Reincarned with a deities Harem (Tome 1)

Edward's ambitions

Throughout their entire exchange with my father, Edward didn't once stop looking at the boys and me—even ignoring the conversation unfolding in front of him between Claude and Karl.
He frowned!
For him, it was absurd to see a woman surrounded by so many men and, above all, who behaved in the most depraved way towards them.

From where he was, he could see Mylène caressing the red-haired man's head, the latter nuzzling against her body in a way that was far too intimate and indecent.

But that wasn't all!
Whether it was the man on her lap, the long-haired man, or even this Azef, all three were looking at her with undisguised desire, and he wasn't so naive as not to recognize a clearly sexual intention behind their gazes.

It was obvious that there was something more than a master-servant relationship between Mylène and these men.

He would have to get to the bottom of this, because it was not a good thing to create even more rumors like this around the Duchy of Hosten. Because of Mylène, her father's vassals had spread sordid rumors about their mother, and now that the girl was behaving so debaucherously, some would find fault, taking advantage of the situation to tarnish their mother's image once again.

He absolutely had to teach Mylène a lesson so that she would finally behave like a Lady of her rank—their father seemed to be spoiling her a little too much; it was up to them, her older brothers, to raise her to be a well-mannered young lady worthy of being presented to high society.

He gritted his teeth, glancing at his father.  The thought that they'd been flirting like this in front of him from the start without him saying anything made him even more suspicious.
What secret was hiding behind all this?
Did he really want to dig into the affairs of this cold, distant man?
Even though he was his father, Edward had always tried to keep a certain distance between them—deep down, his instincts screaming at him that this man was not to be trifled with and that for his own good, he had to escape his gaze.
It was rather stupid when the man seemed utterly disinterested in their existence—but still, he felt like it was a good thing.

If Claude Von Hosten decided to interfere in their lives, it would have terrible repercussions.

He shook his head, returning to what was unfolding before him.  His father, who was so particular about education and rules, allowed his precious daughter to behave wantonly and loudly proclaim that the men in her service were her jewels.
He wasn't an expert on jewelry and other feminine accessories, but he knew one thing: jewelry for a woman was a precious accessory that she cherished deeply.

Especially when he recognized Mylène's venal side after her last purchases.

So if these men were truly her jewels, and given their interactions, it was obvious that these men had to do more than protect her.

He scowled; he had to do something about this.

For a while now, Mylène had been behaving more than flirtatiously towards men—and despite being his blood sister, he'd already had to think about her in truly indecent and shameful ways, imagining them doing things he wouldn't dare name, so ashamed he was at such times.

Despite the fact that she hadn't yet had a debut—which meant she hadn't really had to meet the vassals, much less the nobles of the capital, to be able to choose ladies-in-waiting—Mylène had been so bold as to have not just one but three, and if he'd heard correctly, a fourth was on the way.  What was this ludicrous idea she'd had to surround herself with men as servants? The norm dictated that ladies should have women to serve them, not men.

Which meant that Mylène was breaking morals and ethics, inviting a critical look from society at her manners and the upbringing she was receiving from the Duke.

If this were to become known, she would bring shame upon their family, and the Hosten name would be covered in shame and contempt. How could the legitimate daughter of the family be so frivolous, and through frivolity she had been so for the past few days?

If it weren't for the fact that she was openly seducing the Prince and Frederik De Solsten—even though she believed she was hiding it from the more naive, he was more quick-witted.

She played a game of seduction on the two men without any qualms, and unfortunately, she was very successful, considering how eagerly they were after her, ready to fight for favors.

Which in itself wasn't such a bad thing, because if he thought about it, Karl and he would gain a lot from Mylène and the second prince marrying.
Especially since the latter was the commander of the royal army, and it would allow them to forge a special bond with the crown. With their influence—which their father refused to nurture—growing in high society, being the queen's brothers would give them a great deal of power, and those who had always looked down on them just because their father refused to take his rightful place would be kicking themselves.

Unlike Karl, who didn't seem to have as sharp a mind as he did, failing to understand the opportunity they had before them, Edward had already thought this through and believed that now that Gabrielle was no longer needed to build a relationship with the queen's family, they could take advantage of much better opportunities than simply clinging to the queen's distant family.

Becoming brothers to the future queen.

He looked at Mylène before smiling. It was finally time for them to build a brotherly bond, especially since, despite her indifferent attitude, he was certain that she only wanted one thing: to be accepted by her brothers.

He would give her what she had begged for so long, and thus, his power and influence would increase thanks to this matricide who would finally be useful in this house.

But for now, he had a matter that required greater attention.