Chapter 199: Albano Shirou, A God Of Wealth [III]

The Imperial Penthouse was vast... a multi-thousand-square-foot palace suspended in the clouds.

It featured floor-to-ceiling glass walls offering an unobstructed, three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view of Isle Supercity’s glittering neon landscape, plush velvet sofas, gold-leaf pillars, and an indoor infinity pool that bubbled with heated, mana-infused spring water.

In the center of the massive master bedroom sat an oversized, king-sized bed wrapped in pure silk sheets.

Mable was currently sprawling completely starfish-style in the middle of the massive mattress.

She had discarded her frilly shoes and was wearing a comfortable, oversized white t-shirt.

Surrounding her on the silk duvet were dozens of silver platters loaded with high-grade room service treats that the hotel kitchen had frantically prepared... slabs of seared dragon-steak on silver skewers, crystal bowls filled with candied mana-fruits, delicate chocolate tarts, and three massive tubs of strawberry ice cream.

"Nom... nom... Papa, this steak is so tender!" Mable giggled, a silver skewer in one hand and a spoon in the other, her silver hair sticking out in cute messy tufts. "The dragon inside me approves of this hotel!"

Out on the expansive open-air balcony attached to the penthouse, Koya was leaning casually against the polished white marble railing.

He had removed his suit jacket, tossing it over a lounge chair inside, and was now wearing only his crisp white button-down shirt with the top three buttons undone and a pair of sleek black trousers.

The night wind blew softly through his silver bangs, his glowing crimson eyes staring down at the microscopic lights of the city far below.

He held a crystal glass of aged, golden wine in his right hand, taking a slow, relaxed sip.

’Everybody must be doing something... and I’m sitting on the 90th floor of a seven-star hotel acting like a tragic billionaire,’ Koya thought, shaking his head with a quiet, amused chuckle. ’My life has gotten very weird.’

Suddenly, a soft pleasant chime echoed from the suite’s internal intercom panel mounted near the balcony doors.

DING-DONG.

Koya turned his head slightly.

A smooth automated voice echoed from the wall speaker.

"Lord Albano. A visitor has arrived at the private 90th-floor express elevator lobby requesting an audience with you. Hotel security is currently holding her at the checkpoint. Shall we grant her access?"

Koya raised an eyebrow, swirling the golden wine in his glass.

’That was fast,’ he thought. ’Did the Mafia send an enforcer already? Or...’

Koya took another sip. "Describe the visitor."

The intercom chimed again.

"The visitor is a female, My Lord. She is wearing a tailored dark suit, has short brown hair, and claims to be delivering an urgent private document directly from Star Enterprises."

Koya’s crimson eyes blinked in recognition.

’Short brown hair?’ Koya pondered mentally. ’Hakai said she sent an operative ahead to assist with the heist... Is this Order No. 4? The primary informant of the syndicate?’

It made total sense.

Hakai had explicitly mentioned that an Order operative was already inside the hotel network setting up their secure comms.

"Let her up," Koya instructed calmly. "Allow her full access to the penthouse floor."

"Understood, Lord Albano. Granting express access now."

Koya turned away from the balcony, setting his wine glass down on an outdoor glass table, and unceremoniously walked back inside the penthouse.

He crossed the soft velvet carpet toward the grand double doors of the main entrance.

A few seconds later, the mechanical chime of the private elevator echoed from the private hallway outside.

CLICK!

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Three polite rhythmic taps echoed against the heavy mahogany door. Koya reached out, unlocked the latch, and smoothly pulled the door open.

Standing in the dimly lit hallway was a woman.

She was undeniably breathtaking.

She possessed an athletic yet voluptuous build, clad in an impeccably tailored, dark charcoal-grey suit with sharp lapels.

She had short, vibrant brown hair styled in a chic, asymmetric cut that framed a gorgeous face with striking eyes.

The moment the door opened and her eyes landed on Koya taking in his towering six-foot frame, his glowing crimson eyes, his silver hair, and his broad chest visible beneath his unbuttoned shirt... a sharp hungry glint flared deep within her pupils.

She bowed gracefully, placing a gloved hand over her heart.

"Good evening, Lord Albano," the woman said with a pur. "Forgive the late-hour intrusion. May I step inside? I have... extremely sensitive business to discuss with you."

