Lathel was a little surprised by her words, his heart stirring for a brief moment—but the feeling vanished the instant he remembered that she was destined to become Alex's woman.
"All right, you can head back," he said calmly. "I'll have someone deliver the chest of gold to your carriage. And don't worry—I'll also look into ways to help you revive your business."
Hearing that, Catrina smiled softly and obediently turned to leave. But just as she reached the doorway, she paused, looked back at him, and asked in a timid voice, "Do you think… we'll ever have a chance to dance together again?"
Lathel replied indifferently, "Of course."
Catrina's face lit up instantly, her smile blooming like a flower, cheeks flushed as she hurried out like a shy little deer.
When the door finally closed, Lathel let out a long sigh, feeling that strange mix of exhaustion and irritation one gets from working overtime on a Sunday.
"System! Where's my reward?"
[Wait a second. Don't you think Catrina might like you? I mean, I feel—]
"System, are you stupid?"
[Did you not see her expression? Every time she looks at you, she gets all flustered, her face turning red like she's running a fever. I'm telling you, she definitely likes you.]
Lathel: "…"
"Ah, fine. Whatever. My reward, please?"
[Hey! Could you at least pretend to care about what I'm saying?]
Lathel sighed heavily and said in a tired tone, "System, have you ever seen a heroine fall in love with the villain?"
[Yes! Many times, actually.]
"Oh really? And how did that end for them?"
[Well… that's…]
"Can't even answer, huh?" Lathel smirked. "Even if a heroine does fall for a villain, it's only to make the main heroine's romance with the protagonist more dramatic. That's all."
"Besides, Aunt Catrina's just a gentle person. Even if she despised me, she'd never show it—not because of affection, but because of my status."
"You do remember I'm the only son of Duchess Valoria, right? Catrina's family may be big, but they can't compare to a Duchess's power."
"Anyway, stop overanalyzing. Just give me my reward already. I still have to head to Spring Garden—you know, to relax and enjoy the scenery. Hahaha…"
System: […]
...
Outside, Catrina cheerfully stepped into the carriage. Arina was already waiting inside, and upon seeing her mother's bright smile, she frowned in confusion.
"Mother! Don't tell me Lathel actually lent us the money already?"
"Ah! Y-Yes, that's right." Catrina stammered, caught off guard.
"Tsk!" Arina scoffed, smirking in disdain. "I knew it! He's been chasing after me for two years like some dog wagging its tail. He was just pretending to be tough earlier—trying to squeeze a few extra benefits out of us."
"Mother, you'd better not give him anything in return, understand?"
Catrina sighed softly. "Arina, Lathel is a good man. You should learn to appreciate him."
"Huh! If that guy's a good man, then there's no such thing as good men in this world," Arina said with a mocking pout.
Catrina gave her daughter a quiet glance. She's surrounded by happiness but doesn't even realize it, she thought.
Then, as if something suddenly crossed her mind, her cheeks began to flush. "Arina… if I were to remarry, would you approve?"
"Heh?! Seriously?" Arina's eyes lit up. "Who is it?"
"No! I was just giving an example," Catrina said quickly, lowering her head so her daughter wouldn't see the embarrassment on her face.
"Hm… well, of course I'd agree. As long as he's an amazing person—like the Vice Dean of the Carol Magic Academy, for example!"
"Ah!" Catrina looked up, watching her daughter's sparkling eyes and admiring expression. She immediately understood—Arina's heart had already been stolen by the Vice Dean.
Still, she didn't try to stop her. She's young, Catrina thought. 'She deserves to chase after whoever makes her heart race.'
And then, a faint smile appeared on her lips. 'If I were younger… maybe I would've done the same.'
"Mother!" Arina suddenly interrupted her thoughts. "So you like someone too, huh? That's great! That man from before doesn't deserve you anyway."
"The moment I was born, he ran away. Can you even call that a man? Mother, I just want you to find your own happiness."
Catrina nodded gently, but then remembered something. "Arina, from now on, Lathel will also be helping us with the business."
"What?!" Arina's eyes widened in disbelief. "Mother! Aren't you afraid he'll ruin everything we've built?"
