His movements halted as he seemingly gained consciousness mid wipe of a table. His training immediately kicked in as he continued his mundane task while also scoping the scenery out, trying to discreetly discern his location.
'So it wasn't just an elaborate illusion of a dying man.' He seemed to be in an upscale restaurant that was winding down, almost ready to close. As he stood back to continue his meaningless task on another table, foreign memories slotted into place. He also felt each muscle on his body shift and tighten to something more familiar. This odd phenomenon made him pause again, before continuing.
He was born Yves DuPont, the youngest son of the current monarch, King Antoine Jacques DuPont, and his second wife, Queen Consort Yvonne Saint Laurent. His mother passed away during his childhood, and he was subtly pushed further away from being a 'family' with the royals. The King got what he wanted. The Saint Laurent House was the only House that could challenge the monarchy in both wealth, and politics. The King drained their wealth by using his marriage to Yvonne, and with them reduced to just Yves, then they no longer have any political influence.
Due to international laws established when kingdoms were being formed, Yves couldn't be disowned until he was 18, an adult. Yves, after grieving his mother's death by himself for several years, grew smart enough to start squirreling money away. A week prior, the day he turned 18, instead of allowing himself to face the shame of being disowned, he instead provided renouncement papers to the King.
King Antoine was surprised by this, but since he was basically getting what he wanted, he signed the papers, and stamped it with his ring, binding the magical contract. With the manners and elegance of one raised by royalty, he bowed to his King and left the castle. The servants had already placed his luggage by the gates, while one stood guard beside them. The ones he passed gave him sad farewells as he walked to the exit.
Due to the magical nature of the contract, he was now officially Yves Saint Laurent, completely unable to claim anything from the royal House of DuPont.
He was currently staying at a hotel while simultaneously working, and apartment hunting.
Yves sighed to himself. He needed some privacy to properly plan for the future.
Before he could go clock out, someone oddly decided to walk in late. Even worse, the hostess led the woman to a booth in his section. She was a gorgeous older woman, with silvery blonde hair cut into a stylish bob. She was most likely in her 30s, with a green, full sleeve dress that had a boob window that showed off her massive mammeries, two hip length slits that exposed her thick thighs, and piercing green eyes.
He walked over and greeted her professionally. "Good evening, Madame. My name is Yves, and I'll be your server today. Can I get you something to drink to start with?"
"Well, hello Yves." The woman said with a light lick to her lips. She briefly surveyed the menu before ordering. "I'll start with a glass of your Château Lafite. And I'll have the lobster. After you get my food, you will stay here while I eat. I need company and you will be mine."
"The wine is an alright choice, but lobster is a good one." He said, choosing to ignore the last part of her order.
"Oh? Do you believe there's a better choice of wine?" She challenged with a raised brow.
"Château Cheval-Blanc comes from a much more renowned vineyard, and their aged oak is superior most, including Château Lafite."
She hummed lightly while scrutinizing him through narrow eyes. "I'll try your choice, but if I don't like it, it's coming out your tip."
He agreed easily, and left to bring the order to the kitchen. He returned with a bottle of wine and glass. "Here you are, Madam."
He poured the glass, and placed it on the table before turning to leave. He was stopped, however when he felt a firm grip on his ass. With a raised brow, he turned around.
"Leave the bottle, dear." She ordered with a smirk.
He placed the bottle down, then continued to the kitchen. He bumped into another waiter in the kitchen as they were on their way out. "Huh? You're still here?"
"Angie brought another guest to my section." Yves stated blandly.
Amusement and curiosity danced in his coworker's eyes as he walked to the door to look out it. "Oh shit."
"What's the problem?"
"That's Katerina Romanov, the rumored Black Widow. She's a billionaire, who moved here last year. Look, whatever she wants, just give it to her. Remember, Kendall?"
"No, I'm new."
"Oh, right, well, couple months ago, she got handsy with a guy that used to work here. He called her out and threw her wine on her before he got fired. He was kidnapped and was raped for a month." His coworker explained urgently.
