This time, all eyes turned to Gillen. Cecilia clenched her fists and shouted.
"That's right, Dad! What's so great about this pretty-faced guy? Hurry up and say it. Say you have no interest in Yuan anymore."
No, Cecil… I never had any interest to begin with…
Flabbergasted, Gillen tried to deny it, but Yuan interrupted.
"Cecil, I'm not just a pretty face. As a once-in-a-generation magical genius who achieved great feats and earned a marquis title, I'd appreciate it if you didn't insult me like that."
Listening to that nonsense, Gillen's resolve wavered. Yuan wasn't your average lunatic. For this thick-headed crazy guy, a direct approach might be better. Declaring outright, "I won't have any interest in you anymore," might prevent further misunderstandings. With that thought, Gillen sighed and nodded in resignation.
"Fine. I'll do it. Marquis Yuan Hampton, there will never again be such… unfortunate incidents, and I will absolutely not… have any interest in you."
As Gillen finished speaking, Yuan abruptly conjured a magical projection orb in the air.
"Oh my!"
Several customers gasped in amazement. Though people in this world were accustomed to magic, it was an incredibly complex and difficult art, and wizards were rare, expensive figures to encounter.
Yuan, who used such precious magic so casually, played the projection.
[Blake's name is on the line. There will never again be such unfortunate incidents, and I will absolutely not… have any interest in you.]
After making the projection disappear, Yuan said.
"I've kept it as evidence, so don't try to back out later."
Ugh, fine. Got it. Gillen muttered under his breath, but fortunately, no one heard him.
At Capelli
"His Grace the Duke, unable to possess Marquis Hampton, repeatedly tried to subdue him and was thoroughly exposed for his misdeeds in front of Miss Cecilia, only to belatedly kneel and plead with oaths… That's the article."
Butler Brian cautiously set down the newspaper while reporting. Gillen pressed his throbbing temples.
"Another one."
"Another… It says that although both His Grace and the Marquis are alphas, the Duke's pheromones are far stronger and more dominant, so the Marquis lost in a pheromone showdown—"
"Pheromone showdown? Do they think pheromones are some kind of wrestling match? Those filthy reporters!"
"Sorry? Did you say geese?"
"…No."
Gillen steadied his breathing and flipped over the stack of newspapers on the desk. Writing such ridiculous stories on purpose. All they cared about was boosting sales.
"With the war over and life so peaceful, they must be desperate for sensational stories. For a while, even if I sneeze, they'll write that Duke Blake was sobbing in longing for Yuan."
He stood up from his seat.
"Brian, ask Cecil if she'd like to take her summer vacation a bit early. I think we need to leave the capital for a while."
"Yes, Your Grace."
It was a brilliant plan to block the yellow press and physically separate Yuan from Cecilia. Though his reputation had taken a nosedive, such sensationalist fake news would naturally fade away if left alone.
After all, Gillen's standing in noble society wasn't so fragile as to be shaken by a few articles. As a noble among nobles, trusted implicitly by the emperor, a strong, handsome, and capable alpha, everyone—men and women alike—admired or loved Gillen Blake.
So, taking a leisurely vacation would surely let this absurd issue die down. People would dismiss it as a funny incident or forget it entirely, and Yuan's interest in the Blake family would likely cool off.
But that was Gillen's miscalculation. A few days later, for the first time in twenty years since his transmigration, he felt the original story's coercive force.