100 km from the border of the Valentina clan, deep inside Hayes clan land, stood Jorge Hayes City.

It was one of the big cities of the clan, named after the seventh patriarch who had taken it from the Valentinas long ago.

The city stayed lively even at night. Merchants moved through the streets with their carts and goods, always coming and going.

This place had always been a key stop for anyone crossing between Hayes and Valentina lands.

It carried a long history of staying neutral, though the seventh patriarch had snatched it anyway. Now it thrived as a busy trading city full of noise, deals, and travelers.

At the Enjoyable Night Inn, the main hall buzzed with life.

People laughed loudly, clinked their mugs, and drank deep into the night, enjoying the warm lights and cheerful chaos.

Up in one of the rooms, different sounds filled the air. These were not ordinary noises.

A woman’s soft, pleasured moans mixed with the steady creak of the bed. The sounds went on for a while, rising and falling.

Then came the sharp slap of skin against skin, once, twice, then many more in a quick rhythm.

The room filled with that lively energy as the two of them enjoyed their night together.

After what felt like a very long time, everything finally grew quiet. Peace settled over the room.

Inside, the bed looked like a battlefield. Blankets lay twisted and thrown about.

A beautiful woman slept peacefully under one thin blanket, her body relaxed and still. A naked man stepped down from the bed.

His black hair fell smoothly to his neck, and sweat glistened across his skin.

He walked slowly to the small table in the corner. A bottle of whiskey waited there.

He picked it up, twisted off the cap, and took a long gulp straight from the bottle. His face stayed completely calm, as if the strong, burning drink was nothing more than water.

Next, he placed a cigarette between his lips. Click. He lit it with a lighter and took a deep drag.

Smoke curled up around his face. He sat down on the chair, crossed one leg over the other, and let out a low growl.

"That bitch," he muttered, voice rough with smoke. "Slutting around with that son of a bitch!"

He took another slow drag from the cigarette, eyes narrow and annoyed, as if the night had suddenly left a bad taste in his mouth.

He was Rizen Valentina, the second son of the Valentina patriarch. The clan had sent him here as an envoy to bring back their daughter, Rosalina Valentina.

Rizen had not wanted to come at all. Right now the whole clan was in chaos.

The eldest son had suddenly vanished, and the most talented child of the family, Rosalina, had been taken away by their lifelong enemy’s heir, Julius Augustus Hayes.

With the top two out of the picture, the other children suddenly had a real shot at becoming the next patriarch. Especially him.

He had always been second in line, but once Rosalina showed up, his chances dropped hard.

Now they were higher than ever. That was exactly why he hated leaving the clan at such a perfect time.

"If I ever get my hands on that bitch... I swear!" he growled. Anger and hatred burned in his chest as he thought about his own sister.

That bitch was better at everything. Whatever she tried, she did it better than anyone else.

She was a genius, plain and simple. Because of her talent, everyone knew she was the one who should succeed their father one day.

But a few months ago, she started spending time with that Hayes heir.

The patriarch got furious. He quickly ordered people to bring her back and marry her off to the youngest son of the Thorne clan.

That way they could secure a strong alliance and stop any chance of her betraying the family later.

The group sent to fetch her was found dead. And the eldest son? He just disappeared.

Rizen took another slow drag from his cigarette. A small, satisfied smirk tugged at his lips even through the smoke.

It was the luckiest thing that could have happened to him.

His toughest competition had vanished into thin air. Now he had the perfect chance to become the next patriarch.

He leaned back in the chair, legs still crossed, and let out a low chuckle. The whiskey bottle sat half-empty on the table beside him.

Outside the window, the lively noise of the inn’s hall drifted up, laughs, clinking mugs, and cheerful chaos.

But inside the messy room, Rizen’s mind was already busy picturing his bright future.

He glanced at the sleeping woman under the blanket and shook his head with a smirk.

"Stupid Slut," he muttered again, voice full of dark amusement. "Enjoy it while you can, dear sister. Your perfect little life is about to get very complicated."

Rizen leaned back in the chair, still naked, legs crossed, and took another slow sip of whiskey. A lazy grin spread across his face.

It was perfect. Once he reached the Hayes clan, he already knew how things would go.

Everyone knew the Hayes patriarch and matriarch were complete fools when it came to their son.

There was no way they would hand over Rosalina. Not after their precious boy had taken her.

Only war could force them to give her up. But the Valentina clan had other plans anyway.

"Compensation," Rizen muttered. His eyes narrowed a little from the dizziness of the drink.

"Khehe..." He chuckled softly, poured another glass, and gulped it down in one go.

These compensations would not be just some coins or shiny treasures.

He was ordered to demand the richest lands around the Hayes clan’s best resources.

If he brought that territory back, his merit would be huge.

He stood up suddenly, spread his arms wide like a T, and laughed out loud.

"Ahhh... hahahahaha... ahaha!" His voice filled the messy room. "Once I get that, I will have everything! Women, money, power, everything!!"

In his mind, beautiful women appeared one after another.

The princess of the Holy Empire, Cecilia. That seductive Lisa. Even the matriarch of the Hayes clan herself.

Just thinking about their faces made his blood run hot. A thin line of drool slipped from the corner of his mouth as he laughed even harder.

"Once I become the patriarch, I will...."

He froze mid-sentence.

From the corner of his blurry vision, he caught a glimpse of something that should not be there.

His whole body went stiff. He quickly turned his head and looked straight ahead.

Right in front of him, sitting calmly on the chair he had just left, was a woman in a tight black gown.

She moved with smooth confidence as she picked up the whiskey bottle and poured herself a drink.

Then she slowly pulled down her mask, revealing soft, full lips. She brought the glass to her mouth and took a sip.

"Nice whiskey...Young master..." she said, her voice calm and slightly amused.