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Chapter 79
[Marquis Milton House's ‌Shocking Scandal! The Marchioness and the Secretary's Forbidden Love, and....]
It was truly sensational headline material.
The kind of headline that made it impossible not to read the article—Chesa let out an appreciative hum.
Sprawled across the newspaper, she lazily swung her legs as she read ‌‌‌‌through the story.
[After cycling through three ‌‌‌wives, Marquis Milton finally obtained his precious ‍only son—only to discover ‌‌the child was a cuckoo's egg.
The cuckoo's true identity? None other than the Marquis's secretary, Kaylor Baron!
The Marchioness and secretary, caught in forbidden love, were....] ‌‌‌‌
It was a thoroughly scandalous exposé.
The moment Marquis Milton saw the morning edition, he'd apparently shrieked so loudly that at least one teacup met its end—a fact Chesa ‌‌‌‌could have wagered her own axe on.
What mattered was that Marquis Milton was ruined; she had no particular interest in the sordid details of his household, so she skimmed past it quickly.
The tabloid covering gossip also devoted significant coverage to last night's gala at the Ibroyel Duchy.
The descriptions and accounts of the event were extraordinarily detailed.
It meticulously chronicled how lavishly Duchess Ibroyel had spent, how splendid the gala had been—and it also contained information about House Basilian.
[House Basilian made their debut in High Society for the first time.
Their first appearance was nothing short of a triumph.
It was hard to believe they ‌‌‌‌had been hidden away in the Black Forest of the East all ‌‌this time, given the stunning beauty of those who graced the ballroom.
While their otherworldly elegance was certainly impressive, what society's connoisseurs were most curious ‌‌about was, of course, this:
"Which dressmaking ‌‌establishment did House Basilian commission their gowns from?"
They had captivated every eye with their bold, refreshingly novel style of dress....]
[Particularly noteworthy was the fact that Duchess Ibroyel, who had rejected countless requests to serve as patroness for various noble families, had agreed to become ‌‌‌patroness to House Basilian's adopted daughter—one of the most impressive revelations from the gala.
Furthermore, she has recently taken House Basilian's third child as her pupil, and is currently ‌‌‌‌instructing ‌‌her in magic....]
The article ‌‌detailed the sort of High Society gossip that would capture people's attention, complete with personal commentary—which made it quite ‌‌‌engaging reading ‌‌for Chesa as well.
While Chesa read the newspaper intently, Belzeon sat silently signing documents.
House Basilian was still staying at the Luxury Hotel.
Thus, ‌‌‌aside from the top floor they ‌used as common space, Belzeon had claimed a private room on the floor below as his Study.
The desk was smaller than the one he'd used at the Basilian Estate, so he couldn't place Chesa on top of it as usual and instead left her on a nearby sofa.
There, Chesa sprawled across the newspaper, rolling ‌‌‌‌about contentedly.
As Belzeon worked through documents, occasionally glancing at what Chesa was doing, he suddenly spoke up.
"By the way, where's the puppy?"
He certainly took his time asking....
Hata had been gone for quite a while now, and he was only just asking about her.
Chesa shrugged as she answered.
"The puppy went home."
"Ah."
That was the end of it.
Kieran and the three brothers showed little interest in the puppy either.
At least Belzeon had witnessed how much Chesa adored and ‌‌carried the puppy around during his time away, so he'd bothered to ask about her.
The Twins and Kieran seemed to have forgotten the puppy's existence ‌‌‌‌entirely.
Likely, when Hata reappeared, they'd offer a perfunctory "Oh, the puppy," as if they'd remembered all along.
Hata must be concocting potions again...
The thought of her ‌laboring alone over useless remedies left ‌‌‌‌me in a foul mood.
Perhaps I should simply return to my canine form and live alongside ‌‌‌‌her instead.
I resolved to contact Hata at the first opportunity.
"Young ‌‌‌‌Master."
A Servant entered the room, bearing a letter on a silver tray.
Only a single missive rested upon it.
The envelope was crafted from pristine paper with a subtle silver sheen, sealed with blue wax.
I recognized it at once.
It was from the Holy Empire.
Belzeon accepted the letter with a troubled expression.
He sliced open the wax seal with a letter opener.
Several pages emerged from the thick envelope.
