Chapter 25: What Happened at the Social Party (3)

Anthony Varko's appearance was more ordinary than expected.

He had a common face, and when he spotted Roman, his eyes widened in surprise.

"Roman! What on earth has been going on with you?!"

A little while ago.

He had heard from a servant that Roman had changed.

However, he hadn't anticipated such a dramatic transformation, so he genuinely looked at Roman in astonishment.

Roman said,

"I don't know why either. I spent a fortune trying to improve my appearance, but nothing changed. Lately, though, I've been changing without doing anything. Anyway, it's good to see you after so long."

He spoke casually.

His light and frivolous tone was based on Hans' advice, who had observed the relationship between Anthony Varko and himself.

'Only Anthony Varko is in this room.'

He looked around.

Until just a moment ago, Anthony Varko had been enjoying the party with other noble daughters, but upon hearing that Roman had arrived, he dismissed them all.

As a result, the table was a mess.

Not only were numerous bottles scattered around, but there were also what appeared to be women's undergarments.

He had a pretty good idea.

He knew what kind of person Anthony Varko was and how he used social parties as a pretext to play in secret rooms.

Therefore,

Roman hid his true thoughts.

Through his dealings with the cunning snakes of the dark cult, he realized that he couldn't always confront them head-on.

'Anthony Varko dismissed all the nobles in the secret room when he heard I had arrived. That means he intends to share secrets that no one should hear, and I need to put on a minimal act to hear them.'

He smiled.

Sitting in a chair, he immediately took a drink, hoping Anthony Varko would remember the Roman he knew.

Clunk.

"Ah, that's good."

The alcohol went down his throat and instantly dissipated.

Despite his outward appearance, Roman calmly waited for Anthony Varko to speak.

Anthony Varko.

The information about him was fragmented.

Through Hans, he had a rough idea of his tendencies, but there was no way to know the nature of their secret relationship.

So he kept quiet.

By waiting quietly, he encouraged the other to speak first.

Then,

Anthony Varko spoke.

"Is it okay to take your presence at this party as a sign that you've accepted my proposal? Actually, since you've already proven your will by breaking off the engagement, there's no need to hear your answer. I'll keep what happened back then a secret, so let's talk about your marriage to the Varko family now."

Marriage to the Varko family.

As soon as the key word was mentioned, something clicked in Roman's mind.

Click.

In the depths of his memory.

His past life's memories came alive.

That day.

Roman was extremely nervous about attending Anthony Varko's social party.

"Huh, Roman Dmitri. Don't be too nervous. Although you betrayed Anthony Varko and accepted the strategic marriage with Lawrence, you can't avoid them forever, can you? So let's use this opportunity to mend our relationship."

The invitation from the Varko family.

After hesitating countless times, he finally decided to meet and resolve the issue in person.

The other party was Varko.

Given the situation, he might have to wage war against them, so he wanted to resolve the issue through dialogue if possible.

His father had taken a completely adversarial stance against the Varkos since pushing for the strategic marriage with Lawrence, but Roman Dmitri, in his youth, still believed there was room for dialogue.

So,

Roman went to the party.

To his surprise, Anthony Varko welcomed him warmly, and as his tension eased, he unknowingly drank a lot.

That was the problem.

He blacked out.

When he woke up with a headache, he found himself in an unfamiliar scene.

A secret room bed.

Women he had never seen before were beside him.

Roman was startled and ran out, and Anthony Varko saw him.

From that moment on,

Roman's life hit rock bottom.

Anthony Varko, who usually played around with him, thought he would let it slide, but he said with a fierce look,

"Roman. I won't say anything about you playing around with women before your strategic marriage. But do you know who you've messed with? One of the women you were with is Emily Varko. You've not only betrayed me and married Lawrence, but you've also messed with a Varko woman."

Emily Varko.

She was a collateral member of the Varko family.

From that day on, Anthony Varko used this fact to blackmail him.

"Choose. Either I expose this and you get unilaterally divorced, or you marry a direct member of the Varko family to mend our relationship. I'm still furious about what you did, but if you become a Varko, I'll suppress my anger and forgive you."

The sky fell.

Roman locked himself in his room as soon as he returned from the party and demanded Hans to bring him alcohol.

It was a painful time.

