Just then, all the servants had come out to the central entrance to greet the mistress. First, head butler Vardi, who’d followed Kailen from the Belliche main house, stepped forward and bowed at the waist.

“Welcome, ma’am.”

“Thank you all for welcoming me so warmly.”

Following Vardi, head housekeeper Mrs. Lien, who’d also come from the main house, placed a prepared bouquet in her arms.

“We sincerely rejoice that you’ve become the mistress and prepared this, so we’d be grateful if you’d accept it.”

How light a person’s heart could be. Seeing how her sunken mood from just moments ago lifted with the bouquet and warm greetings.

It was a thoughtful gesture considering the mistress who must be nervous about living in an unfamiliar mansion. 

However, apart from the gift, though she hadn’t met them many times, she’d always thought both the head butler and head housekeeper were decent and considerate people.

Adeline smiled brightly and stepped into the hall. Receiving such an enthusiastic welcome strangely gave her confidence. Confidence that she could build this mansion together with Kailen.

* * *

The sun set in the blink of an eye.

“Ah… I see. It can’t be helped.”

Though she’d been discharged alone, since it was their first newlywed day at the mansion, she wanted to at least have dinner with Kailen.

But through Mrs. Lien, Adeline received the answer that his return home would be late, so she should rest first.

“He’s a busy person…”

“Yes, ma’am. Today his external schedule seems to be running long. It’s been a long day for you, so please don’t overdo it and get some rest.”

Adeline had no choice but to agree and turned toward her room. She smiled to show her gratitude at the words that dinner would be sent up to her room later, but the lingering disappointment in her eyes wouldn’t disappear.

On the way to her room, Adeline glanced out the window. Like representing her feelings, torrential rain poured from the sky.

* * *

This year, Varsen’s sky seemed to have a hole in it. The rain that had been pouring down since yesterday showed no signs of stopping even as the day passed. 

Perhaps because of the rather rough and persistent raindrops and cloudy sky, outside the window was quite dark even though it was just past noon.

Kailen, sitting at his office desk, put down his fountain pen and turned off one of the glass lamps placed at the desk’s edge.

“I know you’re busy, but you need to rest, even if just for a moment.”

Even at the secretary’s worry that people aren’t machines and he should catch his breath, Kailen remained silent.

“…”

The secretary who let out a sigh adjusted the office lighting that let in no light even in early morning and withdrew.

In his own way, it was for his master who lived buried in work without going home despite being newly married, but to Kailen who hadn’t properly slept for several days, that strong light was irritating.

He pressed his temples with his fingertips for a moment, then took out a metal case from inside his jacket and opened it. The lid clicked open and a single cigarette caught on his fingertips. 

Kailen stood up from his seat with the cigarette in his mouth.

Sparse fog covered the view outside the window. The commercial district’s center seen from the third-floor height was submerged in hazy pillars of rain.

On Train Street, the bank signs and exchanges he’d acquired lined up in a row. Indeed, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it the new territory he’d conquered.

But Kailen still wasn’t satisfied. The picture he’d been drawing all this time wasn’t just to grasp and shake Krauben’s economic sphere alone.

He was drawing a bigger dream, a bigger ideal.

In truth, he planned to use an inexhaustible money supply to uproot the royal family, the foundation of this country and his enemy. To do that, he had to destroy the antiquated political system passed down through generations first.

Coincidentally, a wave of reform that fervently supported what he wanted had been rising in this country for several years. So now was the perfect time to push forward his long-laid plans. 

That’s why he didn’t want to waste time.

This country’s political arena was divided largely into three.

Ovel. An alliance of traditional nobles who pledged deep-rooted loyalty to the royal family. But cracks had started to appear recently as William’s incompetence continued to show.

So Lumen dug into that gap. Lumen was a moderate reform faction combining emerging capitalists and intellectuals, actively pursuing gradual change to some system.

And finally, Radiant. The lunatics who split off from Lumen. They were radical republicans who didn’t hesitate even at terrorism.

Kailen had to manipulate all three forces behind the scenes while not neglecting Belliche’s business.

In fact, he’d grasped Ovel and Lumen to some degree. But Radiant, always Radiant was the problem.

Radiant, commonly called ‘R’, had most members unknown not only in face but even in name, except for their leader Esteban Noel. As a radical organization operating in cells, even Kailen who was well-versed in planting spies found this case too tricky and was struggling quite a bit.

While still holding his cigarette and only staring out the window.

“Sir, it’s Collen. May I come in for a moment?”

“Come in.”

It was chief secretary Collen Vark, who’d carefully assisted him by his side for a long time. 

Collen had continued their connection even after graduating from Ehrenroth Academy together with Kailen. 

As a long-time friend and aide who stayed by his side and understood Kailen well, Collen got straight to the point.

“Lumen’s leadership has contacted us again. They’re strongly demanding to meet ‘L’ once more.”

1. The pseudonym Kailen used when providing funds to Lumen. A patron whose face and identity were unknown. That mysteriousness had rather earned their trust, but now it seemed to have reached its limit.

“Mr. Jones is also quite troubled. Since they’re facing a big task, apparently this is a matter of trust?”

Raphael Jones. Kailen’s man infiltrated into Lumen’s leadership. For the past few years, he’d been manipulating the leadership’s direction through him.

“Well, it’s about time to make an appearance. I expected this. That’s why I’ve been backing Raphael Jones all this time, to use him at times like this.”

The fact that Lumen could inflate its power to its current state in just a few years was thanks to Kailen’s financial power behind the name ‘L’, yet now they didn’t know their place and pestered him to reveal L’s true identity, going on about trust and solidarity.

Kailen stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and picked up the coat draped over his chair back.

“Tell Raphael to string them along appropriately a couple more times, then proceed as planned.”

“Yes, understood.”

Watching Kailen thread his arms through the coat sleeves, Collen wondered if he’d mistaken the time and checked his wristwatch again. But as he knew, the clock hands were still turning leisurely.

“There’s still about two hours until the next schedule. Time is plenty, so how about going home briefly before heading out? Your wife at home is also…”

Probably waiting.

He tried to continue that story, but Collen’s words weren’t completed.

“Forget it.”

Kailen, who cut off his words while slightly narrowing his brow like something displeased him, took the lead.

“No need to make it complicated. Let’s just leave right away.”