Chapter 91: Let time slow down.

The incident where Linton went to the police station to surrender before daybreak was distributed as an extra edition the very next afternoon.

It contained articles strongly criticizing the heinous bomb terror and the incompetence of the police who couldn’t even grasp the direction of the investigation before the culprit surrendered.

Along with detailed illustrations of the Pera Viscountcy messed up by the bomb.

Some newspapers even carried the King’s special edict that the mastermind must be uncovered.

However, there were newspaper companies that distributed extra editions half a day earlier than that.

Carrying articles opening with sentences stating that Viscount Pera’s financial situation was extremely difficult and the debts he incurred couldn’t be repaid even by disposing of the mansion.

Articles detailing Viscount Pera’s stubbornness refusing to sell the mansion even when a buyer appeared, and the behavior of the Viscount’s son who beat the prospective buyer to death.

Although the crime committed out of vengeance by a mercenary who received grace from the deceased can never be condoned, articles revealing that he didn’t harm any people, and the hardship he had to suffer due to his benefactor’s sudden death, and the fact that the cause of that hardship was the King’s non-fulfillment of promise, were distributed throughout Noberten along with the official announcement of the police. For free.

Including illustrations comparing the appearance of Viscount Pera’s mansion with a long history at its most glorious time and its desolate appearance as the family declined.

It was me who argued we should distribute it as soon as possible to preempt the issue, but it was Philius who moved people to distribute it safely.

It was also him who made it distributed for free. Newsboys, promised a thicker allowance than when selling for money, roamed every corner of Noberten distributing the extra editions we planned and produced.

Newsstands were also occupied in the same way.

“It’s amazing that Alea’s story wasn’t cut.”

Although we hid that the person trying to buy Viscount Pera’s mansion was a Beta, the Prime Minister couldn’t be unaware of that fact.

“Unless the Prime Minister’s name is revealed, it’s just an interesting gossip.”

“It must have suited the Prime Minister’s taste.”

“He especially liked the expression ‘compassion a ruler should possess.'”

“I thought so.”

I ordered the article to be written with a condescending perspective. Because the people to be persuaded by this article were nobles.

I hoped they would extend compassion to Linton. Even if it was hypocrisy stemming from vanity.

I wanted to prevent Linton’s personal anger from appearing as something done under someone’s instigation.

For Philius as well as Linton, the suspicion of a mastermind had to be excluded from the beginning.

“I didn’t know you had a talent for writing too.”

“Rather than that, I know what expressions certain types of people like. I knew nobles would react if I touched their vanity.”

“The article about the depletion of Pigeon Blood will receive more attention from nobles.”

“It will be so. …Nobles will soon forget Linton’s story.”

If Linton were just a ruthless heinous criminal, people might have remembered him longer. But once they recognized his pitifulness, people’s memory wouldn’t last long.

“Still, there are many people who remember him.”

Philius said looking down at his scarred hand. I traced that scar with my finger again like a habit.

****

“His Majesty the King was furious enough to lose sleep for several days.”

When the King’s spy spoke like a doll, I chuckled. Just like Philius.

On the table between the spy and us, a copy of the newspaper was placed. With the sentence ‘Is Pigeon Blood Really Depleted?’ written hugely.

The content itself was an article about scammers named Lux and Purgatio surrendering, but the emphasis was on the content that Pigeon Blood was depleted in Count Umbra’s Rubrum Mine.

It wasn’t simply transcribing the scammers’ claims, but added credibility by appending the results of investigating the figures of Pigeon Blood released to the market each year.

Since a huge amount was supplied to the military at the beginning of the war, the supply of Pigeon Blood has only decreased.

The article clearly showed with a graph that last year only about 1/10 of the average year was supplied to the market, and this year it decreased even more than that.

Actually, the market supply alone couldn’t prove the fact that Pigeon Blood was really depleted.

Especially last year was the year gem prices jumped highest.

Conversely, this year, gems were maintaining the lowest prices since the discovery of diamond mines in the New Continent.

Adjusting supply to maintain value is something that can happen anytime.

Actually, a company that dominated the diamond market on Earth maintained market prices by adjusting supply, even buying diamonds from mines owned by other companies.

Although they eventually abandoned this policy as more diamond mines were discovered due to the development of mining technology and the supply exceeded the company’s capital scale.

However, combined with the fact that ruby supply decreased and the testimony that he intimidated scammers and urged new technology, that graph creates magic looking as if it depicts the actual remaining reserves of Pigeon Blood in Rubrum Mine.

