“Look at this! It was even in the newspaper! I just received it, and I was so shocked...!”

I said, "Sylvia, your state is even more surprising. You’ve stuck a fork in your greasy hair. So this is how you spend your holidays alone in your room?"

I took the newspaper from Sylvia while keeping a distance, as she seemed like she might smell a bit.

“‘Did Count Vermont really fall for a common slave? It’s reported that they are aged 13 and 14, causing a stir...’”

[The Evil God, 'Cali', screams!]

What nonsense is this? Why would I fall for anyone? If that were the case, I would’ve been at an engagement ceremony by now, having the protagonist officiate it. If I could have charmed Charlotte and Yulia, I would have done it ages ago.

“W-What’s going on? While you do often deceive and intimidate people, you wouldn’t be the kind of scum to have lustful thoughts about a child, would you!?”

“I have a hunch about the source of this rumor.”

“Really? Where is it?”

“...?”

Sylvia looked at me with shaking pupils. It was a genuinely clueless expression. Surely, she must have heard the maids gossiping while passing by?

It seems Sylvia is being ostracized among the employees. I’ve uncovered something I didn’t want to know.

“Tell the head maid to gather all the maids in the dining hall.”

“Yes, I will do that.”

“And while I won’t demand that they dress appropriately for work, at the very least, they should remove the fork from their hair. Just in case, I’ll say it looks quite good. It’s not because I want you to take it out since I find it unpleasant.”

“...!”

Fumbling. Sylvia's hand quickly went to her head. Upon touching the fork, her face turned bright red. It seems she had forgotten she had stuck a fork in her hair.

“T-This...! Ah! No!!!”

With that, Sylvia shrieked and ran away. She truly has a clear separation between work and leisure. At first, I thought she was a completely different person.

“...Master. The head maid and all the maids have gathered in the dining hall.”

A little later, Sylvia returned, now looking neat and proper. Her face was a bit, no, very red.

“And about that fork... No! It’s not that I usually keep it like that, it’s just that my hairpin broke, and I had no choice...”

“It’s fine. I would have bought you a replacement if you had just told me. Is it hard because of the pay cut?”

“It’s not because I don’t have money!!!”

“Alright, alright. Just feel free to tell me in the future.”

“Ahhh!!!”

Leaving behind Sylvia, who was lamenting, I entered the dining hall and saw the maids lined up, stiff as boards. They looked tense, as if they hadn’t been in such a situation for a long time.

“Did you think I wouldn’t know about the rumors circulating in the mansion?”

“...”

“No matter how you gossip about me behind my back, I wasn’t planning to make an issue of it as long as you did your assigned work well. However, it seems a rumor that should have stayed behind closed doors has somehow spread outside.”

I slapped the newspaper on the table. The maids’ faces turned pale as they glanced at the headline. They had been weaving fantasies about Charlotte and Yulia, and now it seemed they had finally crossed a line that shouldn’t be crossed. This is a serious matter that cannot be taken lightly.

“Rumors may seem to spread randomly like wildfire at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it’s not difficult to trace their roots. It’s just very bothersome. Would it be better for me to go through the trouble of finding it out, or would it be better for the culprit to confess here?”

“...!”

“If you choose the latter, you may get away with no punishment... However, in the former case, there may be an additional charge of disgrace.”

Though it’s a rather pleasant rumor for a baseless one, the fact remains that someone in the mansion has leaked unfounded stories to the outside. Of course, someone else must have spread it to the media, but for now, finding the root is the priority. As I looked over the maids one by one, they all had expressions that seemed ready to burst into tears.

“Is there no one? Really? Then...”

“Forgive me, Master. I am truly sorry for this unfortunate incident. However, the maids I trained would never cause a security issue by discussing what happened in the mansion outside, and even if they made such a mistake, they would certainly come clean. I swear it on my neck.”

“...”

The head maid rushed forward, bowing her head. The head maid is known for her strict training. Occasionally, I would see her loudly scolding the maids as I passed by. For her to stake her life on a promise...

Given her long service, I should trust her for now.

‘The fact that no maids have stepped forward means that really none of them are the culprits.’

And if there had been a culprit among them, she should have jumped out and confessed when she swore her oath. Otherwise, not only her life but also the life of the head maid, who has shared meals with them, would be at stake.

I pretended to still be angry outwardly while mostly dismissing my suspicions about the maids internally. These girls are not the ones. They might have indulged in malicious gossip, but that was certainly a topic that had only arisen among the employees.

