Eric had always looked down on Lance, and if Lance hadn't been so "honest," he would have found a way to kick him out a long time ago.
But considering that Lance was astute and knew how to make money for himself, Eric thought he was quite decent to Lance—I can tolerate your continued presence before me, isn't that the ultimate kindness?
For someone like Eric, who belonged to the upper echelons, it was indeed so.
Ever since Eric had come of age, rumors about the Mayor's relationship with him had always existed, and he became the target of many people's flattery.
The Mayor was married, but he and his wife had never had children, which made Eric's position all the more important.
People who looked to be decades older than him appeared childlike in his presence, inflating his confidence to unprecedented levels.
He knew why all this was happening and often told himself not to be too proud, but there was no way around it—the pride was inevitable.
