Damn it.

Sidney gritted her teeth, cursing herself for unbuttoning her shirt.

No matter how hard she tried to find words, her mind felt foggy and blank.

“Why are you so surprised?”

“…I won’t answer.”

“Well, that’s just like Sidney Warden… As expected.”

With each word Logan slowly uttered, his body scent spread thickly.

Along with his breathing and heated gaze, it seemed to lick and awaken her senses one by one.

As if to remind her of that night.

Sidney squeezed her eyes shut tightly. To try to calm her wildly racing senses a little.

And before Logan Redford could say more, she spoke first.

“I will, instead.”

“…”

“I will tell Marien that the Commander is looking for her.”

“So you have a way to contact her.”

As Logan’s voice softened, Sidney leaned against the door with one hand and took a shallow breath.

“Will you move aside?”

“Give me her contact information.”

Give two when given one. Sidney’s brows furrowed deeply as a cracked voice escaped between her lips.

“Commander.”

“…Speak.”

He’s a man with exceptional persistence.

That’s Logan Redford for you. Sidney muttered to herself, half-resigned.

“Women don’t like being pushed like that. Especially free-spirited women like Marien.”

With those words, Marien appeared in Sidney Warden’s mind.

A woman living freely unlike Sidney.

Saying no when she dislikes something.

Marien, who enjoys a life unbound by any duty or responsibility.

To such a Marien, Logan Redford is just a one-night memory. Because she is a being that transcends status and economic situation.

Sidney Warden’s eyes were dreamy as she continued her imagination. Her voice was somehow languid as she murmured as if entranced…

“Because she’s that kind of woman… Don’t look for her.”

“How do you know so well? Tell me where you met her and what kind of relationship you have.”

“…”

“Sidney Warden, you must tell me. Otherwise, I don’t know what I’ll do to you.”

Despite his threat, Sidney grinned with a blank face.

As if her brain had melted from the boiling heat, or as if she had just become lethargic from the throbbing pain.

Ignoring the sound of the front door opening and closing, and the voice calling Sidney.

Sidney unraveled the story of Marien she had created.

[This is the timeline separator]

The story begins a year ago.

After the Ten Year War ended, the Asner Empire had made remarkable progress, even having railroads and trains.

The Crown Prince generously distributed expensive train tickets to all members of the investigation team to visit their hometowns.

The happiest time for Sidney Warden. That’s when she met Marien.

“I met her on the train going to my hometown.”

“You happened to share a seat with her?”

At Logan Redford’s question, the compartment door opened.

Marien, with blonde hair and blue eyes, entered Sidney’s compartment carrying a not-so-large suitcase.

Marien had her short blonde hair curled up adorably and wore a straw hat decorated with a blue ribbon on top.

The dress with blue stripes matching the ribbon was moderately puffed without a pannier or watteau pleat.

Yes, it would be more comfortable for traveling that way. Sidney nodded and continued her imagination.

The gloves matched the dress color, blue with cute white ribbons attached.

Dressed like that, Marien entered confidently and sat down in the chair.

Sidney would have been wary of the stranger invading her personal space. Then Marien would smile brightly at the bewildered Sidney and say:

Sidney chuckled, perhaps finding her own dialogue cheesy.

“Rather than that… It would be more accurate to say Marien chose me.”

“Chose?”

Sidney nodded as if it were obvious in response to Logan Redford’s question.

In the life of Marien she had created, men were troublesome and cumbersome beings. Just as Logan Redford was in Sidney Warden’s life right now.

“She came into the compartment I was using… saying I didn’t seem like I would leer at her like other men, or try to turn a chance encounter into a relationship by being clingy.”

Even as she spoke, Sidney nodded several times. Smiling contentedly as if very pleased.

“That’s like her. Then Marien could be from Sangwarden too.”

At the mention of Sangwarden, a desolate prairie spread out before her eyes.

The red soil with sparse weeds growing was so barren that it was difficult to grow crops.

The people of Sangwarden’s territory struggled in poverty, worrying about their daily meals.

Above all, if Marien had grown up in such a place, she would be no different from Sidney Warden.

Sidney shook her head with a sad expression.

“I’m not sure about that. She said she was traveling at the time.”

“To Sangwarden?”

“No. She got off at Desburn. Said she was going to see the lavender festival.”

Sidney imagined a field full of purple lavender.

Marien got off at Desburn station, the city with such a beautiful field.

Her eyes sparkling with anticipation for a new adventure, she pressed her straw hat with her hand so it wouldn’t blow away in the wind.

And she turned to look at Sidney, waving her hand with a bright smile.

Yes, Marien got off there. The words mumbled in Sidney’s mouth and dissipated.

“Haa.”

Unable to bear it any longer, Sidney leaned her forehead against the door and caught her breath.

Wasn’t it pitiful how she looked like she might collapse at any moment? Logan Redford pressed Sidney again.

“And you exchanged contact information?”

“Yes, when we met for the second time at Marcel’s restaurant, she said to contact her if I needed help.”

Marcel’s small and shabby lodgings and the office where Logan Redford was constantly badgering.