Koya studied her for a fraction of a second, noting her flawless composure and the dangerous subtle mana radiating from her frame.

"You may," Koya replied, stepping back to grant her entry. "Come in."

The brown-haired woman stepped past him with the sweet intoxicating scent of black orchids drifting into the room as she crossed the threshold.

THUD!

Koya closed the heavy mahogany door behind her, sliding the deadbolt back into place.

The moment the metal lock clicked shut... before Koya could even fully turn his body around, the world exploded into motion.

SWISH!

The woman didn’t issue a warning and she didn’t announce her intentions.

Moving with a speed that completely blurred the air, she turned on her heel and launched herself directly at Koya’s chest.

"Whoa—!" Koya gasped in genuine surprise.

Her movement was so sudden and aggressively intimate that Koya’s instincts hesitated to use lethal counter-force.

Before he could raise his arms to block her, the woman slammed her body full-force against his torso.

The kinetic impact knocked Koya backward off his feet.

THUMP!

Koya hit the plush thick carpet of the entryway, landing flat on his back.

Before he could even process the landing, the brown-haired woman straddled him with terrifying force.

She pinned his shoulders to the floor with her knees, leaning her upper body down until her face was mere inches from his.

Koya’s crimson eyes widened.

Because of the angle and the violent impact, her dark charcoal suit jacket had popped completely open.

There was no blouse beneath it and there was no lace bra. There was nothing under her open suit jacket.

Her fair, flawless skin, the deep breathtaking curve of her waist, and her full heavy breasts pressed directly against the thin white fabric of Koya’s unbuttoned shirt.

Down below, the thin smooth fabric of her suit pants was pressed flush against his waist with her core grinding directly against the front of his black trousers.

The heat radiating off her body was quite a lot.

"What the—" Koya gritted out, staring up at the gorgeous, predatory woman currently pinning him to the floor.

The brown-haired woman didn’t look angry.

In fact, her purple eyes were glowing with a wave of lust.

’Does she have a succubus bloodline or something? Weird women...’

A wide and dangerously playful smirk stretched across her crimson lips as she reached down with one hand, casually running her manicured fingers down the center of Koya’s chest.

"Mmm... you smell even better in person, Boss’s Husband~" the woman purred into his ear, her hot breath ghosting against his neck, sending a sharp shiver down his spine.

She leaned down further with her heavy chest squishing delightfully against his ribs as she pressed her hips down, leaving zero space between her core and his trousers.

"Let me introduce myself properly, Hubby~" she whispered wickedly, her tongue flicking out to lightly trace the shell of his ear. "My name is Meoni... and I hold the seat of Order No. 4."

Koya froze with his brain trying to keep up with the speed of the harem encounters hitting him back-to-back.

Meoni leaned back slightly, sitting up on his waist so that her completely open suit jacket parted further, offering Koya a fully unrestricted jaw-dropping view of her bare perfect upper body.

She placed both of her hands flat on his chest, running her fingers over his defined abdominal muscles through his shirt with her eyes locking onto his crimson gaze with hunger.

"Boss Hakai gave me explicit clearance before you left Star Mansion," Meoni giggled softly as she gave her hips a subtle grind directly against his groin.

"So tell me, Boss’s Husband..." Meoni purred. "Wanna breed me tonight?"

Koya didn’t let the temptation derail him.

"Not right now," Koya gritted out with his muscles tensing as he placed both hands firmly against her bare shoulders. "Compose yourself, Meoni. We have a mission."

With a sudden burst of physical strength, Koya shoved her upward and off his chest.

Meoni, however, didn’t exactly listen.

As she was pushed back, she leaned her head down with lightning speed, catching Koya’s right earlobe squarely between her lips.

She sucked on the soft cartilage with her surprisingly long and flexible tongue arching all over the outer rim of his ear and swirling against his sensitive skin.

To make matters worse, she subtly pulsed a thread of warm stimulating mana through her lips.

"Mmh—"

A small involuntary muffle escaped Koya’s throat before he could catch himself.

The sharp electric jolt of mana combined with her wet lingering suction sent an immediate shiver straight down his spine.

"Hehehe..." Meoni giggled against his neck, clearly delighted by his reaction.

"Hey! Get off my Papa!"

A sharp childish voice suddenly rang out from the archway leading into the grand living room.

Mable was standing there.

