“That’s right, it’s better to confirm such things clearly. But if you answer honestly without lying, Mr. Roberto won’t give you any disadvantages, so feel free to speak.”

The theater owner looked at her in surprise at the clear and melodious voice, then tilted his head when he saw her face completely covered.

“Miss, isn’t that uncomfortable? Since we’re indoors, you can take off your hat and robe.”

“I’ll handle it myself, so don’t worry about it. Rather, tell me who the child’s father is.”

The theater owner spoke as if entranced by the voice that had a strangely compelling power.

“Ah, yes… Actually, I don’t know exactly who it is. She said she didn’t get married, but got pregnant by a man she met by chance.”

“A man she met by chance?”

“Yes… She said it was some noble gentleman’s child. Foolishly. There’s no worse outcome for an actress than that.”

His face, as he let out a deep sigh, showed faint concern for Claire.

Occasionally, among female actors, there were those who fell for the seduction of noble men, became involved in a fling, and then were abandoned.

There was no need to explain in detail how bad the end was for those who were abandoned like that.

Even after this, she asked various other questions, but no useful answers came out.

To begin with, the theater owner said he had never seen the man Claire met.

He only knew from rumors circulating among the employees and what Claire said when she quit.

“Who was the person closest to Claire here? Can you call them for me?”

Roberto, who had secretly received a signal from Arasila to extract more information, said.

The theater owner, though bewildered by his persistent digging into Claire, tried to comply with the request to avoid offending him.

“There’s an actress who was closest to Claire, but she’s away right now. Instead, I’ll call an employee who worked with her for a long time.”

The person who appeared was a slightly plump young woman with an ordinary appearance.

She introduced herself as Dana and explained that she was in charge of cleaning and other odd jobs at the theater company.

When asked the same questions about the noble man who impregnated Claire, Dana hesitated but answered diligently.

“I saw them together near the theater a couple of times from afar, and he was quite tall with very bright-colored hair.”

“Did you see his face by any chance?”

“Not at all. I saw them late at night when the street was dark, so honestly, I barely recognized Claire.”

Dana gave an embarrassed smile.

Roberto exchanged glances with Arasila and asked her to say more if she had heard anything from Claire.

Dana rolled her eyes as if trying to recall memories and said,

“I heard he was from an incredibly prestigious family. She said if things went well, she might leave the capital according to his wishes.”

“The capital? Why?”

“I don’t know. Actually, I’m not the one Claire talked to a lot about him, it was Mia.”

Mia was the actress closest to Claire that the theater owner had mentioned.

After that, when there was no more information to extract from Dana, Arasila spoke directly.

“When does this Mia person come to the theater?”

“She’s on vacation and gone to her hometown for a bit, so she’ll be back in a few days.”

Arasila slightly bit her lip in disappointment at gaining little from the long conversation.

As she finished the conversation and wrapped things up, she handed the theater owner a note and three gold coins.

“Please let Mr. Roberto know as soon as Mia returns to the capital. I’m asking you.”

“Oh, alright.”

The theater owner, whose eyes had gone round at the sight of the gold coins, nodded quickly.

He bowed deeply to the two people leaving the theater, smiling from ear to ear.

Only after reaching a place far from the Flare Theater did Arasila take off her stuffy hat and robe.

“Roberto, let me know right away if you hear from the theater owner.”

“Understood, my lady. But why are you really investigating Claire? Perhaps you know that noble gentleman…”

Roberto asked with a face full of curiosity.

Arasila pulled down the corners of her mouth and put her hand on his shoulder.

“Knowing might hurt you. So don’t go around talking about today’s events. Understand?”

“…Yes, I understand!”

Roberto nodded his head up and down greatly, sensing a murderous aura.

After dropping him off in front of the Parkshian Theater, Arasila rode alone in the carriage back home and fell into thought.

‘Anyway, it’s certain that Claire was actually meeting someone.’

Since there was testimony from a third party, it was confirmed that she hadn’t created a fictional character and lied.

‘Then did that man impersonate Demian? Even getting hold of the handkerchief?’

Arasila mentally sorted through the people who could have access to the handkerchief embroidered with the Vandermir ducal family crest.

The Vandermir ducal family and their servants, the mansion servants, the Red Hawk Knights.

There were far too many candidates.

In fact, not just them, anyone could have obtained it by chance.

‘For now, it’s difficult to pick one out of these without any clues.’

It seemed better to be patient and wait for Mia to return.

Until then, she decided to continue investigating around Claire and Demian.

However, the problem was that it wasn’t Arasila who lacked patience, but someone else.

“Exclusive) Woman carrying Demian Vandermir’s child appears!”

Claire went to the capital’s largest newspaper company and revealed her pregnancy.

She said she had the courage to reveal the truth because she was worried that Demian’s side might try to bury her and the child as they were.

It was natural for the capital to be turned upside down as soon as the article came out.

An out-of-wedlock child scandal for the youngest Sword Master leading the Red Hawk Knights, a promising knight.

Moreover, the fact that he had been married for less than a year and was known for his good relationship with his wife Arasila added fuel to the fire.

“Senior! Is the content of the article true? Did Lord Vandermir really…?”

Sally and Rudy rushed to Arasila, holding newspapers distributed as extras.

Arasila, who had already confirmed the contents of the article and was hurriedly preparing to return home, answered firmly.

“It’s not like that. Even if Demian is guilty, I’ll find out myself, so don’t be swayed by what others say.”

She headed straight home. But there were reporters swarming in front of the mansion.

