The opera performance had ended, but there was still time left. Logan Redford took out a cigarette, put it in his mouth, and went out to the balcony.

The rattling sound of carriage wheels approached and then faded away into the distance.

Lighting the cigarette and exhaling a long trail of smoke, he noticed a carriage slowly creeping up in the distance.

Upon closer inspection, under the light of the street lamps, two figures emerged. The tall, dark-haired man was Steve Deniro, and the slender, red-haired figure was undoubtedly Sidney.

“Ha.”

Logan flicked his fingers and discarded the half-smoked cigarette. As Logan stepped into the elevator, Milo followed behind, closing the door and pulling the lever.

The needle pointing at 5 slowly moved towards 1.

With a thud, the elevator stopped, and Milo slid the door open.

Logan’s footsteps echoed through the quiet lobby. The moment he opened the front door, a cold wind engulfed him.

The chill clashed with the anger and heat within him, causing his irritation to surge.

Logan Redford squinted his eyes, searching for the cause of his foul mood in the darkness.

Steve Deniro, the bastard, was standing close to Sidney as if to flaunt it.

In that instant, his blood rushed backward, and his heart pounded as if shouting, “She’s my woman.”

He wanted to run over and smash the bastard to the ground, but he clenched his teeth and restrained himself.

Trust. The Sidney Warden he knew would never do anything improper after promising to marry him.

She was the type to reciprocate trust with trust, and she would firmly draw the line with those who distrusted her.

In other words, if he rashly displayed violent behavior and added to the perception that he didn’t trust her… the hard-earned promise of marriage might turn to bubbles.

However, the moment his eyes met Steve Deniro’s, sparks flew from Logan’s eyes.

Fortunately, just as Logan was about to take a step, Sidney Warden stepped back and slowly turned around.

How delightful her indifferent side profile was at this moment.

And how surprised her eyes were upon discovering him. His heart became serene like after a storm had passed. With each step she took towards him without looking back, his heart fluttered like flowers swaying in the wind across a field.

Logan extended his hand to Sidney and spoke.

“You’re late.”

“I said I was going to see an opera.”

“Sidney…”

Logan waggled his outstretched hand, drawing out his words.

Her face was expressionless, but her eyes reflecting him wavered as if at a loss, and her cheeks flushed red.

That was enough. Even if her heart wasn’t ready yet, her body remembered him and still desired him… He just needed to approach her first.

Logan touched the tips of her fingers with his fingertips. Sliding his fingers between hers as she flinched but didn’t pull away, he took a step closer. From such proximity, he gazed into her eyes and grinned.

“Let’s go inside.”

“…Yes.”

As they climbed the stairs, he glanced at the path she had walked. Steve Deniro had turned his back and was walking towards the carriage.

The lobby, illuminated by soft lighting, had a more dignified atmosphere than during the day.

Antique candlesticks hung on the grey walls, and a turquoise carpet covered the white marble floor.

It wasn’t like she was being dragged. Sidney tried to protest by twisting her hand held by Logan.

“Captain, my hand…”

He stepped into the elevator just like that. The interior resembled the lobby.

The only differences were the gold-rimmed mirrors on the walls and the red carpet on the floor.

With a click, the attendant Milo skillfully closed the door and pulled the lever. The moment the elevator slowly moved upward, Logan whispered into her ear with his lips.

“It’s punishment.”

Punishment? For coming late? She was about to question him when Logan kissed her cheek with a smacking sound.

Startled, Sidney glanced at Milo, who stood with his back turned.

Relieved by his motionless posture, Logan blocked her view and recited in a low voice.

“No other men allowed.”

“What?”

“Focus on me.”

Words spoken as if blaming her, with a glare in his eyes. Not only was the content surprising, but it was unbelievable that Logan Redford was the one saying such things.

Amidst the confusion, she swiftly turned her head to avoid his approaching hand.

In the round mirror, Logan was looking down at her, fixing her hair. Gently, like a lover would.

Why, why was he doing this… Sidney’s eyes in the mirror trembled violently, and her cheeks flushed red.

Displeased and unfamiliar with it, she swatted Logan’s hand away.

“Sidney?”

With a thud, the elevator stopped, and the noise drowned out his voice.

Then came the sound of the door opening, and Logan tightened his grip on their interlocked fingers. The force squeezing her fingers made her head involuntarily lift.

As if asking what the problem was, Logan raised his chin and looked down at her arrogantly.

The reason he could be so annoyingly confident was…

Sidney raised their intertwined hands and asked.

“You clearly said that even after marriage, I can continue as Sidney Warden.”

“I did.”

“Please be mindful when I’m in uniform.”

“That’s difficult. You’re always in uniform except when sleeping.”

