Thanks to over 30 years of ingrained habits, my mornings started quite early.

Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I got up, drank some water, and lit a cigarette. After freshening up and changing into the clean attire provided by the imperial palace, I was ready for the day.

There weren’t any assignments from the Hounds yet. If there were, Haria would surely inform me.

Thus, I went out to have some fun. I treated my taste buds at a restaurant renowned for its delicious food and indulged my senses with plays and circuses.

As a legally wedded husband to the Empress, I had been given a golden insignia. This insignia, symbolizing my status as a member of the Blata Empire’s imperial family, allowed me to eat and enjoy myself freely wherever I went.

The legal wife’s grumblings about draining the people’s blood nagged at me a little, but fun was fun regardless.

While enjoying myself, I also stocked up on daily necessities. One essential stop was the potion shop to replenish my supply of contraceptive potions for safe and clean encounters.

Though there were potions for women to take, carrying them around for every outing was inconvenient.

Moreover, pulling one out in the middle of an encounter would ruin the mood. For that reason, I preferred the male version, which only required me to take it myself.

From there, I would continue exploring the capital to satisfy my senses. If I happened to charm a suitable woman and spend the night with her, that would wrap up my day.

“Maybe I’ll try something different today.”

No matter how good something is, doing it repeatedly every day gets dull. Besides, I had already marked a specific place to visit in the evening.

“Oh, so this is the casino they say is the best in the Empire—or maybe even the entire continent?”

As I stepped down from the carriage in front of a dazzling building called Dia Rose, dozens of staff lined up on either side, bowing in unison as if they had been waiting for me.

This kind of reception was always delightful. It never got old.

A man walked through the row of staff and stopped before me, bowing deeply.

“Welcome, Sir Isaac. I’m Paris, the manager of Dia Rose. May I have the honor of personally guiding you on your first visit?”

“Sure, why not? But how did you know I was coming?”

“Haha, a man of your caliber doesn’t move unnoticed. If we didn’t know, we wouldn’t deserve to be in business. Please, follow me.”

This guy was throwing subtle shade, wasn’t he?

Inside, the place certainly lived up to its reputation. The gamblers, the waitstaff carrying drinks, the dealers handling cards—none of them looked ordinary.

And it wasn’t just the people. The decor was so dazzling that I thought even the imperial palace might pale in comparison.

Seriously, it was so bright it hurt my eyes.

“Hmm, not bad. But I’m not great at gambling.”

“Haha, that’s no issue. Everyone starts that way, but you’ll pick it up after a few rounds. Besides, we’ll provide the funds for you to play, so just enjoy the atmosphere.”

“Huh? That’s okay?”

Feigning surprise at the expected generosity, I asked, and Paris responded with a warm smile.

“Of course. It’s all thanks to the Blata imperial family that we can operate. Just keep this arrangement a secret from the other guests.”

Smiling slyly, Paris explained. I smiled back, though it seemed his hospitality wasn’t over yet.

“And this is actually a service we offer only to a select few VIPs…”

“What’s that?”

Curious, I followed Paris as he led me to a VIP room.

The room was just as luxurious, resembling a miniature casino. The main difference was the group of young, beautiful women waiting inside, dressed in revealing attire.

“I figured this might suit your tastes better than gambling, Sir Isaac. How do you like it?”

“Fantastic.”

“I’m honored to hear that. Please enjoy your time.”

As the women approached to help me out of my coat, Paris exited, leaving with a smile still on his face.

As the door clicked shut, I overheard Paris instructing his subordinates to keep a close watch on me, muttering under his breath,

“Foolish bastard.”

I heard that, you jerk.

"…He’s frequenting Dia Rose?"

"Yes."

Marianne, busy managing state affairs in her office, momentarily paused upon hearing Haria’s report. But it was just for a brief second.

Resuming her work as if nothing had happened, she asked Haria,

"Does he seem to know that it’s a funding source under Abrarum?"

"…"

Abrarum. The name of the largest, most powerful, and most influential criminal organization in the Blata Empire’s underworld.

Though its exact origins were unclear, it was well-documented that the organization expanded significantly during the reign of the corrupt former emperor.

As such, Marianne considered it a target that must eventually be eradicated.

However, due to the numerous tasks left behind by the former emperor's atrocities and her own rebellion, combined with the precarious state of surrounding nations, she was unable to act against them for the time being.

Despite being known as the Iron-Blooded Empress, Marianne acknowledged that Abrarum was a formidable force not to be underestimated. Their massive financial power, extensive networks, and influence were already daunting, but their most troublesome asset was their cultivated military force.

"At Dia Rose, they say you can find high-ranking adventurers more frequently than at a guild. Recently, they’ve even started employing retired or dismissed Imperial Knights."

Of course, those employed by groups like Abrarum were hardly paragons of virtue.

The high-ranking adventurers or Imperial Knights Marianne referred to were all problematic individuals who could no longer maintain their positions due to misconduct.

The issue was that, despite their issues, their skills remained undeniable.

"With all resources focused on stabilizing the empire and defending the borders, they’ve been left alone for now. But they’re definitely a group that must be eliminated. So? Has he brought back any useful information?"

Haria gritted her teeth and inwardly cursed Isaac. Yet, she couldn’t lie to the Empress and was forced to recount the truth.

While her hands and eyes continued their work, Marianne’s face showed no reaction as she listened to Haria’s report.

