But she kept her back straight and walked forward.

It wouldn’t be strange, would it?

Marianne wanted to confirm what expression Christoph was wearing, but in the end, she didn’t turn her head.

It was her problem. Something Marianne had to overcome. Dark emotions she didn’t want anyone to discover, hidden deep in the bottom of her heart.

“Oh, look, the sweetheart is here!”

As she entered the office, Jan raised his hand with a quick wave. Nicholas, who had his arms crossed, glanced at her. Marianne, taking a short breath, walked straight toward them.

“You brought the youngest son of Duke Heinz, right? Well done, Marianne.”
“As expected of Mrs. Schneider… Oh, I mean, Marianne is different. Her discernment is extraordinary. By the way, Princess, she visited earlier; did you happen to meet her?”

Florian, who was standing next to them, suddenly turned pale as a corpse and subtly brought up the topic of Princess Nadia. His ambitious intentions were quite apparent, unlike the sudden desire to discuss the princess.

Maxim, on the other hand, grimaced continuously, as if he found their conversation distasteful. His twitching eye could have burst into a scream at any moment.

But Marianne didn’t say a word. Her attention was completely focused outside the window. Just not looking there required all the patience she had.

“Erhem! Of course, I played the most crucial role in this incident, Lord Nicholas.”

Jan hurriedly added, in case Nicholas forgot his contribution. At that moment, an indifferent voice came from behind.

“Ah, yes, it was quite impressive how you managed to catch Daniel Heinz’s ear.”

“Ugh, what’s that supposed to…!”

Jan was about to retort but fell silent when he realized it was Christoph who had spoken. Nicholas asked, “Caught his ear?”

“It’s not like that…”

Jan took a subtle step back. Marianne, with wide eyes, looked at Christoph. Why was he here? She wondered with a curious expression.

What about Princess Nadia? Didn’t they go for tea or something?
Their eyes met, and Christoph subtly raised the corner of his eyebrow, as if questioning her expression.

“Princess Nadia…?” He inquired, his voice trailing off. Christoph narrowed his eyes slightly, then gazed intently at her face.

Perhaps suspecting that her inner thoughts had been revealed, Marianne stammered in a flustered voice, “Why, what’s wrong?”

“Why indeed?” Christoph retorted sharply. He further narrowed his eyes, piercing through her countenance.

Or maybe he suspected his own emotions were transparent. Marianne asked with a puzzled tone, “Why, what’s the matter?”

“Even if I look away for a moment, strange folks from the entire town seem to be flocking around. Do I have time to leisurely sip tea?”

“…….”

Marianne remained silent, or rather, she couldn’t speak at all. She stared with widened eyes, her breath held.

The four individuals nearby pretended not to have heard Christoph’s casual tone and turned their heads. It was a reminder of his earlier warning that they needed to be cautious with their words to survive.

“Inspector Hindenburg has returned to the prosecutor’s office,” Jan interjected, brazenly inserting himself into the conversation from behind. Florian shook his head disapprovingly, wondering how such an inattentive fellow had become an inspector.

Christoph let out a low, sardonic chuckle.

“It seems there’s more than one bonehead around.”

Saying this, he looked meaningfully at Maxim, whose face contorted in irritation.

“Hehe. Christoph, sir?”

Nicholas, clearing his throat softly, called out to him. Christoph slowly turned his eyes toward him. His black pupils emitted a disconcerting glint.

There was a bonehead over there too, just as they had been saying.
Marianne averted her gaze from him. She wore a modest violet-colored dress, and through it, her shabby shoes with slightly upturned noses were visible.

The corners of her lips lifted faintly. A glimmer of relief briefly lingered at the edge of her lips before vanishing, but no one noticed it. Not even Marianne herself.

Marianne walked along the sunset-lit street alone. Walking alone felt incredibly awkward.

“It’s been a few days since I walked beside Christoph.”

A muttered soliloquy escaped her lips. Humans were truly fickle creatures. When they stood, they wanted to sit, and when they sat, they wanted to lie down.

Despite having escaped from Christoph, Marianne found the time with him to be remarkably comfortable and enjoyable. She was dreading the end of this time. It seemed that her lingering attachment was gradually taking root.

“Pull yourself together, Marianne.”

“Marianne?”

At that moment, a familiar voice came from behind. Marianne suddenly halted her steps. When she turned around slowly, she saw Liam standing a few steps behind her.

Initially surprised, her expression soon softened, and she tugged at the corners of her lips.

“Good evening, Liam.”

“Are you heading home?”

He approached with a casual demeanor, smiling. Liam, who had been looking around as if searching for someone, asked in an unexpected tone.

“What about Mr. Schneider?”

In response, Marianne adopted a nonchalant expression. Her voice sounded somewhat coarse.

“We don’t always go everywhere together. I’m not a child.”
“However, Lord Schneider is unlikely to let you go alone, isn’t he?”

“…Actually, I received an invitation from the Viscount.”

As if he had expected this response, Liam chuckled. Then, he narrowed his eyes mischievously and said,

“That means today is your chance. If you’re a man, you shouldn’t miss this golden opportunity right in front of you. Would you like to have dinner with me, Marianne?”

“Uh… I apologize, I didn’t mention that I would be late, and Lady Listi will be waiting for me.”

Marianne knew it was a rather feeble excuse. She hadn’t contacted Lady Listi when she was running late for a day or two, and by dinnertime, Lady Listi would have already eaten alone.

Liam scrutinized her with perceptive eyes, as if he could see through her inner thoughts. Uncomfortable under his gaze, Marianne subtly avoided eye contact.

―Go straight home, Marianne. Make sure those strange people don’t follow you.

Christoph, who had received Lord Schneider’s summons, said with a grim expression. Marianne simply looked at him, thinking, “The strangest one among them is you,” but she kept that thought to herself.