“We are not a business that will crumble just because we fail to win a bid of this level.”

 

As if realizing Valentin’s anxious heart, the viscount softened his stiff face, smiled, and continued.

 

“But you’re right about that. We can’t chase immediate profits and let them get a hold of our weakness. All the more so if it’s a matter related to my son.”

 

The viscount leaned back in his chair, deep in thought.

 

“And if they’re not going to be tied to us through marriage, it’s right not to give them any chance to create any kind of deal, brother.”

 

Dalton, who turned 23 this year, had been learning about the family business and handling practical affairs along with his studies at university since becoming an adult. He was also a party actually involved in this matter.

 

“That’s right.”

 

The viscount nodded while listening to his younger brother.

 

“Anyway, I understand your opinion well, Valentin. I will try to resolve this matter so that no noise arises.”

 

“Thank you, Father!”

 

Valentin’s eyes brimmed with tears.

 

Finally, my neck can remain fully attached…. Off to a good start. Really good.

 

Thanking that his parents loved their child and were people with common sense, Valentin rose from his seat with a bright face.

 

Now there won’t be a future where I get falsely accused for the same thing and the family is ruined!

 

So if the engagement is just broken off, my life will be smooth sailing too!

 

Valentin, who had hope for the first time since remembering his previous life, ran back to his room like a squirrel with his heart full of that joy. Not knowing at all what other things would happen the very next day.

 

Two Hopes  

 

The next morning.

 

Actually, Valentin’s heart was full of positive expectations.

 

His cheeks were puffed up full of hope like a squirrel that stored lots of acorns in its cheek pouches for winter.

 

Those hopes were largely two kinds, but for now, let’s first look at the second hope.

 

It was this foolishly naive thought.

 

‘Could it be that I also have a reincarnation buff?’

 

It was a brazen thought befitting someone who had read a decent amount of web novels in their previous life.

 

Why, aren’t the protagonists in novels always like that?

 

They always had protagonist buffs like the protagonists they were in novels. There were always plenty of people around to help them, they could dodge flying bullets, and all the surrounding characters loved the protagonist.

 

Recalling the protagonists in novels who received tons of love even from villains or supporting characters and were at a loss, Valentin also softly had such a hope.

 

‘Could it be that I’m also…?’

 

And the fact that hope was shattered after meeting people allowed Valentin to realize reality while simultaneously arousing pity in those who saw it. It couldn’t be anything but an extremely unfortunate event.

 

*

 

Cold  tea was poured over Valentin’s head.

 

“Oh my, my hand slipped. I apologize, Viscount Wiche.”

 

The red  tea liquid couldn’t seep into the splendid platinum hair and the cravat made of glossy oriental silk like pearls, and flowed down. The tea stained the fine and delicate embroidered silk threads on the clothes like art.

 

The ridicule and whispers of the boys and girls didn’t outright laugh but buzzed in his ears.

 

What happened now at the tea party of the Guelfried Marquis family that he entered with a confident expression was truly more than enough to shatter Valentin’s hopes.

 

Why did he stupidly attend without knowing that person would come here?

 

Evener Luwin, the 3rd Prince’s lover and the protagonist who would lead Valentin to ruin. Although he was only acquainted with the Marquis’ daughter hosting this  tea party, he was close friends with her fiancé.

 

Due to the overload of memories from his previous life, he couldn’t deeply think about reality and recent events. It was certainly his mistake to attend the pre-arranged social gathering without much thought, trying to test the reincarnation buff.

 

The whispers that could be heard as soon as he entered the party.

 

Feeling that commotion, Valentin could finally realize that he had stepped into enemy territory with his own feet.

 

The sounds mainly came from Evener Luwin’s followers-like friends gathered around him, but not entirely so.

 

“How much are you going to vulgarly brag about money today, Valentin?”

 

“Forget money, why don’t you try bragging about that amazing pheromone of yours?”

 

“It must be a shame there are hardly any alphas today? You need people begging and following you around to be in a slightly better mood.”

 

“Oh my, is it because His Highness the 3rd Prince is late?”

 

How have you been living your life so far…. Valentin was frustrated that he couldn’t beat up his past self.

 

It was devastating.

