Logan Redford was wearing a black coat that covered his knees and had his hands behind his back. He appeared quite arrogant as he looked down at the caretaker John Durfman, being a head taller than him.

To the point where John Durfman standing in front of him looked intimidated.

Why such a troubled face? If the building caretaker is having difficulty answering… It must be information like the times visitors came and went or the number of visits to a resident.

Given the circumstances, Logan Redford must have asked about Sidney Warden and Marien.

Sidney Warden should be fine since she went in on December 31st and came out on January 1st.

But Marien left the apartment with Victoria on December 31st.

Damn, to have missed that. Sidney Warden bit her lower lip, remembering John Durfman who had been puzzled at the time.

Sidney whispered into Victoria’s ear.

“Vicky, stay here quietly. Don’t say anything.”

“Huh? Okay.”

As soon as Victoria responded, Sidney Warden walked towards the two men talking.

They turned towards the sound of footsteps. With the sun at their backs, the expressions of the two men weren’t visible, but judging by how John Durfman’s shoulders straightened, he seemed quite glad to see Sidney.

As expected. Sidney was certain her guess was correct. And she deliberately raised her voice to address Logan Redford.

“Commander, what brings you here so early in the morning?”

“I had something to ask the apartment caretaker.”

While Logan Redford gave a slight nod to Victoria, Sidney Warden mouthed ‘What?’ to the caretaker John Durfman.

John Durfman, seeing his chance, hurried over to Sidney.

“Good morning, Lady Warden. That person was asking about Lady Owello’s guest…”

“Ahem!”

John Durfman startled at Logan Redford’s cough and shut his mouth.

What is he trying to do now? Sidney lowered her eyes and suppressed the rising anger. And she pondered how to navigate this situation.

In fact, there wasn’t much need for deep thought. Victoria was a high-ranking noblewoman protected by imperial law.

Article 52 of the Arsenal Imperial Law.

Women belonging to noble families, except in cases of treason or harming other nobles or royalty, are to be questioned in the presence of a family member. Furthermore, any investigation without the family’s consent is considered illegal.

This was a law created out of necessity by the Emperor of Arsenal who needed the cooperation of nobles while fighting a 10-year war.

To allow many noble men to participate in the war, trusting in the safety of their wives, daughters, and sisters.

If ‘Article 52 of the Arsenal Imperial Law’ didn’t exist… Anthony and Sidney would not have gone to the battlefield, worried about their sister left behind.

Sidney Warden asked with a bitter smile.

“Commander, did you really investigate Lady Owello’s private life?”

“Hmm, Sidney Warden.”

Sidney gestured for John Durfman to go inside and took a step forward. Facing Logan Redford like that, she continued speaking.

“According to Article 52 of the Imperial Law.”

“Lady Owello is related to Miss Marien’s disappearance case. Of course, this is done with the consent of the Owello ducal family.”

As if waiting for those words, Logan pulled out a document from his chest.

Sidney’s hand trembled slightly as she read through the consent form carefully. She glared at the red seal of the Owello ducal family and her lips quivered.

“You said it was Marien’s disappearance case?”

“I met all the Mariens registered in Marcel City Hall… but the ‘Marien’ I know wasn’t there. There were no records of her staying at any Marcel accommodation before or after January 1st.”

“……”

Logan looked down at Sidney staring at the document and smiled triumphantly. His eyes glittered like a hunter waiting for prey to fall into a trap.

“So… we’re investigating under the assumption that she’s missing.”

The dazzling sunlight reflected off the snow piled up, illuminating the two people standing face to face at the entrance.

Logan Redford at 195cm and Sidney Warden at 179cm.

Even their elongated shadows matched beautifully, as tall as the two statuesque figures.

To the point where Victoria and Sarah, who normally shuddered at Logan Redford, gasped in admiration… the two people in black coats and uniforms looked like a masterpiece painting.

Logan Redford looking down at Sidney Warden with her head bowed seemed both dangerous and protective.

Being protected from a dangerous beast.

Victoria thought that expression was very paradoxical, yet best described those two people.

Just as Victoria thought they matched quite well, Sidney slowly raised her head.

With a snap, Sidney’s index finger flicked against her middle finger and hit the consent form.

Following the crisp sound, Sidney’s husky voice followed.

“I see. But this consent form states that Marien is a woman of the Redford marquis family… she’s a commoner.”

Logan Redford smirked coldly as if mocking that that was all she had to say.

“Miss Marien is also my fiancée… so she is indeed a woman of the Redford marquis family.”

Crazy. Sparks flew from Sidney’s eyes. Each word spat out of her mouth, having lost her reason, was as sharp and fierce as a blade. As much as her gaze.

“Did you say Marien is your fiancée, Commander?”

“……”

He must have noticed. If Sidney Warden’s eyes hadn’t gone wild at the word ‘fiancée’, she surely would have noticed.

