TVIOWM 05

~Chapter 5~

Sunday Exposé was, quite literally, a massive hit.

‘I knew I was right.’

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say everyone on the streets was talking about it.

People were fascinated by this new kind of magazine they’d never seen before, and thrilled by the scandalous gossip about high-society figures it contained.

Till kept his promise. He visited Aisha’s home himself and confirmed that the magazine had far exceeded expected revenue in just two weeks, so their contract would continue. Occasionally, he even introduced her to new informants.

‘But I can’t stop here.’

While brainstorming how to boost sales further, Aisha noticed the beggar children near her house.

“How many of you are there?”

Aisha approached them and hired them with fair pay—to serve as street promoters.

‘If I let Till handle this too, he’d take a bigger cut. That guy totally would.’

It wasn’t a bad deal for the kids either. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

Sales of Sunday Exposé continued to rise, and a year and a half passed.

Then, Aisha hit an unexpected wall.

‘At this rate, I’ve covered everyone worth covering…’

The socialites no longer caused any new scandals. They’d started acting much more reserved. Of course—they had to be. Aisha was always lurking, ready to report their every move.

‘I need something more provocative.’

Who in the Draxion Empire had a big name and a lot of rumors?

Someone she hadn’t covered yet.

“…Killian Winters.”

It didn’t take long to find the answer.

Killian Winters.

The second male lead from The Emperor Can’t Live Without His Captive.

He was infamous for all kinds of rumors, even before the main story began!

Even when she read the novel, Aisha had never liked Killian. She didn’t just dislike him—she despised him. He was self-centered, constantly controlling toward the female lead, Hilda.

And eventually, he became the final villain of the story.

A trash heap of repressed emotions!

And now she’d reincarnated as the very woman who was killed by him—Aisha Ashton. Her hatred was more than justified.

…But was it really okay to cover a feature on Killian?

‘Still, Killian is currently off at war. Based on the novel, it’ll be a few months before he returns.’

The Emperor Can’t Live Without His Captive was her favorite novel.

Unlike typical romantic leads, the male protagonist Belmore Ellington was kind and gentle. The female lead, Hilda Everett, was cold and emotionless—unlike most female leads.

Aisha loved their dynamic, especially how Belmore treated Hilda like a gentleman, always considerate and respectful.

Unlike Killian, who was the complete opposite.

Having read the novel over and over again, Aisha estimated Killian would return next spring.

The story opened with a description of spring—so that gave her some time.

It was currently a harsh winter.

‘Right. I planned to leave the Empire before Killian returned anyway.’

Her goal was simple:

Make as much money as possible from Sunday Exposé.

Then, leave the Draxion Empire before Killian returned from the war. Even though she had cut ties with the Ashton family, she couldn’t completely rule out getting caught in the novel’s plot.

Even if she left the empire, the magazine would continue. As long as she sent in the articles, Rune would handle the printing and distribution—just as they were doing now.

‘Like it or not, Killian is a huge name in Draxion. There’s no better story hook than him.’

Rumors about Killian were endless.

Born an illegitimate child of the ducal family, he endured abuse throughout his childhood, then gained fame on the battlefield through countless victories.

That part was fine—a compelling hero arc.

But the scandal everyone knew? That he murdered his abusive father and half-brother to become the Duke.

If he had handled things better, he might’ve quieted the rumors—but Killian remained silent.

What fueled the gossip further was his behavior in war. Supposedly, he showed no mercy, killing even enemy children if they posed a threat.

So of course, people feared him.

Yet, he was also shockingly good-looking. Aisha had never seen him in person, but the novel would not stop describing his face to the point of exhaustion.

Because of that, public opinion was divided:

“Without Duke Killian, Draxion wouldn’t have won the war!”

“He’s hot, that’s all that matters. Nobles with worse reputations get away with everything.”

“You’re praising a guy who murdered his own family just to become Duke?”

“There’s no proof! Just rumors.”

“Exactly! He probably erased the evidence himself! If he were innocent, wouldn’t he say so?”

Whatever the case—

“That smug bastard. I’ll show him the pen is mightier than the sword.”

Aisha’s eyes glinted with madness as she picked up her pen.

Demon of the Battlefield, Killian Winters – Special Feature!

Why did he destroy himself despite his good looks?

This issue uncovers the secrets surrounding Duke Killian Winters.

After Issue 1 of the Killian Special hit shelves—

“Holy crap, this is a total blockbuster!”

Sales—previously plateauing—exploded. Revenue tripled compared to the previous issue.

Why? Because no one had ever dared to expose Killian like this. His life had been too mysterious, too untouchable.

“I didn’t expect this kind of reaction…”

Aisha had focused on the story of Killian killing his father and brother. But readers were more drawn to his childhood abuse.

Illegitimate son of the Winters family—Killian.
Though reluctantly acknowledged by the Duke, Killian’s father stopped there. As everyone knows, his childhood was grim—abuse by both his father and half-brother was constant.

Llewellyn (alias):
“I never saw Killian looking uninjured. He always had bruises. I lost count of how often I saw him beaten.”

Editor: “What kind of abuse exactly?”
Llewellyn: “They beat him for just making eye contact. And the verbal abuse… They barely fed him. Moldy bread, milk that was about to rot. They’d force him to eat it and laugh about it.”

Editor: “What did you think when he killed them?”
Llewellyn: “I thought, ‘Finally.’ That’s all.”

Through the interview, readers glimpsed Killian’s anger and desire for revenge.

But was his brutal revenge against his family truly justified? Did he have to kill to become Duke? Was there no other way?

“There’s always a reason people turn out twisted. If I were treated like that, I’d be the same.”
“Honestly, I understand Duke Killian.”
“He must’ve been so lonely all that time…”

This isn’t the reaction I expected…

After that, Aisha went full-throttle.

Killian Winters Special – Issue 2!
Does he act out for attention from women?
Is the Winters Knight Order actually his fan club, receiving secret bribes in addition to their wages?
Romance rumors between Killian and his knight Theorn—what’s the truth?!

She fully embraced the tabloid style.

But Aisha’s one-woman war ended in defeat.

“Damn it!”

The noble ladies and debutantes remained steadfast. Rather than hate him, they adored him even more.

Especially the rumor in Issue 2 about Theorn, the knight—it had become a sensation under the theme of forbidden love. Some were even writing secret fanfiction.

“This is ridiculous…”

Rumors spread that Killian now had his own fan club. At this rate, even if Killian ate poop, people would feel sorry for him.

“I don’t get why you hate Killian so much…”

The one who made Aisha reconsider?

Her younger brother, Leoric.

“Whatever your feelings, Killian’s a massive help for sales. Isn’t that enough?”

“I hate that guy!”

“Then sell him harder.”

“…Huh?”

“Using Killian’s name guarantees sales. So use him. Milk every tragic backstory you can find.”

Hmm.

Aisha paused to think.