Compared to the lavish and refined itinerary of the women, the men’s excursion felt rather eccentric by contrast.
Vanitas found himself baffled.
‘Is this really how the nobility spend their free time?’ he thought.
‘Or is this just some ridiculous fantasy they’ve always wanted to live out?’
After the earlier pool party, the noblemen had split into groups. Some had gone off for gambling sessions at private casinos, others had ventured into the royal hunting grounds to track down enhanced beasts for sport.
A few, for reasons beyond Vanitas’ comprehension, had dressed up as commoners and wandered into the slums, begging in the streets as if there were hidden cameras recording their pitiful antics for entertainment.
That wasn’t even the end of it.
Vanitas, of course, had been dragged along with Franz’s group. They went to several places within the Empire.
And now….
“Uh….”
They were at a hostess club.
A private one, no less, operated under the discreet patronage of the Clementine Duke Family.
‘Ah. I see now why Sophia turned out the way she did….’
The apple didn’t fall far from the tree. If the child was weirdo, then surely, the parents, or in this case, the entire noble bloodline were even bigger weirdos.
In simpler terms, if the daughter was already odd, the parents were downright lunatics.
And honestly? Vanitas couldn’t even bring himself to reject the idea.
Perhaps it was finally time to enjoy the privileges that came with being nobility. Moments like this reminded him that he was no longer Chae Eun-woo, a man running across continents with a bounty to his name.
No, he was Vanitas Astrea now.
The hostesses were beautiful, charming, and were trained in everything from polite conversation to subtle flattery, and of course, in the art of draining noblemen’s wallets without them even realizing it.
Franz was already seated at a plush booth, a glass of something suspicious in his hand, surrounded by three women fawning over him.
“Come, Vanitas!” he called out, waving him over with a grin.
Vanitas paused for a moment, then shrugged. “Why not?”
This was what life was all about.
He made his way over and settled into the seat across from Franz. Almost instantly, a hostess, with dark hair flowing over one shoulder, approached him.
“My lord,” she said, bowing slightly, “It’s an honor to attend to someone as refined as yourself.”
Vanitas gave a polite smile, the corners of his lips barely twitching upward. “I’m hardly that refined.”
“I disagree,” she said with a giggle, pouring his drink. “You wear your aloofness quite well. Mysterious men are always the most fun to talk to.”
He took the drink without comment. Franz raised his glass with a grin, clearly amused by how easily Vanitas was being dragged into this.
“To the final days of freedom!” Franz toasted.
“To the Imperial Prince practicing infidelity before becoming Emperor,” Vanitas replied dryly, clinking glasses with him.
Franz choked on his drink, laughing. “Ouch. You wound me, my friend!”
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” Vanitas said, swirling his glass lazily before taking a sip.
“Besides,” Franz leaned in conspiratorially, lowering his voice. “What Olivia doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”
Vanitas gave him a flat look. “At this rate, I can already guess how many illegitimate children you’ll have.”
“Don’t you think they’re already loitering around?” Franz said with a mischievous grin.
“….”
Vanitas simply stared at him.
“Oh, relax, relax! I was just joking!” Franz chuckled, waving his hand dismissively.
Vanitas offered a chuckle in return, swirling his glass absentmindedly. His gaze drifted to the beautiful woman who stood near him, as if unsure whether to approach or remain standing.
“What’s wrong?” Vanitas asked, setting down his glass and leaning back casually. “Come.”
The hostess blinked, surprised by how easily he spoke, and after a brief moment of hesitation, she moved to sit beside him.
Unlike the others who fawned over Franz with affection, she seemed reserved.
He turned towards Franz. “This…?”
“I figured this is more to your taste,” Franz responded. “I figured you like them rather… the cold beauty type?”
“….?”
Vanitas tilted his head slightly. He wasn’t sure whether Franz was right or wrong about that. Frankly, he had never given it much thought.
His gaze shifted around the room. Now that he observed more closely, all the men seated at the plush booths, drinking and laughing with hostesses draped over their arms, were Heads of noble households.
Most of them, he knew for a fact, were married.
Yet here they were.
Of course, the concept of concubines wasn’t unusual in Aetherion’s nobility. It was, in fact, expected for men of power. Mistresses, secret lovers, political marriages, so on and so forth.
Now that he thought about it, in a room full of men succumbing to their appetites, he would be the odd one out for not engaging.
‘Is this peer pressure?’
It reminded him a little too much of his military days.
