Kaspar Blankenheim

"Lord Kaspar—  No, I wouldn't dare give him that respect. To be honest, that man was the lowest of men."

- Rita Flohn

Kaspar Blankenheim, codenamed Second Dealer, was the Marquis of Toragay in Elphegort and the husband of Margarita. After facing financial trouble, he married the Felix Family daughter for her father's wealth. He later joined the criminal organization Père Noël as its black market dealer to maintain his affluent lifestyle and array of mistresses.

Early Life
"Before I left the family, I entrusted my son to my younger brother—to Karl."

- Kaidor Blankenheim

Born in Toragay on August 30, EC 588, the eldest son of Kaidor Blankenheim, the father killed the infant's mother shortly after and entrusted the child to his younger brother, Karl. With his real father expelled from the family as a fugitive, Kaspar was raised as the son of Marquis Karl and his wife. During his youth, his father arranged for him to meet many girls as potential marriage candidates; he romanced each of them over the years and promised to marry them. Among those candidates was Margarita Felix.

After the young Felix daughter moved into the Blankenheim Mansion, Kaspar played with the girl, showing how to catch bergen bugs, climb big trees, and play by Abel Lake from him. As they continued to spend time together, the two children became more intimate, holding hands and eventually kissing. Later on, Kaspar made a wooden ring for her and gave it to Margarita, saying they should get married once they grow up. The overjoyed Margarita accepted the gift and his promise, letting the boy put the ring on her small finger.

Marriage
"Yes. Things like my favorite tableware, everything. My glasses, spoons... Has just my mirror not been sold yet? Thankfully, I don't use much makeup either."

- Margarita regarding her personal items Kaspar sold off

Following Margarita's return home and later his father's death, Kaspar inherited the family title of Marquis and wasted his fortune on fine cigars from Maistia and other luxuries. At some point, the young Blankenheim befriended Cle Mence, son of the Marquis of Nianemu. As his fortune began to deplete, Kaspar decided to marry Margarita and acquire her father's 29 million evu fortune for himself.

Around EC 608, he and Dr. Marx agreed to a political engagement between their two families through him and the girl. In June of that year, Kaspar married the child at the local Levin church with the entire town and King Soil Elphen celebrating the occasion and providing them many gifts. During their subsequent honeymoon, Kaspar bought Margarita a bed for her new room in the Blankenheim manor.

Shortly after, Kaspar discovered Margarita's sleepless condition and then began sleeping in a separate room from her. Soon after, the Marquis began taking on numerous mistresses, including Kriemhilde. Afterward, he periodically invited his mistresses to his home and showered them with expensive gifts, affection, and sex.

Whenever the women stayed with him overnight, Kaspar forbid Margarita from entering his room. When Margarita asked about their childhood promise, Kaspar made it clear he had forgotten whatever it was. As time progressed and their finances began to dwindle, Kaspar sold off many of Margarita's personal possessions to help recuperate their losses; he also began firing many of their servants to cut costs.

Père Noël
Sometime in EC 608, Kaspar was approached by a woman calling herself "Elluka Clockworker". Claiming to be the leader of Père Noël, First Santa Claus, Elluka asked the Marquis join the organization as their black market dealer in Elphegort; in exchange, she offered to give him a vessel of sin and the ability to use some of his illegal earnings for himself.

The Marquis accepted the offer and joined the organization, codenamed Second Dealer. Setting up the market in his mansion's basement, Kaspar donned a mask and began buying and selling products to patrons. As he acquired numerous goods through his illegal channels, he began storing the products in the basement's warehouse.

Raking in major profits, the Marquis secured his luxurious lifestyle while sharing his earnings with the whole of Père Noël. Over time, First Santa Claus periodically visited to Kaspar and checked in his operations, the Marquis politely thanking her for coming to see him all the way from Calgaround. He later introduced his "business partner" to Margarita and his wife joined the organization sometime after. Around that time, Kaspar acquired a new mistress, Eleanor, and she became his new favorite.

In EC 609, Santa ordered him to help enact a single operation: monopolize a cure for an airborne Gift epidemic that they would create and release for the organization's profit. Once Margarita developed an incomplete variant of the cure, Kaspar began selling the stimulant on the black market before it or the actual Gift epidemic were complete. He eventually began keeping all his profits from his shady dealings for himself, claiming to be First Santa Claus.

Downfall
"And why'd you kill Kaspar? Was there an internal dispute?" "Margarita did that without my permission... But yes. He broke the organization's rules and tried monopolizing the underground market's profits for himself. It certainly couldn't go ignored."

- Elluka Clockworker and Fourth Shadow

On August 24 of that year, Kaspar and Margarita attended King Soil's birthday celebration at his castle in Aceid before returning home late that night. The next day, Elluka visited and quarreled with Kaspar over his apparent betrayal of Père Noël and monopolization of their underground market before leaving. Sometime after, Kaspar gave the Freesis Fairy Tale the "Flower of the Plateau" he acquired from his dealings to Sixth Venom.

On August 30, EC 609, Kaspar celebrated his birthday with Eleanor at the mansion. Late that night, Margarita offered her husband some toast covered in trauben jam as a gift. Accepting the present, Kaspar shared it with Eleanor and they consumed the toast. The two then went to bed together and succumbed to the hidden Gift poison shortly after, dying as a result.

Legacy
"Anyhow, if I dispose of you two, I'll become the next Second Dealer... I was promised that."

- Kaidor to Hanne and Heidemarie Lorre

Kaspar and Eleanor's bodies were discovered by Dr. Marx and Margarita the next day. After a quick diagnosis, Marx covered for his daughter and claimed it to be a result of Kaspar's smoking habit. After the World Police's subsequent investigation and Dr. Puerick Rogzé's own autopsy of the corpse, Marx's diagnosis was accepted as the Marquis' official cause of death. When Dr. Marx was found in a coma with the same symptoms less than a month later, the police reports changed his cause of death as being the result of an unknown disease.

