Chapter 2 : The Motive

Theron Cox, he could be called, without a doubt, the most famous commoner in the Empire.
His noble royal-blonde hair that made one forget his origins, blue eyes resembling a deep lake, and a face as if meticulously sculpted by God, earned him favor wherever he went.
It didn’t matter if they were men or women, old or young.

When he was young, he considered this face a curse because of the many people who pestered him, but as he got older, he realized it wasn’t so bad if he used it well.
The first time he realized this talent of his appearance was when he was hired as a cleaner at a pub at the age of 12.

“It’s a waste to just have you mopping the floor.”
Since it was a pub frequented by businessmen, the owner wanted the establishment to look more splendid.
Theron’s face was a suitable and brilliant ornament, so he was offered to play the piano.

“Look at that boy. The way he plays the piano is so beautiful.”
“Not only his face, but his performance is also excellent, isn’t it?”
Just as the owner expected, Theron soon captured the attention of the customers.

After that, Theron befriended the people who approached him, gradually expanding his connections, and as soon as he reached adulthood, he received investments and opened a business under his own name.
For something that started with a handsome face, it was quite a significant achievement.

[Businessman Theron Cox, Emerges as a New Titan in the Financial World!]
[Fastest Growing Company, If You Need Money, Visit Cox Corp. Before Fairfax Bank!]

Theron’s company grew steadily, collaborating with banks that had branches all over the continent.
Thanks to his handsome face and abilities, even pretty women or liquor brought by clients from business partners would come flying to him without him having to do anything, allowing him to enjoy a decent amount of pleasure amidst his busy life.

‘How easy.’
Women, in particular, were much easier for him to handle than running a complex business.
If he spoke to them in a polite tone, smiled once, and willingly bent down to pick up a handkerchief they dropped, their eyes would instantly turn into hearts.
In short, they would fall helplessly for the gentle deception he offered while pretending to be obedient, all while standing on top of their heads.

Of course, even if he spent a night with the women he seduced that way, they were merely a side dish to his life.
In the end, what mattered most to Theron was money, and for that, he had to work hard.
Recently, even women had become a nuisance, so when he rested, he would mostly bury himself in the languid smoke of a cigar.

Still, it was not a bad life.
Although he didn’t earn as much as those born with it, as time went on, he grew more naturally accustomed to mingling with the upper class, and money steadily piled up in his safe.
That is, until this damn news was delivered.

[Rigus Coast, Considered for a Third Port City!]

The Rigus Coast was an area that included a plot of land Theron had been preparing to buy for some time.
As if the annually soaring prices due to real estate speculators weren’t enough, the Imperial family finally stepped in, announcing they would develop it into a port, meaning that land would belong to the Imperial family in three years.

‘Damn it, if it wasn’t for the building construction that started last year.’
Theron regretted having rashly put up the second building for his business to receive investments.
If he hadn’t rushed that construction, he might have been able to buy the Rigus Coast plot by the end of this year.
However, regretting it wouldn’t fix the mistakes made in the past.
Only the future remained, which needed to be resolved.

There was a solution, at least.
He just needed to get enough money to snatch the land before the Imperial family bought it.
Enough money to buy the 2,000-pyeong plot in Rigus, the most expensive land in the eastern part of the Empire.
(TL note: A pyeong is a Korean unit of area, roughly 3.3 square meters or 35.5 square feet. 2,000 pyeong is about 6,600 square meters or 1.6 acres.)
A hollow laugh escaped him.

How much was that?
It was a colossal sum that would take at least five years to earn, even calculating the growth rate of his business.
While he was wracking his brain over it, someone extended a hand to Theron Cox.

“Theron Cox, I know you need a large sum of money.”
It was Colonel Orlando Ashcombe of the Duke of Ashcombe’s family.
He was a soldier praised as a hero after the war and the only brother of the late Duke Ashcombe.

He pointed out Theron’s situation with a hearty laugh, not at all like someone who had done a background check.
“I won’t beat around the bush. If you succeed in marrying my niece within a year, I’ll give you 100,000 pounds.”

100,000 pounds was more than enough to buy the land Theron wanted, with plenty to spare.
Was it just ‘plenty’?
It was an absurd amount of money.
Nevertheless, an immediate answer didn’t come out because, even if a thirsty man digs a well, this was a bit strange.

“Does the money fall from the sky once I marry the Duke’s daughter?”
“What I want is marriage, followed by a divorce. If there’s no particular fault on either side, the assets are divided exactly in half.”
So, I’m to take half of her assets upon divorce?

It wasn’t that it didn’t make sense, but there was still a part that was hard to accept.
“You wouldn’t be trying to make your only niece a divorcee just because you need an empty safe.”

“What I need is the title. Money is just a piece of paper.”
Are all rich people like that?

For Theron, who had been hell-bent on finding money for days, it was a disagreeable attitude, but he figured that’s just how high nobles were.
They were born with money under their feet, so they’d risk their lives for useless things like titles.

Thinking about it calmly, Colonel Ashcombe risking his life for a title wasn’t entirely incomprehensible.
His family’s history was so famous that there wasn’t a citizen in the Empire who didn’t know it.
The story of the previous Duchess of Ashcombe passing the dukedom to her second son, bypassing the eldest, was very well-known.
It must have been quite a humiliating affair for him.
It made sense that he would be obsessed with the title.

