Though Cordelia believed she had grown somewhat accustomed to this place over the past year, she had quickly realized how difficult it was to find anyone clean—someone not entangled with her in-laws.

Politics?

‘That’s the first thing to avoid. Both my father-in-law and Lucas are bound to have their hands in it.’

The military was probably much the same. The same goes for business. The mere thought of her husband’s acquaintances being involved in everything made her stomach churn.

If she made the wrong move, would she find herself mixed up with criminals?

‘The nobles from the Old Continent already look down on me—hoping for help from overseas is nothing but a lost cause.’

Then who could she align herself with?

Would she have to find information some other way about where it might be safe to settle?

Exhausted, she pressed her fingers to her temples and began to rub slow circles, when the head maid, who had been observing her, gently reached for the radio on the bedside table.

“My lady, shall I turn on the radio? It’s about time for the music broadcast.”

“Yes, please, Elma.”

Even if she trusted no one in this household, there was no need to display coldness over simple tasks.

But instead of music, the radio first aired a short news update.

“It’s been a year since the government launched its Grand West initiative, and the programme is now starting to deliver tangible results.”

‘That’s the third time I’ve heard about that lately.’

Then again, perhaps she had simply become more aware of it now that her mind was alert to potential escape routes.

The New Continent was vast, spanning an entire landmass and resembling a single country.

While the east was densely populated, the central and western regions remained largely untouched and preserved in their natural state.

The government aimed to relocate people to these less populated areas, and the Grand West Settlement Policy was the most widely publicised of these efforts.

‘I heard the West is still seriously lacking in basic infrastructure…’

Just how much had it really developed in the past year?

…And perhaps, in a place like that, she might just be able to hide—from Lucas, and from the Duquesne.

‘Am I really staking everything on something so trivial…?’

But Cordelia had already crossed an ocean once before, for her husband. She had left everyone she knew behind and spent the past year trying desperately to settle in a new place. The courage born from having done so before wouldn’t fade easily.

‘Yes… I won’t just tune things out anymore.’

The more she knew, the better she could prepare.

But just before the music could start, a breaking news alert cut into the regular broadcast.

[Another shootout has occurred in Hell’s Realm today. The conflict appears to be over territorial disputes.]

As always, it was something happening far away—never reaching “Millionaire Row.” Still, Cordelia could no longer bear to listen. She turned the dial and changed the station.

***

Hell’s Realm was the most dangerous district in East Empire City. But for that very reason, it was also the perfect place for businesses to hide their dirty secrets. It was the underbelly of the city — arguably its true face compared to Millionaire Row’s polished glamour.

Today’s shootout was just another turf war in the area. However, it became more of a problem if those caught up in it were low-level lackeys of the wealthy.

Before the police could investigate further, Lucas quickly smoothed things over with bribes and summoned the informant responsible for today’s blunder.

“I told you to keep things tight, Langdon.”

“I’m sorry, Lucas. It was the guys under me—they messed up—”

“Do you realize I placed you here to keep those men in line?”

Langdon Wyatt clung to him nervously, his voice trembling. Although they had attended the same university, he was far from being on equal footing with Lucas.

Lucas narrowed his eyes coldly, his tone laced with warning.

“You know how much I hate having to come down here.”

“S-sorry—!”

“I handed the shipping business over to your family. You do realise that I could give it to someone else at any time, don’t you?”

“I—I’ll do better! I swear, I’m sorry!”

Langdon swallowed his shattered pride and pleaded desperately. He knew only too well that his family had only begun to flourish once Lucas had accepted him as one of his own.

But Lucas’s mood remained grim.

“We’re on the verge of being chosen as the military’s operating partner. I can’t afford setbacks like this to hold me back.”

Now that the Duquesne family had become ultra-wealthy, they needed to stop getting involved in dirty turf wars like this one.

The bribes were still worth collecting, of course, but they needed to clean up their act. However, due to Langdon’s failure to handle the situation properly, Lucas had been forced to step in himself.

With his hands in his pockets, he looked down at the bodies, which were now covered with coarse grey cloth. They were pitiful — cheap, unnecessary deaths in a place he no longer wanted to be associated with.

He’d seen corpses before; this wasn’t anything new. There was no reason to feel nauseated now.

“Luke, you’re amazing! I sold everything today thanks to you!”

However, seeing the redheaded dead man brought back unwanted memories.

“You’ve got a girlfriend in the Empire? Wow, I’m jealous! You’ll have to introduce her sometime!”

Lucas turned his eyes away from the bloodstained sidewalk. Yet, of all days, the sea nestled between the dark brown buildings was strikingly vivid—an almost unnatural shade of blue.

Hells Realm was also the district closest to Lewis Island, the harbor through which newcomers entered the New Continent.

That tiny island was the first checkpoint for immigrants crossing the ocean. There, they were screened for disease, asked simple questions about their plans, and if all went well, given the promise of a new beginning.

Lucas had been there before, leaving his homeland behind with the foolish dream of building a future worthy of a young lady.

Was he seventeen back then?

Either way, he was a teenager with nothing but rose-tinted fantasies. He had no idea what would happen once he arrived. All he had was blind faith in the world’s possibilities.

He hadn’t realised that he could lose everything and end up in hell in an instant.

And even now, this place hadn’t changed. Outside the job centre, a long queue of job seekers stretched away, and beggars crowded the surrounding streets.

“Disgusting.”

Lucas muttered under his breath.

Poverty was revolting. A life groveling at the bottom… it made his skin crawl.

He never wanted to live again as someone yearning for a love destined to fall apart.

That’s why Lucas would forget everything—his days in the Empire, his early years of struggling here.

He would become the richest businessman on the continent, keeping Cordelia — the woman who had once deceived him — by his side as proof of his success.

There was a time when he had wanted that woman to smile and be genuinely happy. But now? It didn’t matter if that was impossible.

He dropped the almost-extinguished cigar and crushed it underfoot without a second glance.

As he stepped out of the alley into the sunlight, William greeted him with a cheerful wave.

Having long since grown accustomed to the darker side of the East End, he smiled without the slightest discomfort at the bloodstained scene behind them.

“Hey. All done?”

“Yeah. But what are you doing here, just lazing around?”

“I got an interesting invitation, that’s all.”

William grinned and held up an envelope between his index and middle fingers.

“Look at this—our alma mater is hosting a gala to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Western Settlement Policy.”

Lucas frowned at the absurdity of it.

“They’re holding that kind of event there?”

“What do you mean by that?” After all, it’s still our alma mater – the top university in Eastern Empire. You’re making me feel offended now, too.”

“If it’s that important, why don’t they hold it at the parliamentary banquet hall or somewhere more fitting?”

“Apparently, Reginald University’s thinking of opening a satellite campus out west. That’s probably why.”

Lucas took the invitation and narrowed his eyes, clearly unimpressed. William chuckled, amused by the sight.

“Joshua Reginald will probably be there too. That uptight bastard can’t stand you. Man’s practically allergic to anything less than perfect.”

“I’m grateful. I’m not really his type anyway.”

“You’re insane, you know that?”

Lucas had thought that once he had climbed the social ladder, nuisances like this would no longer bother him. But ambushes like this still came out of nowhere.

To make matters worse, the invitation said ‘spouses welcome’.

After casting one last glance at the immigrants lining up near Lewis Island, he turned away. They were all empty-handed and ragged, looking pitiful.

‘Well, if she doesn’t want to end up like that, she’ll learn to cling to me in her own time.’

Cordelia would come to understand that soon enough, and if she didn’t—then he’d simply make her understand.