A stack of documents as tall as a tower landed with a thud on the desk.

Duke Carca lowered his sleep mask and raised an eyebrow askew. In his half-opened vision appeared a young nobleman glaring at him with a terrifying expression.

After briefly meeting the other’s rigid face full of indignation, he promptly pushed aside the tower of documents with his foot resting on the desk and raised his mask again. It was an attitude that would infuriate anyone with business. The problem was that this man behaved like this every day.

So without hesitation, Marquis Bayern went around the long desk and directly yanked off the duke’s sleep mask. The Duke of Carca, Van, expressed his displeasure at his friend’s outrageous act.

“Lothar, what are you doing?”

“What am I doing? I’m trying to prevent the duke from wasting the nation’s resources.”

Lothar revealed his teeth and smiled savagely. Seeing his posture that seemed to say “I am very, very angry,” the duke propped his chin and spoke softly.

“Wasting resources? What do you mean?”

“The behavior you’re exhibiting right now. Dereliction of duty!”

The marquis growled, banging the desk with the document folder. As a result, the precariously balanced documents partially collapsed with a rustle. Van shook his head, apparently regretful.

“Oh dear. It seems you just disrupted work.”

“Ah, that glib tongue! Why did God give you both shamelessness and laziness together!”

“Isn’t that my charm?”

The duke giggled and offered his friend a seat. Lothar snorted and leaned against the wall. Unlike Van, he was a man with many responsibilities and tasks. He needed to leave soon anyway. Van shrugged and crossed his long legs somewhat arrogantly. From his brilliant blonde hair to his neat white shirt that accentuated his handsome features, dark gray linen suit, and shoes polished meticulously every morning by his servant—he was the very image of nobility. Except for the sleep mask dangling around his neck. Whether because people around him constantly called him “the idle duke, the idle duke,” or for some other reason, he had started taking open naps in his office. Or perhaps it was the other way around. Lothar sighed deeply.

In any case, even though the emperor especially favored him, Duke Carca’s actions occasionally stood out and drew attention. Perhaps the problem was the man himself, who seemed to enjoy it like an actor on stage.

“Please maintain some dignity. You don’t seem to fear your reputation. You’ll face serious consequences someday.”

“How amusing. Reputation is merely what others want to see, packaged with rumors and prejudices and elegantly presented as ‘reputation.’ In that sense, you’re certainly well-packaged. Well, who would dare give a negative assessment to the future prime minister?”

“You’re right below the imperial family in rank.”

“True. Compared to that, I have less power but more outward splendor, making me perfect for gossip. Don’t you agree? There’s fun in being a target.”

“……”

Despite his cheerful tone and expression, the words flowing from his mouth were direct and sharp as a blade. Lothar highly valued Van’s keen insight, which pierced through the core of complex matters and various trivial court incidents and accidents, clearly dissecting them, but sometimes found it lethal. To both others and himself. Without needing to revisit numerous past examples, Van was excessively insensitive and willful about others’ discomfort or negative perspectives. Having no fear made him even more dangerous. Fortunately, his abundant charm made the sovereign of this country cherish this man, which was a blessing amid misfortune. The current emperor was a fastidious person but generous to talented individuals. Duke Carca was young and exceptional among the talented.

Yes, he can take care of himself. Lothar sighed and returned to his original purpose.

“Have you thought about what His Majesty mentioned?”

“Ah, that.”

Dryness appeared in his violet pupils. In the end, this was a similar topic. How frustrating that despite others’ concern, the person in question found it bothersome. Van waved his hand dismissively, seemingly uninterested.

“His Majesty is being too meddlesome. I’ll handle my household affairs myself.”

“It’s not meddling but legitimate concern. Chainenburg is a crucial strategic point. His Majesty doesn’t want it passing to someone else.”

“Of course I know that.”

Van slowly affirmed. In fact, what this topic brought to his mind wasn’t his audience with the emperor but his cute mistress. Thinking about his lover amid national affairs—he was certainly a delinquent civil servant. But what could he do? Can I control my thoughts? He shamelessly rationalized himself.

