Water sloshes in a wooden bathtub barely big enough for one person. Inside, Sidney Warden sits curled up, hugging her knees with her head bowed low.

“Haa…”

Of all people, to show such a pitiful crying face to Logan Redford.

Below her swollen eyelids from crying, her green eyes darkened and her face contorted.

“This is the worst…”

Her empty eyes took in the red hair spread out on the water’s surface. As the shame began to fade slightly, a deep male voice was heard knocking lightly on the door.

“Sidney Warden, come out before I enter.”

“Commander, just a moment please.”

Her voice in response was cracked like metal.

At the sound of him coming in, Sidney grabbed the tub and stood up. A groan escaped involuntarily.

How, why, for what reason… was Logan Redford in her home?

Sidney thought of Walter Asner and Betty in turn, then sighed. It seemed likely that no one could have stopped Logan.

Judging by how he was pressing, it seemed he had urgent business, but it wouldn’t be work-related. There would be no reason to seek out Sidney during her vacation.

Then he must be here to confirm if Sidney was Marien, or Victoria had sent him. Either way, facing him now… was not very appealing. At least not now, with traces of that night still remaining…

Sidney wiped the moisture from her body with a towel, avoiding looking in the mirror.

Whenever her face felt hot, red flowers blooming on pale skin blurred her vision like afterimages.

“Sidney Warden, are you alright?”

Fortunately, Logan’s gruff urging snapped her back to attention. His voice full of irritation rather than concern was no different than usual.

“Yes, I’d be even better if you’d stop asking.”

Sidney could naturally retort with an annoyed voice as well. Glancing in the mirror, her face wasn’t noticeably red despite how hot it felt.

This much should be… Sidney wrapped her chest tightly with bandages, feeling more at ease. It was difficult with her hands not working properly, but manageable.

However, moving her arms and legs to put on clothes was a bit harder.

As a result, groans and curses involuntarily escaped due to muscle pain as if her whole body had been beaten.

“I can hear everything.”

Sidney flinched and bit her lower lip hard.

Sharp ears too. This is all because of who… After sending a dizzy and aching patient to bathe, he should just wait quietly. That damn obsessive-compulsive disorder is the problem.

Sidney, hurrying to leave the bathroom, glanced at the mirror again.

As she checked to see if she had missed anything, she frowned at the red hair flowing down to below her shoulders.

“Ah.”

The moment she put a towel on her head, Logan, whose patience had run out, opened the door. Too startled to move, she stood blankly as he quickly scanned her up and down with piercing eyes.

That gaze and expression were so indifferent that Sidney felt her whole body go cold. Thanks to that, she could face Logan Redford as usual.

“Commander, what urgent matter could there be… for you to be so rude?”

“Rude? I was worried you might have fainted.”

Even if Sidney fainted in her bathtub, nothing would happen. The water only comes up to her chest even when crouching with knees bent… what nonsense.

Sidney stepped aside from the door, showing him the bathtub.

“In that small tub?”

“You never know.”

“…This is a serious invasion of privacy.”

“Come out and dry off.”

Such a temper. Sidney Warden asserted her rights firmly with a serious face.

“Commander, I’m on vacation.”

“Three minutes, no more than that.”

“Yes.”

At least he had the decency to close the door himself.

Sidney hurriedly shook the moisture from her hair.

After brushing it three or four times, she gathered her hair into one and tied it with a hair tie. She naturally compared herself to Marien in the mirror.

Ugly.

With Sarah’s makeup skills, Marien’s eyes were more defined, her eyelashes fuller and longer, giving her gaze a certain depth.

In contrast, Sidney’s eyelids were swollen from crying and her eyes were sunken, with dark circles underneath from the pain.

While Marien’s lips were moist with red and luscious, Sidney’s were torn with scabs stuck all over. The result of biting her lips to endure the pain.

Her already bad mood worsened. Sidney traced the freckles spread widely on her slender, long face and muttered.

“Did she say powder…?”

No sooner had she recalled the skin turning milky white with brush strokes than Logan urged again.

“Sidney Warden.”

The building Sidney lives in was built 122 years ago.

It was built for nobles attending the academy at the time, so the structure and finishings were not bad compared to other buildings on Dustin Street.

Of course, it had the disadvantage of being more worn down and drafty.

The rent was cheap enough to offset all those drawbacks, but the decisive reason Sidney chose this place was the interior layout.

A kitchen-cum-living room, bathroom, and bedroom – just right for living alone. Especially appealing was the water tap next to the cooking counter where simple cooking was possible.

“I thought it was empty without furniture at first… but there’s no space to put furniture either.”

Ignoring Logan’s words, Sidney activated the magic tool placed on the counter. It was a gift from Victoria that could easily light a fire using a magic stone.

Pik, Sidney placed a kettle filled with water on the fire. Then she took out two teacups and a tea canister from the shelf above the counter.

“You have tea too?”

“Yes.”

Sidney roughly scooped out some tea leaves with a spoon and poured in the boiling water. She turned around holding the teacups and was startled.

“Why are you standing behind me?”

