Even if he was drunk, Logan Redford’s insight couldn’t be overlooked. Or perhaps Sidney had overestimated the earring artifact.

Sidney decided not to hide her current mood. To deceive someone like Logan Redford, she needed to mix lies and truth appropriately…

“I certainly feel aversion. I’m also very displeased about being experimented on as a comparison subject without my knowledge.”

She emphasized her aversion and displeasure more than her anxiety and nervousness about being caught.

Using that as an excuse, she even gained a reason to avoid his gaze… Not bad.

“Is it that unpleasant?”

“I tend to be sensitive when I’m sick.”

“…I see.”

Tap tap, the sound of Sidney tapping the table with her index fingernail rang out rhythmically.

Logan’s eyebrow moved slightly as he watched her lost in thought. Then his eyes narrowed.

“Sidney Warden.”

“Yes.”

Sidney blinked and looked at Logan.

The corner of his mouth was subtly twisted upwards. That meant Logan Redford had caught onto something.

“What are you pondering so deeply? You just need to tell me what you know about Marien.”

Sidney lowered her eyes and made an “Mmm” sound.

While that action seemed relaxed, for her it was an attempt to hide her bewilderment and buy time.

“It seems my guess was correct. Seeing you resort to such obvious tactics unlike yourself… You must be quite flustered.”

Logan knew Sidney Warden as well as she knew him. That’s because they had spent so much time together.

At this point, a frontal attack would be best. Sidney looked straight into his blue eyes and admitted frankly.

“As expected, I’m no match for you, Captain.”

“…”

Logan gestured with his chin for her to continue talking.

From that arrogant attitude, Sidney felt an inexplicable sense of defeat and simultaneously a determination to properly deceive him.

Thanks to that, the fog covering her mind cleared away and her thoughts quickly organized.

In two days, if he had searched through the entire list of people named Marien at City Hall… Logan must have also met Victoria Owello. Since investigating close acquaintances first is the basics of an investigation.

Just in case, thanks to her earnest request to Victoria, Logan had come to find Sidney.

Now she couldn’t act clumsily anymore.

To prevent Logan Redford from suspecting that she and Marien were the same person… creating a fictional character named Marien might be the safest option.

Sidney leaned forward and placed both hands on the table.

“Honestly, I was undecided about whether I should talk about the Marien I know.”

“…What do you mean?”

Even at this moment, Sidney was creating Marien in her mind.

Marien.

She is a commoner with enough leisure to enjoy traveling. She also stopped by Marcel here while traveling, and the only people she knows are Sidney Warden and Victoria Owello.

No matter how wealthy, a commoner is still a commoner. If caught up in an incident, it would be disadvantageous. It’s natural for Sidney Warden to want to protect such a Marien.

Perfect. With that reason, it explains both why Sidney took time to grasp Logan’s intentions and why she tried to hide something.

After organizing her thoughts like that, Sidney calmly continued speaking.

“It means exactly that. I don’t know much about her. And with you coming to find me during my vacation and cornering me like this as if investigating a criminal…”

And trailing off at the end, she lightly scratched her forehead as if troubled.

Tap tap, the sound of Logan tapping the table with his index finger matched the rhythm of the crackling firewood.

Would he fall for it? Sidney endured the long silence, hoping Logan would lose his way in the smoke screen she had cast.

The sound of tapping on the table ended and.

“Does it feel like I’m interrogating you?”

Got it. Sidney raised her eyelids slowly, certain that her intention had succeeded.

“It felt that way. Because there’s no way you would have really come to visit me out of concern.”

For just a split second, Logan’s pupils shook violently. He even averted his gaze from her while making a pained sound.

“So that’s what you thought.”

“…”

A crimson tinge spread around Logan, who seemed steeped in regret. Only when Sidney looked at the window behind him did she realize it had become evening.

The spectacle of red hues spreading across the gray sky’s wide clouds looked somehow lonely.

That must be why.

Logan Redford sitting with his back to the sunset looked pitiful, and Sidney’s chest felt pierced with pain… It must be because of that.

Damn it, I can’t take it anymore.

With a headache like her head was about to split and a fever that seemed to melt her whole body, her breath became choked.

Sidney unbuttoned one button of her shirt that had been fastened up to the top. And one more… just as she was about to unbutton it, she flinched at the sound of tapping on the table.

“Sidney Warden.”

Sidney startled at Logan’s voice that came out as if scratching his throat. And as she withdrew her hand that had been on the second button, she muttered as if making an excuse.

“I have a fever…”

“Hmm, this is important to me… so please focus.”

Is this something to get angry about? Sidney suppressed her rising dissatisfaction and clasped her hands together.

“Understood.”

“Good. Keep talking.”

Logan gestured with his chin as if telling her to report on the progress of the investigation.

Matching this, Sidney also asked a question that would be fitting for his subordinate and a member of the investigation team.

“Before that, I have one question.”

Sidney pictured Marien more concretely in her mind.

It would be good to be just a travel friend met in passing.

That way it wouldn’t be strange to want to help her without knowing much about Marien.

With that kind of relationship, she probably wouldn’t mention spending a night with a strange man.

