The business was progressing smoothly.

But as the ship sails smoothly, the captain must prepare for the waves that will soon hit. Because things are never always smooth sailing.

Selheim will surely retaliate.

They had clashed several times in the capital, but there was never a proper resolution. After all, it’s a game that only ends when one of them dies.

But he can’t just kill him.

Even in death, it needs to be helpful for the future.

If they both end up dead, it would be troublesome for both sides. So they’re both accelerating preparations to pull the trigger at the right time.

‘Will he target the Glinford business next?’

Reizen took off his leather gloves and handed them to his attendant. When the attendant opened the door, he went in and sat down neatly.

Thinking of Selheim reminded him of those two lying on the bed that day, making him feel disgusted. At the same time, fatigue washed over him.

As he was about to return to the hotel, Florence grabbed the carriage door and suggested:

“Your Highness, do you know who came to Glinford today?”

Though Reizen wore a smile, he didn’t answer. He just leaned crookedly against the backrest and put a cigar in his mouth. He seemed completely uninterested.

Florence pretended not to notice and raised her lips while continuing:

“The Union representatives are here. They’re having a gathering tonight among the representatives, and Your Highness enjoys drinking, don’t you?”

Reizen lit his cigar with a lighter. The hazy smoke surrounded his neck and spread with a sharp scent.

The man’s languid gaze lowered slightly as if considering, staring into space. It wasn’t for long. Reizen’s smooth lips curved into a line as he bestowed Florence with a gift.

Along with a lazy smile.

“Why not.”

Florence climbed into the carriage quickly with a bright, beaming smile. Then the two in the carriage looked at Arthur.

Arthur shook his head with a tired face.

“I have another schedule, so I’ll be going.”

Reizen responded with a slow blink of his eyes instead of words.

The night stretched longer than expected.

Meeting with the Union representatives was important for Reizen’s work. Though they communicated through people, the difference between working face-to-face and not was quite significant.

And well, everyone knew without saying the difference between people sharing drinks and conversation versus not.

A middle-aged man wearing a navy military cap said with a red nose:

“Your Highness is a blue whale who catches whales!”

The Union representatives were drunk, their pronunciation heavily slurred, and they couldn’t even sit straight, swaying their bodies. Reizen thought this was enough and smiled while resting his chin on one hand on the table.

“Blue whale.”

Alcohol, I really like it.

But at some point, he stopped drinking unless it was a special occasion. Was it from 3 years ago? Probably from then.

Reizen slowly stood up, steadying himself on the chair among the mumbling drunk men.

Florence had left earlier saying she was tired. Checking the time, it was 2 AM.

He asked the staff to move all the drunk executives to the hotel. Whilton came and took out his wallet to generously distribute tips to everyone at the establishment.

Reizen took out a cigar and lit it in front of the darkened shop. His eyes were slightly unfocused from alcohol. Slow words flowed out.

“The hush money?”

“Gave them plenty. Well, it wasn’t particularly important information anyway.”

Whilton answered. He put his wallet in his pocket and opened the carriage door. He fell asleep briefly during the carriage ride after that.

Arriving at the Glinford Hotel happened in the blink of an eye. When Reizen grabbed the carriage door handle and slowly stepped down, Whilton who saw this asked.

“Are you alright?”

“What wouldn’t be alright.”

“You seem to be overworking yourself. Emerson said you shouldn’t take any more medicine…”

“Ah. Right.”

Reizen rummaged through his suit’s inner pocket.

As if remembering well what he had forgotten, he smiled brightly at Whilton and poured a handful of pills into his mouth.

Nodding to himself saying yeah, that’s better now, the man climbed the hotel stairs while stumbling slightly.

Whilton followed closely behind him with an uncomfortable expression.

“Why do you consider that woman so much?”

He seemed very angry. Reizen waved his hand roughly telling him to keep it down. It meant to get to your room already.