Even the chief editor sent a short message asking if the reserves were mistakenly written as supply regarding the explanation under the graph.

This article came out this morning.

Timed with when Lux and Purgatio entered the police station yesterday afternoon.

Since it’s a regular issue, not a special extra edition, the King’s side wouldn’t have noticed any signs. Seeing this article, he won’t be able to sleep even more today.

“He also said there must have been Your Highness the King’s Brother behind that terror.”

Being able to smile imagining the King’s frustrated face was only for a moment.

Although I guessed, hearing the story that he intended to put Philius in trouble using the Linton incident, my expression hardened just like that.

“He must have been very regretful. That sympathy for him burst out first.”

Philius spoke as if trying to soothe me. Telling me how the King actually feels.

“He said several times that that is indeed a conspiracy.”

“Since it’s not exactly wrong, he really won’t be able to endure it when he learns the truth. I worry about the King’s health. Is Dr. Bonum still taking care of the King’s health?”

“He instructed Dr. Bonum to increase the amount of medicine, but the doctor refused. His Majesty the King was very angry and said he would dismiss him. But he withdrew those words soon, and Dr. Bonum still works as His Majesty’s attending physician.”

I had to scoff again. Dr. Bonum seemed to keep his own line, even if he doesn’t know how dangerous the drugs he uses are.

Seeing he even opposed the King, his own conviction seemed strong too.

Though he doesn’t seem to know that very conviction led him to the wrong path in the first place.

Dr. Bonum’s prescription not only failed to stop the King’s impatience but was inciting it.

For the past week, the King only repeated that the mastermind must be thoroughly dug up.

Even those who initially fanned conspiracy theories deserved to be sick of words repeated like a parrot without any result.

Unlike the Prime Minister’s side releasing articles proving it was Linton’s sole crime with various variations, it wasn’t fun.

Above all, everyone knew whom the King wanted to point out as the mastermind.

They rather think the King’s attitude of not being able to mention that name directly is trivial.

Since mercenaries returned to Henia, there was only one person they shouted for constantly.

If the mercenaries’ claim that Henia won in the New Continent was correct, wouldn’t it also be true that the person who brought that victory is the King’s Brother?

Does the King want to crush the biggest contributor to the victory? When indeed would that be?

Those who didn’t actually participate in the battle were gossiping as if enjoying it. It wasn’t unexpected.

The contents written in the letter Nathan sent just confirmed the fact.

I turned my gaze to the window. The hot sun was still beating down.

His cool temperature, now completely familiar, touched me. As if washing away the unpleasant burning sensation.

“What are you thinking?”

I must have been lost in other thoughts for quite a long time. The King’s spy standing in front of the table had already disappeared.

Actually, I knew what issue could absorb all these gossip topics at once. Everyone’s gaze would turn to Philius, and it would become that much harder for the King to touch Philius directly.

On the other hand, it might reassure the King.

I know an issue that would grant Philius sufficient time.

“I thought I wished time would go slowly.”

I answered caressing his fingers. It was a vain wish like eternity that cannot exist.

“We have plenty of time left.”

Philius spoke firmly as if he had never thought of an end. Unlike me who always fears the end.

The man in first love didn’t know fear.

I wanted to protect him.

I caressed his fingers once again.

****

A 0.3-carat pear-shaped blue diamond is inserted obliquely between both ends of the band that cross each other without interlocking into a circle.

It is processed from the remaining raw stone used as the main stone of the necklace still hanging around my neck.

The gem inserted without any seam connecting to the band looks as if it’s floating in the air.

PT950, meaning an alloy of 95% platinum purity, holds the diamond solely with strong tension without separate prongs or bezels.

Literally, tension setting.

Since there is no structure covering the bottom of the diamond, it’s the method that best shows the depth and brilliance unique to FL grade without any inclusions.

But it is also tricky in that the tension of the band holding the gem must be matched uniformly.

Meaning hammering must be done properly from the alloying process so that air doesn’t remain inside the metal weakening its strength.

Since the gem might be lost if not held properly with high-strength metal. For the same reason, gems over a certain size cannot be set in this way.

Beautiful but stability is low.

So it is also a setting where the jeweler’s ability is even more important.

From the moment I decided to make this, I couldn’t think of anything other than this design.

Probably because this method can best show the brilliance of the diamond called eternal beauty.

Before Philius informed me to end the work, I took my hands off the tools.

A pair of rings lay before me. Exactly the same shape, only different in size.

This unstable-looking appearance where the diamond seems likely to fall any moment seemed to represent the way I treat the emotion called love.