Chapter 142

Inside the large classroom, the children had already realized that the paper I had created had turned into a bomb, threatening their safety.

"My eyes! I think my eyes hurt!" a child cried, rubbing their eyes.

Another child pointed at the origami models and shouted, "That origami is weird, sir!"

"I'm scared," another child whimpered.

As the children murmured and wept, the professors looked on in embarrassment, trying to comfort them. It seemed today was even a parent observation day. The parents at the back of the classroom were exchanging sharp, accusatory glances.

"No, there's nothing strange about it!" Axion, flustered, tried to calm the atmosphere, but his authority as a prince was not enough.

"Ugh, uh!" The situation was spiraling out of control. The children who had been doing origami quickly dropped the papers and began to cry.

While there were no casualties, the professors and children had all witnessed the explosive power of the objects I had created. It was a major incident that had damaged the classroom and could have threatened the lives of the children.

'The reputation of my stationery store will be completely ruined,' I thought. 'And how do we deal with the children's trauma?'

I narrowed my eyebrows. 'What the Pope did is truly despicable. Using children to put me in a difficult situation.' My guess was correct.

The news of the incident at the academy spread throughout the capital in a matter of hours. That night, thanks to Danny, the baby dragon, who flew all over the capital, I received a full report. He said my name was on everyone's lips at the dinner table.

"Did you hear about the Marquis Meldenik Kinnoa?"

Some people were openly critical. "She's running a vulgar business herself," they said. "She has too little dignity to be called a noble."

Others directed their criticism at Dominic. "But he's the owner of the hero's sword..." "Dominic's judgment must be clouded."

Even at social gatherings, people secretly spoke against me. Among them, those who believed in the Pope sowed hatred and contempt for me like poisonous mushrooms. Everything was happening so fast that it was unsettling. Those who had praised me quickly turned on me. Rumors I had never heard of spread throughout high society.

'Even in the midst of this, there are still people on my side,' I noted.

I carefully observed those who defended me and those who remained neutral, watching the situation unfold. 'The wheat is being separated from the chaff, for now.'

Of course, if I had tried to fix the situation immediately, things might have gone differently. However, I hadn't said a word since the incident. As a result, the situation snowballed and got worse.

The public opinion of me became that of an indecent aristocrat, blinded by money, who deceived children with untested products.

For the past few days, I hadn't gone to the stationery store. Instead, I spent my time in the Kinnoa mansion, reading newspaper articles about myself. I was curious to see how public opinion was worsening. I drank my morning coffee, calmly reading malicious newspaper articles and reports that Danny had written for me in his childish scrawl.

Just then, the door to my office burst open.

"Mel!" Dominic strode into the room. "The Pope has finally made his move!"

"Dominic?"

He quickly came to my desk and held out a newspaper. I calmly took the crumpled paper and read the headlines.

"Academy President Speaks Out: Are the Stationery Store's Products Defective?"

"Will a Street March Against the Marquis of Kinnoa Begin?"

"Council of the Grand Nobles Summons Marquis Meldenik Kinnoa on 11 Charges!"

"Hearing for Marquis Meldenik Kinnoa to Be Public for All Imperial Citizens"

"Yes, he did," I said.

"What did I miss while taking a bath and playing poker?"

"You had a short vacation, remember?"

"Right," he muttered.

The newspaper had an interview with the academy president and news of protesters. The protesters were parroting stories of children being harmed by my products.

"This is crazy! Parents and nobles are accusing you!" Dominic exclaimed.

"..."

"What did you do wrong to those kids? I'm not just saying this because I'm your contractor, but this is the Pope's doing!"

"Yes, Dominic. But there's no evidence yet."

"You love kids so much! This is a lie!"

"Yes, it is."

Dominic paced the office. He then slammed his hands on my desk and shouted, "We must execute all these impostors!"

"Calm down for now," I said, my voice measured. My thousand-year-old contractor had a short temper. In reality, he was about seventeen to nineteen years old in human years.