She still held a silver skewer bearing a half-eaten piece of seared dragon-steak in her hand, her crimson eyes narrowed in a fierce protective glare.

The moment Meoni’s eyes landed on the silver-haired little girl, the playful smirk on her face vanished, replaced by an instant wave of genuine respect and caution.

Meoni, as Order No. 4, knew better than almost anyone in the syndicate what kind of terrifying world-ending draconic power slumbered inside that small frilly-dressed body.

There was a reason why every single high-ranking operative in the Order adored and feared Mable in equal measure.

"Ah, Boss’s daughter!" Meoni greeted smoothly, immediately releasing Koya’s earlobe and stepping back. "Forgive me. I was simply... greeting your father."

"I said get off," Mable repeated, pointing her steak skewer at Meoni like a tiny sword. "Or I’ll tell Mama Hakai you were bothering Papa."

"Apologies, Princess! Standing down immediately!" Meoni laughed nervously, raising both hands in mock surrender as she unattached her tongue completely from Koya’s ear and smoothed down her dark suit jacket, covering her exposed chest.

Koya pushed himself up from the floor, adjusting his trousers and running a hand over his silver hair, letting out a long weary sigh.

Meoni stood at attention, bowing her head slightly to Koya.

"Allow me to introduce my official operational cover. For this mission within the Isle City Mafia, my identity is Irene Volkiner. I’ve been working undercover as an executive informant for their syndicate for the past six months, feeding high-tier intel back to Boss Hakai and the Order."

"Right. Irene," Koya muttered, shaking his head. "Let’s move this to the sitting area before Mable decides to blast you with dragon fire."

The three of them moved into the massive open-concept living area of the Imperial Penthouse.

The plush white leather sofas surrounded a low glass coffee table that was currently completely covered in the mountains of room service treats Koya had ordered earlier.

Mable hopped back onto the sofa, sitting cross-legged in the middle of her food kingdom.

Koya sat down beside her, leaning over to gently press a warm affectionate kiss onto his daughter’s forehead.

Mable’s eyes lit up instantly, a bright triumphant smile breaking across her face as she rubbed her forehead against his arm, thoroughly pleased.

She reached over, grabbed a chocolate-covered strawberry, and held it out to Meoni.

"Here," Mable said generously. "You can eat treats with us while you talk."

"Thank you, Princess," Meoni smiled, taking the strawberry and sitting down gracefully on the sofa opposite them.

As they settled in and began to eat, a crisp polite knock echoed against the heavy mahogany double doors of the penthouse entrance.

Koya raised an eyebrow. "That was fast. Room service?"

"I’ll stay out of sight of the hotel staff," Meoni said, leaning back into the shadows of the plush sofa.

Koya stood up, walking across the marble floor to answer the door.

He pulled it open to reveal a young hotel maid wearing a pristine black-and-white uniform, pushing a massive, three-tiered silver service cart stacked with steaming covered dishes, crystal carafes of wine, and delicate pastry towers.

"G-Good evening, Lord Albano!" the maid squeaked, bowing nervously. "I have brought the additional hot entrees and chef selections you requested!"

"Thank you," Koya said smoothly, stepping aside to let her wheel the cart inside.

However, as the maid pushed the cart into the entryway, Koya’s crimson eyes narrowed slightly.

Thanks to his recent transformation into the Vampire King, Koya’s physical senses had evolved far past mortal limits.

His vision wasn’t just sharp... his advanced eyesight allowed him to effortlessly project an internal X-ray layer over solid objects.

Koya looked at the bottom tier of the silver service cart.

Beneath the linen napkins and silver plating, nestled within the hollow frame of the cart’s lower support structure, Koya clearly saw three small hyper-advanced electronic bugs.

They were military-grade audio transmitters and mana-signature trackers, humming with invisible threads of listening magic.

Koya’s face went stone-cold. The temperature in the entryway plummeted instantly.

"Stop," Koya commanded quietly.

The maid froze mid-stride, turning around with a fearful expression. "M-My Lord? Is something wrong with the presentation?"

Koya walked over to the cart.

Without taking his eyes off her, he reached his hand straight through the linen lining of the bottom shelf, his fingers cleanly snapping the concealed metal casing and pulling out the three tiny electronic listening devices.

He held them up between his thumb and index finger, the glowing blue indicator lights blinking faintly in his palm.

