The Ambitions of Second Liner Molena (Part One)
As the ball was nearing nine o'clock, Fourth Prince Tserriednich left the ballroom, claiming he wanted to rest.
"Your Highness, you really must get plenty of rest. Don't overexert yourself."
"Of course, Duke. Don't worry."
He smiled and nodded to the guests he passed, then went outside alone. Walking through the dim corridor, he rummaged in his pocket and pulled out his phone.
"This is never-ending," he muttered.
The phone in Tserriednich's hand was the latest smartphone model, custom-made for him by the company. He had more than a dozen phones like it, but this was the one he used most often.
The smile Tserriednich had worn moments earlier had vanished. He pressed his lips together, looking like a different person.
He lit up the screen. Its faint glow barely illuminated his stubbled face—which others generally described as "sexy."
After looking at the contents on his phone for a while, Tserriednich suddenly furrowed his brow, stopped, and turned around.
A beautiful woman in a purple gown stood before him. She radiated a mature, alluring charm as she looked at the Fourth Prince with a gentle smile.
The only blemish was the pair of straight scars on her left cheek, running across her eyelid. They marred her delicate beauty and instead gave her an indescribable air of menace.
This was Molena, the illegitimate daughter of the King and his mistress. Since she had no right to inherit the throne, two scars had been cut into her face at birth, and she had been branded a "Second Liner."
She was also the head of the Ai Yi Family, one of the Kakin Empire's three great mafia families.
In fact, the heads of all three great mafia families in the Kakin Empire were "Second Liners."