Then Sidney should be worried about Marien now without knowing anything.

“What kind of incident is Marien involved in?”

“…?”

“I want to know if Marien is a victim, perpetrator, or witness right now.”

“That sounds like you’re quite close friends?”

This too was as expected.

Sidney gave a faint smile to Logan who was testing her.

“I’ll answer that… after hearing your answer, Captain.”

This much is good.

Logan Redford and herself are superior and subordinate.

A relationship of only exchanging work-related conversations suited them best.

Having pushed this far, Logan Redford would now unfold the story about Marien.

Sidney steeled herself not to waver.

“Hmm, it’s natural for you to think that way. That Marien is a woman I’m… personally looking for.”

Looking for her to do what? Sidney couldn’t hold back her inexplicable rising irritation and spoke with a grumbling voice.

“…Why are you asking me about this? And I have no obligation to answer your personal questions, Captain.”

“I expected this.”

“Pardon?”

“Sidney Warden is clear about public and private matters… so I didn’t think you would answer.”

Logan’s gloomy atmosphere and gaze made her guess the words he swallowed.

Out of fear.

Logan Redford was afraid? That can’t be.

Sidney wiped the cold sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand and sighed.

“That’s not something you should say, Captain, when you keep that line more strictly than anyone.”

“Did I do that?”

“Yes, you did.”

Sidney felt dizzy and dropped her head while straining her arm. Her mouth felt parched and her vision spun.

“Then… I guess my acting skills were quite good.”

Logan’s voice faded far away and then grew loud again. She answered that she was fine to his question asking if she was alright.

It’s almost done. If she doesn’t wrap this up here, Logan Redford will harass Victoria again.

Sidney bit her lower lip and straightened her posture again. Logan handed her a glass of cold water.

“Let’s stop here. No need to push a sick person.”

“I’ve been sick since earlier.”

Sidney accepted the glass and moistened her throat. As the burning thirst subsided, her vision became clearer.

“Just… tell me the main point.”

Logan leaned against the wall and stuck his right hand in his pants pocket. And looking down at Sidney, he spoke as if muttering.

“In the destination record you submitted, it said you would be at ’34 Mayfield Avenue’ from December 31st until today.”

“Yes, I was there until the afternoon of January 1st.”

Sidney gave the alibi she had prepared in advance. Immediately, Logan’s sharp question flew.

“You were alone in a house with no owner?”

“Yes, I was sleeping while Miss Owello went to introduce her cousin to Marien and came back.”

Sidney subtly emphasized the whereabouts of the two people during the same time period. That Marien was at the Armand Hotel with Victoria, and Sidney was at Victoria’s house.

So that even subconsciously, Logan Redford wouldn’t think the two people were the same person.

“Strange. Sleeping while your lover goes out on December 31st.”

“I wasn’t feeling well from then.”

This is the truth. Sidney hadn’t been feeling well since the day before meeting Victoria.

“Then… why was Miss Owello drunk at a hotel bar with a friend when she had a lover waiting at home?”

Caught off guard by the unexpected point, Sidney looked up at him with a surprised face.

His long bangs that were always neatly combed back peeked out between his fingers.

Those long fingers caressed her bare skin, and those tightly closed lips embraced her all night.

That’s right. As Logan Redford said, that should have been Sidney’s first and last transgression.

So that Sidney could continue to stay in the Imperial Guard, and her younger sister Emilia could continue her treatment.

Sidney hardened her face and wore a cold smile.

“Captain, that’s an extremely personal question.”

“This is part of the job. You leave a contactable destination, and it’s my job to verify it.”

As much as she hated to admit it, Logan was right.

When Sidney joined the investigation team, she had signed agreeing to do so… so accurately reporting her destination was a rule that had to be followed.

Also, if this was violated, she would have to accept a pay cut or disciplinary action.

Even if Logan Redford was abusing this, Sidney had an obligation to prove her whereabouts.

“We had a small argument. Miss Owello didn’t understand that I couldn’t go out with her.”

So Sidney gave a reason that might happen between lovers.

She didn’t like using Victoria in this way, but it was the best option right now.

Because Sidney’s body was crying out that it couldn’t take it anymore.

“As I thought… you were in that kind of relationship with Miss Owello.”

Logan Redford’s voice was drowned out by the noise of the chair being pushed back. Sidney spoke weakly as she removed her hand from the table.

“…Please leave now.”

Sidney passed by him without a word and headed to the bedroom. Just the fact that she had escaped from him made her feel relieved and her breathing easier.

On the other hand, she was also disappointed that Logan was letting her go like this.

You’re crazy. Sidney muttered to herself as she grabbed the bedroom doorknob.

At that moment, Logan’s scent approached suddenly and his heavy voice was heard by her ear.

“But you must have known Miss Owello’s friend well enough… to trust and send her off?”

“Yes, she is the only ‘Marien’ I know.”

“…I see.”

The doorknob wouldn’t turn when she pulled it. Sidney looked at his large hand on the door and made a sound through her tightly closed teeth.

“Captain, let’s stop this.”

“If you could explain… about the mark on your neck.”

His breath tickled Sidney’s neck. At this, Sidney’s pupils shook greatly.