"What?"
"Seriously! I work at the hospital he was rushed to. He told the cops that some guys pulled him into a van and took him to a warehouse where they beat him up and took turns on him cause he pissed someone off. If you don't want to follow in his footsteps, be on your best behavior."
With another sigh, he picked up the dish and walked back to the table. He noted that she had drank about two more glasses of wine in his absence.
He placed the plate in front of her and turned around. "I made myself perfectly clear earlier. You will stay here and keep me company while I eat, Yves."
"Unfortunately, the manager won't allow us the privilege of dining with our guests on the clock." He stated while subtly gesturing behind him to the portly man standing near the kitchen.
"Hmph. I insist. If he makes a fuss, or you get reprimanded, then I'll take full responsibility." With a light shrug, he sat across from her. His brow raised again when he immediately felt a foot massaging his crotch. Her smirk grew more salacious as her piercing eyes bore into him. "Just as I thought. You're perfect for my needs. Come with me tonight, and I'll give you 500,000 mora. Impress me, and I might double it."
He was a bit taken aback at her bluntness, but figured why not. He planned on quitting anyways. "So long as nothing touches my ass, I agree."
"Good boy. Now, why don't you read over this NDA, while I enjoy this lobster." She pulled out a folded contract and pushed it towards him with a pen. He took his time reading through the papers, before signing. "Perfect! You can get my check."
-
Yves slid into the waiting carriage having quit his job. Katerina was sat with her legs crossed, while playing with her dress. "We're going to have so much fun together." As the carriage started moving, he slid down to her legs, and directed her to open them. "Hm? What are you doing?"
"If I'm to earn a million mora, then I'll give you the loving husband treatment." He pulled the thong to the side, showing her soaked bare pussy. The smell of her arousal immediately wafted to his nostrils.
"Loving hus-OH! Ooooh." She let out a startled yelp when he pulled her towards the edge of the seat, then moaned deeply as he began devouring her wet folds. The entire time they spoke, she was in constant control, her voice measured and every word calculated. Right now, she was releasing many different involuntary sounds that she couldn't hold back.
From his new memories, sex, while a pleasurable activity, was very unimaginative in this world. Missionary and cowgirl only. From the easy climax he drew from her the second his thumb brushed her anus, anal sex was the forbidden fruit.
"O-oh, gods!" She screamed. "Y-you d-dirty boy! Who s-said-AH!"
Pushing her legs back further, he started tonguing her ass. Rubbing her clit while he did so caused her to squirt uncontrollably all over his face, letting out an ugly groan.
She laid limp on the seat as she huffed and wheezed. Looking for a bit, he found wet wipes and towels by the wine cooler. He cleaned her up, then himself as she slowly managed to pull herself together. He held her close as he ran a hand up and down her exposed thigh.
She clutched his arm desperately as she still occasionally spasmed. "Never has a man pleasured me with his mouth. I've only seen that happen in books."
"I thank you for the privilege. You taste truly divine." He kissed her forehead, an intimate gesture that set her cheeks aflame.
He was going to earn that million.
-
Katerina rested her body against Yves' in her luxurious bathtub. He was currently massaging her scalp, lulling her into an incredibly calm state.
She felt her heart swell at the intimacy she was sharing with the stranger she met yesterday. She usually snatched whatever pretty boy that struck her fancy and slaked her lust with him, but the rollercoaster Yves put her through made her fall unconscious. That has never happened before.
He taught her so many new things, new techniques, new positions, new ways to release pent up lust. Case in point, she turned around and sat on his lap to kiss him. Their tongues wrestled and danced while he molded her ass. She melted when he started sucking on her tongue, finding that she truly enjoyed when he did that.
"I have to go." He said abruptly.
