(BL) Rejected by daughter's second male lead-Chapter 30

The other reporters, perhaps feeling the same as Gillen, did not ask any other questions. It seemed they had realized that Yuan was not an ordinary crazy person.

Just then, someone bravely raised his hand.

"But if such a great genius wizard was so soaked in pheromones that he made a mistake in teleportation, doesn’t that mean His Excellency Duke Blake is a stronger alpha than the gr~eat Marquis?"

Everyone looked at the questioner. The vile questioner, who was determined to be sarcastic from his voice alone, was a reporter Gillen also knew. He was Simon Nogarius, the editor-in-chief of a garbage gossip magazine. He was the one who first broke the scandal between Yuan and Gillen, and a reporter who had written articles with a critical tone towards the Duke of Blake’s family several times before.

For reference, he belonged to a vassal family of the Duke of Gallert’s family, who were called rivals of the Duke of Blake’s family. To be precise, he was someone with a weak connection, something like a cousin of a vassal of a vassal of the Duke of Gallert.

"What did you just say?"

Yuan’s eyes flashed.

"The Duke is a stronger alpha than me?"

The moment he said that, the air in the drawing room grew heavy and sank. Most of the reporters, being betas, only felt that ’the atmosphere is a bit scary,’ but Simon Nogarius, a recessive alpha, felt a pressure as if his breath were being cut off and his heart was about to burst.

"Keoheok... Kkeueuk..."

He made a dying sound, fumbling at his own neck and chest.

Besides Simon Nogarius, there seemed to be a recessive omega reporter, as he suddenly slid from his seat and fell, losing consciousness.

"Hampton, that is enough."

Gillen said, placing a hand firmly on Yuan’s shoulder. At that moment, Yuan’s pheromones stopped abruptly.

"Brian, please escort the collapsed guest to a guest room. Administer a suppressant and let him rest for a while."

"Yes, Your Excellency."

Brian and a few servants quickly took away the reporter who had collapsed and was gasping for air. Once the situation had calmed down a little, Gillen continued.

"Editor-in-chief Nogarius, you must be very well aware of how rude a question it is to ask an alpha who is stronger or weaker."

Simon Nogarius, who seemed to have just regained his breath after some time, glared at Gillen with bloodshot eyes, clutching his neck. Dark emotions such as old hatred, inferiority complex, and jealousy dripped from his gaze.

But Gillen did not even look at him for that long.

"Marquis Hampton is a young and vigorous friend. As you all know, he is a first-rate groom who lacks nothing in appearance, ability, wealth, or status. If there is one thing lacking... it would be his personality? Ha! Ha! Ha!"

The joke he threw while looking around at the reporters lightened the mood a little. Now, the only people who were huffing and puffing in an aggressive posture were the ignored Simon and the bad-tempered Yuan.

"Again with that talk about being a groom or whatever—"

Yuan was about to say something to Gillen, but Gillen pretended not to hear and spoke in a louder voice.

"But what Editor-in-chief Nogarius just said was a very rude remark to a person with a secondary gender. Dividing people with secondary genders and those without, grading them like products even among those with secondary genders, judging between dominant and recessive, and using it as a means of power or discrimination. That is a vicious custom that His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Moore Empire has been trying to eradicate for a long time. I am sure you all, as learned reporters, are aware of this."

Gillen straightened his back even more and took a deep breath as if to puff out his chest. At that small gesture, everyone’s attention was focused on Gillen. Gillen continued in a low, serious voice.

"There was a difference of opinion between us, and in the midst of our argument, aggressive alpha pheromones were released. That is simply the entirety of the scandal you all have been clamoring about. As reporters, it is up to you to write the truth and inform the public accurately, and to decide what kind of impact it will have on society. The pen in your hands is not simply a tool for writing letters. It is a kind of magical power that can shake people’s minds and change the perception of society. I can only implore you to use that power correctly."

Gillen said, looking at the faces of each and every reporter sitting in the drawing room.

"I ask this of you."

Finally, he bowed his head. To think that Duke Gillen Blake, a pillar supporting the Moore Empire, a man as noble and influential as the imperial family, would bow his head to mere reporters!

All the reporters, except for Simon Nogarius, were stunned. So was Yuan. Because it was an unthinkable thing for a noble to bow his head to a commoner.

Most of the nobles Yuan knew were obnoxious, stupid, and arrogant trash. They did not hesitate to whip or spit on those of lower status. There were even those who would release their servants into hunting grounds and chase them for fun or buy slaves and kill them for entertainment just because they were in a bad mood.

Because they were born with blue blood. Because they had titles and territories. Because they were chosen by God. Because they had seen and learned a lot. Because they were special.

