Viscount Emmerich Briarfell was enjoying his free time lazing around. His once-empty house was filled with money and luxury items that could not be found anywhere else.

He had amassed all this wealth through his enigmatic business of 'selling goods.' Yet, the true nature of these 'products' remained a compelling mystery.

It all started when he sold a street kid as a slave, but that kid had consented.

That was the first time Viscount Emmerich tasted real money and how he could earn it.

It opened a new door before him, and this man never returned. He was forever a changed man after his first taste of money.

As his business grew, more people began to get involved. Those who never thought they needed slaves joined, and he greatly influenced everything.

But even though he profited so much through it all, he maintained a front that made it impossible to track him down and connect him with the slave ring.

He was the perfect con artist here, having gotten away with all the crimes he committed and living his days in luxury.

Today was supposed to be a simple day for him, too. But somehow, things felt different today.

Suddenly, He felt nervous, and a chill came to his back. He thought he was in danger, but he could not guess why.

*knock*

"Come in."

The noble allowed his servant to come in, thinking this was another serving of food or something. But when the butler walked in, he looked nervous, and he quickly looked away.

It was suspicious behavior that stuck the noble as odd.

After all, none of his staff beat around the bush like this when he was in front of them.

"Butler, is something going on? Why do you look so worried?"

Viscount Emmerich asked in an amused voice. His voice was light and teasing, but the butler did not reciprocate this tone.

Instead, he looked even more serious and concerned when he looked at the young man in front of him.

"Viscount Emmerich, some guests have gone inside to meet you. They say that they won't leave until you come out and grant them an audience."

The butler spoke cautiously and seemed careful not to trigger his master. After all, Viscount Emmerich had a small fuse that could blow up at any given second.

And at such a tense time, it would not be wise for his boss to show such an attitude.

"Someone came here to meet me, and you did not stop them at the gate? Just what the heck have you been doing until now? Do I need to teach you everything myself?"

The boss asked in an annoyed voice as he looked at his servant.

The butler looked away in shame at his inability to handle the situation. His boss had been counting on him to stop the intruders.

"I did try, but-"

The butler had tried to stop the intruders but had been unsuccessful.

The trio had just forced their way inside without listening, and the butler was afraid that someone might die if he did not comply with the trio's demands.

"Anyway, it does not matter if someone came to meet me. I should be a good host and show up. So, who are the ones who came to meet me?"

Viscount Emmerich asked with an arrogant voice. He wanted to know just which of the great generals came to meet him.

"It's Lady Layla from Duke Lockhart's house. She is one of his wards, which he recently took inside. Should I-"

Viscount Emmerich paused before throwing a vase at the wall angrily.

"A ward? A ward dared to come here and cause all this trouble for me? Fuck! I have never felt this humiliated in my life before! I feel like before. Let me go and see what kind of 'amazing' ward decided to walk in here like this."

Viscount Emmerich felt humiliated, but it did not last out as he wanted.

Instead, he bided his time and decided to head out cautiously. He needed to make sure he showed his 'guest' his hospitality.

Layla was not a name he had heard before, but since Duke Lockhart had so many wards, it was easy to miss one or two.

He expected to come across as an overly confident teenager getting ahead of himself, but he did not expect to see a kid sitting at the table and looking at this place.

Her regal air around her made her seem noble, and her unique features made her stand out.

They were seeing the kid raise Viscount Emmerich's inner instincts. He could tell this child would sell for a lot in the market.

But it was too bad that he could not do that anymore. This child had already been claimed.

"Why did you all come here? As far as I know, I have no connection to any of you, and I doubt Duke Lockhart asked you to run an earned for him. If you came here to play, then head back home now.

I don't have time for you."

Viscount Emmerich clarified his place as he looked at the people before him. He would not relent, even if these people had somehow managed to get this far.

'How did they get this far anyway? I hired the best guards I could with my money and ensured these guards had the best skills. So, when did-'

The more he thought about it, the more Viscount Emmerich could not make a head or tail of what happened.

All he knew was that he had been duped, which was the result.

His money and power were all gone in the blink of an eye, and he was left with this.

'Fuck! I need to do something about it. First, I need to complain and get my money back. Once I have it all, I can think about what else to take care of. But one thing is for sure - I will not allow this humiliation to take place to me again.'