In a wide and long corridor, a woman stood with all her elegance, gazing down from the windows. She had emerald green eyes so stunning they could make the finest gemstones envious, and her hair, as if made from crimson blood, flowed beautifully. Every detail of her face seemed crafted with utmost care by the gods of art.
Her face was a masterpiece, each feature a testament to perfection. Her delicately arched eyebrows accentuated the emerald green of her eyes, giving her gaze the power to pierce into a person's soul. Her lips, slightly upturned, danced between a refined smile and a daring smirk. Her cheekbones were prominent but not harsh, radiating a delicate elegance. Her skin was as flawless as ivory, so smooth and luminous that even the most skilled painter could not envision its perfection—neither blemished nor marked, just pure and strikingly radiant.
Her hair cascaded down her shoulders in fiery waves, resembling strands borrowed from the flames of a sunset. A soft breeze played with the tips of her hair, as though bringing a melody into the room. Her beauty was so captivating that it demanded courage to behold; anyone who dared to meet her gaze would find themselves entranced by her allure.
Although the woman wore a dress reminiscent of the Victorian era, the curves of her body did not escape the keen eyes of an observer. Any man who looked at such a woman would first feel admiration, then fear. For every man would understand how much devastation a woman of such beauty could bring with nothing but her allure. After all, this was the most beautiful woman in the empire. She belonged to the Donnadan dynasty and was none other than Princess Allea, the first princess of the Donnadan Empire.
Her emerald green eyes glanced downward, and her lips reflected an expression of displeasure. Below, a convoy of carriages had arrived at the imperial palace, each bearing the proud eagle emblem on its spread wings. It was the convoy of Duke Neonidas of House Oreoned. As soon as Allea spotted the duke's golden hair, she turned to her aide.
The mere movement of Allea's head prompted the servants behind her to retreat, leaving only her chief aide, who bowed respectfully without showing any sign of fear.
"Tell me," Allea asked, "are the recent rumors about him true?"
"I may not know exactly which rumors you are referring to, Your Excellency," the aide replied, "but our investigations have confirmed many of them. Some, however, were either false or exaggerated."
As she listened to her aide's cold tone, Allea turned her gaze back to the handsome blond man below.
"Has he truly discovered a new mana stone mine?" she asked.
"My knowledge on this matter is limited, Your Excellency. It seems Duke Neonidas is conducting the excavations with utmost secrecy to avoid potential sabotage or attacks. However, given enough time, I can uncover more details about it."
Allea narrowed her eyes, her fingers tapping rhythmically against the window ledge as her mind swirled in chaos. She had initially dismissed the rumors about Neonidas changing. She could not believe that the useless man she had known since childhood could change so suddenly—let alone that any person could transform so drastically in such a short time. At most, she thought he might be pretending, but nothing beyond that. Yet even someone pretending wouldn't stoop as low as opening a brothel, not someone like Neonidas.
Since childhood, Neonidas had always been shy, introverted, but extremely prideful. When she first heard the news of him opening brothels throughout his dukedom, she thought it was a distasteful and absurd joke.
"And what about this brothel business? Why would he do something like that?" Allea asked, turning her gaze to her aide.
The chief aide looked directly into Allea's eyes as she responded, "Unfortunately, we do not know why the duke made such a decision, Your Excellency. However, we've learned that he has already started paying off his debts with part of the profits from these brothels and is using the rest to open new ones. These brothels are reportedly different from traditional ones, making them highly profitable. Normally, brothels are established by commoners or criminal organizations, which makes people distrust them. However, brothels founded by a noble, especially a duke, seem to be perceived as more reliable. It even appears that some noble families are sending their sons to these brothels, thinking them safer."
This slightly surprised Allea. Yet the truth was undeniable—Neonidas had finally achieved something. Even though it wasn't exactly praiseworthy, it was still an accomplishment. He had made two relatively smart investments, and if the mana stone mine rumor proved true, Neonidas might actually safeguard the legacy left by the late Duke Leonardo. Still, she couldn't understand why he had hired blacksmiths, and the reasoning eluded her.