They acted as if only they were human beings with reason and emotion, without thinking about the fact that it was all just because they were lucky. Really, nine out of ten nobles Yuan had met so far were like that.

He had thought that only Cecilia was different from ordinary nobles... Yuan now realized anew why Cecilia had grown up that way.

Although he sometimes talked about the imperial family, etiquette, and status, Gillen fundamentally saw everyone as a person. That might sound like an obvious statement, but in the Moore Empire of this era, it was a very rare attitude.

There were plenty of nobles who made a fuss about doing charity work, but Yuan believed that there was no one who sincerely thought about the future of the children they sponsored like Gillen did. Without him even realizing it, that much trust in Gillen had grown.

Yuan quietly looked around at the reporters. There were a few who were scoffing, including Simon Nogarius, but most of the reporters had expressions of being deeply impressed or lost in deep thought.

’He’s all talk, anyway.’

Yuan sneered inwardly and shot a sideways glance at Gillen. Gillen had now raised his head and was facing the reporters with an unadorned face.

"Now, let’s wrap up the press conference around here. On your way out, please receive a gift at the door. As the ducal family of Blake, we can’t send our guests away empty-handed, can we? Hahaha!"

At Gillen’s hearty laugh, the reporters also laughed along. It was obvious that a sense of anticipation was blooming among them. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Before long, the stiff and sharp atmosphere had disappeared, and only round, friendly laughter remained. While Yuan sat with his arms crossed, Gillen shook hands with each of the reporters as they left, patted their shoulders, and exchanged names.

’He’s trying so hard to get them to write a good article.’

Yuan cursed Gillen inwardly again. But even so, Yuan’s eyes, which were thinking that, could not help but soften much more than before.

’He certainly hasn’t aged for nothing. But that’s all there is to it.’

Denying the upward adjustment of the ’Gillen Blake evaluation’ that was naturally forming within him, Yuan raised his chin high.

Now, most of the reporters had left, and the drawing room had become quiet. The last reporter standing at the door gave a short bow to Gillen.

"Ah, yes. Simon."

"Your Excellency."

"Please, write your articles gently. The people of my house are so afraid of the Nogari Daily that they don’t even pass by the street where your newspaper company is. Ha! Ha! Ha!"

"If the members of the Blake family lived uprightly, they would have no reason to be afraid, would they?"

Even at Gillen’s joking request, Simon did not bat an eye. On the contrary, he stared straight at Gillen with fierce eyes and said.

"You may be smiling as if you are a good person, but I alone know your true face, Your Excellency. The same goes for Lady Cecilia. I will continue to do my utmost as a ’true’ reporter to stop the tyranny of the Blake family. I also refuse the gift that Your Excellency has prepared. As the editor-in-chief of the Nogari Daily and the eldest son of the Nogarius family, I, Simon Nogarius, am not a person who is swayed by bribes. Then, I will be on my way."

Simon left the drawing room, deliberately making loud footsteps. Gillen let out a laugh mixed with a sigh and came to sit next to Yuan.

"I think it has been about 20 minutes, but it feels like 20 years have passed. I’m dead tired. Don’t you think so?"

Gillen undid one of the buttons that was fastened up to his neck and casually spoke to Yuan. But instead of answering his question, Yuan asked something else.

"What is with that Nogari or whatever? It seems he has suffered great damage from the Duke of Blake’s family."

"Ah, a long time ago, Cecilia... that’s right, you said you were there too. The incident where she accused the Duke of Gallert’s family of human trafficking. The family that was directly connected to those scoundrels at that time was the Nogarius family. To be blunt, they were a small fry family used for cutting tails, a subcontractor of a subcontractor of the Duke of Gallert. They were also the noble family that received the most severe punishment at that time."

"No... isn’t that just getting what they deserved? But why towards the Blake family...?"

As Yuan trailed off in bewilderment, Gillen raised only the corners of his lips and smiled quietly.

"There are people like that in the world. People who harm others while trying to protect themselves with blame and self-pity. Simon is just that kind of person. They live more passionately with such emotions as their driving force, and they sometimes fixate their life’s goal on others."

Gillen’s expression as he said that looked peaceful. Yuan could not understand him.

"You are not even angry?"

"I am. Why, do I look fine?"

"You look like you don’t even care."

"If I look that way, then I have succeeded."

Which meant that he was angry, but he had deliberately put on a calm expression and attitude. Because that was the most effective way to deal with people like Simon.

Yuan was inwardly impressed—it was not often that he was impressed by others. Gillen shrugged his shoulders and then stood up from his seat.

"Now, you should be on your way too. Thank you for taking your precious time. The promise will be kept, so don’t worry."

"Promise?"

Yuan picked up on that word without much thought. At that, Gillen said.

"The promise that if you helped me at the press conference, I would never appear before you again."