Catrina shook her head. "No. He's a good person—he wouldn't do that. Besides, he lent us a large amount of money, so it's only fair he gets to oversee part of the business."
"Ah!" Arina's lips curled into a smirk as she laughed mockingly. "Hahahaha… Mother, he doesn't care about our business at all. He's just using this as an excuse to get closer to me."
Catrina: "…"
She almost wanted to tell her daughter that Lathel wasn't interested in her—that it was herself he wanted to be near.
But she decided to stay quiet. Still, confusion lingered in her heart.
'If Lathel truly likes me, then why did he chase after Arina for two whole years? Could it be…'
A wild thought flashed across her mind, and when she looked at Arina again, her gaze held a trace of envy… and perhaps, a hint of jealousy.
Arina, feeling her mother's complicated stare, tilted her head in confusion—her mind filled with question marks.
...
On the busiest street of the Kingdom—
At this moment, Lathel was completely immersed in a literal garden of flowers.
Yes, a garden.
All around him were beautiful girls—some human, others from the Beastkin tribes, each with alluring smiles and eyes full of charm.
Lathel felt his heart ache with joy, tears almost forming as he thought to himself, 'This… this is heaven! Every man's dream! A garden of beauties of every kind in a fantasy world—huhuhu… I've finally made it here!'
System: […]
[Do you actually intend to "enjoy yourself" with these women? They don't even come close to one-tenth of Catrina or Arina.]
Lathel gritted his teeth. 'Are you stupid? Of course, I can't "enjoy" them! They're the female leads of the protagonist, Alex! I can only look, not touch! How long do you think I can survive like this?!'
'I don't even know when this damned script will end. Can't you at least let me relax a little—to release some of this frustration?'
[Fine! Do as you please. It's not like I can stop you anyway.]
The System went silent.
Lathel's grin widened as the "flowers" around him pulled him gently into the glowing entrance of Spring Garden, his excitement rising with every step.
Looking around, he finally understood why this place bore such a name.
'Tsk!' he clicked his tongue in admiration. 'This place looks just like something straight out of Japan. Gods, it even feels relaxing just standing here.'
Then, of course, his mind wandered to that part of Japan's legendary entertainment industry—not the mainstream one, but the one with "plot" and "character development."
He chuckled to himself. 'Hehehehe… truly, the culture here is profound.'
…
Meanwhile, Alex was wandering the outskirts of the city, collecting rare herbs to prepare for his next rank-up.
Though he was the protagonist, his current power level was still too low. He needed strength if he was to eventually inherit the position of Master of the Dragon God Guild.
As he walked, his gaze caught on a massive building—a ten-story tower built in elegant Eastern architecture, standing tall amidst the old European-style streets.
Its grandeur was impossible to ignore. The wide red gates were open, flanked by gorgeous women who smiled and winked at passing men, beckoning them to come inside.
Alex knew exactly what this place was. After all, he had lived here for two years.
Spring Garden—the largest chain of pleasure houses in the entire Empire.
Even though this branch was located in a small kingdom, it was still far more luxurious and influential than any brothel or tavern in the region.
Alex cast a cold glance at the women outside, his expression filled with disdain.
"Hmph! Just a bunch of trash," he muttered. "Not even worth a single strand of Arina or Catrina's hair."
He looked down on them—women who, in his eyes, had traded dignity for pleasure. Tools for men, with no self-respect, no worth.
But then—
"Hm?" Alex stopped, his brows furrowing. Something—or rather, someone—caught his eye.
He stepped closer to the red gate, narrowing his gaze, making sure he wasn't seeing things.
And indeed—
A handsome young man with golden hair, wearing a pristine white robe, was walking through the entrance with three beautiful women around him, all laughing and flirting as they clung to his arms.
"Lathel?!"
Alex's eyes widened briefly—but then his lips curled into a cold, malicious grin.
"Hahaha… I was just wondering how I could expose your true nature to everyone. But it seems, you've come to deliver that opportunity to me yourself."
With that, Alex stepped back into the crowd—and his figure vanished completely.