Connor was in a foul mood throughout the carriage ride to the castle.
He was collecting taxes in the territory, which wasn’t originally a nobleman’s job. But he had to do it himself because he had spent too much money obtaining information about Alice.
In his dreams, Alice frequently appeared wearing flowing clothes, seducing him. But to think she was inexperienced. Then why was she wearing that silver ring that looked like a wedding band?
“…Does she have someone she likes?”
The thought made his blood boil.
Virgins were troublesome to deal with. After sleeping with them once, they would insist on becoming concubines. He knew that even as the eldest son, having a concubine before marriage would jeopardize his position as heir.
The Viscount Cook family had three sons. And Viscount Cook, while ruling over a small territory, wanted to give all his sons equal opportunities.
“Brother Connor. Where have you been wandering around? Did you forget about today’s party?”
“…What? Oh, right.”
At the words of Archie, the third son, Connor remembered he had to attend the party at Count Walsh’s mansion. Recently, his mind had been completely occupied with Alice.
“We’ll be late if we don’t leave now.”
“…Alright.”
The Walsh family had been hosting frequent parties lately. The reason was simple: finding a bride for Khalid, their only heir. Countess Vanessa maintained friendly relationships with many nobles.
Connor’s father seemed content with his small territory, but his sons had different ideas.
They planned to create businesses by attracting investments to the territory. They wanted to build large hunting grounds and villas to transform it into a tourist destination for nobles. To do this, they would need to drive out the current residents.
While touring every corner of the territory, Alice had caught his eye. He needed to take away their homes. Yet instead of doing that, he had spent a fortune on Alice. Just to possess one common woman.
“How pathetic.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Connor found himself pathetic. Now wasn’t the time to be concerned about Alice.
The Walsh family was wealthy, and their heir Khalid was friends with Blake Hill of the Marquis family and also acquainted with Bianca Evans from the Duke’s family. Being on good terms with the Walsh family presented a good opportunity to gather investors.
“Let’s go.”
Marco, the second son, and Archie, the third son, nodded. Connor boarded the carriage again with them, all dressed in black suits.
Countess Vanessa was restless throughout the party. Blake, the heir to the Marquis, had attended the party, but she couldn’t send Khalid out.
Blake looked around for Khalid.
“…Where is Khalid?”
The Countess was at a loss.
“Well, you see… at the villa…”
“Pardon?”
“He’s at the villa in the hunting grounds. He hasn’t been willing to leave there lately.”
Blake tilted his head in confusion.
“Isn’t Khalid the guest of honor today?”
“Well…”
Blake sensed that something was wrong with Khalid. Along with curiosity, he felt intrigued. He smiled at Vanessa.
“…I understand. I’ll bring him back.”
“…Yes. Thank you.”
Vanessa found Blake, her son’s friend, difficult to deal with. Blake’s reputation was quite scandalous, and she would have preferred her son not to be close to him. But he was the fiancé of Duke’s daughter Bianca and the heir to the Marquis family.
“Sigh…”
Even though Khalid disliked Blake, she had no choice but to reveal his whereabouts since Blake had come personally to the party.
Blake took a carriage to Bonagar Forest, the Walsh family’s hunting grounds. Leaning back against the carriage seat with a cushion behind his back, he frowned.
Despite sending Khalid numerous invitations, that straight-laced young man had never once accepted.
‘That’s why I came personally. To see if he’s dead or alive. Tsk…’
Blake had attended school for the fun of teasing Khalid, who showed a different temperament from his own. After graduation, he found himself bored, surrounded only by people who flattered him. He was irritated by “friends” who smiled and approved of whatever he did.
‘Well, they’re not even friends.’
Blake was sick of human relationships. He had been since childhood. From the moment he was born into the Marquis family, no one had been honest with him. But Khalid disliked him to an annoying degree. That, ironically, made him more appealing.
‘Does he enjoy hunting that much?’
To think he wouldn’t show up at a party meant to find him a bride, instead holing up in a villa at the hunting grounds. Could that straight and proper man possibly be with a woman?
When the carriage arrived at the villa, a servant greeted Blake.
“Master Khalid is in his room.”
“Hmm.”
Blake straightened his back and followed the servant’s guidance inside.
When he opened the door to Khalid’s room on the second floor, he hesitated momentarily at the strong smell of alcohol. As the servant lit a lamp in the dark room, Blake could see Khalid’s frowning face.
“…What brings you here, Blake?”
Seeing Khalid’s unwelcoming expression, Blake stroked his black leather gloves. Looking at the table, he saw bottles of alcohol scattered around.
“Ha… Khalid. You’ve become quite the drinker.”
Blake sat across from Khalid and poured alcohol into a fresh glass. Despite drinking so much, Khalid’s posture remained unaffected. His eyes gleamed with a murderous intent.
“…Strange. You look ready to kill someone.”
“Really? …I might, if they were in front of me.”
“…?”
“I asked her not to leave this place even after getting married. I asked her to stay by my side… That’s what I said.”
“Huh?”
Blake couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity. Khalid had been rejected. Thoroughly!
Whoever rejected Khalid must have been a woman with great courage.
Flowing blonde hair, eyes like embedded sapphires, broad shoulders, and a firm chest. Blake couldn’t help but feel envious whenever he saw Khalid. Khalid was a perfect man by anyone’s standards. So the fact that he had been rejected was simply hilarious.
“Hahaha! This is truly amusing. Khalid! You…! Hehehe. Rejected!”
His mood had been low throughout the journey here, but now he was glad he came. Blake immediately thought about sharing this delightful news with friends who had graduated from the same school.
That the stiff, perfect Khalid had been rejected!
But no matter how much Blake mocked him, Khalid’s eyes remained fixed on empty space.
‘I kissed Noel here… Slept with Noel.’
He had never desired anything beyond kisses. He feared that if he was too greedy, Noel would run away without looking back. He was grateful that Noel had even allowed him kisses.
Tears flowed from Khalid’s eyes. Seeing him cry silently, Blake stopped laughing.
‘This is serious?’
Khalid had no immunity to women. Seeing him cry like this, it must have been his first love. Blake felt sympathy for Khalid.
“…Khalid. Let me give you advice, someone who has experienced many women. The only cure for heartbreak is meeting another woman. Start by sleeping with someone, even a pr*stitute. Understand?”
“…Shut up.”
“…”
Blake shrugged. He had heard there was no better method, but Blake himself had never liked a woman enough to cry over being rejected. Bianca, his fiancée? She was just a friend.
But if Bianca were to marry another man, he would feel somewhat regretful. No, very regretful.
Blake stood up.
“…Anyway, come to the party. How can the guest of honor be absent? And just because someone’s married doesn’t mean they’re off-limits. From what I know, noble ladies often take lovers. She might even be tired of married life by now and looking for an old flame.”
“She’s not that kind of person.”
“…How would you know? Don’t be so certain about anything.”
“…”
“Most noble ladies have affairs. The same goes for gentlemen. Get up, Khalid. Let’s go pluck some other flowers.”
Khalid stood up silently. He wasn’t going to pursue other women. A year was a long time, and he wanted to find Alice again.
Translator
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penthesulia
The nobles in this are all such two faced honors with no morals. Khalid is literally the only one with any redeeming qualities. Other than his mother selling the concubines she’s a reasonable person. It reminds you of just how revolting slavery is because it warps you into treating people like that.