The Signor Hotel, operated by Edgar de Grace—and among its rooms, the suite reserved only for the most distinguished of guests.That elegant, quiet space grew suddenly tumultuous due to an unexpected intruder.“Edgar de Grace!”“Ah, welcome. Miss Violetta.”One might expect him to be startled by her sudden appearance—but even in this moment, Edgar remained composed.His reaction was so excessively calm that Violetta trembled, unable to hide her fury.“Y-you… what are you even—”“Kyaah! Duke, why is she here?!”Unlike Edgar’s calm, the woman who had been with him looked utterly stricken, glancing rapidly between Violetta and Edgar.“Introduce yourselves, Madam. This is the musical actress Violetta Schulten—you recognize her face, I’m sure?”“In… introduce? Eddy, have you not seen the papers?!”“Edgar, Violetta. I don’t recall granting you permission to use my nickname, so you’d best call me by my name.”At his smooth, pointed correction, Violetta’s face flushed a hot, humiliated red.“The entire kingdom is in an uproar over a scandal between you and me! And you couldn’t wait even a moment before dragging that woman—!”Edgar chuckled as Violetta’s voice rose high enough to scorch the room. Then, rising from his seat with unhurried ease, he spoke:“Oh dear, Miss Violetta. It seems you haven’t seen the official statement from House Grace. You and I are nothing more—or less—than business associates.That is the understanding I had.”“Y-you… you filth—”“Why such coarse language? If your fans learned that the lovely lips which sing so beautifully are capable of spitting such vulgarity, how do you think they’d feel?”“You call that something to say right now?!”“Just a word of caution: this is the one and only time I’ll overlook such rudeness. Unfortunately for you, Eclaire still maintains its class system.You understand what I mean, don’t you?”At his gentle tone, Violetta pressed her vividly painted lips together in furious restraint.“It was lovely seeing you today, Madam. Since we’re all here, perhaps you’d like to get Schulten’s autograph?”“W-wait—Duke—”“I’m afraid I must leave now. It seems we’ve acquired an uninvited guest. Let’s meet again—under better circumstances.”Knowing full well Violetta was on the verge of lunging, Edgar nonetheless leaned down and brushed a polite kiss across the Madam’s hand. Then, without haste, he turned toward the door.“If you walk out now, I’ll rip every last hair out of this woman’s head! Do you think I won’t?!”“Kyaaah!! Let go of me, you lunatic!”“Who are you calling lunatic?! Aren’t you Viscountess Morieta, currently in the middle of a divorce suit?! Does your dear Viscount know you’re out here wagging your tail like this?!”“Aaagh! Let go!!”Unable to bring herself to lay hands on Edgar, Violetta seized Viscountess Morieta’s hair instead, yanking and shaking violently. Edgar paid the chaos no mind whatsoever.Leaving behind a lazy wink—as if telling them to enjoy themselves—he slipped out of the suite with effortless grace.“New gloves, Timothy.”Edgar entered another room, leaving the shrieking behind, and extended a hand to his waiting secretary.“You’ll get shot one of these days.”“I secured the investment from the Madam, and Miss Schulten will lose interest after today. A bullet or two is a fair price.”With a casual laugh, Edgar exchanged gloves and checked the neatness of his attire.“What’s next on my schedule?”“A dinner with His Highness the Crown Prince.”“Ah. I’d rather not.”“If you fail to attend again, His Highness says he’ll raise the tax rate on your steel operations.”“…I’ll go.”It was a threat well within his half-brother’s personality.Edgar, who had been about to conjure another flimsy excuse, changed his mind at once and headed for the hotel lobby.Whatever else, he would not tolerate losses to his businesses.***After enduring an unpleasant dinner he had not wanted to attend, Edgar returned to the hotel and loosened the carefully tied cravat, sprawling along the sofa.Brother, will you live obsessed with business forever? Shouldn’t you consider an engagement soon…?Well now, little brother. There’s no need for me to spread seed only to stir unrest in the royal house, is there?Brother…I’m content as I am. You’re busy enough—spare no extra concern for me. Lest you resemble our father.At those words—so soft yet carrying bone-deep weight—the Crown Prince’s expression fractured.Confusion, guilt, resentment—all tangled together. Edgar had seen that look since childhood. It never pleased him.And that was why he hadn’t wanted to go.I’m grateful for the time, but I have urgent business to attend. I’ll take my leave.Edgar had ended the meal then and there, leaving the palace.Even if the Crown Prince was his only brother in the world, Edgar would not waste his time for the sake of discomfort.“Haa…”It had already been more than ten years since he’d left the palace.Perhaps the position of Crown Prince should have been his. He was, after all, the King’s firstborn legitimate son.But Edgar had refused it outright and walked away.Like many young nobles, he then received various forms of education, eventually joining the enterprises run by his maternal grandfather.To his own surprise, business suited him extraordinarily well.Beginning with publishing and printing, he expanded into textiles and maritime trade.This allowed him to inherit the position of family head of House Grace, then a marquess house, as his grandfather had no other heir.But Edgar did not stop there.He soon entered railroads and mining, achieving immense success—enough to be elevated to duke.“Have you looked into Baron Pierre?”“It appears you’ll have to let him go. He shows no intention of signing.”Recently, Edgar had set his sights on jewelry as a new venture.To do so, he needed a stable supply of gemstones. And the Oricto Mine, famed for producing top-grade colored stones of many varieties, was essential.The problem: Baron Pierre, the mine’s owner, was notoriously difficult.“I hear he prefers faces and bodies like mine.”“With the number of affairs you’ve had, seduction won’t work.”“Look at me, Timothy. Do you really think he wouldn’t fall?”In response to Edgar’s arrogance, Timothy shot him a sideways glance and sighed deeply.“If you mishandle this, you may be quietly destroyed. Baron Pierre is not someone to take lightly like Violetta Schulten or Viscountess Morieta.You know well he has influence in the underworld.”“He wouldn’t kill the King’s son.”“Who knows. Perhaps not kill—but something equally devastating.”“And what would qualify as ‘equally devastating’?”“You said it yourself—his taste is in faces and bodies. Rumor has it he shot the lower half off a lover who cheated on him.”“…Haa. A shame.”Edgar believed that success meant using every tool available to increase one’s odds.So seducing Baron Pierre for the sake of a new venture was hardly something to flinch at.To let the man dream sweetly for a brief while—what harm was there?If resentment followed later, Edgar could always claim it had been friendship.“Approach him as businessman to businessman. Keep your face—and the rest of you—intact.”“You say that as though that’s all there is worth preserving.”“Of course not.”Timothy did not deny that Edgar’s appearance was impressive.But having known him since their private school days—and having suffered every disaster that followed—it no longer held charm.He had endured enough trouble being entangled with Edgar.Yes, when Edgar was promoted to duke, Timothy had been granted a barony despite his common birth—but that had been earned through sleepless labor.“I’ve warned you. Do what you will.”No matter how dazzling Edgar seemed to others, to Timothy he was simply a relentless troublemaker and tyrannical employer.If there was one thing he’d admit Edgar excelled in—it was below the waist.Which, frankly, meant Edgar had everything.“Haa… fine. Set up a meeting.”“Yes. Please rest for today.”With the air of someone begging to finally go home, Timothy bowed and slipped out of the suite before Edgar could stop him.Leaving without dismissal—what an audacious secretary, Edgar thought, scowling at the closed door.“…What else might tempt Baron Pierre…?”Still—Edgar de Grace could not retreat now.For the sake of his secure future success, he closed his eyes and sank deep into thought.

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