‘I must save not only myself but also my family and household from this absurd yoke of ruin.’

After realizing the memories of his previous life, and now that he was aware of the unchanging reality, that thought dominated Valentin even more strongly.

For 5 years, he always had a question. Putting aside just himself, how in the world could Evener Luwin so easily shake a family like ours that was so solid and broad, with a firm foundation both socially and in business, able to influence wide areas?

Was it simply good luck? Was it a combination of various misfortunes? So even with the weak conditions he shook, it could collapse helplessly like dominoes as if pulling out the central pillar?

‘If not, could there have been another enemy hiding besides Evener Luwin?’

Valentin continued pondering while rhythmically tapping his fingers on his stomach.

Thinking rationally, that made sense. Whether another enemy joined hands with him or acted independently, it was a much more credible inference than the assumption that such a huge downfall and collapse was faced with the power of a mere viscount.

Valentin felt the need to consult with his uncle Dalton and prepare even more for the future.

It was also Valentin’s capacity and role to figure out from where and how to persuade him.

‘Right. I can’t just lie down like a mad person.’

Valentin raised his body to actively move while shaking his head to come to his senses.

When he rang the bell on the side table, the young butler Dawson, who was exclusively in charge of Valentin in the house, quickly knocked and entered.

“Did you call, young master?”

“Are there any invitations that came for me by any chance?”

To that question, Dawson answered as if prepared.

“There are no personal invitations for you yet since you returned yesterday, but if you wish to go out for socializing, I will select appropriate invitations addressed to the Viscount and Viscountess.”

Capable… Before Valentin left, Dawson was one of the apprentice butlers who had just started training under the old head butler, but he had grown into a very excellent butler in 5 years.

“Good. Please select appropriate ones and bring them to me, and also prepare for going out. Come to think of it, I should get some clothes fitted too.”

The capital of the empire was chilly as it was located further north in latitude than Sorencia. Moreover, unlike there where he could  dress freely, he had to follow various formalities here. Furthermore, even the trends were different…

As soon as he thought he should get moving, Valentin felt there were more than a couple of things to do and spoke enthusiastically.

“I will make an appointment with the dressing room soon as well. Shall we commission Madame Delacroix like before?”

“Is Madame Delacroix still the most popular in the capital these days?”

“Her reputation is not bad then and now.”

“Then I’ll have to trouble her for the time being again.”

Dawson bowed his head briefly and left the room, closing the door to hurry and handle the entrusted tasks.

It was time to move even a little for the future.

Unlike the somewhat rigid culture of the empire’s people, the Beauprang Gallery naturally exuded a unique exotic feel not only from the building’s interior but also the surrounding landscape and the atmosphere of the people coming and going, as if the owner himself loved various cultures and a liberal atmosphere.

And today, the gallery was especially overflowing with various people to celebrate the painting exhibition of the up-and-coming foreign artist, Monsieur Baptiste.

‘It’s a cooler place than I thought.’

Valentin found an invitation to the opening ceremony of the Beauprang Gallery, which was related to an organization his mother sponsored, while browsing the invitations. And putting aside the others without even looking at them, he dressed appropriately for going out and headed here.

It seemed to be on a larger scale than the other invitations he glanced at, and also because he knew through magazines and newspapers that Monsieur Baptiste was currently the most popular artist in social circles.

He had wanted to see the paintings of artists dominating the current era in person from time to time in Sorencia as well, so it would be a shame to miss the opportunity. He was also curious about the atmosphere of the artists from Blanches, the same hometown as the gallery owner.

‘I can finally see the glamorous yet dreamy colors praised in the magazines.’

Valentin’s heart swelled at the thought of viewing paintings with a new feel, different from the ones he had tried or seen in Sorencia.

But there was a slightly different reason for choosing this place as his first social activity.

The scale of the party itself. And a gathering that was not excessively polite or moderately formal.

That was the decisive reason Valentin chose the invitation to this place out of dozens.

A setting where a small number of people gather like a tea party and he had to formally introduce himself was really very difficult.

A ‘tea party’ that was like shouting ‘Hey, people of the neighborhood! Valentin is back!’ to the people of the social circles in a state where no plans or strategies had been made yet.

If he imagined sitting in someone’s noble reception room or garden, facing each other in a circle like an addiction treatment meeting, and introducing himself like ‘Hello, I’m Valentin Wiche. Yes, that’s right. The troublemaker and arrogant little devil of the social circles 5 years ago,’ or saying something similar packaged in formal words like some kind of return announcement, what was a blanket kick right now? Tearing a hundred blankets would not be enough. It was disgusting and at the same time cringeworthy like hundreds of lugworms crawling all over his body.

‘I absolutely refuse such a fuss.’

Valentin grimaced at his own imagination and lightly got off the carriage, wearing a hat and holding a cane.

It was comfortable to be in a place where many people mingled together, and there may have been a desire to sit in a place with paintings that were his area of expertise and felt like a home for his heart.

But since he had been away from the etiquette of noble society for a long time and the social circles themselves were unfamiliar, feeling quite like a country bumpkin, wouldn’t he look even more like a poser if the space was also unfamiliar? If by chance he had an opportunity to converse with someone, it would be better to talk about his own field.

Should I say it was a desire to blend in as naturally as possible in a place he hadn’t been to in a long time? He didn’t want to be the only different color like an idiot.