But Whilton didn’t back down.

“Is it all because of the stigma’s effect?”

“That’s what they say?”

“Are you not sure?”

“Probably is.”

Since Emerson said so too.

Reizen now stood in front of his room and shooed Whilton away like a bird. It meant go rest in your room quickly.

Whilton let out a deep sigh.

“Your Highness, I… Everything else is fine, but with you almost shooting the Crown Prince last time, and this change, I really don’t like it.”

“…”

“I’m worried.”

Reizen stopped at the door with his hand on the handle.

He understood what Whilton’s sincere advice meant. After all, we need to change something with our lives on the line.

Usually, he moved considering at least five possibilities. But that shooting was impulsive. It could have been an enormous variable for them.

Even if the Crown Prince died, it would be of no benefit to Reizen right now. There was no way someone with Gerion’s blood would become Emperor in this country anyway.

Rather, Prince Owen who lost one leg in childhood was more likely to return.

Bloodline is that important in this country. To the point where no matter how much an individual struggles, nothing can be done about it.

Thinking about what went wrong, well… just.

It’s not just an individual’s fault.

Reizen looked to the side with slightly unfocused eyes.

Whilton was watching him with an anxious face. While Sion might not, Whilton and Erich had never doubted or felt anxious about Reizen’s decisions.

The same was true for David before he died.

They followed unconditionally. They were also the people who had most closely watched and supported Reizen as he crawled up from the bottom to become a prince, a member of parliament, a judge, a lord, and a businessman.

Reizen always had to instill unwavering faith in them. That’s his reason for existing as their leader.

But, actually that day… would he not shoot again even if he went back to the past? Reizen thought self-mockingly. But there’s no need to tell the whole truth.

He said to reassure Whilton:

“It’s not because of the woman.”

“I know, it’s because of that damn stigma.”

Reizen nodded.

“Then that’s that.”

“I’ll look into ways to erase the stigma too. Or at least ways to nullify its effects. There must be a way somewhere. So you won’t be swayed by the stigma. Or I could just…”

“Whilton. Shh.”

Reizen put a finger to his lips.

It meant don’t say more.

Whilton frowned like he was about to cry and finally backed down. Though he was originally hot-tempered, Reizen knew he would regret it tomorrow and apologize.

Also, Reizen understood his anxiety. All the foundations we’ve built up until now were progressing well, but they almost got overturned by the variable called Melissa.

Actually, Reizen was also surprised by his own actions. Looking back, Whilton’s anxiety wasn’t particularly hard to understand but…

Still, he won’t make such mistakes again, and he’s getting used to controlling the stigma, so it should be fine, right?

After all, he was born with patience if nothing else.

Reizen imagined the woman who would be sound asleep when he opened the door. Long, wavy black hair and attention-grabbing red eyes.

Gently sloping eyebrows and delicate features.

A beauty with a fragile body but surprisingly curved lines, giving off a melancholic atmosphere. Up close, she smells sweet and warm like baby’s milk.

Usually he would find it hard to endure that scent and toss and turn, but in this alcohol-soaked state, wouldn’t he be able to sleep like the dead even lying next to her?

Reizen turned the doorknob while imagining Melissa’s clear and pure face sleeping lovingly. And ended up witnessing what was before him.

“Hng, ack! Hnngh…”

The woman who was barely supporting herself sitting on the sofa was tearing at her left arm in a complete mess.

Flesh was torn and blood flowed between the tears.

Blood… How did it get like this?

He couldn’t tell since when, or how long she had been like this. The floor was a complete mess. Where were all the maids? The imperial knights? Horrux?

For a moment, Reizen’s blue eyes filled with terror.

The emotion that started as terror gradually changed to anger as he took in the reality before him. His languidly unfocused eyes gathered a white light like madness.

He strode forward with gritted teeth. When the door slammed shut, the woman who heard the sound twisted her neck to look up with completely unfocused eyes.