December 1, 1501, Age of the Sea Circle
At the entrance of the grand mansion, the atmosphere was heavy and tense. After the guards had informed Count Cindry of his beloved daughter Victoria's arrival in the company of a strange man, the Count and his wife had hurried to meet her.
The moment they saw Victoria affectionately holding onto the arm of this unknown man, they were unable to comprehend what was happening right away. Only after a few seconds did they react, their faces showing a mixture of shock and confusion.
Both were completely astonished by their daughter's actions—this was the first time she had ever brought a man home—but the Count was the one who reacted the strongest, as this was the worst possible time for his daughter to suddenly have a boyfriend.
Now that the family was cornered politically, the appearance of this mysterious man beside his daughter was nothing short of a headache. Even so, the Count did not lose his composure, for to him, his daughter's happiness had always been, and still remained, the most important thing.
"Mom, Dad, I have something important to tell you," said Victoria, gathering all her courage.
"This is my boyfriend, Orion. I brought him home so you can meet him."
Upon hearing their daughter's words, Victoria's parents confirmed their initial suspicions, and the way they looked at Orion grew more complicated. Finally, after a brief sigh, the Count stepped forward and, forcing a faint smile, said,
"Victoria, dear, it's good that you decided to come home… and bring your boyfriend."
He then extended his hand and shook Orion's firmly, staring at him with the clear intention of intimidating the young man. Yet Orion, who had faced some of the most powerful people in the world, obviously felt no pressure from Victoria's father.
Calmly returning the handshake, Orion said evenly,
"Nice to meet you, Count Cindry. Victoria has told me a lot about you. It's an honor to finally meet you."
Seeing how composed Orion remained, the Count raised his eyebrows slightly, and his impression of the young man improved a little. At the very least, he wasn't spineless—definitely a point in his favor.
Victoria's mother, a graceful woman of middle age with the refined air of a true aristocrat, spoke for the first time after her husband's greeting. With an elegant smile, she said,
"Orion, it's a pleasure to meet you. Will you join us for dinner?"
Orion gave a small bow and kissed the Countess's hand. Then, nodding slightly, he replied,
"Yes. I took the liberty of coming to see you without prior notice because there's something important I wish to discuss with you."
His voice was firm and resolute, and before the Count could respond, Orion added,
"I believe we need to talk about the future of my relationship with Victoria."
Noticing how direct Orion was—so different from the nobles he usually dealt with, who could spend weeks circling around before revealing their true intentions—Count Cindry quickly concluded that Orion likely had no formal education in politics.
Moreover, he had no recollection of any noble youth resembling Orion among the families of the kingdom. This meant that the calm and handsome young man standing before him, introduced as his daughter's boyfriend, was most likely an ordinary commoner.
Under normal circumstances, Victoria's parents wouldn't have objected if their daughter wished to marry a commoner. They didn't share the belief—held by many other nobles—that aristocrats were inherently superior. For them, their daughter's happiness had always been paramount.
But now, with the political landscape having turned unstable and their ability to protect their daughter severely limited, they needed to find a strong "tree" under which she could shelter from the coming storms. And clearly, Orion didn't seem capable of that—or so they believed.
Looking at his daughter, who appeared somewhat nervous watching the exchange, the Count couldn't help but feel regret. It was a shame he hadn't been able to protect his family until the end, forcing his beloved daughter into a political marriage when she clearly had feelings for the young man she had just brought home.
Still, some things were inevitable, and the least he could do was make matters clear to the couple.
"I agree with you, Orion. We should have a proper talk about this," the Count replied to Orion's proposal. Then, gesturing with his hand, he continued,
"Come with me to my study. We can talk there in private. Once we're done, we'll have dinner together."
Even though the Count deeply cherished his daughter, he didn't intend to let her take part in this conversation, as he wanted to avoid unnecessary complications. What he had to say to his daughter's boyfriend wouldn't be pleasant, but it was his duty as a father to do what was best for Victoria's future.
Orion nodded calmly, and after giving Victoria a reassuring glance, he followed the Count toward the study, ready to discuss the future that awaited them.
Inside the grand study, the Count invited him to sit on one of the luxurious armchairs and poured him a glass of his finest whisky. Then, without the usual noble pleasantries, he spoke directly.
"Orion, let me be clear with you. There's no possible future for your relationship with Victoria. It's best if you stay away from her before you get yourself into trouble. I'm willing to offer you a generous compensation for the inconvenience."
Orion listened to the Count's words but didn't respond immediately. He took a sip of the exquisite whisky, savoring it for a few seconds before looking at Victoria's father and beginning to speak about what he had investigated the previous night.
"Count Cindry, I know very well what you're thinking right now. You believe my sudden appearance will bring trouble to Victoria, but that's not true.
Before you raise an objection to my words, let me say that I fully understand the delicate situation your family is currently in. The Cindry family has long been known for its focus on agriculture, maintaining an important role in the kingdom's health for generations.
