Despicable, Elegantly

In the wake of an economic depression that followed the frenzied investment boom in the gold mines of the New Continent, nations driven by greed turned their eyes to foreign wealth, sparking frequent wars and civil strife. Amid this turbulent era, the arms industry flourished, with Rhein Kleindt, a standout company, rising to prominence under its head, Duke Carlisle Polsherd. A man of unyielding rationality and authority, Carlisle had presided over his wife’s unhappy existence for the past three years of their marriage. It seemed their union would finally come to an end when she handed him the divorce papers. “How amusing. This is new. Publicizing a divorce to land another man—is that your...