Chapter 22

Jamie, who was silently standing behind Iris and Keivrand, stepped forward and stood next to Iris.

Everyone looked at Jamie, who had suddenly appeared in this situation.

“To liven up this place, I should introduce myself, right? I am a holy knight who is known as the spark on the battlefield, the raging flames…Baron Jamie Russell.”

Jamie cheerfully introduced himself as a small smile spread across his face.

Holy knight, the spark on the battlefield, raging flames…

He said he wanted to introduce himself, but in fact, everyone had already recognized him.

“And I’m also the loyal steward of the two here. The steward who manages even their private lives.”

Jamie took a step forward and stood in front of Keivrand and Iris.

“This is not something my beautiful and precious Countess should go out of her way to explain, so I’d like to be the one to find out the truth of the rumors. I’m sure that’s okay?”

Who would say no?

Jamie had such a scary look in his eyes.

He was smiling, but his eyes were sharp enough to tear anyone apart.

“Well, the newspapers and magazine reporters here. Can you raise your hands?”

There must have been dozens of reporters, but Witting was the only one who raised his hand.

Perhaps they thought things were going in the wrong direction, so they were saving themselves from getting hit by the sparks of fire.

Jamie grinned.

“I know all who wrote the articles…”

Only then did the reporters slowly raise their hands while looking at each other.

Jamie walked slowly toward a reporter as people made way like a tide.

“You’re the journalist who wrote the first article about the Countess?”

“Yes, that’s true, but…”

“Who did you hear it from?”

“Ah, that’s…I didn’t hear it from anyone, but…the rumor…”

“Rumor!”

Clap-!

People were startled by the sound of Jamie clapping.

“You wrote an article based on rumors, regardless of whether it was true or not. Is this right?”

“N-no…It’s not that…”

“Not that?”

“That…”

Gulping, the reporter looked back at the crowd as if asking for help, but no one came forward.

Eventually, the reporter answered with a frightened look.

“I don’t know whether it’s true or not.”

“Okay.”

Jamie said with a look of disapproval, and then moved on.

Standing in front of another reporter, Jamie spoke.

“This newspaper reporter. It was the first newspaper to have written an article about the rumors. I’d like to believe that as a newspaper company, it wouldn’t have been just a buzzing rumor…”

“Yes, I had an interview with a person.”

“Is the person here?”

“Yes, there…”

The reporter pointed to someone.

It was a common woman with a sharp chin.

Jamie went to her, who was frightened, and asked.

“Did you personally see Countess Green secretly meeting with Viscount Alfred Hutch?”

At Jamie’s question, the blood drained from the faces of the people who were staring at him like they were spectators standing across from a river.

They didn’t know Jamie would try to investigate each and every one of the rumors in this way.

Most of the people here had spread the rumor with their very own mouths.

“Uh. No. I just heard it…”

“Who told you?”

“It’s…”

A common woman pointed to someone.

Jamie approached the person and repeated the same question, and heard the same answer.

It seems like he was going to interrogate everyone here if he has to.

Juliette finally figured out the situation as she held her breath.

Jamie was gradually coming her way.

It wasn’t long before Jamie asked a young lady standing next to Juliette, who was pointed out by someone out.

“Did you personally see Countess Green secretly meeting with Viscount Alfred Hutch?”

“No…”

The young lady glanced at Juliette.

Juliette wanted to scream.

She wanted to get out of here somehow, but couldn’t even sneak out because she looked too dazzling.

‘N-no. There’s nothing to be flustered about. I can just say that I heard it from someone else.’

“Then who told you?”

The young lady, a friend of Juliette’s, hesitated for a moment before pointing to Juliette.

Juliette wanted to slap her in the face for betraying her, but she held back and put on a straight face.

“Miss Juliette Merdi. You also happen to be Countess Green’s personal maid. Spreading rumors about the Countess whom you serve, that’s a bit disappointing, isn’t it?”

At Jamie’s point, Juliette clenched her fists.

Whether Juliette was the source of the rumor or not, the mere fact that she was Iris’ personal maid and had put the rumor into her mouth was a disgrace to Juliette.

Juliette’s parents were watching their daughter breathlessly.

Juliette was hoping that Jamie would ask her who she had heard the rumor from, but he just stared at her without saying a word.

Jamie wasn’t the only one.

Everyone’s eyes were on Juliette.

Unable to overcome the pressure, Juliette finally opened her mouth first.

“I also heard it from someone.”

“Who?”

“The servants.”

“That can’t be right, Miss Juliette.”

“I’m serious. The maids saw it themselves and told me. The Countess…they said they saw a secret meeting between the Countess and Viscount Alfred Hutch under a tree in the west garden.”

“It really can’t be, Miss Juliette.”

“Y-you don’t believe me? I’m telling the truth.”

“Miss Juliette. Since I don’t believe you, there must be a reason, right?”

At this point, Juliette was starting to get angry.

Why is this only happening to her?