But in the first place, he was no stranger in these kinds of settings.
He leaned back slightly, resting one arm on the couch as the woman beside him finally gathered the courage to speak.
“Name?” Vanitas asked, his tone polite but detached.
“Ruby, my lord,” she answered, bowing her head slightly.
“Ruby, huh?” Vanitas gave a faint smile. “You can just call me Vanitas.”
Ruby blinked, a little surprised. Most nobles insisted on titles. She smiled hesitantly and nodded.
“As you wish… Lord Vanitas.”
Around them, the men grew louder as more drinks were poured and more laughter erupted. Franz was already deep into his fifth or sixth glass and his face was red.
The two women seated comfortably on either side fed him grapes as if he were some ancient emperor.
Vanitas glanced sideways at Ruby. She was pretty definitely, with bright amber eyes and wavy pink hair. Trained to please, but she didn’t seem particularly fake about it. Perhaps a bit nervous, actually.
“You don’t have to force yourself to stay,” he said casually, sipping his drink. “If you want to attend to someone else, go ahead.”
Ruby tilted her head, a little confused. “Is… Is my company unpleasant to you?”
“Not at all,” Vanitas replied, resting the rim of his glass against his lip before speaking again. “If anything, I should be asking you. Are you uncomfortable with me? Is it the face? I didn’t particularly choose this face.”
Ruby blinked in confusion. “Huh…?”
Vanitas let out a small chuckle. “Never mind. Just forget I said anything.”
Ruby hesitated for a moment, then smiled warmly. “You’re different from the other nobles, Lord Vanitas.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Their conversation fell naturally in a comfortable direction, which was a rare thing in an environment like this. Ruby didn’t press him for attention, nor did Vanitas expect anything from her.
“Are you also married, Lord Vanitas?” Ruby asked shyly, glancing at him. “I heard that everyone here today are Heads of their Households.”
“Not at all,” Vanitas replied smoothly. “I was simply the only one left to take the position.”
“….I see.”
A faint blush appeared on her cheeks. Whether it was because she felt more at ease knowing she wasn’t tending to a married man, or because of the face he wore, Vanitas wasn’t sure.
Realistically, it was probably the latter. Objectively speaking, Vanitas Astrea’s face was undeniably handsome, even by this world’s standards. If Chae Eun-woo had been born with this face, he could’ve easily milked it for money.
Perhaps debut as an idol and seek revenge in a far more glamorous way.
Vanitas scoffed softly at the absurdity of the thought.
Then, he reached into his coat and pulled out a cigarette pack. Flicking it open, he plucked one between his fingers and glanced at Ruby.
“Smoke?” he asked casually.
“Ah, no, thank you,” Ruby said, quickly waving her hand.
“Alright.”
With a small flick of his thumb, a small red magic circuit traced through the tip of his finger. A tiny flare of heat flared to life, and the cigarette lit by itself. He took a slow drag before exhaling a plume of smoke.
*Puff*
Thinking of something, Vanitas turned to Ruby and asked casually, “Say, do you drink soju?”
Ruby blinked, slightly taken aback by his question. “Soju? Ah… yes, yes, I do. But we have much more luxurious drinks available, my lord. Would you like something else instead?”
Vanitas chuckled under his breath. “No, not at all.”
He flicked his fingers twice, catching the attention of a nearby serving hostess.
“Could you get us a bottle of soju?” he asked.
“S-Soju? Ah, yes! Right away!” she stammered, bowing and hurrying off.
Turning back to Ruby, Vanitas leaned back lazily against the sofa. “Is soju not a commodity here?”
“We do serve it,” Ruby answered, smiling a little, “but it doesn’t get ordered much. Most nobles prefer wines or aged liquors.”
“That’s a shame. They don’t realize there are hidden gems beneath cheap prices,” Vanitas mused.
Of course, that wasn’t strictly true. There were spirits and wines far superior to soju in flavor and quality.
Still, even after more than a year in this world, Vanitas remained Korean at heart. It was ingrained in him to the point that the Astrea Estate kitchen always had to stock rice.
He had even drilled it into Charlotte that a proper meal wasn’t complete without rice, much to her amusement.
Margaret and the rest of the Illenia Order had adapted to the routine surprisingly well. In fact, every meal in the Astrea household now revolved around rice.
As Vanitas lost himself briefly in those thoughts, the hostess returned, carefully carrying a chilled green bottle and two small crystal glasses.
