Chapter 3

Dahlia was the only servant in the mansion.

As far as I knew, there weren’t any others.

Winter Winslet wasn’t the type to trust others, and he was secretly involved in illegal business.

Having more people in the house would only increase the chance of exposure, so he didn’t even want servants around.

The reason Professor Winslet allowed just one servant near him wasn’t because he trusted Dahlia.

It was simply a calculated move. He figured a fragile girl like her couldn’t possibly harm him, and he had several precautions in place in case she ever tried to betray him.

On the other hand, Dahlia was nothing short of a loyal servant.

Taken in as an orphan with no one else in the world, she held boundless gratitude and reverence for Professor Winslet.

So why would someone like that raise a death flag against her master…? Naturally, it was because of Winter Winslet’s sins.

The explanation was long, and it tied into the main storyline of Candela of Judgment, but I knew this death flag wouldn’t become a real threat until much later.

So for now, I felt at ease and went to the bedroom to get some sleep.

And then the next morning—

“I’ll get your shave ready.”

The body I was possessing belonged to an academy professor, and professors went to work.

So, as part of the morning routine, I had skincare done by the servant.

What a life of ease.

“It wasn’t too hot, was it?”

The curly-haired girl removed the steam towel from my face and began to apply shaving cream with a soft brush.

Lying there and being served like this made me feel like I was at a barbershop.

But the comfort didn’t even last five seconds.

I grabbed Dahlia’s wrist.

“Hold on.”

“Huh?”

“Stop.”

Dahlia flinched in surprise.

In the right hand I was holding, Dahlia held a short, sharp razor.

“D-Did I do something wrong?”

“…No.”

Dahlia didn’t do anything wrong. Naturally, she would shave once the cream was applied.

But the problem was the notification hovering above her head.

[Notification]

[A death flag for this character has been raised.]

“……”

I did know Dahlia’s death flag wasn’t an immediate threat.

I knew that. But… it still gave me the chills.

I had Dahlia set the razor down.

“I don’t plan to shave for a while.”

“Are you thinking of growing a beard? That could look nice. I think it’ll suit you!”

I didn’t bother correcting her assumption.

Professor Winslet was a handsome man with long, golden hair flowing down to his waist.

Instead of shaving, I decided to get my hair brushed a bit longer and reached for a newspaper nearby.

I figured I’d read it to pass the time during the grooming.

The newspaper was called the Lambart Daily, a familiar name to anyone who played the original game Candela of Judgment.

It usually introduced events happening within the game world to deepen immersion, and from time to time, it offered foreshadowing for the main story, random events, or quest hints. It was surprisingly useful.

But now, as Winter Winslet rather than a player, the real question was how I could use the information inside.

Thinking that, I flipped through the pages one by one.

First, I checked the date.

And I found something encouraging.

The current point in time corresponded to the very early stages of Candela of Judgment’s original timeline.

In other words, if I had been a player, this would have been right around the time when the game had just begun, and the protagonist of Candela of Judgment would have only just arrived in this city.

Winter Winslet was the villain of the game, and the campaign to subjugate him by the Candela Knights took place in the third year of the main storyline. So there was still time until that point.

So, for now, it seemed I could breathe easy.

I continued flipping through the pages.

<Republic of Rebron strengthens restrictions on iron ore exports. What impact will the reduced supply have on domestic manufacturing?>

<Consumption of karafin in the Laurensia Royal Territory is up 20% compared to last year. Minister of Magic: “We will shorten the operation hours and coverage area of streetlamps.”>

<Prince Henry to be granted the title of Duke of Shenkenbury? Exclusive interview with an anonymous court scribe.>

And so on.

The following headlines were each interesting in their own right, but none offered any information that was immediately useful to me.

However, there was one article headline that included my name.

[Heroic actions of Baron Winter Winslet in subduing the vicious criminal who escaped from prison last night. But public unease over safety remains.]

Following the section on domestic and foreign affairs was coverage of social news.

I was reading the text without much expectation when I suddenly nearly choked.

It was because the content was not something I could simply laugh off.

