A memory of Christoph casually embracing her arose. He had held her passionately, unimaginable from his usually cold demeanor. Unlike his usually efficient self, he had taken his time to comfort her.

The touching skin remembered the heat of that time.

Christoph looked at her with eyes deeper than usual. An explicit desire shimmered in his pupils.

Suddenly, he thought about the last time he had embraced her. His throat went dry. An unbearable thirst overwhelmed him. He could feel the warmth of the body at his fingertips.

“Marianne.”

His voice was rough as it broke through his throat.

“!”

Whether it was fear, tension, or some other emotion, she couldn’t tell. She quickly grabbed the hat and started walking towards the lighthouse.

“…….”

Christoph quietly clenched his fist, seemingly missing the warmth that had slipped from his fingertips. After watching her back for a moment, he slowly took a step.

He walked along the embankment with Marianne. Seagulls flew above their heads, and the raging waves violently hit the breakwater. Yet, the silence that settled between them did not break.

(This is a time separator.)

Marianne prided herself on quickly and accurately recognizing the mood of others. It was her survival strategy as Mrs. Schneider, who had belatedly become a member of the upper class.

So she had noticed early on that Jan’s attitude towards her was somewhat awkward. The problem was that she couldn’t figure out why.

Finally, with a sigh, she twisted her torso while seated. Jan’s lower lip protruded.

“Jan Senior.”

“……Yes.”

Even the honorific ‘Senior’ elicited a lukewarm response. There was no retort of ‘kid.’ Something was undoubtedly wrong.

“What’s the matter?”

“……What? Yes.”

And now the awkward honorifics.

Marianne stared at him squarely. The basics of social life were to create allies for oneself. Even a person with minimal power was better than having none at all.
There’s a good reason they call it influence. At a critical moment, just one person who agrees with your opinion can turn the atmosphere around. These words coming from Mrs. Schneider, who had long been isolated, were undoubtedly true.

Marianne stared at him slightly instead of answering. She knew that sometimes silence puts more pressure than any provocation.

Sure enough, Yan, unable to endure the lengthening silence, hesitated and opened his mouth. It was a gloomy voice.

“Rookie… Marianne has only been in the police station for about a week now… but she caught the jewel thief, and revealed that what was treated as an accident was actually a murder.”

Only then did Marianne realize what was on Yan’s mind. He was afraid that his position as a ‘senior’ would be shaken.

She was a stranger everywhere she went. No one in the police station welcomed Marianne just because she was a woman. Maxime thought she was shaking the system of the police station, and Nicolas thought she was incompetent.

Yan was no different. He was not welcoming Marianne. He was welcoming his junior. A bitter smile formed on her lips.

Being a stranger in a group was a very familiar feeling. For example, like a commoner who fell among noblewomen, who were noble from birth.

Swallowing the rising bitter water, she silently pulled at the corner of her mouth.

“I was lucky.”

“Lucky?”

At Marianne’s calm reply, Yan questioned with a suspicious face.

“Yes, lucky. If it wasn’t for luck, how could a rookie like me do such a thing?”

“Rookie?”

“That’s right. A rookie. So please teach me a lot in the future, Senior Yan.”

“Of course, Marianne! Just trust me!”

Quickly, Yan leaned towards her with an inflated tone, lowering his voice.

“But why isn’t that person seen today?”

“That person?”

Marianne, too, lowered her voice and whispered to Yan, touching foreheads. Yan glanced around, rolling his eyes.

“You know, the person following you around, the one called the police consultant. Christoph. But do you know his last name? Both Chief Nicolas and Lieutenant Maxime seem to know, but no matter how much I ask, they won’t tell me. So mean, they leave me out.”

“Ah, I see.”

Marianne’s gaze was cast on the waiting room chairs. A few citizens were sitting, waiting for their turn, but Christoph’s figure was not seen.

Has he given up already?

“!”

Marianne bit her lip in embarrassment as she realized that she was disappointed. She had decided to sort out her feelings for him, but she was worried that Christoph might have given up. There was no such contradiction.

“But, Marianne.”

“Yes, Senior Yan.”

“What’s your relationship with him?”

“What relationship do you mean?”

Marianne clicked her tongue. However, Yan was looking at her meaningfully with narrowed eyes.

“It didn’t seem like a normal relationship when I saw it that day. Don’t you remember? Marianne…”

Yan who was speaking up to there, closed his mouth obediently. Christoph’s warning to watch his mouth came to mind. His voice was soft, but his eyes were sharp. For a moment, his heart shrank.