During the time when Sidney Warden only went between those two places, her only sanctuary was the modest restaurant.

Yes, Sidney would have met Marien there again, quite by chance.

When they parted, Sidney Warden would have handed Marien her business card, saying to contact her if she needed help.

Of course, Marien would have tilted her head slightly and smiled an enigmatic smile. Mocking Sidney’s kindness.

Because Marien is that kind of woman.

A free spirit with no attachments to passing encounters, no family or house to protect.

The Marien created by Sidney Warden had to be like that.

“Didn’t you say earlier that she was friends with Lady Owello?”

Sidney closed her eyes gently. As if performing a ceremony to send off the brilliantly shining Marien.

“Yes, I introduced Marien to Victoria. That’s the answer.”

Her body, which had been burning hot until just moments ago, had cooled to a chill, making her jaw chatter. Sidney groaned, shuddering from the chills.

“Then how do you meet Marien?”

“I do get occasional contact when I stop by Marcel’s.”

“Is she in Marcel now?”

Ah, fuck.

Sidney’s shoulder hit the door with a thud, tired of the endless questions. At that moment, a sharp woman’s voice rang out.

“Stop it!”

She didn’t need to see to know. It was a voice Sidney knew all too well.

Click, click, Sidney felt relief hearing the sound of shoes approaching her.

A sweet floral scent enveloped Sidney. The hands wrapping around Sidney’s waist and the tearful face belonged to her reliable friend Victoria.

“…Vicky.”

“Yes, it’s me. Don’t say anymore now.”

“…”

She should say she was fine, but the words wouldn’t come out.

Sidney lowered her hot forehead onto Victoria’s small shoulder. The cold snow piled on her coat cooled the painful heat.

“Lord Redford, you really have no sense of decency.”

“This is none of your business, Lady Owello.”

Sidney opened her bleary eyes at the sharp confrontation between Victoria Owello and Logan Redford.

Fortunately, a man in a black coat was blocking Logan, pushing him back.

“Logan, that’s enough.”

It was Ernest Holden. Relieved by his presence, Sidney lost her balance and fell into Victoria’s arms.

It’ll work out somehow? Sidney closed her eyes, leaning on her friend’s small shoulder.

[This is the timeline separator]

Victoria clenched her teeth as she staggered under Sidney’s weight. Then she snapped at Logan.

“Lord Redford, why is this none of my business?”

“This is part of official business.”

“Ah, because Sidney Warden is your subordinate?”

“That’s right. So please step aside.”

Logan approached to take Sidney. Victoria wrapped her arms around Sidney’s head and lifted her chin.

She glared, warning him like a female protecting her young.

“Are you ordering me too? Lord Redford, don’t make any more mistakes here.”

“Lady Owello.”

Logan’s aura was no less intimidating, like a male asserting ownership.

Despite his large build making him seem like a bear threatening a deer, Victoria just snorted.

Victoria Owello was just as strong-willed as Logan Redford, if not more so.

Especially when she lost her temper, no one could stop her hot-blooded and arrogant nature, to the point where she was infamous as a fighting cock in the eastern social circles.

Victoria was only generous when it came to her friend Sidney Warden. With Sidney collapsed like this, she couldn’t see anything else.

“Lord Redford, you said this is official business just now, right? As far as I know, Sidney Warden is currently on vacation, isn’t she?”

“That’s correct. However, this is an emergency…”

Victoria cut off Logan’s words and rapidly fired off her own.

“It may be an emergency for you. I need to protect ‘my man’ who’s on vacation. Because it seems you can’t see that my, man, is in so much pain he can barely breathe!”

Each time the words ‘my man’ came from her mouth, sparks flew from Logan Redford’s eyes.

The atmosphere was such that it could lead to a fight between families at any moment, so Ernest Holden stepped in.

First, he squeezed between the two of them and took Sidney from Victoria.

“Everyone calm down. Victoria, the priority is to get Warden to bed first.”

That made sense. As Victoria and Logan stepped back, Ernest supported Sidney and laid her on the bed.

Victoria blocked Logan from entering the bedroom and sneered.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Move aside.”

“Lord Redford, you were truly selfish and cruel to the sick Sidney. So I fully understand why Marien doesn’t want to see you, and why Sidney tries to hide her.”

“…”

Logan Redford didn’t flinch even at Victoria Owello’s sharp words. He seemed to see only Sidney Warden lying on the bed.

Victoria clicked her tongue briefly, seeing Logan’s face contorted with regret and anger.

It still looked to her like he was trying to torment Sidney.

“My friend is too good for a man like you. Goodbye, Lord Redford.”

Bang, with that the door closed in front of him.

Logan, who had been standing blankly for a moment, staggered and leaned against the wall. Then he roughly rubbed his face with his hands and muttered.

“Clearly, judging by the look in his eyes and voice, he mixed in lies to hide something. And Marien and Sidney, apart from their appearance, their build and voice are strangely similar. It seemed like he was emphasizing that the two existed at the same time…”

Logan Redford mumbled “What are you trying to hide?” as he mulled over each detail. The information he had gathered over the past three days and the conversations he had with Sidney.