***

At the same time, in the suburbs of Lambart.

In a mansion located in Stanbridge, a neighborhood densely populated by the middle class, Baron Azetta who was reading the morning paper suddenly spat out his coffee.

“Pffft!”

Setting the cup down with a clatter, Baron Azetta cleared his throat and called out to his daughter seated across the table.

“Josephine.”

“Yes? Why are you calling me?”

“So you’ve finally brought shame to our family.”

Shiver!

Josephine, who had just begun her breakfast, quickly put the bread she was about to eat back on her plate.

Then, with a stiff expression, she began to think fast.

What’s gotten into him this early in the morning? Did I do something wrong?

She thought deeply….and yes, Josephine did have a hunch!

It was a major incident. Fresh and hot, like a loaf of bread just out of the oven.

“Ah.”

Sensing she was about to be scolded, Josephine instinctively straightened her posture like a child expecting punishment. Still, she decided to feign ignorance for now.

“I’m not sure what you mean…”

“Your expression already gave it away. You’ve never had the slightest talent for lying since you were little, so give it up.”

“Yes…”

The Azetta family had long been a lineage of strong-willed knights, and even as he neared his fifties, the head of the house Marcel was still a man of iron.

Having grown up watching such a father, Josephine naturally stiffened in these situations.

In the end, she confessed in a shrinking voice.

“Ha-Have the rumors about yesterday already spread? Ah… enough to reach Father’s ears?”

“It’s more than just rumors!”

Baron Marcel Azetta thrust the newspaper in front of his daughter’s face.

“Read it yourself with your own eyes.”

Page 4 of the Lambart Daily, soaked with coffee.

There, a featured article read as follows:

<Caught in the Moment! What Happened at Everett Garden?>

The social gathering held last night at Everett Garden was attended by numerous young nobles of Lambart, as well as prominent figures in business and politics, to discuss the kingdom’s future and development issues.

However, as the night reached its peak, a mysterious woman burst into the salon and assaulted one of the guests.

The victim was Professor W, a famous professor from the Royal Academy, and the assailant, Miss J, was reportedly engaged to him. It is presumed that she attacked him out of suspicion of his recent cheating.

There had been much debate over whether the violent incident that occurred in front of witnesses should be seen as a public disgrace or merely a private lovers’ quarrel.

What was clear, however, was that unlike the victim, who was an ordinary citizen, Miss J was a trained warrior who had honed her physical abilities. On that day, a security guard at the villa claimed that he had tried to stop Miss J from entering the salon with a sword, only to suffer a broken wrist in the process.

Meanwhile, around the same time the assault took place, a report was received that a suspicious young man had caused a commotion in front of Miss J’s home, shouting her name.

This led to growing suspicions that Miss J might have a secret lover.

A special report on the mysterious alleged lover was scheduled to appear in Issue No. 132 of Rose Blanc, available from 2 p.m. today.

The top-tier gossip magazine Rose Blanc was being sold at bookstores and affiliated stands throughout Lambart for just 60 Peblancs… (omitted)…

“My god.”

Josephine’s vision went black before she could even finish reading the page.

The famous Royal Academy professor, Mr. W, was Winter Winslet.

And Miss J, his fiancée, was none other than herself.

Anyone in Lambart who loved gossip would know this without needing to be told.

Then why bother using initials at all?

It was a malicious article disguised under the pretense of anonymity.

And that twisted editing, too…

What depressed Josephine even more was the fact that, for all its malice, there wasn’t a single false word.

Marcel gently scolded his daughter.

“If something of yours is going to make it into the papers, wouldn’t it be better if it were something honorable?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Well, it’s a relief you at least seem to regret it.”

Only after letting out a long sigh did Marcel soften his voice.

“So? Did you feel better after charging in like that?”

“Huh?”

“I heard you went to see that man last night. How did he respond? Did he apologize? Or act shameless?”

“No. He…”

At that moment, Josephine’s face flushed hot.

It was because the kiss from the previous night had suddenly come to mind.

To hide her embarrassment, Josephine lowered her head so far it was nearly buried in the table.

