“Seems like it,” Penelope replied weakly, dragging her weary steps toward the sofa before collapsing onto it. Ahwin clicked his tongue in disapproval.
With her eyes closed, Penelope muttered, “Don’t mock me.”
“Mock you? I’m impressed. Honestly, the fact that you’ve lasted this long is remarkable.”
“I think... so too,” Penelope murmured in a voice that was utterly drained of energy.
The source of this c𝓸ntent is frёeweɓηovel.coɱ.
From receiving her baroness title in the imperial palace, attending the banquet only to be embroiled in sudden chaos, visiting Emily Dot’s home to assess the situation, and finally going to the market to buy out all the counterfeit products—she had been through an exhausting and overwhelming series of events.
‘To go through all of this in just one day... Even now, it feels unreal. How am I supposed to handle the aftermath?’
Forget the aftermath; she needed to sleep first and think about it later. She had reached her limit.
Soon, her breathing steadied. Sleep overtook her almost instantly.
[The Fall of Halo? Is This the Beginning?]
The first reported side effect of Green Herb Cosmetics has surfaced.
Users have experienced rashes and festering boils after application. A terrifying development indeed.
All Green Herb Cosmetics must be recalled immediately to ensure public safety.
[Halo Cosmetics: Catastrophic Side Effects!]
Once hailed for their devilish marketing success, Halo Cosmetics have now caused irreversible harm to their users. This is not a matter to be ignored.
[Misuse of Green Herb?]
Was it folly for Baroness Halo to create cosmetics from green herbs, originally intended for potion-making?
[Baroness Halo’s Fraud Scheme?!]
The woman who stirred the entire empire with her products—was she truly a genius or merely employing cunning schemes to gain her title?
***
“....”
The next morning, after taking a shower, Penelope opened the newspaper and was left utterly speechless.
The capital’s newspapers had unanimously dedicated their headlines to the side effects of Halo Cosmetics.
It was as if they had been waiting for her downfall. They detailed every aspect of the reported side effects, mocking her business practices as unethical. One article even accused her of orchestrating a fraud to gain her title from His Majesty the Emperor.
‘It wasn’t even Halo Cosmetics that caused the side effects—it was the counterfeit products! How can they print articles without verifying the facts first?!’
Just as in her previous life, the reckless journalism of reporters, who failed to fact-check before publishing, had caused undue harm to innocent people.
‘Should I demand a correction immediately? But even if I do, the damage to the product’s image has already been done—what now?’
Most people wouldn’t bother paying attention to a correction, and once a negative perception took root, it was nearly impossible to erase. From now on, people would approach Halo soap and cosmetics with skepticism, fearing potential side effects.
“These bastards...”
Penelope’s breathing grew heavy with frustration.
‘It must be because I rose to success too quickly. There’s no doubt I’m being targeted by forces trying to suppress me.’
It was clear that the merchant guilds dominating the cosmetics and soap markets had joined forces to push her out. At this point, even among the nobility, there were likely those who now viewed her as a threat.
‘But this is too fast.’
The fact that the articles had been published just one day after Emily Dot’s appearance at the banquet meant these forces had already prepared to tarnish her reputation in advance.
Penelope pressed her temples with her fingers, attempting to ease the pounding headache, and took a sip of coffee.
Then she heard the hurried sound of footsteps ascending the stairs.
Knock, knock.
“It’s me, Baroness.”
“Come in.”
With Penelope’s permission, Pablo opened the door to the sitting room and entered. His hair was damp with sweat, evidence that he had rushed straight there.
“This is serious. Reports are flooding in about people experiencing side effects after using Green Herb soaps and cosmetics. Eight individuals caused disturbances at the shop and were arrested by the guards.”
“They must have read the articles in this morning’s papers,” Penelope remarked pointedly.
Pablo nodded grimly, his expression dark.
“The commotion has made it nearly impossible to run the shop properly for now. Frankly, I suspect other stores have hired people to stir up trouble.”