‘Then who on earth could it be?’

If that’s the case, it means the person who leaked the rumor to the media is the same person who created it. The investigation has become much easier.

“Who in the world spread such nonsensical rumors! Master would never have such disgusting thoughts of raising children to make them his women!”

“Y-Yeah, right...”

[The Evil God, 'Cali', doubts the sincerity of your words.]

Shut up, Sylvia. You’re going to get me found out because of you.

While I’ve thought about such things, I’ve only done so very occasionally. Sometimes I wonder how nice it would be if it were true.

It’s a kind of imagination that everyone has, isn’t it? Like, “Ah, I really want to eat that royal brat” is something everyone thinks, right? My point stands, you bastards.

“I’ll investigate immediately! To clear the Master’s name...!”

“No. There’s no need for that.”

“W-Why not?”

“Because there’s someone who will investigate for you.”

“M-Master! A royal messenger is here! The Emperor sent him personally!”

At that moment, the door burst open, and the awaited news flew in. I had expected it, but I didn’t think it would come this early. I quickly left the dining hall and greeted the messenger waiting outside.

“Greetings. Welcome to the Vermont mansion. I apologize for making you wait. Right this way to the reception room...”

“It’s alright. His Majesty values substance over superficiality, so I will just deliver the message simply.”

“...”

The Emperor and his messenger indeed have the same demeanor. To skip the pleasantries and just deliver the message? At this point, it seems less about practicality and more about laziness, doesn’t it? It’s a mystery how someone like this became an Emperor.

“Cough, ahem.”

The messenger spread out the documents and cleared his throat. At that moment.

“Aslan Vermont.”

“...!”

The messenger’s deep voice suddenly shot up an octave, almost making me think the Emperor had spoken.

“I’ve heard some dreadful rumors about you. It’s said that Count Vermont gazes at children with lustful eyes; surely, this is not true?”

“Yes, it is not true.”

“Good. Let’s keep it that way... That’s all His Majesty has to say.”

“...”

Did he predict how I would respond? Well, it’s only natural; no idiot would admit, “Yes, that is indeed true!” at a time like this.

As I glanced at the document the messenger had opened, it read, ‘...this is not true? (pause for 3 seconds) Good. Let’s keep it that way.’

“That’s all. His Majesty said he would identify the source of the rumors and inform the Count. After that, the Count can deal with it as he pleases.”

“Yes...”

The messenger left behind a refreshingly straightforward message and departed. Did that really just end like this? It felt too anticlimactic.

“You have His Majesty’s boundless trust.”

“Indeed.”

For now, I can breathe a sigh of relief. The thing I feared the most was the Emperor’s scrutinizing gaze. Fortunately, it seems the Emperor still trusts me. It appears the sincerity I showed during the reception resonated.

The question now is, what is the purpose of this trust? I had told him to expect something later, but... what could it be? Suddenly, I felt a chill run down my spine.

“I’ve overcome this hurdle. Now, I can just wait until His Majesty reveals the source of the rumors.”

I sighed and threw the newspaper I was holding onto the ground. Honestly, it’s pretty obvious who did this. If it’s not a maid, there’s only one other suspect left. The person who stands to gain from this incident.

‘Irene Vermont.’

She has always disliked me and wants to bring me down. Aslan’s sister. It must be her intention to spread such malicious rumors to tarnish my reputation.

The Emperor probably knew this even before starting his investigation. That’s why he didn’t punish her directly and instead entrusted me with the disposition. It’s a kind of consideration to let me handle family matters.

‘What should I do about Irene...?’

At this point, it’s becoming frustrating. Why does she dislike me so much? Why is she so obsessed with dark magic?

Before I became the head of the family, I had to bow down to her without a word. But now, the situation is different. I think it’s time to call her in, sit her down, and have a heart-to-heart talk.

“Yulia! What does this word say? It’s the first time I’ve seen it.”

“Um, this is read as ‘excommunication.’”

“So if I read it all together, it would be: ‘Did Count Vermont really fall for a common slave? It’s reported that they are aged 13 and 14, causing a stir!’”

“...!”

“What does it mean to ‘fall for’? To make eye contact? Hehe, I don’t get it!”

Startled by her cute voice, I turned around and saw Charlotte and Yulia on the floor, peering at the discarded newspaper. Charlotte was smiling brightly after reading the headline, while Yulia looked up at me with eyes full of betrayal.

Ah.