“What is this? They’re reporting unverified claims as if they’re facts.”

Hailey furrowed her brows and irritably put down the newspaper. She was angry. She didn’t even know why she was so angry, but a black emotion swirled in her gut. A hot lump surged up inside her.

People love to gossip. If it’s not about themselves, they’ll carry and spread any rumor without hesitation. Without even a shred of guilt.

And she knew that better than anyone. When rumors spread that she lived alone with her grandfather, the teenage girls in their rebellious phase consumed her life as gossip.

They didn’t know how deeply that scarred Hyein.

But she had no one she could confide in. Her grandfather was too old and weathered to indulge her complaints, and her teacher had too many things to worry about already.

All Hyein could do was smile, as always. As if to show that their spiteful gossip couldn’t leave a scratch on her.

She thought that was how she proved her strength. She never cried.

Hailey’s gaze fell again onto the yellowed newspaper. The man already rumored to be “the cursed duke” had now been saddled with an additional label—“serial killer.”

That made her furious beyond bearing. No, perhaps it felt more like injustice… or sorrow.

Just then, the sound of limping footsteps echoed. Hailey, who had been glaring at the newspaper, looked up in alarm. The Duke, dressed impeccably in his loungewear, had just stepped into the morning room.

“Your Grace!”

Hailey sprang to her feet. Tayton cast a leisurely glance at her. She quickly walked up to him and cried out urgently.

“How about a morning walk today? The weather is really nice.”

Ssshh.

Tayton’s gaze shifted toward the window. Low-hanging storm clouds filled the sky. He turned back to her. Tayton silently stared at her.

“A walk, huh.”

Muttering that, Tayton looked down at his cane. Following his gaze, Hailey bit her lip awkwardly.

“If we take a morning walk, breakfast will taste even better.”

“I already enjoy it quite enough. Just how much more delicious do you want it to be? Is your goal to deplete the manor’s entire food supply, Miss Hailey Salmon?”

He always had to say things in such a disagreeable way.

Hailey, who had been pouting, quickly reined in her lips and offered a feeble excuse.

“I also haven’t seen Brutus today, so I was wondering if something happened.”

“Brutus?”

“The sparrow that stole your pocket watch.”

Only then did the Duke slowly turn around. Hailey hurried to follow behind him.

“Might as well take this chance to get a look at that thieving rascal’s face.”

“Um… You’re not planning to hurt Brutus, are you?”

To her worried question, the Duke offered no answer, only continuing his silent stride.

Hailey watched his unsteady back with a gloomy expression, hoping Brutus wouldn’t get caught.

Then, as she passed Jessie, she quietly whispered to her,

“Burn all the newspapers in the morning room.”

Jessie widened her eyes in surprise, but obediently nodded, though she didn’t understand why. It was probably because Hailey’s expression had been colder than usual.

Tayton’s gaze lingered briefly on her, then slowly drifted away.

***

Tayton entered his office and told Jacob, who followed him in, to bring the newspaper.

Jacob, knowing it was the Duke’s habit to read the five papers delivered to the manor every morning, flinched with a rare look of discomfort.

“Yes, Your Grace.”

But the competent secretary carried out his superior’s order without protest. He promptly left the room and returned with three papers. Tayton, removing his gloves, glanced down at the papers on the desk.

Knowing full well what was printed, Jacob frowned and spoke.

“The yellow press are going wild, spewing nonsense like this is their golden moment. They’re not even worthy of being called journalists. All they care about is money. If only we could sweep them all out at once. How about proposing a law in Parliament punishing fake news?”

Tayton let Jacob’s words drift in one ear and out the other, his mind recalling the image of Hailey begging him for a morning walk. So that was it—she hadn’t wanted him to see this.

Did she not understand that such articles didn’t faze him in the slightest?

“I see. That makes sense.”

Tayton slowly nodded. Thinking it was a reply to his own suggestion, Jacob asked,

“Shall I investigate whether the papers have any skeletons in their closet? There’s no such thing as clean hands, after all.”

Tayton set down the paper in his hand and leaned back in his chair. Gazing out the window behind him, he murmured calmly,

“Aren’t there more important things to focus on right now?”

“True. We can always deal with them later.”

Tayton’s lips relaxed slightly as he gazed indifferently out the window. Jacob, who had been watching curiously, soon resumed his report diligently.