Two choices.

Both were the worst.

If he got unilaterally divorced for messing with a Varko collateral member, the Dmitri family's honor would be ruined.

Roman Dmitri, knowing the reputation of a family of common origin, couldn't bear the thought of his father, Lord Romulo, being furious if such a thing happened.

But he couldn't choose the latter either.

Roman loved Flora.

He fell in love with her the first time he saw her and asked his father to arrange the strategic marriage, knowing the price the family would have to pay.

Now, not only would he have to request a divorce, but he would also have to give the woman he truly loved the dishonor of being a divorcee.

He couldn't accept it.

He fell into deep thought.

Anthony Varko sent letters from time to time, pressuring him, and eventually, the moment of choice arrived.

That day,

Roman chose suicide.

He was a weak person.

A man who had never accomplished anything on his own had no confidence in solving the problem and believed that his death would resolve everything.

The death of the eldest son.

It would also be a disgrace to the Dmitri family, but it would be better than being unilaterally divorced due to his son's promiscuous behavior, and he thought that Flora Lawrence would prefer widowhood to the stigma of a divorcee.

Sigh.

It was pitiful.

Reflecting on his past, Roman showed a resigned smile.

"What a miserable reality."

The reason for his suicide.

It wasn't grand.

Varko had used a common political tactic, and the weak Roman, out of fear of his father and genuine love for Flora, had given up on life.

If Roman had trusted his father, Lord Romulo would never have let his son make such an extreme choice.

But Roman didn't know.

He didn't know how much his father loved him, and he took the burden upon himself by swallowing the poison.

And then,

he returned to reality.

When he looked ahead, he saw Anthony Varko waiting for his answer.

The news of the Dmitri family's divorce.

When Anthony Varko first heard it, he felt as if he had gained the world.

'What a fool! To actually get divorced over something he doesn't even remember.'

Roman's memory.

It was different from the truth.

He did regain consciousness in the secret room bed, but he hadn't touched any of the women.

Initially, he had planned to act while sober.

He thought it would be easy since Roman usually lived a promiscuous life, but his reaction was different.

"Sorry, but I'm about to get married. I don't plan to mingle with other women anymore."

It was absurd.

Anthony Varko's mood completely soured at Roman's romantic talk.

So he planned.

He made Roman drunk and convinced a weak collateral member to pretend she had slept with him.

It was a plan that Roman couldn't escape.

Since he was not usually promiscuous, he might have doubted it, but because he was, he firmly believed it was his fault.

And then,

he blackmailed Roman.

Roman chose divorce as planned, and Anthony Varko knew the finale of this plan.

'Now the Lawrence family is in a tight spot. But they will fight to the end to protect their pride. If the Varkos and Dmitris have a strategic marriage in this situation? The game is over. No one in the northeast can withstand the combined power of the Varkos and Dmitris.'

It was perfect.

Anthony Varko, suppressing his inner laughter, spoke sweetly to his puppet, Roman.

"Roman. The union of the Varkos and Dmitris will be a huge issue in the northeast. No one will be able to challenge our fortress, and you will gain absolute power in the northeast. And the woman you will marry is, as you know, a well-known beauty. For you, there's no reason to refuse this proposal."

It was sweet.

A proposal that any man would be tempted by, and Anthony Varko naturally thought Roman would accept it.

But,

Roman's reaction was different.

"I don't think I need to accept a strategic marriage for just that reason."

"…What?"

Anthony Varko's expression hardened.

Thinking he had misheard, he repeated,

"It seems you're mistaken. This isn't a choice between two options. If you reject the Varko proposal, I will have to expose what happened in the secret room. What will happen to the Dmitri family then? Even though you've broken off the engagement with Lawrence, people will likely think it's because of your promiscuity. Think carefully. If you want to keep your head up, you should."

It was a threat.

Despite Anthony Varko's fierce face, Roman showed a slight smile without any hesitation.

He crossed his legs.

Then, he looked directly at Anthony Varko.

A few days ago,

Roman had investigated the Varko family.

What kind of people they were and how strong they were.

And he made a judgment.

"I just said, for such a trivial reason, there's no need for the Dmitris to accept the Varko proposal."

In the northeast,

the dominant force is not the Varkos, but the Dmitris.