right, Jeanette?” Claus asked, smiling at Jeanette cheerfully.
“Yes!” she replied, nodding vigorously.
The strategy was something Jeanette and Claus had decided upon after discussing it together for many days. They’d gone through everything in meticulous detail and privately asked various people for their cooperation.
“What, you guys are keeping me out of it?” Kyuriakris inquired sulkily, scrunching up his face.
Claus smirked, as if in revenge for what had happened earlier. “That’s right. Surprises have to be kept secret, no? Look forward to the day of the announcement.”
In response, the prince let out an exasperated sigh.