“Most of the nobility have voted in favor of the city development plan proposed by Your Grace, but Count Aegis and his followers are still strongly opposed. If you plan to introduce the bill during this session of Parliament, you’ll need to move quickly.”

“Count Aegis, huh.”

Tayton, still gazing out the window with a thoughtful face, slowly turned his head. His sharp silver eyes locked onto Jacob.

“He was an old friend of Earl Blair, wasn’t he?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I see. I get what he’s playing at.”

Tayton curled one side of his lips into a smirk. Though he didn’t elaborate further, Jacob guessed what he meant. It was likely that Blair had put Aegis up to it.

The city development plan Tayton proposed was a bill that would make Aslan a more livable place—but it would also make him richer.

So it was only natural that Earl Blair found the plan disagreeable. He didn’t want Tayton’s influence to grow any stronger than it already was.

“What shall we do? Shall I make contact with the Count?”

To Jacob’s cautious question, Tayton nodded. A sneering voice escaped between his teeth.

“If that’s how they want to play it, then there’s no need for us to hold back either. Dig into Count Aegis.”

“Yes, understood.”

Jacob pushed up his slipping glasses and left the room. Tayton glanced briefly at the newspaper lying on the desk, then let out a deflating chuckle.

“How troublesome.”

***

Eddie squirmed in his seat, glancing around with frightened eyes. The drawing room, far grander than his home, was filled with the scent of fine flowers. It was nothing like his house, which reeked of the sewers.

Everywhere he looked were expensive objects, making his whole body tense up. He was scared he might break something if he moved carelessly.

A boy like him could work his entire life and still not afford one of the porcelain pieces on the display shelf.

But what if he broke one?

Eddie’s face turned pale. Even the freckles sprinkled across his nose trembled along with him.

“Go on, eat.”

Hailey’s voice snapped Eddie out of his thoughts. He looked at the delicious cake on the table. 

Gulp. 

His mouth watered.

Just as he was about to reach out, he stopped. The faces of his mother and younger sibling flashed across his mind. He was about to ask if he could pack some to take home, but Hailey beat him to it.

“I’ll wrap some up for your mother and sibling, so don’t worry. This is for you, Eddie. Your portion.”

“…Thank you.”

Eddie didn’t understand why Hailey treated him so kindly. Maybe it was a noblewoman’s shallow sympathy or pity, or just a passing whim.

But whatever it was, to Eddie it was a desperately needed helping hand. Because of her, his mother could keep taking her medicine, and his younger sibling no longer went hungry.

That alone made Hailey his benefactor, his saint. He would do anything for her.

Though, he wasn’t sure what someone like him could actually do for someone as amazing as her.

“Oh, right.”

Eddie finally remembered why he’d come to the duke’s mansion. Cream smeared across his lips, he opened his mouth.

“The girl who was murdered on Central Street—they say she was the daughter of Viscount Isaac.”

“Really? Where was the body found? Central Street is downtown, isn’t it?”

When Hailey showed interest, Eddie spoke with more confidence. He was busy talking and eating cake at the same time.

“Yeah, it’s the street with the plaza. But even downtown has back alleys, right? They say she was found in the alley behind a tea shop called ‘Violet.’ Next to a trash bin. There’s an old ragpicker woman who goes through garbage for food or clothes, and she found the body while digging through the bins.”

Hailey knew of Café Violet. As she fell into thought, Eddie shoved the rest of the cake into his mouth. His cheeks puffed up instantly.

“You said the victim was Viscount Isaac’s daughter? She went out without a maid?”

“Seems like their family isn’t wealthy enough to keep one. I heard they live in a one-story house near Silent Park.”

Hailey nodded knowingly. She was the daughter of a poor baron herself. Still, a noble man in the countryside and one in the capital couldn’t be directly compared.

“Do we know why she went out? You said it was an alley behind a tea shop—who was she trying to meet there?”

Eddie shrugged lightly at her question.

“They say she went to look at dresses, but if that were the case, she wouldn’t have been found behind a tea shop. The Metropolitan Police are investigating, but it doesn’t seem like they’ve discovered anything yet. Rumor has it they don’t even have a lead.”

“No witnesses or anyone who heard anything unusual?”

“Nope.”

“I see.”

“Um… Corel? Copper? Anyway, the doctor says the wounds are identical to the previous two victims’. So, it’s the same person.”

“A serial killer.”