When they saw the carriage Arasila was riding in, they rushed over like hyenas spotting prey, their eyes gleaming.

“Lady Vandermir! Is it true that your husband had an affair with an unknown actress?”

“Is that actress’s child really Lord Vandermir’s bloodline?”

“My lady, please answer!”

Arasila kindly answered the reporters who were rudely blocking the carriage and banging on the windows while throwing questions.

“Get lost from in front of my house.”

While the reporters were momentarily dumbfounded, the carriage carrying Arasila slipped safely inside the iron gates of the mansion.

Then Demian also returned home, and the couple sat face to face in the study.

Demian’s feelings were indescribably miserable after breaking through the reporters camped in front of the Knights’ building.

Because of the newspaper article carrying Claire’s one-sided claim being published throughout the empire, he would inevitably be called the scum of the earth for the time being.

A madman who not only had an affair during his newlywed life but also created an illegitimate child.

What was frightening about that scandal was not that it damaged Demian’s own honor.

It was because it also dragged Arasila’s honor down into the mud with him.

If only he alone had fallen to the bottom and suffered, but thinking that innocent Arasila would also roll around beside him filled him with guilt to the point he couldn’t raise his head.

Moreover, being publicly branded as the same kind of person as his father whom he so hated, there could be nothing more horrific.

“Demian, are you alright?”

“…Are you alright, my lady?”

Arasila asked Demian, who had been sitting with his head bowed deeply since entering the study.

He asked back in a low, sunken voice.

A gloomy black aura seemed to flow around him.

“I’m fine. I’m worried about you.”

“I’m…”

Unable to say he was fine, Demian trailed off. Arasila looked at him with concern and sighed.

“I didn’t think Claire would do this. I should have done a better job of keeping her quiet.”

“If I can’t clearly reveal the real father now, people will all think the child is mine.”

Demian distorted his face, covering his eyes with his palm.

Even if he insisted and insisted that he wouldn’t acknowledge the child as his, it was clear that public opinion would see him in the opposite way.

“I tried so hard, but in the end, I might end up living the same life as my father in this way.”

“Demian.”

“I don’t know why this happened to me of all people. Is it that the fate of bloodlines can’t be escaped… Ugh!”

Thwack. At the sudden spicy sensation that brought him to his senses, Demian looked at Arasila with a bewildered expression.

Unable to bear his self-deprecating words any longer, she had strongly grasped Demian’s shoulder as if striking it.

“Why are you already saying such weak words when nothing has been concluded yet?”

Arasila firmly grasped Demian’s hand. It was a small and thin hand, but warmth could be felt from it.

“Don’t worry. You have me, don’t you?”

“My lady…”

Demian, instantly calmed by the clear and transparent eyes looking straight at him and the warmth transmitted from her hand, became docile.

“Demian, I believe in you. Do you believe in me too?”

“Yes, I believe in you.”

“Then trust me and wait. I will definitely prove your innocence.”

Arasila spoke in a gentle but articulate pronunciation, as if making a vow.

Now that things had become public like this, it was difficult for Demian to move directly.

People might think he was trying to cover up the pregnancy if he made any wrong moves.

So whether Demian’s honor would be restored or not depended on Arasila.

Whoever the nobleman Claire met was, Arasila had to clearly prove that it wasn’t Demian.

“You are never alone. I will save you no matter what happens.”

Arasila assured him confidently, pulling up the corners of her mouth.

That firm voice gently seeped into Demian’s chest.

Unable to hide his reddened ears, he silently squeezed their clasped hands.

Follow-up reports related to Demian flowed out continuously.

There were people who kept adding firewood to keep the embers from dying down.

A prime example was the women of 4th Avenue Street.

Some of them claimed that they had also met Demian, and the scale of the scandal grew bigger and bigger.

Thanks to this, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that all the newspaper companies in the Setron Empire these days were living off of Demian.

“A Lustful Man Behind the Mask of an Upright Knight? The Two Faces of the Sword Master!”

“How Long Must We Watch Husbands Betraying Their Wives?”

“‘I Hate Adultery’… The Sad Ending of Lady Vandermir”

“Illegitimate Child Controversy Resurfaces in the Vandermir Ducal Family! Like Father, Like Son?”

Arasila sighed as she scanned the malicious article titles that seemed full of excitement.

With newspapers publishing this kind of article on the front page several times a day, contacts were pouring in from all directions.

Arasila’s pen nib was about to wear out from sending letters of explanation to those around her who were comforting her and doubting Demian.

The one fortunate thing was that the Duke Hugo’s family believed in and supported Demian.

The family members worried about the two of them and encouraged them.

Demian, who had been secretly afraid that they might turn away from him, was able to relieve at least some of the burden on his mind thanks to this.

On the other hand, the Vandermir ducal family was in an uproar, hurling all sorts of curses and criticisms.

Saying he had tarnished the family name, that they knew this would happen when he acted so self-righteous and pretended to be noble alone.

Of course, without a word of concern, they were busy tearing him down and driving a wedge between the couple.

Roberto was also shocked when he learned the truth and contacted them, but they decided to continue investigating Claire without stopping.

If Demian really was a bad guy who had an affair, such efforts would later become nothing but a laughingstock, but—

‘Demian is definitely not that kind of person.’

Arasila’s faith was firm.

She was even more certain after finding out that more than half of the women who confessed to having improper meetings with Demian didn’t match the timeline.

Right away, there were numerous women who claimed to have spent a night with him when he was away from the capital recently due to subjugating magical beasts.

That would be impossible even if Demian used a body double technique.