Over the next two days, the people of Backlund noticed that the newspapers carried fewer serious stories about politics and economics. In their place came a marked increase in gossip, including many scandals from high society that rarely appeared in print.
One claimed that a musician currently enjoying great acclaim was the illegitimate son of a noble. Another devoted considerable space to a vivid account of the secret romantic trysts between the wife of an unnamed member of parliament and a young painter, even spelling out the name of the inn where they met.
Most ordinary citizens thoroughly enjoyed this kind of salacious news. Under the relentless barrage of gossip, public interest in Alfred did indeed diminish somewhat.
Even so, the Hall Family remained firmly in the spotlight.
The main reason was that the Hall Family had appeared before the public far too frequently of late. First came a flood of reports exposing their dirty dealings during the financial crisis, provoking public outrage. This was immediately followed by an all-out barrage of articles in major newspapers whitewashing the family and singing their praises. Then came all sorts of stories about Earl Hall attending public events and making generous charitable donations...
The Hall Family was, without question, Backlund's hottest topic during this period. Even ordinary people who had no interest in them could hardly avoid having the news shoved in their faces.
Most importantly, the original public uproar surrounding the Hall Family had begun with the scandal of Alfred massacring civilians in the Southern Continent.
After several months, with the military and the Hall Family deliberately suppressing the story, people had gradually begun to forget. Now, however, foreign media had exposed Alfred's mysterious disappearance.
This inevitably reminded people of how Alfred had recklessly pursued military glory and opened fire on civilians.