His funeral held at Toragay's church nearly a month after his death was attended by the entire town and royalty from both Elphegort and Marlon; Margarita served as his chief mourner. In response to the alleged tobacco causes, Elphegort entered a joint agreement with Lucifenia and Marlon to limit imports of the product despite facing opposition from many aristocrats and businesses. The first in a multi-part tribute to Kaspar and his life was published in the Shuburke Newspaper's 61st issue, though subsequent parts were delayed and inevitably cancelled due to the current events.

Shuburke Newspaper reporter Hanne Lorre continued investigating Kaspar's mysterious death and alleged connection to Père Noël. The reporter's investigations soon uncovered much about his past and shady dealings, although she was unable to confirm all the facts surrounding him. The vessel of sin Kaspar had kept was eventually recollected by Père Noël. Julia Abelard later criticized Kaspar among others' self-serving actions in Elphegort, lamenting how his murder by Margarita had lost her a valuable pawn. Kaspar's biological father, Kaidor, eventually aspired to replace his son as Second Dealer.

Personality and Traits
"I'll say it again. That man was total scum."

- Rita Flohn

Kaspar was a selfish, conniving, and hedonistic man. Since childhood, Kaspar Blankenheim prioritized his own physical needs over emotional relationships, becoming close with multiple women as potential marriage candidates and yet selecting them for their financial prospects over any romantic sentiment. Continuing into adulthood, Kaspar partook in illegal activities in Père Noël to fund his addictions despite the risks and any moral implications of his actions, while thought nothing of selling other people's possessions for money.

Driven by desire, Kaspar lived largely for pleasure and made liberal use of his own fortune, and later the Felix fortune, to fund his pursuits. He also frequently smoked despite the expense of his preferred fine brand cigars and drowned himself in luxury and lust. Having no care for others' opinions, Kaspar openly philandered with women despite his marriage.

Despite this, he was able to put up a polite front when the situation necessitated it, and was able to become friends with a select few, playing with Margarita in his youth and befriending Cle Mence among others. As well as this, he was able to romance women for his own needs even when he was young. Though able to form such relationships, Kaspar was only loyal to himself and looked after his needs before others'. Becoming Second Dealer in Père Noël, he cared little for the sanctity of the organization and instead monopolized its black market for himself, even arguing about his activities when confronted.

In addition, he was disloyal to Margarita while having romanced her in their youth, forgetting about his childhood promise to marry her and treating her like property to use and control as he saw fit. Deeply disturbed by the girl's Sleepless condition, Kaspar refused to bed his wife and instead replaced her with mistresses. Despite this, Kaspar expected no retaliation for his misdeeds, trusting Margarita not to do harm upon him and being careless to let his monopolizing be discovered by calling himself First Santa Claus around customers.

Skills and Abilities
"I lost valuable pawns, Kaspar and Mayrana, thanks to Margarita."

- Julia Abelard

As the feudal lord of Toragay and head of the Blankenheim house, Kaspar had a great deal of influence within the town and an impressive affluence inherited from his father. However, due to his spending habits, much of his family's fortune was depleted within a short period, forcing him to rely on Margarita's dowry to maintain his rich lifestyle. After becoming Second Dealer, Kaspar became very successful in making illegal transactions within Toragay's black market and obtained products from all over the world for himself and his clients.

Character Connections
Margarita Blankenheim: Kaspar's wife. Kaspar played with Margarita often as a child, although in the end only saw her as a means to remain rich compared to his other marriage candidates. Disturbed by her Sleepless condition, Kaspar preferred the company of more beautiful women to her and gave no consideration to the girl's feelings. Despite this, he trusted Margarita, letting her with meet his business partner "Elluka" and accepting her birthday gift to him with no suspicion of foul play.

Mayrana Blossom: Kaspar's partner in Père Noël. Understanding her to be First Santa Claus and Elluka Clockworker, Kaspar eagerly worked with her in the underground market to line his own pockets, often polite and cordial when she visited and introducing her to his wife. Despite this, he had no loyalty to "Elluka" or Père Noël and monopolized the black market against her wishes.

Eleanor: One of Kaspar's mistresses. Kaspar often invited Eleanor over to his mansion and enjoyed her company, showering her with many gifts as well as considering her his favorite. As part of this, Kaspar invited Eleanor over on his birthday and even shared his wife's present to him with her.

Kriemhilde: One of Kaspar's many mistresses. Kaspar often invited Kriemhilde over to his mansion and enjoyed her company, showering her with many gifts.

Conceptualization and Origin

 * Kaspar's name is partially inspired by the name of his representative Vocaloid, KAITO, with both names sharing the first two letters.
 * Kaspar's name is derived from the Hebrew word for "treasurer"; traditionally, the name is assigned to one of the biblical Three Magi and translates as "Master of the Treasure".
 * His surname, Blankenheim, is the name of two German municipalities; Elphegort, Kaspar's native country, is inspired by Germany.
 * In numerology, the name Blankenheim is associated with being emotional, sentimental, inquisitive, independent, and ruled by love, needing encouragement or affection when unloved and feeling unhappy when there is a lack of harmony.

Curiosities

 * Kaspar, portrayed by KAITO, alludes to his Vocaloid's other characters and their connection to Greed due to his name's meaning and the economical motivations behind his marriage to Margarita.
 * In the first print of Deadly Sins of Evil: Gift from the Princess who Brought Sleep, Kaspar's birthdate was mistakenly labeled as year "508" rather than "588".

Gallery
Concept Art=