The Marquis' Daughter, a Research Enthusiast, Fails to Notice Her Junior's Devoted Feelings After Her Engagement is Broken. - Chapter 1.18

“Y-You’re… her father…?”

“Who else would I be? But never mind that. From now on, I expect your cooperation, along with that of Josette Larmore over there.”

I turned around to see a petite young woman—Josette—raising her hand with a mischievous grin.

I was still reeling from the revelation that I had just met Lady Frederica’s father. Had I known, I would have brought a proper gift. Was my attire appropriate? My mind raced with trivial concerns.

“Let me explain,” Josette said, her tone casual. “I’m a journalist by profession. I was hired on the condition that if His Highness and Lady Lorenz successfully annul their engagement, I get exclusive rights to the story.”

“A journalist…?”

This small woman—who looked no older than a schoolgirl?

“Ah, I see that look on your face! I know what you’re thinking! For your information, I’m twenty-two!”

She puffed out her chest proudly, wearing a smug expression.

“Twenty-two…!? You’re older than me? My apologies.”

“Good, as long as you understand. Besides, this youthful appearance has its perks. I enrolled at the academy last year to observe Sophie up close.”

Josette went on to explain that she had entered the academy as a transfer student, with the help of Marquis Lorenz in arranging the necessary documents and credentials.

Being in the same class as Lady Everett, Josette had little trouble getting close to her. In fact, she had been accepted as a close friend with surprising ease.

“Sophie said, ‘I was troubled without a support character, but you arrived just in time.’ I had no idea what she was talking about, but it worked out for me since I got into her inner circle from day one.”

Josette’s expression turned slightly uneasy as she continued her account.

Apparently, Sophie had first approached His Highness Ernest and gained permission to join the student council. The council was composed of the prince’s closest aides—the sons of noble families. Under the guise of learning council duties, she gradually ensnared them one by one.

Soon enough, these young noblemen began consulting Josette about their feelings. Did Sophie like them? Would she accept an invitation to go out?

“It was absurd. Why ask me? I had no connection to these men. How would I know what they thought? But I played along, steering them towards infidelity whenever I could.”

So, Lady Everett was truly unhinged…? Well, it hardly mattered whether she was mad or not. As long as she successfully seduced His Highness, her actions would serve as grounds for dissolving the engagement.

She was progressing steadily, going on dates and charming each nobleman in turn.

But recently, something unusual had begun happening—rumors of Lady Everett being bullied. Her textbooks had been torn apart, her magic training staff broken, her clothes dirtied with mud.

“Sophie exaggerates, of course. She takes a small incident and blows it up into something massive. But the truth is, someone is tearing her books and throwing mud on her.”

“Could it be jealous female students?”

“That’s the most likely explanation. She’s earned the ire of nearly all the girls at the academy. But the problem is that Sophie is spreading rumors that Lady Mary—or worse, Lady Frederica—ordered the bullying.”

“What—!”

Lady Frederica, of course, would never do such a thing. And neither would Lady Mary.

I turned toward Marquis Lorenz, who only smirked.

“This could be useful,” he mused. “If His Highness takes this foolish girl’s claims seriously and accuses Frederica, we could frame it as an unjust attack—an unforgivable mistake by the royal family.”

“For that, we need clear evidence that Lady Frederica had no involvement… That’s where my device comes in, isn’t it?”

“Precisely. With your cooperation, we can make this work. Are you willing?”

“Of course. I’ll gladly assist.”

From there, we discussed how many recording devices would be needed. Marquis Lorenz agreed to provide the necessary magical stones and personnel for their construction.

Additionally, Josette would be given a device to record Lady Everett’s activities directly.

“By the way, I don’t have footage on me, but I recently learned that Lady Mary Downing has abandoned Nathaniel Newcombe. She plans to discuss the matter with her father. It will be interesting to see how he reacts.”

“I see… If House Downing turns against him, it will make things much easier for us.”

The marquis smirked darkly.

“And what about the other noble sons? Have their fiancées reacted?”

“I haven’t heard of any official breakups yet. But once they see the footage… well, anything could happen.”

“Sophie goes out on dates every week, so we’ll have plenty of footage to work with. And if we get an artist to illustrate the scenes and publish them in the papers—oh, it will sell—it will sell like crazy!”

“Are other newspapers tracking this story?”

“Most likely, but they can’t publish reckless speculation without proof. Otherwise, they risk charges of treason. That’s why a paper like mine waits until the moment of downfall—when the truth is undeniable. And frankly, no other journalist has gathered as much information as I have.”

Hearing this, I realized just how fortunate I was to have met Josette. Had it been another journalist, cooperation would have been out of the question.

“The way I see it, my paper makes a profit, and the marquis stirs public opinion. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement. And think about it—wouldn’t a book about Sophie’s exploits sell like wildfire? How She Seduced the High Nobility: The Complete Story! Imagine the sales!”

Josette grinned, her eyes practically sparkling with gold coins.

Thus, with the support of Marquis Lorenz, I set about developing and mass-producing stationary recording devices with automatic sensors, ensuring that the three of us were fully prepared for the days to come.