However, this year, an unexpected incident occurred. A mysterious fungal plague destroyed much of your harvest, leaving your family in a precarious state.
Still, a well-established family like yours could have endured this year's losses and waited for the next harvest—if it hadn't been for the hostile actions of several noble families in the kingdom.
After your family suffered unprecedented losses, what you received was not aid but the sudden and deliberate political and economic suppression of a coalition of noble houses. Not only was it impossible to recover your losses, but your family also faced a complete economic blockade, which prevented you from selling the remaining produce from your annual harvest.
Furthermore, malicious rumors began circulating at the same time, and even the public's opinion of your family, which had once been highly favorable, has begun to deteriorate sharply.
With the bank blocking your financial attempts to solve the crisis and no help whatsoever from the royal family, your family's situation has finally reached a critical point.
One could say that after months of agony, desperately seeking any kind of solution, the Cindry noble house is on the verge of dying out."
Orion finished speaking, briefly recounting the key points of the Cindry family's dire condition, leaving the Count completely astonished. According to his earlier assumption, Orion was not a noble of the kingdom, so he should have been a mere commoner. But then—how could he possess such detailed information about the affairs of the kingdom's upper circles?
This sort of information did not circulate among common folk; it involved the intrigues and power struggles of the nobility. Even the rumors that had recently begun spreading among the commoners about his family had nothing to do with this matter—they simply targeted the moral character of House Cindry, part of a clear defamation campaign.
"You… how…?" the Count murmured, his voice rough with disbelief.
Orion adjusted himself in his seat, interlacing his fingers in his lap as he said,
"Count Cindry, I must tell you the truth—it wasn't difficult at all to obtain this information. It only took me a single day."
Orion's words immediately set off alarm bells in the Count's mind, for he understood the implications. What this mysterious young man—whom his daughter had brought home as her boyfriend—was implying was that his power and influence were far greater than they could have imagined.
Steadying his turbulent emotions, the Count looked straight into Orion's eyes and said,
"Then, if you're aware of my family's situation, you must know that it's impossible for your relationship with Victoria to continue. I'm not proud of it, but the ducal family of Vancourt has offered us help, with the prerequisite that we first establish a political alliance through marriage. This is the only possible way for House Cindry to avoid collapse and for Victoria to live a life free of worries."
Orion listened quietly to the Count's words, which were clearly filled with anguish. The man had resorted to arranging a political marriage for his daughter as a last desperate measure.
In his mind, the only reason his beloved daughter could live peacefully, devoting herself to acting, was because the Cindry family served as a protective umbrella—deflecting all the negative and political aspects of that industry.
However, if the family were to collapse, his daughter would no longer be able to live without worry. She would most likely face a tragic fate at the hands of the many "wolves" waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Victoria Cindry was the most famous star in the kingdom, and the only reason she could live without suffering any accidents was undoubtedly because her family stood behind her.
For that reason, Count Cindry had no other choice but to accept the ducal family's proposal. If Victoria married the Vancourt heir, all their problems would be solved immediately. He had already investigated the young man who was to become Victoria's future husband, and both his reputation and personality were impeccable—so his daughter would probably be able to find happiness by his side.
The reasoning of Victoria's father was not illogical, but his information was lacking in certain areas. After hearing the Count claim that marriage to the ducal family's son would be the solution, Orion didn't rush to deny it. Instead, he calmly pulled a thick folder from his inventory and handed it to the Count.
Seeing Orion materialize a folder full of documents out of thin air, Victoria's father was visibly surprised, though he quickly regained his composure. After all, he was a man who had seen much of the world and had encountered all sorts of strange phenomena throughout his life.
Reaching out curiously, he accepted the folder Orion offered and began flipping through its contents. Little by little, his expression grew more serious, and cold sweat formed along his back. The information inside was what Orion had gathered after infiltrating the Vancourt Ducal Family—the very family that had offered to help the Cindrys in exchange for a marital alliance.
Count Cindry had no idea that all the suffering his family had endured, all the political and economic suppression by the other nobles, had been orchestrated by that same ducal house.
The reason was quite simple: the ducal family wanted to absorb House Cindry entirely, and they had designed a long-term plan to achieve it—one that included not only the marriage to Victoria but also the assassination of the Count's two elder sons.
When he first began reading the documents, the Count's immediate reaction was deep skepticism. He even thought Orion might be trying to deceive him. But as he read on, the information became more and more detailed, aligning perfectly with certain events that had already occurred. In the end, Count Cindry had no choice but to accept the truth.
By the time he finished the extensive report, his limbs felt as though they had been plunged into ice. If Orion hadn't appeared at that very moment to give him this information, wouldn't he have walked straight into his enemies' trap?
He might have saved his family from their current economic collapse, but the outcome would have been far worse. Who could say whether his beloved daughter wouldn't have been discarded once the ducal family had taken complete control of the Cindry name?