After all, Isaac was brought here to die. Expecting him to excel would be akin to something even less than a beast’s sentiment. Thus, Marianne spoke calmly,

"So he’s spending every day at Dia Rose, wasting the gold they’ve given him on gambling and indulging in hedonistic pleasures in their VIP rooms."

"…Yes."

Haria replied reluctantly, her tone full of frustration. Yet, Marianne remained indifferent. A man in a position where he could die at any moment indulging in all he could while he had the chance wasn’t unreasonable.

Marianne had no intention of blaming Isaac. She had only felt a faint curiosity about his self-assured demeanor during their first meeting.

That curiosity, however, had now completely dissipated. It had only been that level of interest to begin with.

"Hm. Good work. Let’s revisit this in the next regular report."

As Haria bowed and left the room, Marianne’s mind also erased any thoughts of Isaac.

The last consideration she gave him was whether to start preparing for his funeral soon.

"The Empress’s husband—still the same today?"

"Yes. Quite the lustful one. And for all that, the women who’ve been with him only complain about how awful he is."

The reality was quite the opposite.

The women who experienced Isaac’s physique and skill were so taken with him that they begged to be sent back to his room. This even caused interest among others, leading to scuffles between the two groups.

But the senior staff under Paris, who had worked with him for a long time, knew better than to report such things accurately.

Paris harbored a deep-seated resentment toward both men and women, driven by his inability to perform sexually—a result of physical misfortune.

In short, Paris was impotent.

"Hahaha. Is that so? Then later, I’ll have to use my favorite tools to ensure they’re satisfied."

As Paris smirked sinisterly, the senior staff mirrored his laughter while secretly listing expendable women in their minds.

Paris’s obsession with tools stemmed from his inability to perform, and those tools were invariably sadistic and perverse.

Women who had been sent to him rarely emerged unscathed, with some even dying in the process. It had become an unspoken rule among his staff to always have sacrifices ready.

"Anyway, let’s move forward with the plan. We’ve observed him for days, and it’s clear he’s just a fool. There’ll be no complications."

Initially, there had been some wariness, but Paris had quickly dismissed it as unnecessary. Isaac was, in their eyes, nothing more than a lust-driven idiot.

"Is everything prepared?"

"Yes, here it is."

One of the staff handed Paris a small wooden box. Inside was a fine powder of a bluish-green hue. At first glance, it seemed ordinary, but it was actually a highly coveted drug known as The Teal Miracle.

"Heh. The Teal Miracle. With this, even the Empress’s husband will be at my mercy. What fortune has befallen me!"

The Teal Miracle was an extraordinarily rare drug, imported in minute quantities from outside the continent, so rare that even immense wealth couldn’t guarantee its procurement.

Even Abrarum, with all its resources, had failed to identify its origin or its exact distributor.

However, its effects were well-documented: even a small dose could induce unparalleled euphoria and pleasure.

The sensation was so overwhelming that it far surpassed any other substance available.

It was said that while under its influence, even muddy water could taste like the nectar of the gods.

The drawback, however, was immense. Once the effects wore off, the user experienced extreme anxiety, depression, and withdrawal symptoms. Their dulled senses left them unable to derive satisfaction from anything.

Because of its addictive nature, there were even tales of royalty from other nations who became so consumed by it that they instigated rebellions.

"If he’s been indulging since morning, he’ll likely be sleeping by the afternoon. When he wakes up in the evening, slip it into his drink. That’ll be the end of it."

Even a mere figurehead husband of the Empress was still the Empress’s husband. Living in the palace meant he could be exploited in countless ways.

They could use him as a pawn until he was utterly broken, then dispose of him without leaving any evidence. By then, Paris would have leveraged him to climb further up the organizational ladder.

Imagining his bright future, Paris chuckled to himself with satisfaction.

After spending the entire previous day partying, I had fallen asleep by the afternoon and woke up in the evening.

As soon as I got up, an employee entered the room as if they had been waiting for me, holding something in their hands.

“This is a drink mixed with a potion said to be the best for restoring male vigor. It was specially prepared for you, Sir Isaac. Please give it a try.”

“Oh, really? …Hmm?”

“…Is something wrong, sir?”

“No, it just smells nice.”

I took the drink and gulped it down. The employee who handed it to me grinned widely.

It’s hard to play along with someone who shows their excitement so openly.

“Well then, I hope you have another enjoyable evening.”

After the employee left, I decided to eat first. The potion I had consumed would likely start working quickly, but I figured they would come back just in time for the withdrawal symptoms to kick in.

I could just stay here and wait for that, but I was already getting bored. It was time to move.

After finishing my meal, I went to the bathroom, only to find that the toilet was clogged. I had no choice but to leave the room right away.

As I stepped out, I spotted two guards standing nearby. Their backs were turned to me.

Tap, tap.

“Hey.”

The two were engrossed in what sounded like a crude conversation. When I tapped one on the shoulder, they both turned around.

“The toilet in my room is clogged. Where’s the nearest restroom outside?”

“Oh, just over there, sir.”

Not just physically slow, but mentally slow too. From their looks, I figured I could make it to the restroom and back without any issues.

“Hey, wait a minute!”

As I made my way toward the bathroom, the guards called out to me again. As expected, no one could be that oblivious.

“What? Never seen someone who’s taken drugs move around before? And by the way, I didn’t clog the toilet.”

Those words were the absolute truth.