"I paid ten million credits for privacy, hospitality, and security," Koya said, his voice dropping into a lower tone that vibrated through the maid’s bones. "Not to have my room spiked with cheap listening bugs so your management can spy on my private conversations."

The maid’s face went completely ghostly white.

Her knees buckled, and she instantly dropped to her knees on the marble floor, trembling violently as tears welled in her eyes.

"P-Please, My Lord! Spare me!" she pleaded frantically, bowing her head to the floor. "I-I didn’t want to do it! It wasn’t my idea! It was my Boss! The floor supervisor and the security manager commanded me to place those under the napkins before I came up! They said all VIP rooms must be monitored for safety! Please don’t kill me!"

Koya stared at the weeping maid, his crimson eyes gleaming with cold disgust.

’What the hell do these people take me for?’ Koya thought bitterly, shaking his head. ’They think just because I threw money around, they can play little amateur espionage games in my private suite?’

Koya crushed the three listening bugs in his fist, reducing the high-tech plastic and metal to fine, useless grey powder that drifted to the floor.

"Take your cart back," Koya commanded flatly, pointing at the door. "And call the General Manager up here. Right now."

"Y-Yes, My Lord! Immediately!" the maid gasped, scrambling to her feet, grabbing the handles of the service cart, and practically sprinting out of the penthouse as if a demon were chasing her.

Less than three minutes later, the private express elevator chimed sharply.

General Manager Marcus burst into the penthouse hallway, his face dripping with cold sweat and his silk tie completely disheveled.

He ran into the entryway and immediately dropped into a deep, ninety-degree bow with his hands shaking as he clutched his handkerchief.

"Lord Albano!" Marcus cried out, his voice cracking with terror. "I heard what happened! I swear on my life, I had no knowledge of the security team’s unauthorized actions! The floor supervisor who ordered those devices placed has already been terminated and handed over to local authorities!"

Koya stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed over his chest, his glowing crimson eyes looking down at the sweating manager with freezing indifference.

"I don’t care about your supervisor, Marcus," Koya said smoothly. "I care about hospitality. I paid ten million credits for an elite world-class experience, and within an hour of checking in, your staff tries to wiretap my room. Tell me... doesn’t The Sovereign Grand have a strict zero-tolerance privacy guarantee and refund policy?"

Marcus went completely rigid.

All the air left his lungs.

If Albano Shirou demanded a full refund and walked out, not only would the hotel lose the ten million credits, but the scandal of insulting a high-tier Star Enterprises affiliate would utterly destroy Marcus’s career.

The hotel board would have him executed by the end of the week!

"L-Lord Albano! Please! I beg of you!" Marcus pleaded desperately, nearly throwing himself onto his knees. "Do not leave! Grant us a chance to rectify this unforgivable failure! I... I will personally authorize a complete exemption! Your entire stay for the next two days... all accommodations, room service, private security, and luxury amenities will be entirely free of charge! The hotel will cover every single cent!"

Marcus’s chest physically pained him as he uttered those words.

Giving away the top three floors for two days free of charge was a financial blow that would hurt the hotel’s quarterly ledgers immensely.

Koya’s lips thinned into a fine dry line as he listened to the manager beg.

’Two days free?’ Koya thought, fighting the urge to roll his eyes.

He didn’t give a damn about saving ten million credits... he was driving around with a billion in his car vault anyway and he needed to look rich but letting the manager suffer a massive financial penalty was a very fitting and appropriate punishment for crossing him and trying to spy on his business.

"I don’t need your free handouts, Manager," Koya said coldly, letting the silence stretch just long enough to make Marcus sweat blood. "But as a penalty for your gross incompetence, I accept your terms. Furthermore, I want your entire current kitchen staff replaced for my room service. Bring in a fresh crew from the lower wing."

"Y-YES, MY LORD! AT ONCE!" Marcus squeaked, bowing so low his nose touched the carpet. "A completely fresh high-tier culinary team is being assigned to your floor right now! Thank you for your unbelievable mercy, Lord Albano!"

Marcus turned and practically fled down the hallway toward the elevator, eager to escape the terrifying pressure of the silver-haired young lord.

Koya stepped back into the penthouse, sliding the deadbolt shut and let out a long exhausted breath.

’Man...’ Koya grumbled internally, walking back toward the living room. ’Being rich is a fucking chore. Why does every interaction require five minutes of political drama?’