How much Logan Redford must have eagerly prepared for this moment during the two days she was asleep.

But now that anger had already blown away her reason, Sidney Warden ended up showing her raw self.

“Marien would never have agreed to marriage.”

“You sound so certain. While you haven’t met or contacted Marien all this time.”

Oh no. The moment Sidney realized she had fallen for it, she raised her hand to her forehead.

They say the moment you think it’s too late is actually the earliest. She desperately hoped that saying was true as she racked her brain.

Her brain, having already slipped once, refused to think, but such feebleness wouldn’t work for Sidney in this crisis.

Forcing her brain to work as if wringing it out, Sidney raised her head and looked for the caretaker John Durfman.

John Durfman’s face, who had been watching the situation nervously from behind Victoria Owello, crumpled miserably.

That expression meant he had confirmed to Logan that there was no visitor named Marien. So Sidney was presumed to have never met Marien.

“Sidney Warden, when did you, who stayed here the whole time, meet her?”

Caught in a trap. Perfectly at that.

Of course. Logan wasn’t one to back down so easily.

That day, the day Sidney Warden collapsed, Logan Redford hadn’t properly found out Marien’s contact information or the marks left on Sidney’s neck.

So he had cornered the caretaker of Victoria Owello’s apartment.

After confirming the visit times of Sidney Warden and Marien, he must have been waiting for Sidney to make a slip of the tongue by pressuring her with Marien’s engagement.

So that Sidney could no longer make excuses that she had never met Marien. Now he would bring up the Redford family and demand she hand over Marien.

As she expected…

“As her fiancé, I have the right and duty to confirm Marien’s wellbeing. Captain Sidney Warden, will you tell me where she is?”

“Commander, that level of deduction is possible without meeting Marien.”

Sidney raised her eyelids and looked straight into Logan’s eyes. Seeing his irritatingly relaxed demeanor, her mouth moved on its own.

“If she were in a relationship to marry you, Commander… Marien wouldn’t have disappeared. She’s someone who always keeps her promises.”

“That’s true. Or…”

“……”

He pressed close to Sidney and lowered his head. Then he whispered in her ear.

“She might already be in front of me.”

“…What do you mean?”

Is he certain that I’m Marien?

That can’t be. If so, Logan Redford wouldn’t be acting this calmly.

Sidney’s eyes rolled to the side. As if he had been waiting, Logan’s blue eyes narrowed in a smile.

That meant he still had a critical hit left. Sidney steeled herself so as not to be surprised.

“It means exactly what I said. I need to find ‘my woman’… but the only tangible thing I can grasp is ‘Sidney Warden’, you. Which means…”

Logan pointed at Sidney with narrowed eyes.

At his gaze close to certainty, Sidney smiled involuntarily. And just as she was about to open her mouth.

“Well, I should head to work before it’s too late, right?”

Logan’s face moved away and his hand gripped her shoulder. Sidney glanced at the shoulder and roughly knocked his hand away.

“Lord Redford, Sidney will be going with me.”

Logan’s snort was drowned out by Victoria’s clear voice.

He growled at Victoria, who had linked arms with Sidney Warden. Like a beast whose prey had been snatched away.

“Lady Owello, please postpone that. Before going to the office, Warden needs to… stop by somewhere with me.”

“Lord Redford, I believe it’s not work hours yet?”

Sidney, who had regained her composure amid the tense atmosphere between Logan and Victoria, stepped between the two.

Then she gently stroked her excited friend’s head while turning her back to Logan.

“Vicky, I’ll see you in the evening.”

“But you promised to go to your first day of work this year with me…”

Victoria glared over Sidney’s shoulder and grumbled.

Sidney flinched at the murderous aura Victoria was emitting.

She was reminded of when young Victoria used to pull the hair of noblewomen who were obsessed with Sidney Warden in their childhood.

Back then, she could placate her with candy… but that wouldn’t work on the current Victoria.

Sidney took two tickets out of her coat pocket and pressed them into Victoria’s hand.

“Instead, let’s go to the first opera of the year together.”

Victoria’s eyes and mouth opened wide as she checked the tickets.

“Oh my, this is…”

“It’s your favorite novel, ‘When You Close Your Eyes’, adapted into an opera.”

Before Sidney could finish speaking, Victoria threw her arms around her neck and cheered.

“I love you, Sidney Warden! More than anyone else in this world! With all my soul… I love you.”

“Uh, right.”

“You were so beastly and rough last night, but now you’re so sweet like this…”

Good heavens.

Sidney was stunned by Victoria’s lines recited in an ecstatic voice.

As Sidney was flustered, Victoria winked at her, signaling.

Only then did Sidney realize this was an act.

“Sidney Warden!”

Who knew Logan Redford’s angry shout would be so welcome.

Sidney was truly grateful to him for ending this awkward and embarrassing situation.

At the time, Sidney Warden couldn’t have imagined how much this clumsy act had provoked Logan Redford.