He absolutely refused to make silly remarks or behave out of fashion, attracting attention and becoming a spectacle like a monkey in a zoo, and being the talk of people’s gossip.

A human who knows shame. That was who he was now, Valentin boasted inwardly with a nose held high pretending to be humble.

I am now a human who knows shame. Let’s do well. Let’s do well and get a grasp of the local news. Valentin clenched his fists.

Anyway, with such a complex reason at play, Valentin was now stepping on the white marble floor of the gallery with his elaborate dress shoes, fists clenched. Even to himself, it was a truly energetic and bold step.

His heart felt at ease with the appropriately noisy sight of people filling the open space, talking among themselves.

‘As expected, everyone is busy and no one pays attention to me.’

Valentin seemed to have had such a complacent thought since everything was unfamiliar.

The people of the social circles who filled the open interior of the gallery past the entrance with huge, white pillars lined up like an ancient temple in the neoclassical style, stealthily glanced sideways at the picture-like beautiful young man walking in alone. And they whispered among themselves.

They were all indulging in Valentin’s appearance with their eyes, each making judgments in their minds.

With his beautiful platinum hair, spring water-like aqua eyes, porcelain-white skin, and red lips so beautiful as if carefully made up, people easily guessed that the young man’s secondary gender was an omega.

Although his height and physique were not too small or excessively delicate like a girl, and were similar to an average man, as soon as they saw his dancer-like graceful body and beautiful face, everyone unanimously thought, ‘Such a beautiful man like Archangel Michael in a religious painting can’t just be a beta.’

His upright posture with his chin pulled straight, looking ahead, and his shoulders with a straight back also indicated that he was the son of a noble family who grew up receiving strict etiquette education from the upper class.

“Was there an omega male with such looks in Eldon’s social circles?”

“Who in the world is that person?”

Valentin, who had lived for 5 years mingling with ordinary people—a unique group of artists who thought of themselves as such, with their own definite world—did not notice people’s subtle interest and simply thought his secret outing today was successful as he naturally appreciated the paintings.

‘As expected, to hide a tree, you have to go into the forest!’ thought Valentin, who was not even a tree but a rare flowering tree that appears once in a hundred years.

He liked the subtle colors of the pastoral painting depicting girls enjoying nature by a summer stream.

Appreciating the bold brush strokes, Valentin secretly sighed in relief, thinking it was really fortunate.

‘Seeing that no one is approaching me pretending to know me, it seems no one knows who I am after all.’

Indeed, who would know so well a person who only showed his face at gatherings of young boys and girls back then? Valentin couldn’t hide his elated heart and secretly bounced his heels.

But that thought was a complete miscalculation.

They say enemies meet on a narrow bridge…

“Who is this…? Viscount Wiche?”

A voice that sounded somewhat familiar yet foreign, plain but somehow spookily threatening, came from behind.

Valentin turned his head like lightning to confirm the cause of that chill.

Evener Luwin…!

My nemesis in the original work and in this life…!

‘Arghhhh…!’

Valentin screamed in his mind.

He encountered the final boss right at the place he came to check on the state of the social circles.

And the boss appeared dragging followers behind him like underling minions. The same appearance as before. This familiar sight… it was so much like the typical villain and his minions from an old cartoon that came out of a 4:3 ratio TV… I really can’t go around together like a boss and his lackeys even if someone tells me to, really. Valentin secretly shuddered in disgust.

“It seems you’ve finished your secluded life and completely returned?”

Evener said with a smile, raising one corner of his pretty and handsome face.

Secluded life…! If someone heard that, they would think he had been walking the path of a pilgrim for several years, avoiding the secular world in some wilderness.

They say a true villain and a real devil appear in the form of an angelic kind face and a seductive figure like a enchantress…! To Valentin, Evener, who spoke in a good-natured voice, imitating a kind smile like an angel, looked like a messenger from hell who would lead him to ruin.

“As expected of the weirdo of the social circles. You can ignore people’s eyes and even go into seclusion. Were you suffering from some illness?”

Along with the remark blatantly dissing him as a weirdo, it was a question simply to mock, not actually curious about Valentin’s well-being. Sarcasm disguised as a greeting as if curious about the safety and peace of an old friend…!

No! Come to think of it, he might have been really curious. The person who would earnestly wish he had gotten sick and dropped dead would be none other than Evener Luwin in front of his eyes. Not to mention the 3rd Prince who would be somewhere in the palace right now.

Evener’s verbal attacks continued towards Valentin, who was hesitating without being able to say what he really wanted to say, lest he incur more resentment here when he hadn’t even made any plans for a peaceful future and escape yet.

“Seeing that you’ve honed that looks you’re so proud of and came out with determination, it seems you still can’t let go of your lingering attachment?”

I just came out roughly…!

Far from honing, I just hurriedly grabbed the clothes I was washing and came out wearing them! Valentin made a wronged expression looking down at his own morning coat with narrow sleeves that were in fashion only in Sorencia.

“Having finished the coming-of-age ceremony and become a proper adult, have you come out to officially stamp your face at the imperial palace now?”

“No… I…”

It was maddening to be cornered by Evener’s continuous strange remarks.

The timing is really coincidental, but I just came back because my dad called me…!

Wow… I can’t even have you meet my dad in person…!

Valentin felt stuffy. It felt like eating thirty sweet potato pies without water.