Her father Marcel misunderstood the gesture entirely.

“Did he insult you even worse? Well, I suppose that arrogant man would never admit he was in the wrong.”

“That’s not it. I just…”

Josephine trailed off and closed her mouth.

How could she possibly explain the kiss, the look in his eyes, and all those humiliating details….in front of her father?

When Josephine let out a silent sigh, Marcel who misunderstood her again began to speak as if trying to gently reason with his daughter.

“I know the whole thing started because of that man.”

“Father…”

“But this time, you crossed the line.”

Josephine squeezed her eyes shut.

She already knew what he would say next.

“As you well know, Winter Winslet is not a man you want to make an enemy of. I don’t know why he’s teaching at some academy now, but wasn’t he already recognized as a 6th-class mage in Karaf before he even turned twenty? And now, he’s advanced to the 7th class.”

Karaf was a city known as the birthplace of magic, and the mage classifications established there were considered the standard across the continent.

And a 7th-class mage was a high-ranking mage. Fewer than forty of them existed across the entire continent.

Most of them lived in seclusion in Karaf, which made them even rarer in the outside world.

“In Laurencia, there are only two 7th-class mages. Court Mage Wendrick and Winter Winslet. And Wendrick only reached that level after turning eighty, while Winter Winslet is barely thirty. Do you realize how extraordinary that is?”

“Yes. I know…”

“Even though he was stripped of his right to inherit, he’s still the eldest son of the Winslet Count family, which owns a vast territory in the South. There are vague rumors going around about him cutting ties with the family when he left home, but your engagement only came to be because the Count supported it from behind the scenes.”

It was already an open secret that Winter Winslet was no longer the heir to the Count’s house.

However, Winter had earned the title of baron through his own merits, without relying on his family background.

From all these facts, Josephine had heard enough to know exactly what her father was trying to say.

“In one way or another, that man is destined to become a central figure in this kingdom. And you are his fiancée. I know it wasn’t a match you chose for yourself, but still…”

Growl.

Josephine clutched her stomach in dismay.

Marcel gave an awkward cough.

“I’ve gone on too long with the nagging this morning.”

“No, it’s fine. And I do regret what happened yesterday.”

“Is that true?”

“Yes. I was a bit too harsh yesterday.”

“A bit?”

“Uh… maybe more than a bit?”

Marcel pressed his temples and said,

“In any case, the sooner you apologize, the better. Go to him today and ask for forgiveness for what happened.”

“Today?”

Flinch.

“Ugh, okay…”

Under the silent pressure, Josephine reluctantly nodded her head.

***

It was the first day of March.

Early spring had arrived, and while the new semester had begun at Laurencia Royal Academy, classes had yet to start.

The monthly faculty meeting was scheduled to be held at the Magic Department today before the start of the semester, so it was only natural for me, a professor, to attend.

As I walked through the nearly empty campus, I found myself wondering why Winter Winslet, with all his exceptional abilities, had settled for a position as an academy professor.

Running the academy was one of the key projects of the Laurencia royal family, but the social status of the academy faculty wasn’t particularly high.

On average, it was a low-paying job and even more distant from any kind of authority or power.

Of course, Winter Winslet was the academy’s star professor, and he could probably squeeze out as much money as he wanted, but I believed he had chosen the position for a different reason.

That reason was immunity from arrest.

Academy faculty members, except when caught in the act of a crime, could not be arrested within the academy grounds.

It was a different story if the academy Headmaster gave permission, but even without that, for someone like Winter Winslet who practically walked around with crime on his shoulders, it served as a built-in safety net.

To top it off, Winter Winslet also had a powerful faction within the academy, so he could pressure the Headmaster not to grant arrest permission to judicial authorities.

That meant the academy was a safe place for me.

Even if I wasn’t cut out for the life of a professor, I’d do my best to keep it up for now.

With that resolve, I arrived at the front gate of the First Magic Department.

My first day at work after possessing Winter Winslet began with a flowerpot falling from the sky.

[Warning]

[A death flag has been raised.]

…Of course.

No way a villain’s day would start peacefully.