Zen Baker.

A young investor from Astria who suddenly appeared in Gracian.

His touch was on businesses that were expected to do well, and also on businesses that were unexpectedly successful despite not even being noticed.

“That man, when did they say he came to Gracian?”

At Eric’s question, John, who had been counting the dates, chuckled and said.

“Five months. It’s been exactly five months.”

In those 5 months, Zen Baker became a figure that everyone paid attention to.

The upper class of Gracian is not just conservative, so although he hasn’t officially shown his face in social circles yet, even older nobles would be watching his movements behind the scenes. Just like these three men here.

But this remarkable man drives around in a problematic and flawed automobile?

Why is he doing that? Just for style? A hobby? Preference?

“Could he have invested in it?”

John muttered softly, clenching both hands. Eric swirled his whiskey glass and said.

“Well. It’s hard to say for certain.”

“But if he invested…”

As mentioned earlier, there were no failed businesses among those that Zen had revealed he invested in.

‘Then will this automobile business also succeed?’

Zen’s past track record couldn’t guarantee that the current investment would succeed. Moreover, the automobile business, of all things, had many problems.

Unlike ships with their long history and tradition, or trains that run on fixed rails, it was a huge chunk of metal that suddenly stopped using horses and started running alone on dirt roads.

People had a strong aversion to these automobiles, and there were many obvious problems. Noise, fuel, ride quality varying depending on the road, safety, and so on…

‘Can this industry really succeed?’

People who played with money were skeptical about the automobile industry. But if this business succeeds, how much profit would those who noticed early and invested make?

The three men were lost in their own thoughts.

If that man really invested, should they trust his reputation and throw themselves in, or should they ignore what seems like a failing business, believing it will surely fail?

They were wealthy, but the capital they could actually operate was limited. And now was a time of upheaval. If someone grows at this time, and you decline, you won’t be able to catch up to that gap.

As silence fell over the club while the three men were gauging each other, the bell on the club door rang clearly. Everyone’s gaze turned to the door, and simultaneously, everyone’s eyes widened.

“Why are you all looking at me like that? Don’t tell me you were waiting for me?”

Beautiful black hair, contrasting white skin, deep and beautiful blue eyes. A handsome man, delicate and beautiful yet not losing his masculinity, said with an enchanting smile.

“Everyone paying attention to me, not bad at all.”

“Bellus! Have you returned to the country?”

Eric said with a bright smile.

Bellus, the grandson of the great noble Duke Delta.

He was the one with the longest middle name in this club, the founder of this club, and the most handsome man in this center before Zen Baker appeared. And this man had a fate that all the men here envied.

“Ah. I wanted to return after winter, but it couldn’t be helped.”

“Why? Duke Delta would die for you. Or perhaps your father-in-law called?”

“Father-in-law? Are you joking?”

“What?”

“We’re only engaged, how dreadful!”

Bellus, who shuddered at someone’s question, muttered quietly as he sat on the sofa.

“Ha, I really don’t want to get married. Damn, how can I avoid it falling through?”

As Bellus stuck out his tongue as if he had poison on it, all the men sitting at the table were shocked.

“You’re talking nonsense from too much luxury!”

Although a member of the Delta Duke’s family, Bellus, as the second son of the eldest son, had no title to inherit. So Duke Delta, who particularly adored Bellus, had arranged a very impressive marriage for him.

“That Buin Duke’s family, the Buin Duke’s family!”

What does it mean to marry the only daughter of Duke Buin?

“A future duke, that’s amazing! Better title than your brother.”

“Who these days uses expressions like which title is better? What’s important is assets.”

“W-Well, that’s true.”

If comparing the history and tradition of the families, the Delta Duke’s family was not inferior to the Buin Duke’s family.

Rather, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the current family prestige leaned towards the Delta Duke. Delta had ridden the trends of the times, and also had excellent successors lined up.

“Delta has always grown.”

Bellus’s grandfather, father, and even his brother, all had excellent business acumen. In contrast, what about Buin?

“How much has Buin lost?”

Of course, even now, the Buin Duke’s family was a great family.

“If the Buin Duke family’s wealth had been similar to other noble families, wouldn’t they have become fallen nobility long ago? It’s really only because they’re Buin that they’ve endured.”

Bellus smiled, furrowing his brow. At his sharp voice, the three friends shut their mouths tight.

