The Young Male Protagonist Who is Destined for Ruin Fell for Me - Chapter 42

Early Morning, When Diligent Newspaper Couriers Begin Their Day
For several days, the Emperor of the Hail Empire had been unable to sleep. His nerves were frayed, but his trusted subordinate, Count Gargoyle, was in even worse shape.

“Count Gargoyle, what are we to do? You’re the only one I trust in this palace.”

“Y-Your Majesty, let us wait for today’s newspaper to arrive before taking action.”

“Who on earth stole the Harmonia Necklace? Once we get through this mess, I’ll have the heads of everyone involved in that theft.”

“…As you wish, Your Majesty.”

Count Gargoyle tried to maintain a calm demeanor, but inside, he was trembling. He wanted nothing more than to distance himself from the enraged emperor. But he knew their fates were intertwined, tangled like vines growing recklessly by a riverbank.

To sever one from the other would mean death—for both of them. That grim reality forced their reluctant alliance.

And besides… if His Majesty were to find out about that…
Gargoyle bit his lip. He had hoped the Harmonia Necklace scandal would be handled by Duke Chaield and his arrogant fiancée, sparing him from involvement.

But things had taken a turn for the worse. Only recently had Gargoyle begun to gather information about the necklace, realizing far too late that his own negligence might have caused the loss.

No one knows about my mistake. If I can just weather this storm…
Once the empire stabilized, he could focus on recovering the necklace. With Duke Chaield present in the empire, the feared Celtmani would not dare invade. Or so Gargoyle reassured himself.

As he clasped his hands together in silent desperation, one of his men ran in and knelt before him.

“Your Grace, the latest edition of the Hail Times has arrived!”
“Give it here!”

The emperor and Count Gargoyle tore into the paper, all pretense of decorum forgotten. They knew their fate was likely spelled out on its flimsy pages.

[Anonymous Source Reveals Further Secrets… What Is the State of the Imperial Finances?]

[Where Has the Royal Tax Revenue Gone?]

Even skimming the headlines was enough to draw pained groans from the two men. Their destinies were indeed laid bare in the ink.

Ruin. Or death.

“…What now?”

The emperor cast the paper aside, unable to bear reading further. He knew all too well the state of the imperial finances. It had been years since the royal treasury could sustain anything.

Extravagant gifts for his mistresses. Lavish dresses and jewels. Fur cloaks for appearances. Even the upkeep for his many illegitimate daughters—all expenses piled onto a mountain of debt.

Not to mention the snowballing interest owed to the Chaield Bank.

[Without the financial support of the Chaield family, the royal household would have gone bankrupt long ago.]

The article was correct. The empire had survived solely on Chaield’s fortune, a truth now exposed for all to see.

So this is the result of my indulgence in women.

I thought serving the emperor would mean the world was mine. Now, I’ll be the first to lose my head.

The emperor and Count Gargoyle suppressed their panic, hiding their inner turmoil behind stoic expressions. Yet the bitter taste of their shared dread filled the air between them.

Meanwhile.

I had a busy day ahead. While I wasn’t as overworked as Duke Chaield, today felt like an exception.

First, I’ll drop off my column at the Hail Times office and see how people are reacting. Since I’ll already be out, I should check my bank balance, too.

The thought of my swelling bank account brought a smile to my face. I’d been receiving so much lately that I wanted to buy Kyle a small gift.

“Amel.”

“…”

“Sister.”

“Oh, sorry. Were you calling me?”

Kyle stared at me with a forlorn, almost pitiful expression. Odd. I hadn’t tried to escape recently, so what could be bothering him?

“I only have the imperial palace visit this evening. How about we take a walk by the lake today? The weather’s perfect.”

“Sorry, I have somewhere to be.”

“Where are you going? You’ve been preparing since early this morning.”

“Um…”

I couldn’t very well admit that I was contributing columns to the Hail Times. If Kyle found out, he might forbid me from anonymous reporting out of concern for my safety.

“I’m heading to the Grechel manor to investigate the necklace theft. I’m trying to wrap up this matter quickly.”

“…I see. You seem in high spirits today, though.”

“Ahaha… I had a good breakfast. I’ll be off now.”

I left Kyle staring after me, unaware of the misunderstandings forming in his mind.

Once in the carriage, I instructed the coachman to stop by the market. From there, I slipped through a side alley to reach the Hail Times building. My identity and the Chaield engagement ring were hidden beneath a magic cloak and gloves.

“Anne Smith, we’ve been waiting for you!”

The editor, with his comically curled mustache, greeted me warmly. His resemblance to a certain potato chip mascot always amused me. But I focused on pulling the manuscript from my bag.
“Here’s my latest column. I wrote it based on the topics we discussed last time.”

“Let’s see…”

My column, as expected, was about the imperial family. Public interest in the topic was at its peak, so I was sure it would be a hit.

[The Royal Family’s Mistakes: Who Pays the Price?]

The answer was simple: if the royal family’s mismanagement of funds led to deficits, who would they exploit to cover the losses?

Obviously, the very people buying this newspaper.

The column was designed to provoke anger, channeling the public’s frustrations into a single arrow aimed directly at the emperor’s heart.

The emperor had no options left. Within the palace, only Count Gargoyle could still claim loyalty to him. Backed into a corner, even the emperor couldn’t afford to target me, Chaield’s fiancée.

The only questions remaining are when to expose the true culprit and where the necklace is now…
Despite my efforts, I had no concrete leads on the necklace’s location, only guesses about who might be behind its disappearance.

If this drags on, innocent nobles might get caught in the crossfire.

The Harmonia Necklace affair had reached its boiling point. It was time to act.

At the Chaield Estate

“Your Grace, I’ve brought the book you requested,” Hield announced, his voice trembling. On a silver tray lay a recently popular novel among women.

[Last Week, My Wife Had an Affair]

Kyle accepted the book with the expression of a condemned man. He couldn’t even finish reading the title without his stomach twisting.

A wife… having an affair…

He tried to push the thought away, but it gnawed at him. Could his sister—the woman he adored—really be meeting another man?
She’s charming, after all. A glance from her could captivate anyone.

Even so, the idea of another man near her made Kyle’s bl00d boil. He clenched the book tightly.

“Your Grace, may I offer some advice?” Hield asked cautiously.

“…Go ahead.”

“Love always comes back!”

“…Does it?”

Kyle’s eyes brightened slightly, reassured by Hield’s conviction. But across the table, Claire poured cold water on the moment.

“Hield, wasn’t it your wife who ran away?”

“…!”

“I’m not mistaken, am I?”

Claire, who often handled the lady’s affairs, had asked out of simple curiosity, but Hield clutched his chest as though struck and left the room abruptly.

Kyle, stunned, turned to Claire. “Lady Claire, Hield had a wife?”

“Yes. She fled long before you were born, Your Grace.”

“…She fled?”

“They never divorced, so I suppose there must have been a reason.”

Kyle’s expression hardened. A runaway wife. It reminded him too much of his sister’s early attempts to escape the estate.
Love always comes back, huh? Not in 20 years, it seems.

Hearing that his sister had returned, Kyle rushed downstairs, still reeling from Hield’s ill-fated example.
Perhaps ignorance is bliss after all.