As ‌‌Belzeon skimmed the contents, he offered a brief explanation.
"An admission certificate for the Pure Child Prayer ‌‌Ceremony."
Chesa, who had been sprawled ‌‌across the ‌‌newspaper, suddenly sat upright with a rustle.
Belzeon set the letter down and regarded Chesa quietly.
He spoke in a low voice.
"Since it has come to this, I hope you'll win. A victor's crown would ‌‌suit my ‌‌sister beautifully."
Chesa's cheeks flushed slightly.
She had not expected such words from Belzeon.
His stoic expression belied the absolute sincerity of his sentiment—not a hint of falsehood.
Especially since he had only recently begun addressing her ‌‌‌‌as "my sister" and "youngest," terms to which she had not yet grown accustomed.
Seeing Chesa's rosy cheeks, Belzeon let out a soft ‌‌‌chuckle.
"Baroness Malein is arriving today, so you should stop playing and prepare yourself."
He set down ‌‌‌‌his quill and carried Chesa upstairs himself.
As they walked, he spoke of various matters.
"The Pure Child Prayer Ceremony is approaching soon, and we must depart for the Eastern Region afterward, so I've arranged for us to stay longer at the Luxury Hotel."
A new Townhouse had been prepared, but for some reason Kieran was dissatisfied with it and had it under renovation.
Belzeon broached the subject carefully, as if it were not his concern.
"...If you'd prefer to stay in a mansion rather than the hotel..."
He seemed subtly bothered ‌‌‌by her time spent at Hailon's Mansion.
And understandably so—it was among the finest residences in the Capital.
Chesa knew precisely the right response for such moments.
"As long as I'm with my brother, anywhere is fine."
"..."
This time, it was Belzeon's cheeks that flushed crimson.
Watching ‌‌him avert his gaze and feign indifference, Chesa giggled softly.

***
As the Pure Child Prayer Ceremony drew closer, Kieran grew increasingly occupied.
By day he met with nobles, and by night he worked as the Master of the Underworld.
Today he had even used magic to fly to the Eastern Black Forest.
Since he mentioned needing to deal ‌‌with monsters, it seemed ‌he wouldn't return until tomorrow at the earliest.
Belzeon and the Twins had become frantically busy as well.
With everyone away, I found myself alone at the Luxury Hotel.
With time suddenly on my hands, I was considering whether to visit Hata while I had the chance.
I ‌was torn between simply sending a butterfly or going to meet her in person.
Then an unusual visitor arrived.
"Good day to you."
The ‌‌moment I saw the man with his enormous frame, I thought to myself.
'A bear!' ‌‌‌‌‌
The bulky, muscular man had a guileless face that seemed at odds with his imposing physique.
His thick, prominent eyebrows only reinforced this impression.
He shuffled awkwardly into the room and, upon seeing a baby sitting alone on the sofa, his expression turned flustered.
"Uh... um..."
The man backed away and returned to the corridor, searching for the staff member who had ‌‌‌guided him. ‌‌‌‌‌
But the staff member had ‌‌‌‌already vanished.
It appeared that while my Servant had briefly stepped away, a hotel employee had guided him here instead.
'Still, the fact that a staff member brought him suggests he must be a nobleman of some standing.'
Apologies for the observation, but the ‌man seemed far more suited ‌‌‌to being ‌‌‌‌a farmer or miner ‌‌‌‌than a nobleman.
It wasn't merely his sun-bronzed skin and sturdy build.
The bear-like man possessed a personality as innocent as his appearance.
He scratched the back of ‌‌‌‌his head and asked me earnestly.
"Um... might the Basilian family members be somewhere about?"
Asking a baby such a serious question.
Was his intelligence lacking, or did he simply lack all prejudice?
I was at a loss, but I answered confidently regardless.
"I'm Basilian! I'm Chesa Basilian."
"...Ah."
The man's bewildered expression brightened slightly. ‌‌‌‌‌
"I am Theo Nemea. I belong to the Capital Security Force."
The Nemea Marquis Family?
Why would a young member of the Marquis House suddenly come seeking the ‌‌‌Basilians?
Theo explained the reason for his unexpected visit to my confused self.
"Karha Basilian has been ‌‌‌‌apprehended by the Security Force... and is currently imprisoned."

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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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