She blinked out of her lust filled haze as he gently placed her aside to get out the tub. She took a long look at his gorgeous body before following him out. He got dressed and she went for her bank bracelet. With how incredible she felt, she sent him two million to his. She watched him check his bracelet and smirked when his eyebrows shot up at the amount.
"Did you enjoy the loving husband treatment that much?" He asked.
"Yes, I did. So much so that I'd like you as my real husband. How about it?"
"No. I'd like to marry someone my own age after I've established myself." He refuted quickly.
She pouted as she threw on a robe and followed him out. She took hold of his arm and led him to her carriage. She spent the entire time being driven to his hotel trying to convince him to marry her.
-
Yves sat in his hotel room deep in meditation.
In his last life, he spent the first 17 years of his life as a child assassin. Breaking his indoctrination wasn't an easy task, but he did it when one of his targets was in the presence of his family. Seeing a girl his age struck something deep within him.
He allowed them to escape, and he faked his death. It was only months later that his former target found him, and practically adopted him to his family. Seiko, the daughter, was especially excited to show him a brand new world regarding entertainment, be it music, movies, books, cartoons, anime, manga, and tv shows.
It took him five years to fully absorb everything she threw at him, and he enjoyed every moment with her. They got married, and lived a happy life for another five years before his past caught up to him. His wife, child, and in-laws were all assassinated by his former organization. They tried to get him, but he easily dispatched his assailants. Fatherhood lit a spark in him to keep in shape to protect his family.
In retaliation for the murder of his family, he systematically destroyed the organization before dumping every information of their deeds onto the internet.
He died of cancer not even a week after his revenge.
In this new world he found himself in, he was given three Essences: the Crafter, the Assassin, and the Archmage, and several smaller knowledge based grandmasteries.
Thinking deeply on how he should continue living, he realized that this world lacked the profound entertainment of his previous world.
Centuries prior, Demons ruled throughout the land, and there was a social hierarchy where humans were the lowest of the low. Then there was a massive revolt where humans, empowered by various deities, warred with the other races. It was after the humans culled more than half the other race's various populations that there was a ceasefire. Humans established their own kingdoms, and they, along with the other races, all became equal.
In this day and age, centuries after the war, it wasn't strange to see people of mixed heritage, or different races living in different countries. The only thing that humans were nowhere near equal to the others was in entertainment. Whether it be games, movies, music, it didn't matter, the other races had them beat.
However, now that Yves was here, he planned on dominating the industry. In memory of the woman who brought out his humanity, he would lead the charge in humanity not only equaling the other races in entertainment, but surpassing them.
But first, he needed a home.
-
Sprawling gardens stretched into the distance, perfectly manicured with ancient trees and flowing fountains. The mansion itself rose majestically against the skyline, its classical architecture blending seamlessly with modern luxuries. 6,000 square meters land, with the main home being 2,700 square meters, it features 14 bedrooms and 19 bathrooms. The property took his breath away.
At least it would've if it actually looked as majestic as described.
It was actually completely filthy and dilapidated due to abandonment. It was haunted by a poltergeist and several other ghosts for over a century, and no one wanted to touch it. He bought the place and the land it was on for only half a million.
He could easily tell that the real estate agent thought he was a complete idiot for wanting to buy this infamous property, but he didn't mind. He could easily fix this place up.
He was currently in this world's version of North America, Libertonia. Applying for citizenship was as simple as completing a bit of paperwork and paying a small fee.
In barely an hour, he built a plethora of different things. The first was a cloaking device that covered the entirety of his new lands, preventing anyone from seeing the construction that was happenihng, only the abandoned lands. Then, he made a platoon of R2D2 looking bots that cleaned the grounds first then they entered the main house, the lead bot carrying a device that would expel all the spirits in the lands once activated.
He watched as several ghostly figures were shunted out the home while wailing in pain before vanishing.
He then focused on what he could introduce to this world due to the fact that he was confined to the castle before. He built and sent out another army drones, this time built for stealth and intelligence gathering. He needed to understand exactly what entertainment and technology is out there, and in what forms they take.