“...Hah.”
Penelope let out a hollow laugh, incredulous at the absurdity. She asked, “What about our request to publish articles about the side effects of the counterfeit products?”
“I contacted five newspapers, but their responses were lukewarm at best.”
“I expected as much.”
Penelope wasn’t particularly surprised. She had anticipated this outcome.
It was clear that forces aiming to undermine her were not only sending people to disrupt her shop but also pressuring the newspapers. Their goal was obvious: to tarnish the image of Green Herb products in the public’s eyes.
The only silver lining was that a few newspapers had taken a neutral stance in their reporting. She suspected one of them might be operated by Rianel.
Pablo, however, was visibly fuming, his breaths heavy with frustration.
‘These cowardly fools! They tried to bring me down when I was at my peak before, and now they’re using the same dirty tactics!’
He clenched his teeth, resolved not to let them get away with it this time. But for now, managing the immediate crisis was overwhelming enough.
“I’ve stationed mercenaries from the guild at the entrance to the soap shop and will have guards regularly patrol the area to control the disturbances. I’ll also request corrections for today’s articles, clarifying that the side effects were caused by counterfeit products.”
“Good, do that.”
Penelope nodded, her expression contemplative. Pablo exhaled deeply, searching for additional ways to handle the situation.
‘What more can we do at this point?’
Lucas was already working with a lawyer to prepare lawsuits against those who had manufactured the counterfeit products. For now, all they could do was wait for the situation to settle.
‘But the damage is done. People will suspect Halo cosmetics cause side effects. How do we recover from this?’
Pablo’s face darkened. The more he thought about it, the bleaker the future seemed. He hadn’t anticipated the situation spiraling out of control so quickly.
“What about suing the newspapers that refuse to issue corrections? Wouldn’t that show consumers we are innocent?”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Getting on the wrong side of the press, no matter how big or small, will only cause more trouble in the long run.”
Pablo nodded reluctantly, realizing she was right.
‘If we antagonize the press now, it’ll make things even worse in the future.’
At a loss for further suggestions, Pablo fell silent.
Just yesterday, he had held onto hope. The noblewoman’s side effects weren’t caused by Halo cosmetics but by counterfeit products. He had believed that clearing up the misunderstanding would resolve everything.
But due to the journalists’ false reporting, the narrative had shifted entirely, framing the issue as a failure of Halo cosmetics.
‘Would it be better to lie low and wait for the storm to pass quietly?’
At that moment, Penelope spoke up.
“Instead of requesting corrections, I want you to place a different kind of order with the newspapers.”
“A different kind of order?” Pablo asked, puzzled.
A cold glint of anger flashed in Penelope’s eyes as she lifted one corner of her mouth into a sharp smirk.
‘So you’re playing with power. Fine, then. I’ll play with money.’
“If they won’t print corrections, pay them to run ads. Lots of them.”
***
Meanwhile, at a Prestigious Social Club.
On Idrom Street, where some of the empire’s oldest social clubs were located, an air of exclusivity hung thick. Most clubs operated on a strict membership basis, admitting only select nobles and wealthy elites.
The Landers Social Club, frequented by Imperial Bank branch manager Lihenz, was no exception.
As usual, the club was filled with well-dressed gentlemen sipping drinks and playing cards. But that day, the atmosphere was particularly lively, thanks to the articles published that morning.
Staring at his hand of cards, Lihenz began casually, “Have you heard the news? Lady Dot suffered from rashes and boils after using Green Herb cosmetics.”
“I read the article. Quite a dreadful affair,” replied a mustachioed nobleman, his voice dripping with disdain.
Lihenz jumped on the opportunity to add fuel to the fire.
“I always knew something like this would happen. A woman running a territory and starting a business? It’s absurd. What experience could a housewife possibly have in running a business? Do you think she’s even handled paperwork properly before?”
His derisive remarks opened the floodgates for others. The gathered nobles seized the chance to voice their own scathing criticisms.