'The most interesting thing is to fall to the bottom and then rise again,' I thought. I grabbed Dominic's hand, which was still on my desk, and said, "A lot has happened while you were away."

"What...?"

"Just sit on the sofa for now."

While Dominic settled onto the sofa, I leaned back in my chair and savored the last sips of my coffee.

"What? Why are you so relaxed? Maybe..."

Just as Dominic was about to voice his thoughts, the butler, whose hair had turned half-white from dealing with the protesters outside, rushed in without knocking.

"Marquis! The academy has sent a protest letter demanding that all items be returned."

I had expected a flood of returns. Since the origami incident, a large number of my products were being labeled as defective, so it was only a matter of time. The Pope's ability to ruin my stationery store so quickly was impressive.

I turned to Dominic, holding up a piece of gold paper from my desk. "I'll decide on the returns a little later."

"They asked for them to be returned immediately," the butler insisted, handing me a plan for the returns. The note assumed all my products were defective and was clearly written to absolve the academy of any legal responsibility.

'Even if I were the Pope, I'd start with the academy president. If the president didn't come to me directly, it means he's been brainwashed by the Pope.'

I placed the note on the table and said, "I've been summoned to a hearing with the great nobles at the Imperial Palace." I held up the summons the butler had given me that morning. It wasn't just a summons. There was also a note slipped inside.

"...The Pope told me to come to him if I wanted to avoid the current situation," I read aloud.

Dominic frowned. "He's crazy."

I winked at him, a sign to calm down. "Before anything else, I have a summons, so I have to go to the Imperial Palace first." I slowly finished my coffee.

"What? Now?"

I showed Dominic and the bewildered butler the date and time written on the summons. Dominic's eyes widened when he saw it was for noon today.

"Yes, it's almost time."

In the hearing hall of the Imperial Palace, ten great nobles, three priests, and a scribe were already seated at the huge rectangular table under a high, circular ceiling. The Emperor, who would occupy the top seat, and the defendant, Marquis Meldenik Kinnoa, had not yet arrived.

Among them, a sharp, middle-aged nobleman with purple hair and eyes slammed his fist on the table. "No one died! Why are you telling us, busy people, to come here for this?"

"It's an important matter," one of his colleagues responded.

The nobleman, a border count, let out a sigh and rubbed his eyebrows. "It's unprecedented to convene a hearing over such a trivial issue." To hold a hearing, at least ten great nobles had to be present. The border count had been dealing with demonic beasts in the north and had to rush back after receiving a secret order from the Emperor.

"Isn't a small punishment enough, General? You're being too naive," said another.

"No matter how you look at it, this isn't an issue for a hearing."

"Not an issue? The lives of nobles and the royal family were almost at risk!" a white-bearded old marquis cried.

"No one was hurt," the count shouted back without blinking. "I think it's too soon to hold a hearing. A thorough investigation by the Metropolitan Security Force is needed first."

"But... that's..."

The nobles gathered in the hearing hall exchanged glances. They had all unanimously agreed that Meldenik should be brought to a hearing, but their arguments were beginning to sound weak.

'Why did we think this was a good idea?' their gazes seemed to ask.

At that moment, a priest in a white robe spoke quietly, "She has committed other corrupt acts. Besides, we found something strange at the temple."

The nobles, who were under the Pope's influence, responded enthusiastically to his whispers. Only the border count, who had just arrived and couldn't read the atmosphere, raised an eyebrow.

"Hmm, that's a big claim," he said.

The nobles coughed and looked away. Their logic was weak. The Pope's brainwashing was so clever and perfect that they were acting on anger, not knowing their free will was gone.

"I think this matter is very important. I don't want to hear any more from you," one nobleman said.

"That's right. The sinner and His Majesty will be here soon, so watch your words."

As the high-ranking nobles from the border exchanged puzzled glances, the door opened.

"Marquis Meldenik Kinnoa is entering."

In the cold silence, Meldenik walked in. She was not as confident as usual. Wearing a plain off-white muslin dress and no makeup, she looked a little haggard.