-
It took a week for his drones to return and provide him with the information he'd been patiently waiting for. His home was fully completed in that time, as was multiple books he planned on releasing, both written and drawn.
He also managed to snag a history book to really understand the new country he lived in. Libertonia was founded by humans, and for the sake of beginning a new era of peace, the king opened the country for all races, all with equal rights and opportunities.
From his drone's reports, it seemed that way on the surface, but the slums of the city he was in was filled with various races and mixed race people. There was some humans, but it was mostly the nonhuman races that were impoverished and homeless. He had a few ideas on how to solve that problem, but he needed revenue.
As for entertainment, there were movies, but they seemed to be in black and white still. Books were still popular, but no comics. Games only came in cards and board games. Music only came in various forms of jazz, classical, and whatever Frank Sinatra's genre was. There weren't any newspapers, just gossip distributed in bars and restaurants.
Sports were apparently largely unknown and unpopular besides this world's version of South America where football is a declining sport. It only vaguely looked like the sport too, due to there being two goals with a goalie and guys kicking a ball around. There was no structure nor technique. Yves' father-in-law in his past life would've had an aneurysm at the sight.
Computers existed, but only for office work. They haven't been popularized in homes yet. There were landlines, but it seemed that only nobles and people with money could afford it. There were phone booths too, but they were inordinately clean, meaning they're either a new concept, or they were rarely used. TVs only had one use, to play DVDs of previous movies, and only those who wanted to show off their wealth bought it.
Cars looked vaguely like the 1950s American cars, and once again, only the rich had it. The fashion was simplistic, there weren't really any luxury brands, just clothing with more expensive materials.
As he sat in his office, he contemplated on his next moves.
-
In multiple bars and taverns, a single topic circulated around to the point where even get-togethers with women were dominated by said topic.
"Have you guys seen Mortini Manor? The whole place has been renovated, even the gates!" A half-demon said after taking a big gulp of his beer.
"Mortini Manor?" A dwarf burped. "Never heard of it."
"It's that haunted mansion in the North." A human stated. "You remember! It's almost like a right of passage for every teen to try to enter the grounds to see how long you can stay there before fleeing."
"Oh yeah! Now, I remember. I kept tripping trying to run off the grounds of that place." The dwarf chuckled. "You said someone renovated it?"
"Yeah. I wonder how though. I heard that the poltergeists in that place were impossible to be rid of. Several priests from the Holy City were paid to try over the centuries, and none of them managed."
"The new owner must be powerful if he could do what those priests couldn't. I wonder about the previous owner, though."
"That would be Ichabod Mortini." The vampire in the group stated. "Mortini was a vile necromancer who was the reason why necromancy spells are so heavily punished nowadays. His spirit was supposedly still haunting the area, but I guess that's no longer the case."
At a gazebo in a noble lady's garden, a group of ladies were gossiping on, trying to one up each other with the information they had, and how they acquired it.
"I was driving in my new automobile when I saw that Mortini Manor had been restored and improved significantly. It no longer looks dreary and haunted." One tittered.
"Oh yes. I called my source in City Hall about that, and they revealed that the new owner just happened to be a former prince of Fontaine." Another gossiped.
"I believe I heard of that. The young man renounced his title and position as soon as he turned 18. I bet he wanted to preempt his father by leaving instead of being disowned."
"Why would he be disowned?"
"Because dear, his mother was the second wife, and the king only married her because House Saint Laurent was powerful both financially and politically." A succubus lady began. "With her under his control through marriage, he likely drained the wealth of the Saint Laurent House and padded his own. With the Saint Laurent vaults empty, they no longer had any power. With the young former prince's mother dead, there was nothing keeping him there."
"I wonder where he got the funds to buy Mortini Manor."
"His mother was likely smart enough to squirrel some money away just in case, like any proper lady should." That earned a round of giggles and titters from the different ladies.
Just as he predicted it would, Yves identity and actions spread throughout the city.