 

All the noble family children in their teens who attended unanimously pounded and ground Valentin, showing how much arrogance he had been spreading around.

 

No wonder the ending was like that when he acted this way. When in the novel’s future, he went crazy with jealousy, committed trivial evil deeds, and eventually committed crimes later on, no one defended, understood, or supported him. Everyone was his enemy and rejoiced at the downfall of his arrogant and vicious self.

 

Applause for the villain’s downfall.

 

Valentin smiled bitterly as he took out a handkerchief and brushed off his cold tea-soaked hair and shoulders.

 

Everyone had an expression of disbelief seeing the slightly more mature change in Valentin whose memories of his previous life returned, but that was only for a moment.

 

And when the 3rd Prince with the perfect face who finally arrived put his arm around his lover Evener’s shoulder, kindly smiled and chatted with his entourage, then made eye contact with Valentin and immediately made a contemptuous expression, turned his back and moved his seat to where Valentin couldn’t be seen, Valentin had to admit it.

 

There was no such thing as a reincarnation buff anywhere, not even a speck.

 

He was just a hated villain like before.

 

*

 

The second hope of the day was shattered, but there was still the first hope left.

 

And if it was the basis for the first hope, Valentin had something to say.

 

He believed that the exchange of opinions with his family yesterday was very positive, allowing him to have sufficiently hopeful dreams, and now that his father followed his opinion on this matter, things would really be resolved well.

 

However, the world was more complicated than Valentin thought, with small and varied interests intertwined.

 

Hearing the empress and the Hedderfield ducal family’s ambiguous answer that they won’t proceed with the engagement right away but won’t accept a refusal either so keep it, Valentin fell into despair again.

 

A refusal that seemed like acceptance or an acceptance that wasn’t acceptance like a refusal.

 

‘What the heck is this…!’

 

It was like saying they won’t give any confirmation yet, that they’ll make all the decisions so you just stick your neck out and wait. Vague, ambiguous, and never making a definite statement – that answer was indeed befitting of a renowned political family. To make the 3rd Prince the next emperor, they wanted to keep all possibilities open.

 

Recalling the faces of Empress Beatrice and her father, the Duke of Hedderfield, Valentin imagined a picture of a well-fed snake luxuriously coiled up with the corpses it hunted piled under its belly.

 

‘Right…. There’s no way this would end so easily.’

 

Valentin moved his steps powerlessly.

 

With the first hope also shattered into powder and disappeared, Valentin couldn’t come to his senses about his dark future ahead. What the heck is this… It’s seriously endless darkness….

 

After the  tea party where he was ridiculed ended and he returned home, as soon as he heard the news from his father at the dinner table, Valentin turned into an empty shell as if he had starved for ten days with his soul gone.

 

Dalton hurriedly finished his meal, grabbed his pitiful nephew going up to his room, patted his back, and kindly asked.

 

“What in the world happened since yesterday?”

 

“Dalton…!”

 

It was like a loving guardian appearing before a child who fell and got hurt alone.

 

With tears in his eyes, Valentin tightly hugged Dalton’s thick torso with both arms in the middle of the mansion’s corridor where many people could see and said,

 

“What should I do?”

 

How could he possibly tell someone else that he had memories of his previous life, that this world was inside a book, and that he knew the entire ending of this novel? He’d be lucky not to get locked up in a mental hospital right away if he said that. Maybe they’d even say they can’t stand it anymore and send him to a monastery.

 

Valentin loved his uncle Dalton, but he knew his rational and sensible personality well enough. So Valentin, who couldn’t bring himself to tell the truth, had no choice but to desperately swallow the truth and just cry in his arms.

 

Dalton carefully opened his mouth while hugging back with his large hands befitting his huge physique. 

 

“Tell me, Valentin. My dear nephew. Did something upset you today? Is it related to your newly tailored Madame Delacroix outfit the same color as your hair getting soaked with  tea?”

 

So you saw earlier after all….

 

Recalling his uncle’s face that he encountered in the mansion’s lobby on his way back, Valentin shook his head in shame.

 

No, no…! I shouldn’t deny it out of embarrassment but think about how I can utilize this more?

 

“Dalton, everyone hates me.”