While half-listening to Lothar’s nagging, he fiddled with a piece of stationery. It was a letter Eurene had sent recently. A coded letter she had struggled to write in her own way, frightened after meeting his spouse. Anyone who had ever read the romance novels she read would easily understand the hidden content. How cute. Van laughed quietly.

Beliarota, she called her—though the structure was right, she had essentially labeled herself a villainess, yet probably felt nothing about it. She couldn’t say it was completely different, so she’d likely thought “Well, it’s somewhat accurate” and forgotten about it. And if one wondered whether she felt any guilt, the answer would absolutely be no.

In terms of insensitivity, Van and Eurene were of the same kind. For Van, people with characteristics similar to his own were his number one rejection targets, but this aspect was an exception. He hated bothersome things above all. Thus, Eurene’s obtuseness generally pleased Van. If there was anything slightly disturbing, it was—

—No.

That excessively nonchalant voice. The precise heart contained in that conciseness. A raw insensitivity neither refined nor unripe.

Van expressionlessly caressed the round handwriting smudged on the letter. Certainly, Eurene wasn’t good at lying, didn’t particularly like doing it, and it was the same then too. Eurene had not lied.

—Do you have someone you care for?

—No.

Eurene enjoyed s*x with Van. She enjoyed talking with him, eating meals together, and curling up like a cat, purring when he stroked her hair. But that didn’t mean she loved him with all her heart. Perhaps that was natural. Just like Van.

Eurene wasn’t obligated to love her s*x partner, was she? Van readily affirmed this inner question.

Of course. However—

“What’s that?”

“What are you saying……”

Lothar, who had been talking for a while, frowned, but ironically, Van’s expression was even colder despite being the one called out. He continued his train of thought. Whether it was true or utter nonsense, Van didn’t like her blunt denial. He appreciated that she didn’t cling like other women, but it was also irritating when she was too detached. After all, she was his. His to embrace whenever he pleased.

But what about the areas he couldn’t control?

Possessions that couldn’t be controlled needed to be broken or made to obey. Despite his relaxed appearance, few were as obsessively controlling as Duke Carca, a “scattered control freak” who needed to dominate every object and person in his space. The only reason this wasn’t widely known was because, as he himself admitted, he was dazzlingly splendid and as lazy as he was domineering, so his domain of control was very limited, and his method of expressing this desire was very discreet.

For instance, s*x. In the intimate and secret realm of his self-defined “small line,” he needed to thoroughly control and manipulate everything to be satisfied. If asked whether he had any unusual trauma, not particularly. He seemed to have been that way since childhood, too early to remember. Perhaps it was genetic.

His queen bee-like mother controlled and brought to their knees all the men around her except her husband, whom she couldn’t manipulate. Of course, her actions were also very quiet and subtle. Even to young Van’s eyes, her skills and conduct were exceptional. He might have secretly thought that such was the epitome of elegance, arrogance, and nobility.

This secretive desire to control manifested as strong possessiveness in her son, Van. He hated when his possessions didn’t bend to his will. He preferred a position where he could play around comfortably, even if it came with less power than the top position that required unconditional loyalty and obedience to the emperor. Even the lands hr reluctantly received through his unwanted wife became his property once they belonged to him.

Eurene Eifel? Of course she’s mine since I discovered her and tamed her.

Van pondered. What should he do? Eurene was certainly obedient, but there was a difference between being docile due to her gentle nature and being thoroughly leashed to him, following and obeying only him. She was closer to making pleasant compromises because she preferred the easy way. Until now, he had overlooked this while enjoying and coveting her beautiful body and cuteness, but he was finding it increasingly difficult to remain passive. The possessiveness seated within him was boiling.

In fact, it was unexpected in many ways. Van hadn’t expected to want Eurene for so long and so deeply. He had anticipated growing bored soon and finding another partner, as he often had before. And now that he knew he truly desired her, he needed to properly possess her by any means. From her mind to her body, to the point where she couldn’t live without him.

How could he tame her more quickly and effectively? Van licked his lips and fell into serious contemplation.

* * *