“Because the Countess hates me? Because I was close to the Count, so the Countess branded me as the culprit?”

The wife of Viscount Merdi looked as if she was about to faint.

She wanted to cover her daughter’s mouth, but couldn’t because everyone was watching.

“No. Miss Juliette. It’s not that. The Countess doesn’t hate anyone.”

“Why doesn’t she hate anyone? She hates me. She didn’t like me from the beginning! It’s not me. I didn’t do anything. I heard it from someone too.”

“If you can be honest now and plead for your mistake, the Countess will forgive you.”

“I didn’t! I heard it from the maids!”

“That can’t be true, Miss Juliette. I asked all the maids this morning. Everyone said they heard it from Miss Juliette.”

“…That’s…that’s a lie. They…they lie every time their mouths open. Besides, they’re jealous of me…”

“No one is jealous of Miss Juliette.”

“No, they are. I really didn’t say anything. I’m telling you, it’s the truth.”

The nobles around Juliette realized that there was no way to save her in this situation.

So they crept away from Juliette.

Juliette of Viscount Merdi.

Iris, the flower of Duke Whittle and now Countess Green.

Which side to stand on, it was already set.

“You said you saw it for yourself…”

When a young lady muttered, Juliette stared at her with her eyes wide open.

“No, why are you looking at me like that? You said that. You saw it yourself. So I was really surprised. Isn’t that right?”

“That’s right. You said you saw it yourself. We believed it.”

“Because we didn’t believe you at first, you reassured us it was the truth. You said what kind of expression Countess Green made with Viscount Hutch, what kind of conversation they had…”

The hole through which Juliette could escape had disappeared.

However, Juliette wasn’t about to fall now.

If she admits to this, the Merdi family won’t be able to live here anymore.

There were many reporters at this party.

It will be published in various newspapers and spread throughout the continent.

The other side wasn’t just anyone but the Green family, which was protected by the Divine Kingdom.

To defame the family of Count Green was to challenge the Divine Kingdom.

Not just here, the Merdi family will find it difficult to live in other countries.

“I…I…I…I heard it from Viscount Hutch!”

Juliette decided to grab the last straw.

“That’s what Viscount Hutch said. That he had that kind of relationship with the Countess. But the Countess wanted honor, so she abandoned Viscount Hutch and married Count Green…”

Juliette stopped talking.

This is because Jamie’s smile got thicker.

“I see, Miss Juliette. So I brought in Viscount Hutch myself.”

She thought he was lying and was just trying to scare her.

But he wasn’t.

Alfred was seen walking with a frightened look on his face.

On either side of him were Eugene and Wallace.

Juliette’s mind blanked.

When Alfred stood next to Jamie, Jamie spoke.

“Viscount Alfred Hutch. Did you just hear that?”

“What? Oh, y-yes…Yes.”

“Is it true that you, Viscount Hutch, said you were in a relationship with Countess Green?”

“N-never! Not at all. How would I dare say that? No way.”

“You did!”

Juliette shouted back.

“The last time you visited Count Green, you kept telling me how passionate you were with Countess Green.”

“What do you mean? I never said that! I really never said that, Baron Russell. Wouldn’t I be painted as crazy if I had said that in the Count’s mansion? She’s framing me.”

“What do you mean framing you…! Jamie. I really heard it from him. Oh, all the maids probably heard it that day. Ask the maids.”

“I’ve already asked the maids.”

Contrast to Juliette and Alfred who were at each other’s throats, Jamie spoke calmly.

“The maids said they didn’t hear anything, Miss Juliette.”

“T-that…”

Juliette stumbled.

She realized there was no way out of this situation.

‘What should I do? What should I do? What should I do?’

Looking around for help, she caught sight of Iris standing at a distance.

Iris had a serene smile on her face.

‘It’s because of her. She’s… ‘

She wanted to jump at Iris right now and grab her hair.

She wanted to see that tall, arrogant expression crumpled badly.

However, a single strand of reason caught Juliette’s feet.

It was then that someone ran to Count Green and his wife.

Juliette belatedly realized that it was her father.

Viscount Merdi, who ran in front of Keivrand, knelt down.

It was fine for nobles kneeling down to other nobles in front of commoners even though it rarely happens.

“Oh, my.”

“Oh, my… ”

Juliette heard nobles clicking their tongues or swallowing their groans all over the place.

In front of Juliette, Viscount Merdi knelt down in front of Keivrand and begged.

“Count Green. I raised my daughter wrong. Please forgive me with a broad heart. I will never forget your grace if you do.”

“I think it’s my wife, not me, who you should be begging for forgiveness from.”

Viscount Merdi turned to Iris.

“Countess Green, my daughter has committed a great crime. It’s because she’s still young, so please forgive her with great magnanimity…”

Iris, who looked down at Viscount Merdi with cold eyes, opened her mouth.

== Translator’s Note ==

1. Please report any typos, grammatical/spelling errors, sentences you find weird, and other etc…in the comment section .