Logan Redford immediately rejected her request while kissing the back of her hand. Then, firmly holding their interlocked hands, he stepped out of the elevator.

Following him, she set foot on the white marble floor. They passed through the brightly lit lobby with a magnificent chandelier hanging from the ceiling and entered the penthouse.

While walking down the corridor, Logan continued the conversation.

“Instead, let’s be careful in front of people. And when you call my name, Logan, I’ll back off anytime.”

His deep voice sank into her heart.

The disappointment she felt towards him, who aggressively pushed forward yet appropriately retreated. How should she define this feeling?
Lost in thought, her feet stopped in front of the room where she was staying.

Should she call him? Dare to call her superior by his name… Sidney looked down at her hand held by him and parted her lips.

“Logan.”

The tightly intertwined fingers loosened, and his long fingers moved away. His fingers slowly rose, cupping her chin as if caressing her lips.

He narrowed his eyes and lowered his head.

“Except in my house.”

His sophistry and hot breath lingered on her lips. Her shoulders trembled involuntarily, and she curled up.

“Sidney, look at me.”

His face, his gaze, his breath… consumed her. It felt like all the sensations in her body were exploding like fireworks adorning the night sky.

And so, the memories of that night were revived. How passionate and affectionate Logan Redford’s touch and lips were… How greedily they had yearned for each other.

“But…”

“It’s okay.”

The heat that passed through her trembling lips turned her back into Marien, not Sidney Warden.

Careful yet persistent, unhurried yet intense kisses drew her in as if enchanted.

The sound of a heavy object falling brought her back to her senses with a start.

The man with blue hair who stood there with a dumbfounded expression was Raon Lind. He stammered, “Uh, continue with what you were doing, no, I mean… I apologize.”

And he went back into the study.

How could he just leave after doing that, leaving the remaining person in this situation? Sidney covered her mouth with the back of her hand and stepped back. In the awkward atmosphere, Logan’s words were absurdly.

“Should I kill him?”

“Are you serious?”

“If that’s what you want.”

Sidney leaned against the wall, her trembling hand sweeping her hair that had fallen over her forehead back up.

While she took a moment to gather her thoughts, Logan also waited silently with his arms crossed.

“It’s not like we can hide it forever, and if I’m going to play two roles from now on, I need collaborators. If it’s someone trustworthy…”

“Don’t worry about that. He’s agreed to become my man.”

Three steps, just that distance. Enough to ignore the lingering passion of the kiss.

Sidney gave a sheepish smile and grasped the back of her neck.

“That’s good. I was going to tell you, I made the same arrangement with Inspector Deniro.”

“…Tell me in detail.”

She recounted the conversation she had with Steve Deniro at the opera house, one by one. In a calm tone, as if reporting her day’s work to her superior, Logan listened intently with a serious face as always.

When the whole story was over, Logan unfolded his arms and opened the door for her.

The light spilling from the room made his already sharp features look even rougher and more dangerous. But his blue eyes and deep voice were somewhat languid and reliable.

“That’s just how he is… Don’t trust him too much.”

Before passing him to enter the room, she looked up at him, giving a faint smile as if to comfort his slightly tired appearance.

“I won’t.”

“Tell me everything from now on.”

“…Yes.”

As if that was enough, Logan lightly nodded and turned around. Sidney slowly pushed the door closed while watching his retreating figure.

After a quick wash, Sidney Warden lay down on the bed. Just placing her arm over her forehead and closing her eyes made the fatigue slowly dissipate and drowsiness creep in.

In her hazy consciousness, the question “Will it be alright?” floated around. Pondering over this and that, she eventually let out a snort of laughter.

“What wouldn’t be alright…?”

Like a chrysalis shedding its shell to become a butterfly, that moment was a day she had enjoyed as her true self, a woman. From that point on, the secret was no longer a secret.

Because Logan Redford remembered her and had finally found her.

With this as a turning point, the fact that Sidney Warden was a woman became known to Maid Jane, Steve Deniro, the attendant Milo, and even Raon Lind…

“…Let it be.”

With those words to herself, her body went limp with drowsiness. The sensation of sinking deeper and deeper led to a dream.

Yes, what she was seeing now was definitely a dream. Otherwise, there was no way she could see Castle Warden.

The sky was clear without a single cloud, and the wind was refreshing.

The red-haired boy pushing through the weeds covering the endless red wasteland was the young Sidney herself.

Young Sidney glanced back at the castle once. A moment later, as if mocking her father’s warning, she advanced through the weeds without hesitation.

The weeds that had grown up to her waist parted, and the small hands scratched by the cracked ground didn’t feel any pain.

It was the memory of that very day. The secret that was exposed on the brink of death…