“Because there’s nowhere to sit?”

Logan Redford stepped aside demonstratively, showing the living room.

A single-person couch in front of the window with drab green curtains, a small bookshelf next to it, and a small fireplace emitting warmth was all there was.

Sidney walked two steps and set the teacups down on the dining table.

“Here, sit in the dining chair.”

“There’s only one chair?”

“Yes.”

Sidney went to the bedroom without hiding her annoyed expression and brought back a chair. Then she plopped down in front of him.

“No reception table either.”

“I don’t like having people over.”

“…”

Logan silently brought the teacup to his mouth. Not liking the taste of the tea, he set the cup down.

So picky. Sidney pouted and demonstratively drank her tea. Then she asked him directly.

“What’s your business?”

“Even more… impertinent than usual.”

Logan tapped his teacup with his index finger and glared sharply at Sidney. Only then did Sidney realize she had been too rude to her superior.

And that she was merely a subordinate to Logan.

“If you felt that way, I apologize. But it’s not work hours now and this is my personal space… please understand, Commander.”

“You’re right. But there’s no need to be so prickly with a superior visiting a sick person.”

“Did you say a sick visit?”

“Yes. Did you know you’ve been out of contact for two days?”

I slept that long? Sidney tried to gauge the time and sighed.

“…I didn’t know.”

“If Walter hadn’t broken down the door… there could have been big trouble, I hear.”

“Where did Walter go?”

“I sent him away.”

“Ah.”

Sidney, who had been on edge and wary like a mother cat protecting her kitten, became docile.

Seemingly pleased with that, Logan smirked. Then he moved the bowl placed in the corner of the table in front of Sidney.

“Eat.”

The bowl contained finely shredded meat floating in a white broth. Sidney frowned as she peered into the bowl and asked.

“What is this?”

“You need to eat something.”

“Thank you.”

She didn’t particularly have an appetite, and didn’t feel like eating in front of someone. Sidney discreetly moved the bowl to the side.

“Sidney Warden, eat now.”

“Is that an order?”

Sidney looked at her superior and asked politely in a calm voice. Logan leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs, and sneered.

“Of course. Did you think I would ask nicely?”

Now that’s Logan Redford. Sidney stood up with a faint smile.

“That would have been very uncomfortable.”

She went to the counter and returned with a spoon. As she stirred the soup with the spoon, a savory aroma stimulated her nose. The taste spreading in her mouth wasn’t bad either.

Crackling, only the sound of firewood burning in the small fireplace and Sidney swallowing soup could be heard.

Because that tranquility was nice.

Because she didn’t have to deal with Logan Redford.

Sidney forced down the soup that wouldn’t go down. But soon the bowl revealed its bottom and Logan opened his mouth.

“Sidney Warden, do you know a woman named Marien?”

Sidney’s hand flinched as she was setting down the spoon after drinking the last of the soup. Logan leaned forward, catching that with hawk-like eyes.

His eyes were glinting like a predator that had spotted its prey.

Should I ask why he’s asking? No. That question assumes Sidney knows Marien… A more neutral question would be better.

Sidney pushed aside the empty soup bowl and spoke.

“Is she a commoner without a surname?”

“Hmm, is that a way of saying you don’t know?”

A spark flew from his blue eyes. Like when an angler notices the float sinking.

Sidney tilted her head slightly and fixed her gaze on the irrelevant teacup.

“Well, Marien isn’t an unusual name.”

“There are 279 commoners named Marien registered in Marcel. Among them, 54 are young women in their twenties. It’s not that common a name.”

He investigated all that in two days. Is he really going to look for Marien?

Why? For what reason? Sidney pondered how to react while habitually muttering the numbers he had recited.

“279 commoners, 54 young women…”

It was fewer than expected. Meeting all 54 wouldn’t be impossible.

Especially if that ‘Logan Redford’ set his mind to it, it wouldn’t even take a week.

Even so.

Logan wouldn’t be able to find out anything. That ‘Marien’ doesn’t exist in this world.

“Are you curious if I know any of the Mariens among those 54?”

Sidney probed him while emphasizing the numbers. Logan, who had been staring at her, leaned back and folded his arms. Even that much physical distance made Sidney feel like she could breathe easier.

“She won’t be on the list. Commoners tend not to register births at city hall, and it seems she used an alias.”

Sidney was inwardly quite surprised at the word ‘alias’. If she had let her guard down from not knowing Logan well, it would have all shown on her face.

Sidney put on a suitably surprised face and asked back.

“Pardon?”

Whether the act worked properly, Logan frowned with an expression of utter incomprehension. He stared intently at the teacup, then raised his gaze and spoke.

“…Marien.”

That day, with that ambiguous gaze as he looked steadily at Marien, in that languid voice… he called her.

Had she been found out? That can’t be. Sidney leaned back in her chair and folded her arms. She met his gaze with eyes asking what he meant.

“…That’s how it was. Just like you now, her reaction was slow every time she was called. And in her expression and eyes there was a subtle aversion and mockery…”

He stopped speaking and quietly added, ‘It’s the same.’