“Here you are, my lord.”
Vanitas uncapped the bottle with one hand and poured the first glass for Ruby, then one for himself.
“Cheers,” he said simply, raising his glass.
Ruby hesitated for only a second before smiling and clinking her glass lightly against his. “Cheers.”
The crisp burn of the soju was familiar and oddly comforting as he took a sip. For a brief moment, the noise of the lavish club faded into the background.
As he idly glanced around, he caught sight of several nobles drinking from familiar bottles.
“Oh?”
It was his own winery brand, Vanessa Clarice. It was obvious from the label, and he noticed how the hostesses were actively recommending it to guests, who in turn seemed genuinely impressed by its quality.
‘Huh,’ Vanitas mused, a smirk tugging at his lips.
He hadn’t realized his brand was supplying this particular club too. At this point, Vanessa Clarice had reached the stage where much of its operations moved on its own through the merchants and distributors he had set up.
Still, he was reminded he should check the ledgers when he had time. Just to be sure everything was running smoothly.
Time passed in a blur as Vanitas and Ruby exchanged in conversation, talking as if the world around them didn’t exist. Apparently, Ruby was working here to save money to put her younger siblings through good academies.
Franz often checked in on them, and at one point, to everyone’s amusement, he showed off by downing an entire barrel of ale in one go.
‘Is this guy really a decade older than me?’
As the evening wore on, the noblemen gathered around Vanitas. They lounged with women on their arms, some with more than one, and chatted like old friends.
Eventually, Franz joined in, and the gathering soon transitioned into a series of drinking games.
These were men old enough to be Vanitas’s father or uncle, and yet they were behaving like college students in their freshmen year.
It was really weird.
From across the room….
No, not even across the room, gambling had broken out.
“I bet on Count Henry!” Vanitas shouted.
Soon enough, the drunken nobles turned their attention to League of Spirits. Vanitas was roped into playing too, with many drunken wagers thrown in his favor.
But as discreetly agreed beforehand with his opponent, Earl Maximilian, Vanitas would intentionally lose the match. Afterward, they would split the earnings between them.
Everyone was too drunk to notice anything anyway.
Just like that, a few hours passed, and night descended. Vanitas felt the pounding headache settle deeper in his skull, but he wasn’t drunk enough to black out yet.
All of a sudden, the doors burst open, and a man rushed inside the club, making a beeline for Franz. The lively atmosphere fell into silence as everyone turned toward the man who was whispering something urgently into Franz’s ear.
“What?!” Franz’s eyes widened in shock.
Vanitas immediately picked up on it and stepped forward. “What happened, Lord Franz?”
“….Irene’s been poisoned.”
“….!”
Any trace of alcohol-induced haze snapped Vanitas awake. His senses sharpened instantly.
He watched Franz’s reactions carefully, seemingly bewildered, furious, and concerned. It seemed genuine.
But if this was an act, it was a very, very good one.
More importantly, Vanitas noticed something else.
Franz was subtly gauging his reaction.
That was strange. Franz shouldn’t be aware of Vanitas’s relationship with Irene. If he was observing him now, out of all the nobles gathered here, it could only mean one thing.
Franz was testing him.
Still, from the perspective of any loyal Aetherion noble, reacting strongly to news of the First Princess’s poisoning would be natural.
“….”
The gears in Vanitas’s mind began to spin. He hadn’t foreseen this. There had been no route, no possible event within the original game where Irene ever attended Franz’s wedding.
The only reason she was even present in Aetherion during this timing… was because she had needed to meet with Vanitas.
This was, in a sense, his fault.
‘Did Franz plan this?’
Had he insisted on Irene remaining in Aetherion under the guise of attending the wedding… just to orchestrate her death before he ascended the throne?
Meaning, there would be no obstruction to his reign.
“….”
Vanitas tightened his fists. But if Franz had indeed plotted this, Vanitas found himself strangely calm.
Because he was confident.
Franz might not be aware of it, but someone obviously present in the women’s own party had been subtly guided, influenced, and prepared for situations exactly like this, thanks to Vanitas’s own arrangements.
Because of him, Aetherion’s second princess was heading in the right direction.
Who knew it would come in handy at a time like this?
There was no need to act.
Franz exhaled heavily, a relieved smile tugging at his lips.
“Hoo…. I’m glad she’s fine,” Franz said.
It was simple.
Irene was safe.
“Thank god.”
Because Astrid was there.