Count Cindry, who had stood up to take the folder, fell back into his armchair across from Orion, deflating like a balloon. A wave of helplessness washed over him, and he wondered what he should do now to protect his family. Fortunately for him, he didn't need to do anything—someone else in the room was more than capable of handling the matter.
Seeing that the moment had arrived, Orion looked at Count Cindry and presented the solution he had prepared before coming. He only needed the Count's agreement, and he would take care of the rest.
"Count, I have a proposal for how to solve your problems…" Orion began. Outside, the snow was falling harder and harder.
…
"Come visit us whenever you have some free time! I know you're both busy with acting, but it's good to take a break once in a while!" said the Count cheerfully, his cheeks flushed red from the amount of alcohol he had merrily consumed during dinner.
"Of course, Count Cindry, don't worry—I'll make sure to remind Victoria to visit more often!" Orion replied with a smile, gently holding Victoria in his arms.
"Ah, Orion, I've already told you not to be so formal—you can call me Dad! After all, we'll be family soon enough!" Count Cindry said with even greater enthusiasm.
"Dad! Don't say things like that!" Victoria protested, blushing furiously at the implications of her father's words, though she also felt the situation had unfolded in a way she never expected.
After Orion and her father had gone to talk in the study, they had stayed there for quite some time. When they finally emerged, her father's attitude toward Orion was completely different from before. He openly declared several times that Orion was now part of the family and cheerfully accepted their relationship.
Victoria didn't know what Orion had told her father. Although he had mentioned his past and his status as a king, he hadn't revealed the specific plan he had devised to solve the issue of the political marriage. He had simply told her to leave everything to him.
Still, Victoria knew Orion had been completely successful in convincing her father to cancel the arranged marriage plans. Yet strangely enough, her father now seemed overly enthusiastic about the possibility of Orion marrying her instead.
Of course, while Victoria held deep affection for Orion—and admittedly had a bit of a crush on him—she wasn't ready to accept a relationship like that.
Right now, they were only pretending to be a couple, so marriage was completely out of the question. At the very least, Orion should ask her to be his girlfriend for real first, right? And then, there had to be a proper date. After that would come the first kiss, and then…
The beautiful actress—idolized by countless young men throughout the kingdom—was now in Orion's warm embrace, lost in all sorts of "dangerous" thoughts that made her body temperature rise involuntarily.
After Orion and Victoria said their goodbyes to her parents, they boarded the same carriage they had arrived in and returned to the city, ready to refocus on acting. The most important play of the year was just around the corner, and Victoria needed to dedicate herself to it completely.
Besides, Orion had already secured Count Cindry's backing, which meant that when he reported to the theater the next day, he would be promoted to the main troupe of actors. Once there, he would have no trouble obtaining the role of the male lead in the year-end performance—after all, with "the curse of the male lead," no one else wanted the part.
With Orion's skills, avoiding Hogback's attacks would be no problem, and he might even be able to use the opportunity to expose the obsessive doctor's schemes. Everything suggested that the mission could be successfully completed within a month, which put Orion in an excellent mood.
Even so, he still had to fulfill his promise to Count Cindry—to help the noble family escape the siege laid upon them by their enemies.
The plan Orion had proposed to the Count was simple and straightforward. First, he had revealed that he was a nobleman from a distant kingdom—a fact that, once his mission was successfully completed, would indeed become true. Then, he had produced a large amount of money from his Pocket Dimension and handed it directly to the Count.
With that substantial injection of capital, the Cindry family would be able to resolve their most pressing financial troubles and prevent the collapse of their industries.
Finally, Orion had promised the Count that he would take care of his political enemies over the next month. Given the level of power and sophistication of this kingdom, it wouldn't be difficult for Orion to succeed in that task, though he had no intention of carrying out a brutal or direct assault.
He hadn't yet decided on every detail of his plan, but he intended to resolve the Cindry family's situation without too much bloodshed. After all, this was mainly a matter of political intrigue, and not everything could—or should—be solved through violence, though he was more than willing to thrash any of those noble families if necessary.
In the end, Orion planned to contact Kuma and request the assistance of the Revolutionary Army branch under his command to support his operations in this kingdom. He also intended to establish a small unit here for the future, since Victoria lived in this country.
Orion had already decided to recruit the beautiful actress and was even planning an ambitious project to raise the cultural level of the Pacific Kingdom, one in which she would play a central role. However, those plans would take some time to put into motion, and during that period, she would remain here instead of moving to the distant South Blue.
As he looked at the beautiful young woman still clinging to him—despite the fact that there was no longer any need to "pretend to be a couple"—Orion mentally reviewed his goals for the coming month. Gently placing his hand over the girl's soft blonde hair, he thought that his main objective for this month was, without a doubt, to turn their fake relationship into a real one.
...
Thank you for reading! If you'd like access to extra chapters and want to support my work, you can visit my patreon.
P@treon/CrotoWN
Your support helps me keep writing and sharing more chapters!