The succession issue of the Buin Duke family had been a constant topic of discussion from the past until now.

The current Duke Buin was famous for being the precious only son that the previous Duke Buin had with great difficulty, and he himself only had one daughter and didn’t take a second wife. The reason was that no one could take his wife’s place.

People praised Duke Buin’s love, expressing it in poetry, but well. Duke Buin’s relatives didn’t seem to think so.

[After insisting on having only one daughter, it seems he’s going to hand over Buin to Delta! Rather than that, adopting an excellent child from among the relatives and making them Duke Buin would be the way to protect Buin!]

But to Duke Buin, a relative’s child or a stranger’s were the same. Rather, it was a much better option for his daughter to become a duchess, and his daughter’s child to become a duke.

‘Perhaps Duke Buin thinks he chose me. When in fact, it’s the opposite.’

Bellus shook his head and said.

“Anyway, you guys will never understand my worries and pain.”

“Still, isn’t the Buin Duke’s daughter the best in the current marriage market? Although she’s a bit older.”

“Age isn’t really a problem?”

“Then why do you dislike it so much?”

At his friends’ grumbling, Bellus drew out an “Uh…” and then said seriously.

“Face?”

“What did you say?”

As his friends asked in disbelief, Bellus nodded.

“Yes. That’s right. First of all, I don’t like her face.”

“Wow, I really have nothing to say.”

John sighed, speaking for everyone.

Bellus smiled slightly, pleased with John’s reaction. As he elegantly crossed his long legs and interlocked his fingers, he looked like a work of art.

“By the way, what were you talking about before I came?”

“About how Derick got beaten by his father for fooling around with a maid.”

John said this with a vile smile.

“Are you getting revenge now for what happened earlier?”

“Do you think this is enough for revenge?”

Once again, the two men started bickering.

Just as Eric, his head throbbing, was about to stop the two, Bellus clutched his chest and curled up.

“Ugh!”

The men turned pale at Bellus’s sudden expression of pain.

“What? What’s wrong?”

For a moment, the men thought of Duke Delta.

If something were to happen to Bellus here, Duke Delta might retaliate against the men gathered here. Even if it wasn’t their fault, Duke Delta wouldn’t restrain himself from venting his anger.

To his friends who were dripping cold sweat, Bellus muttered in a trembling voice.

“You touched my painful wound.”

“What?”

“Ah, my sad first love.”

Bellus, raising his upper body, made a gesture of wiping away tears.

Only then realizing that the crazy guy had played a prank, the men let out sighs of relief.

“Don’t joke around!”

As John shouted angrily, Bellus smiled coldly and gazed at John with blue eyes of unfathomable depth.

“A joke?”

“Huh?”

“Do you think I’m joking right now?”

His low voice, tinged with moisture, vibrated through the air. John found it difficult to breathe. As if he had fallen into water.

“Uh… T-That…”

Bellus smiled at the poor, stuttering John until the corners of his eyes creased, then leaned back against the backrest.

“By the way, how was that maid? Was she pretty?”

As Bellus asked brightly, seemingly in a better mood, Derick quickly answered.

“Huh? Uh, well, she was!”

“What color was her hair?”

“Brown.”

“Eh.”

At Bellus’s indifferent response, Eric asked with a smile.

“Is hair color important?”

“Of course, it’s the most important!”

“Really? Then what color do you like?”

“That, of course…”

Bellus recalled his painful past. It was already 10 years ago. Yet, just thinking about that woman made Bellus feel like his face would turn red.

“Black.”

Derick sighed and teased Bellus, calling him a proper narcissist. John still watched Bellus cautiously, and Eric laughed appropriately.

Bellus, observing their reactions as if watching a play, drew her image in his mind.

Polite attitude, an expression and voice that couldn’t be called arrogant even in jest. Yet those black eyes that didn’t avoid his gaze.

Isn’t black the darkest color in the world? But her black eyes seemed to shine brighter than anything in the world. Her hair was the same. It looked much more beautiful than Bellus’s black hair.

How beautiful would it be if that tightly bound hair was let loose? With such expectant curiosity, Bellus had undone her tie. Then, more beautiful than imagined, her black hair elegantly spread out like silk.

Bellus had never seen anything more beautiful in the world than that sight.

That’s why he still can’t forget it, and why he still wants to possess it.