By the time the carriage carrying the two of them stopped outside Baron Jack’s mansion, Lin Xingyun still couldn’t figure out why the maids had started looking at him with so much more fear when he came out of his bedroom that evening.

Was there something on his face?

Lin Xingyun forged a mirror of light with his magic and examined his reflection.

As it turned out, the clothes actually made him look even more handsome. There was nothing wrong with his appearance.

Unable to figure it out, Lin Xingyun could only chalk up the young maids’ change in attitude to one thing: as a straight guy, he simply didn’t understand how girls thought.

“What are you thinking about, Xingyun?”

A warm, fragrant breath brushed his ear. While Lin Xingyun was still dazed, Hathaway smiled and pressed her soft, boneless body against his arm. Even through the thin layer of fabric, he could feel the astonishingly voluptuous curves beneath.

Since she was attending a banquet tonight, Hathaway was dressed more formally. She wore a fitted silk evening gown that reached her calves. It covered all the skin on her upper body without revealing so much as an inch, while still showing off her slender, sexy waist.

Lin Xingyun gave the arm Hathaway had wrapped around a gentle tug, but got nowhere. With no choice but to let her cling to him, he wore a helpless expression.

“I was wondering, uh… whether the food here is any good.” Lin Xingyun laughed awkwardly, hoping to fool the sharp-witted Hathaway.

He couldn’t exactly say, “I’m looking at the bowl in front of me, but I also want everything in the pot,” could he?

Even Lin Xingyun, the ultimate straight guy, knew that was a question with no safe answer.

In response, the softness pressed even more firmly against his arm.

“Hmph~” Hathaway gave an unhappy little huff, but anyone could tell she was only pretending. Even so, she looked every bit the sweet, girlish young woman, and it was impossible to find her annoying.

Actually, on the way over, Hathaway had already laid everything out for Lin Xingyun, telling him all about Baron Jack’s actions.

He’d cut in on her deals with other people, ruthlessly crushed the competition in their industry, and spread rumors to damage her reputation… But Hathaway had paid him back in kind for every one of those dirty tricks. It had left him so furious that he’d smashed who knew how many precious pieces of furniture he’d bought just to show off.

This time would be no different.

“I’m sorry to put you through this tonight, Xingyun.” Hathaway looked apologetic. “This is between him and me. We have to settle it.”

By “put you through this,” Hathaway meant she was asking Lin Xingyun not to interfere and to leave everything to her.

Tap~

Lin Xingyun gently tapped Hathaway on the forehead with a finger. She blinked, then obligingly stuck out her tongue, putting on a sweet and obedient act.

“It’s no big deal. You can handle it. You don’t have to apologize.”

“…All right.”

Once she was sure her reassurance had worked and Lin Xingyun wasn’t upset, Hathaway let go of his arm and closed her eyes to compose herself.

When she opened them again, her sweet, obedient manner had vanished in an instant. In its place stood Hathaway the queen of the business world, confident she could sway the entire market.

She was ready.

“…Oh, right. Try not to make too much of a scene, or the neighbors might complain.” Lin Xingyun seemed to remember something and made sure to warn her.

Hathaway was already about to get out of the carriage, but Lin Xingyun’s words instantly brought her back down to earth.

She turned around and bit her red lip, her blue eyes full of grievance.

“Don’t say things like that after I’ve already gotten myself ready!”

……

……

……

Baron Jack really lived up to the title of filthy-rich tycoon.

Tonight’s banquet surpassed Hathaway’s by a whole tier, both in scale and sheer extravagance.

Baron Jack had sent invitations to every influential official and noble in Rulvis City, no matter how little clout they had.

Even with hundreds of people attending, the mansion didn’t feel crowded at all. That was because Baron Jack owned the largest estate in all of Rulvis—and had more servants than anyone else!

Baron Jack firmly believed that more was better and bigger was best. As a result, he’d gone further and further down the path of being a filthy-rich tycoon, sinking deeper with every step.

Tonight, Baron Jack paid dearly for that philosophy.

“H-How many more are there?” Baron Jack asked the butler beside him in a trembling voice. His legs felt like they didn’t even belong to him anymore.

The butler looked just as miserable. He glanced at the absurdly long guest list and nearly burst into tears. “…More than half, my lord.”

“What?!?!” Baron Jack had thought he was almost done. His legs gave way, and he slumped straight to the ground. The guests who’d only just entered turned to look over at him.

The butler was suffering too. When his master fell, there was no way a servant like him could sit down on the ground as well. He could only grit his teeth and tough it out.

Hathaway’s banquet had valued quality over quantity, while Baron Jack’s valued quantity over quality. That left their workloads for welcoming guests worlds apart.

But Baron Jack couldn’t afford not to greet his guests in person. After seeing how Hathaway had handled things the day before, anyone paying attention would take his absence as a sign of poor manners—and that would make it even harder for him to steal her business.

