Chapter 33 Sebastian Breaks the Internet
Sebastian Breaks the Internet
Within minutes of Alexander’s press conference ending, social media erupted.
Charles Hawthorne had intended to make his son a pariah; the internet, in its infinite and chaotic wisdom, made him an icon.
They didn’t just accept him; they began connecting the dots, digging through archives, and crafting a narrative far more compelling than the one Hawthorne had offered.
@ChaoticGoodTimes: He did it. He actually did it. Walked in a Viscount, walked out Mr. Rousseau. Dropped the name, dropped the title, honored his mum, and basically told his evil fake dad to go to hell on live television. I AM UNWELL.
@TabloidTruths: I have an entire folder of pics of Sebastian Hawthorne falling out of clubs. Now it’s an archive of a dead man. RIP Viscount Disaster. Long live Sebastian Rousseau.
@RoyalTeaFan: So let me get this straight. The hot, rebellious viscount is now a hot, rebellious commoner named Rousseau who is ALSO a royal bastard AND he just took down his corrupt father? The writers are really outdoing themselves this season. #SebastianRousseau
@RealRoyalWatcher: I just KNOW Charles is somewhere in a velvet smoking jacket muttering “ungrateful whelp” into a glass of mid-range cognac.
Top Comment: Why does every modern monarchy moment feel like the pilot episode of an HBO miniseries? I’m already casting this in my head.
While half the internet was busy creating fan edits, the other half demonstrated that it could walk and chew gum at the same time. The fawning over Sebastian and the speculation about his role as the source didn’t erase the crime that brought him to light; it amplified it.
#FollowTheMoney gained momentum as users began posting screenshots of the original investigation.
“The fact that Sebastian likely risked everything to leak this makes the corruption even more disgusting,” posted @CitizenJournalist, accompanied by a thread breaking down the financial evidence. “Let’s make sure his father pays.” The post went viral.
The hashtag exploded with ordinary people sharing their own experiences of donating to the Hawthorne Foundation. The public narrative seamlessly blended the two stories: Sebastian was the heroic whistleblower, and his father was the villain who needed to be held accountable.
By evening, editorial boards across the political spectrum had weighed in.
The Times editorial was particularly pointed: “His Majesty’s measured response stands in stark contrast to the theatrical attempts to weaponize family relationships.
The public deserves answers about charitable fund misappropriation, not manufactured scandals about royal lineage. ”
The Observer went further: “Lord Hawthorne’s decision to expose his own son’s parentage reveals both the desperation of his position and a personal vindictiveness that has no place in public life.
The corruption allegations in The Chronicle’s reporting remain unchanged regardless of Sebastian Hawthorne’s DNA. ”
The speed with which politicians abandoned the royal scandal angle was breathtaking.
Any narrative of a “constitutional crisis” evaporated, replaced by overwhelming support for the two brothers.
By 6 PM, the Leader of the Opposition was standing outside Parliament calling for an immediate parliamentary inquiry into the Hawthorne Foundation.
The overnight polling results were damning for Hawthorne. Alexander’s approval rating jumped five points to 77%. Sebastian, the newly minted “people’s prince,” polled at 61% favorable. Most importantly, 78% of respondents said they wanted the corruption investigation to continue.
He had tried to make his son a pariah and his scandal a smokescreen. Instead, the world had turned Sebastian into a celebrated anti-hero and shone an even brighter, angrier spotlight on his own crimes.
The internet hadn’t just canceled Lord Hawthorne. It had rebranded him—as the villain in someone else’s redemption arc.