* * *
Zeroth couldn’t stop Sylvian from secretly admiring them, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to bulk up just to compete.
If he got even bigger, Sylvian wouldn’t be able to handle him at all.
“Sylvian, how about training with the Second Knights Division?”
That way, maybe he’d stop eyeing Yuri’s physique.
Dangling the tempting bait, Zeroth watched as Sylvian nodded eagerly.
“And Lady Nefer asked when she’ll finally be invited to dinner.”
At this rate, their next meeting might as well be at each other’s funeral.
She really was not someone to be taken lightly.
“When did you get so close to her?”
“I met her at a dessert shop in the shopping district, and she was kind to me.”
Sylvian’s gaze, as he recalled Charlian Nefer’s face, was similar to the way she looked at glass.
‘Does he just like anyone as long as they’re pretty or handsome?’
A plausible thought passed through Zeroth’ mind.
If that were the case, then perhaps Sylvian had fallen for him just because of his face.
He shook his head, dismissing the thought as ridiculous.
“I promised to invite her along with Marquis Karl. Would it be alright to invite both of them together?”
As Sylvian hesitated, wondering if he had been too hasty in making such a promise, Zeroth kissed the tip of his nose.
“Didn’t I tell you that anything is possible for you?”
“Really?!”
“This week would be too soon, and it wouldn’t be polite to them. Choose an appropriate day and invite them then.”
At Zeroth’ words, Sylvian beamed.
The best person to test his feelings against wasn’t Yuri or Whisen anymore—it was Karl Rooster.
Whenever Karl was mentioned, Zeroth always became sensitive.
More than his expression or tone, his eyes grew fierce.
“Thank you. Lady Charlian is truly, truly beautiful. She and the Marquis make such a great pair.”
“What a waste of a lady.”
“But Karl is handsome too.”
As Sylvian tilted his head at Zeroth’ blunt remark, the man suddenly grabbed his waist tightly.
“Ah!”
“Did you just mention another man in front of me?”
“Eek!”
Zeroth had already been irritated by Yuri, and now his temper boiled over.
Without hesitation, he stripped Sylvian’s shirt off.
“But it’s almost time for dinner!”
“You can eat, and I can eat you, so don’t worry.”
“Aah!”
Zeroth lunged at Sylvian, biting his chest.
Despite his ferocious approach, his lips moved gently as he took both his nipple and areola into his mouth at once.
“Hngh, ah! T-tomorrow, ngh! I have training! Ugh!”
“I’ll make sure it doesn’t wear you out.”
He spoke while tugging at Sylvian’s nipple with his teeth, making the latter shudder and arch his back.
“We, we don’t know, hhng, when my heat will come—ah, Elgana told me to be careful.”
“Ah, it’ll be fine.”
Sylvian tried to push Zeroth’ head away, but the man showed no intention of stopping.
His eyes had already turned wild—perhaps out of lingering jealousy over Yuri.
Every time Zeroth became obsessive, Sylvian felt a strange sense of relief.
Though it annoyed him, his lover’s possessive reaction still made him smile.
“Hiik! Not the neck!”
Deliberately making a fuss to prevent Zeroth from leaving marks there, Sylvian twisted away.
He had already learned that Karl was interested in him, and he wanted to give the Marquis a reason to get closer.
As Sylvian squirmed and resisted, Zeroth smirked and flipped him onto the sofa.
“So, you’re asking me to leave pretty marks elsewhere.”
Zeroth grinned menacingly before sinking his teeth into Sylvian’s body until he was crying and begging for mercy.
“The Duke Graham is really investing in our cargo ship! You were right!”
“What did I tell you?”
The viscount laughed heartily as he faced the count, who was shaking his hand enthusiastically.
Sylvian was like a dragon’s pearl from an old legend.
Make a wish, and it would come true.
Though Sylvian had repeatedly asked to come home, the viscount had told his wife not to take the boy in.
‘No need to loosen the leash too soon.’
Comforting the boy once after a supposed mistake was enough.
By pretending to forgive him, he could make Sylvian strive to obey his parents’ orders the next time he wanted something.
Sylvian was useless for anything other than easing his own mood.
Even a small piece of bread and an insincere apology were enough to win the boy over.
“Ahem, the Duke trusts me quite a lot.”
“Still, I never expected him to invest such a large sum.”
“That’s because your investment plan was flawless.”
The viscount stroked his chin and glanced at the box beside him.
When the count revealed a chest filled with platinum coins, his heart nearly stopped.
Every time he sent a letter to Sylvian, money piled up at home.
“But is this really okay?”
“What do you mean?”
“If something goes wrong, won’t you have to compensate for the losses as well?”
The Duke Graham had included the name of Viscount Nertian in the contract alongside the count’s.
When they drafted the investment contract, Nertian had been present.
When the Duke’s representative hesitated over the deal, the viscount had thundered:
“If something goes wrong, I’ll take responsibility! Do you not trust the Duke’s father-in-law?”
“Then would you be willing to add a clause stating that the viscount will compensate in case of failure?”
The young agent had stared at him intently, making him uncomfortable, but the viscount simply laughed and agreed.
There was no way the count’s long-prepared business would fail.
Everyone knew that ships traveling to other continents every year brought in massive profits.
“Don’t worry! I have full faith in you, Count.”
The viscount patted the count’s firmly gripped hand.
His face radiated satisfaction at his impending success.
“Honey, how about looking for a new mansion?”
Thanks to the money from the count, breakfast that morning was extravagant.
The viscount, dipping soft bread into his soup, lifted his head at his wife’s suggestion.
It was a wonderful morning, having sealed such a significant investment deal.
“A new house?”
“We’ve hired new servants, and guests keep coming. We can’t keep living in this old house.”
She wanted a grand mansion where they could host lavish parties.
Unlike a month ago, when even cheap food was a luxury, she was now pleased with the high-quality meat and fine bread on their table.
“You need to uphold your status, too.”
She spoke with a sweet lilt, flattering her husband.
“Hm, you’re not wrong.”
“Father, we don’t know what will happen yet. Wouldn’t it be better to save the money for now?”
Martius, who was eating with them, spoke firmly.
They had used the investment money to pay the overdue wages of their servants and clear debts.
If they spent recklessly now, they could really go under next time.
The last thing he wanted was for the viscount’s house to collapse under his watch.
On top of that, selling his brother’s name for profit? Both his parents were too much.
“Your mother’s point is valid too. We have three guests arriving this afternoon alone.”
The viscount recalled the unpleasant expressions of visitors whenever they entered his drawing room.
He loathed seeing their disdain at having to step into such a shabby place.
Now that the family was accumulating wealth through investments, wouldn’t it be nice to own a grander mansion, even if not a palace?
The viscount’s inherited two-story house had only five rooms.
Once the butler occupied one, there were only four left for the family.
That was why all the servants commuted instead of living in.
The viscount found himself drawn to his wife’s suggestion rather than his son’s cautiousness.
It would be convenient to have live-in servants who could be summoned at all hours.
“…Let me think about it.”
But seeing his son’s serious expression, the Viscount couldn’t easily say that they would buy the house.
* * *