So, he was trying to make his perfectly fine niece a divorcee to snatch the ducal title that her child would inherit.
A blemish of that magnitude would cause opposition to the succession of the title within the family.
This sly old colonel, who pretended to be a good person, had surely already established his own faction within the family.

“But why me?”
Theron’s mind was already leaning towards it.
This was the final confirmation.

“Hahaha!”
Colonel Ashcombe suddenly burst into a hearty laugh and slapped Theron’s shoulder.
“Of course, it’s your face! A face like that is needed to seduce my niece, wouldn’t you say!”

Clutching his sore shoulder, Theron pressed his lips together firmly.
It was an incredibly simple answer, but it was also one he had somewhat expected.

“The list of women you’ve enjoyed a night with is quite spectacular! With your skills, you could probably seduce me too!”
At the unappetizing proposition, Theron flicked the ash from the cigar he was holding.

However, since the statement about his list being spectacular wasn’t exactly wrong, he had nothing to say.
Even when he was having fun, he didn’t want rumors to spread, so he had carefully selected women from the upper class whose purpose was also just to have fun.

“That’s not to say I believe you’ll accomplish this easily. Have you ever seen my niece in person?”
Theron had to search his memory for a moment.
He had seen a blurry picture of her in a newspaper once, and heard about her a few times when he visited the nearby Kingdom of Velora on business.

‘Yes… I did happen to hear about her.’
As the unpleasant memory surfaced, Theron’s brows furrowed slightly.

“But in the end, the winner of this competition will be Selene Ashcombe. It’s a settled matter, no matter how much the ants struggle.”

At the meaningful words of his local business partner, Theron had thought, ‘that’s just how high nobles are.’
That was the extent of their connection.
It was hardly enough to even be called a connection.

“I have never seen her in person.”
“Right, Selene went to the Kingdom of Velora before she came of age and studied there for five years, so you wouldn’t have had a chance to see her. It’s only been a few months since she returned to her home country.”

For the first time, Colonel Ashcombe’s smile vanished, and his face turned quite serious.
“Selene is a pretty child. So beautiful that the word ‘pretty’ doesn’t do her justice. So, this is a serious piece of advice, but don’t you dare go and give your heart to her.”

The first serious thing he said was just a warning not to fall for her, so Theron just let out a hollow laugh.

‘What on earth does he take me for?’
Is there anyone who gives their heart to a cigar and brandy?
To him, a woman was no different from those things.
So, of course, Theron could answer firmly.

“That won’t happen.”

Time passed, and Theron confirmed Selene’s face more clearly at Colonel Ashcombe’s afternoon cocktail party.
It was through the photograph Lysander had handed him.
It was a moment where he could somewhat understand the Colonel’s fuss about her being pretty and not to fall for her.
But that was it.

The existence of a beautiful woman was no different to him than a delectable brandy, and her existence was nothing more than a finish line.
Besides, he understood the creature called ‘woman’ better than anyone, so he was confident he could win her heart quickly, no matter how aloof or great she was.

However, despite that confidence, the difficulties surprisingly began even before he met her.

‘Does she even go out?’
Selene Ashcombe hardly ever appeared at social gatherings, as if she were some kind of unicorn.
According to rumors, she was always cooped up in the ducal estate.

After waiting and waiting, he finally heard news of her going out.
Her former university professor, Revental, was returning to the country for today’s party, and she would rarely make an appearance.
The trouble he went through to seize this opportunity.

He had an important meeting originally, but he canceled all his appointments and contacted an acquaintance he hadn’t seen in three years to force an invitation.
Arriving at the party venue, Theron adjusted his disheveled tie before getting out of the car.
Since the start was delayed, he planned to put in more effort than usual.

First, the task of imprinting his existence.
A first impression could be said to be very important in everything.
It was no exaggeration to say that whether things went easily or with difficulty was determined by the first impression.
That was a rule that applied equally in business and between men and women.

‘It’s a pain, so let’s finish this as quickly as possible.’
Make her fall for me at first sight today, get an invitation to the ducal estate within a month, finish everything from a kiss to a night together all at once, and then propose on the spot.

As Theron, now prepared, stepped out of the car, all eyes were on him at once.
Even with just the streetlights illuminating the mansion’s main gate, the man’s brilliant honey-colored hair shone beautifully, and his smoothly defined nose and elegantly curved lips erased his naturally cold impression, making him appear only gentle.
Theron leisurely entered the party hall, receiving the longing gazes of the women.
He paid little mind to the women’s eyes that followed him as if in disappointment.
Today’s goal was clear.

As he had thoroughly selected women who wouldn’t cause trouble for a one-night stand, Selene Ashcombe would likely not have heard any particular rumors about him.

‘Still, this is a bit blatant.’
A married noblewoman was staring at him as if to wear out his face, even with her husband beside her.
At this rate, wouldn’t Selene Ashcombe misunderstand and draw a line?

To break the gazes, Theron decided to hurry his meeting with Selene a little.
Finding that one woman among the countless people at the party would by no means be an easy task, but…

Ah.
Contrary to his lingering concern, Theron found Selene right away.
Theron, who had been walking, stopped dead in his tracks.
The woman he had only seen in a photograph was right there in front of him.

“…”
Theron unconsciously held his breath.