“Go get me a chair—huff… huff—go on, hurry!” Baron Jack was already sitting on the ground and had given up pretending otherwise. He ordered the butler to fetch him a chair, wiping away his cold sweat with a handkerchief as he prayed Hathaway wouldn’t catch him in such an embarrassing state.

His legs had gone completely numb. If he sat down without someone to help him, he really wouldn’t be able to get back up.

But then…

“I never knew our Baron Jack liked to sit on the ground while greeting his guests. This is quite a sight. I’d say the evening was worth it just for this.”

Hathaway’s voice rang out nearby, tinged with mockery. She’d already seen Baron Jack sitting on the ground, and the guests who’d been struggling to hold back their laughter finally let it loose.

“Is this how a baron is supposed to behave? It’s hilarious.”

“Does Baron Jack sit on the floor at home, too? What a strange man.”

“Attending a banquet hosted by someone like this is beneath me. Miss Hathaway’s banquet yesterday was much more enjoyable.”

…………

The wave of jeers made Baron Jack’s face turn liver-red. Fury shot through him. He’d lost every last shred of face tonight!

“My lord! My lord! I’ve brought the chair!”

Just as Baron Jack was about to explode, his pale-faced butler came hurrying over with a chair and loyally helped him up from the ground.

Smack—!

In return, he got a hard slap across the face.

“You useless piece of trash! I pay to keep you people around, and you’re no use at all!” Anger had clouded Baron Jack’s judgment. He berated his butler on the spot, completely ignoring the guests around them.

Only a nouveau riche like Baron Jack would sabotage his own image like that. Someone who’d truly received a noble’s education would never make such a mistake.

Even Lin Xingyun, standing beside Hathaway, had a strange look on his face.

This was the guy who’d been causing Hathaway so much trouble all this time?

That’s it? That’s it? That’s it?

—He was way out of his league.

Hathaway only smiled without saying a word. She didn’t bother provoking Baron Jack any further.

“You should put an end to this farce, Baron Jack. This behavior is beneath your station.”

A deeply displeased voice suddenly rang out from the crowd. The abrupt interruption naturally caught Baron Jack’s attention.

“Who dares tell me what to do? Who—”

But when Baron Jack turned around, eyes bloodshot, and saw who had spoken, it was as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over him. He calmed down in an instant.

“V-Viscount Bailu!”

As everyone watched, a man who looked to be in his thirties stepped out of the crowd. Judging by the guests’ slightly surprised expressions, this viscount seemed to command considerable respect in the city.

He hadn’t done anything; he was simply standing there. Yet an innate, unmistakable air of nobility radiated from him. He was nothing like a nouveau riche such as Baron Jack, who’d bought his noble title. The difference between them was obvious.

“Baron Jack, are you planning to have everyone stand here all evening and watch you lecture your servants?” Viscount Bailu furrowed his brow ever so slightly. Anyone could hear the displeasure in his voice.

“I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare! It’s the honor of my lifetime to have you grace this banquet, my lord!”

Sensing that Viscount Bailu was annoyed, Baron Jack shivered and quickly put on a flattering smile as he hurried over.

This was someone he couldn’t afford to offend!

Halfway there, Baron Jack still remembered to turn around and snap at the butler, who was holding his swollen cheek and looking deeply aggrieved. “Why aren’t you getting everyone inside? Do I have to teach you how, you idiot?”

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Baron Jack went from blazing with rage to smiling the very next second. His face changed faster than Brother Sun thanking Deep Sea for sending a rocket. He personally led Viscount Bailu toward the banquet hall.

He ought to apply to have it recognized as an Otherworld cultural heritage.

The crowd began to move again, bringing the farce to an end and restoring order to the banquet.

There was an orchestra hired at great expense, servers weaving through the guests with trays, a graceful fountain, and colorful lights. Aside from the nouveau riche style being a little tacky, the banquet had all the usual elements. He’d done a decent job of copying the formula.

When Lin Xingyun and Hathaway crossed the path and reached the outdoor lounge, they found it already packed with all sorts of people. There was something going on everywhere, and the place was buzzing.

“Come find me once you’ve taken care of things, Hathaway. I’ll wait here.” As soon as Lin Xingyun entered, his eyes were drawn to the food on the table, and he lost all interest in going any farther.

He’d spent the whole afternoon cooped up in his bedroom before coming here and hadn’t eaten a thing. He was starving by now.

“If you like it, Xingyun, I’ll ask the chef to make it for you when we get back.” Hathaway smiled. She didn’t mind Lin Xingyun leaving her on her own at all, since she was the one who’d asked him to.

As for Lin Xingyun’s tastes, she’d already committed them to memory.

“Just don’t take things too far, okay?”

“Mm-hmm. See you in a bit, Xingyun~” Hathaway gave him a sweet smile and watched as Lin Xingyun disappeared into the crowd.

“All right…” Only after Lin Xingyun was completely out of sight did Hathaway let her smile fade. A few glimmers of amusement and anticipation flashed in her eyes as she headed for the main hall alone. “Now it’s time for my game. I can’t let the opportunity go to waste.”

“The show’s about to begin.”