Generally speaking, nobles would not run businesses such as brothels, as doing so would seriously damage their reputations.
But nobles needed to keep up appearances, and keeping up appearances cost money.
Some nobles who had failed to keep pace with the times were quietly running similar businesses in legal gray areas.
Brothels had been legal businesses since Loen's founding. It was only a little over twenty years ago that legislation had made brothels and many other businesses illegal.
Even His Majesty the King had personally delivered a speech declaring that such a barbaric industry, which showed no respect for women, should not exist in Loen.
But advocacy was one thing. No department was willing to crack down on the entire industry behind brothels, because demand was simply too great!
It was not just a matter of demand from customers. Many women who had lost their land and homes also needed the industry to survive.
The brothel Kaven Thomas ran was somewhat well-known in Backlund, catering exclusively to nobles and the wealthy.
The man who had refused to rent him the villa was a member of parliament's cousin. In fact, the villa belonged to that member of parliament.
Had the Thomas Family not fallen into decline, the member of parliament would surely have hurried to make the house available. But the family was now close to bankruptcy. As one of Loen's rising powers and an influential figure in politics, he naturally had no reason to show such a family any deference.
Raphael thought it over. He would have to handle this matter himself, or his subordinates might botch it.
Inside a rented room in Cherwood Borough.
Xio Derecha glanced at the wall clock. The hour hand had finally reached three.
The next second, gray fog filled her vision. In the