"Could he be preparing for a war?" Allea wondered, but then dismissed the thought. Even an idiot like Neonidas wouldn't risk a war when he had so many enemies. Allea sighed deeply, turning around to leave the corridor with her servants.
---
Meanwhile, as Neonidas and his entourage entered the imperial palace, they were greeted by the chamberlain and Empress Velriona. Powerful guards lined the back of the hall, their intimidating auras palpable. Observing proper decorum, Neonidas bowed slightly before the empress and kissed her extended hand.
"I greet Your Majesty, the Empress. The brilliance of your beauty guided us even through the darkest moments of our journey," Neonidas said, using a compliment he remembered from the memories of the original Neonidas.
His praise brought a moment of silence to in the courtyard. Empress Velriona responded with a faint smile, her eyes scanning Neonidas with careful scrutiny. This version of Neonidas seemed very different from the one she remembered; his words carried both confidence and a calculated hint of mischief. As she withdrew her hand, a barely noticeable smile graced her lips.
"Ah, Duke Neonidas," she said in a soft, yet commanding, tone. "The elegance of your words has graced the imperial palace. I trust your journey was uneventful?"
Neonidas responded with a slight bow. "Your Majesty, the journey was far from perfect, but the memory of your light made every hardship bearable."
While Velriona considered his words, the chamberlain interrupted with a discreet cough. "Your Majesty, perhaps we could lead our guests to a more suitable chamber? They may wish to rest after the long hours of travel."
After a brief moment of thought, Velriona nodded. "Of course. Duke Neonidas, please feel at home."
Neonidas bowed modestly once again. "It is an honor for me to feel at home in the Imperial Palace, Your Majesty." He then looked at Velriona with a slight smile, signaling that he was ready to follow.
As the guards accompanied Neonidas and his party through the vast marble corridors, Velriona's watchful eyes never left him. The Chamberlain's visible unease was apparent. Neonidas's former reputation still lingered like a shadow in the palace circles. However, what they were witnessing now was a Neonidas displaying intelligence and cunning beyond the rumors and old habits.
After distancing themselves from the Empress, Neonidas and his party were led into a richly decorated hall. The golden embroidered curtains, massive crystal chandeliers, and elegant carved furniture reflected the power and grace of the Donnadan Empire. In one corner of the room, a table was carefully set with fruits and drinks.
The celebrations would start tomorrow, but Neonidas had already seen that the capital was already in a festive mood along the way. People were out in the streets, enjoying the fairs. Without a doubt, the entire capital was celebrating the great victory. Today, many important figures had either already arrived or were arriving soon. Among them were kings, queens, princes, princesses, and dukes from neighboring kingdoms.
Everyone acknowledged that the Donnadan Empire had played the largest role in the victory of the coalition army. Especially the famous Princess Allea's accomplishments had added to the glory of the empire. But the only one who had been harmed in this situation was Neonidas. After Princess Allea's successes, young and powerful princes or at least all strong men above a certain caliber had dreamed of marrying her, but they soon discovered she was already engaged. Furthermore, when they learned that her fiancé was a useless, foolish duke, they all began to despise Neonidas even more.
Even though Neonidas, a cowardly duke who hadn't even participated in the war, had somehow managed to become despised even across the continent. Now, Neonidas sat in the chair with a faint smile on his face, looking quite happy as he opened a wine bottle and rhythmically tapped his ring on the glass.
The room was empty except for Solara, Soren, and the Steward. Soren had not only spent his time in the viscountcy focused on training, but he had also worked hard to develop his knowledge of politics, diplomacy, and intrigue. With an extensive collection of books in the former Viscount Kalderon's library, he had been able to educate himself well. And it was for this very reason that he couldn't understand why his master seemed so content despite all the misfortune and fate that had befallen him.
For the people, he was Neonidas, the son of Duke Leonardo, who was the source of national pride. but Neonidas was source of national hatred. This was how they saw him. Yet Neonida didn't seem bothered at all, on the contrary he seemed to laugh at him bad fate, he was an extraordinary individual in every sense. At least that's what Soren thought.