The resolute attitude, the arrogant confidence and persistent possessiveness emanating from Logan Redford.

The certainty that he would not put Sidney Warden in any danger, and even if he did, he could protect her with his own strength.

Logan Redford was mocking Walter Asner.

Unlike Walter, who was in a hurry to just hide Sidney Warden, he boasted that he would accomplish more than that.

“That’s the difference between you, who pretends to be a friend so detestably, and me.”

“Keep playing your pathetic role of guardian. I wonder when you started taking this seriously.”

Walter Asner slowly rose to face Logan. Though they exchanged harsh words, Logan not only remained unaffected but even smiled smugly, as if showing the composure of someone who has everything.

After carefully recalling Logan’s recent actions, Walter asked with a frown.

“Could it be, at that time, when Sidney collapsed from overwork?”

Logan let out a loud, mocking laugh at Walter’s contemptuous gaze, as if looking at a shameless person who had exposed a sick patient’s weakness.

Logan himself had spent the night with Sidney as a man and woman, before stopping her bleeding when she was critically ill.

In contrast, Walter Asner, who spoke like that, while sharing the same room in the dormitory…

“Is that your own sordid experience?”

At Logan’s question, Walter gasped and shouted angrily.

“What! Do you think I’m the captain! She was shivering, drenched in sweat, so I was going to change her clothes… Damn it! Anyway, I purely…”

As Walter Asner rambled on with his excuses, Logan’s face contorted.

Walter seemed to realize he had gone too far and waved his hand dismissively. At this, Logan spat out words through gritted teeth, as if he could no longer bear it.

“Pure? Ha! If so… stop waiting all night in an empty house and clinging to her at every opportunity.”

“…!”

Walter Asner stood dumbfounded, his face asking what nonsense this was.

Gripping Walter’s shoulder, Logan coldly murmured.

“Because she’s mine.”

Such a bold claim of possession. Walter was certain that Logan knew Sidney was a woman.

‘Is that why he rushed to inherit the Redford viscountcy? To completely block the dangers that would befall Sidney? But if so, he should have distanced himself from Sidney more.’

Right now, everyone in the Arsnel Empire was focused on Logan, who would inherit the Redford viscountcy.

It was only natural that attention would be drawn to Sidney, whom Logan was excessively caring for.

‘This guy, how far is he planning to go? He won’t talk easily…’

Walter firmly grasped Logan’s wrist that was gripping his shoulder.

“Yesterday, Sidney sent me a man named Mylo, your attendant. He went into your apartment at 12 Mayfield Avenue with documents to send to Sidney.”

“She’s staying at my house.”

“Why are you being so honest all of a sudden?”

Logan shook off Walter’s hand on his wrist and snapped irritably.

“Because it seemed like it would end faster that way.”

“Captain, you don’t want to talk to me, right?”

“…”

Logan Redford frowned and turned away coldly. Walter Asner, left behind, burst out in frustration.

“I can’t accept it. I can’t entrust Sidney to you, Captain.”

As he was about to leave the interrogation room, Logan glanced over his shoulder and shot back.

“Entrust? Is Sidney an object?”

With a loud noise, the door closed, and Walter gestured angrily at the empty air, his mouth gaping.

“Wow, he’s crazy. He’s the one who said ‘she’s mine’…”

9:27 AM. Sidney glanced at the clock on the office wall and muttered to herself.

“What’s taking them so long?”

“Who are you talking about?”

Andy Spencer asked, handing over some documents.

The documents were the list of nobles who had married nobles from the Anes Kingdom, which she had requested earlier. Sitting down at the round table set up in one corner of the office, she replied half-heartedly.

“The captain and Walter, I left them fighting at the main gate earlier.”

“They went down to the underground prison earlier.”

“The underground prison?”

Sidney looked up from the documents and asked. Andy Spencer, who was sitting next to her going through the security force’s materials, nodded slightly.

“Probably because of Count Hamilton’s military trial tomorrow?”

The heart-wrenching stories of Marien, Peter, and Big Mouth Rick flashed before her eyes like a kaleidoscope.

No matter what punishment Dean Count Hamilton receives at tomorrow’s trial, it cannot bring back their deaths.

But she could only hope that the bitter resentment of the vengeful spirits would be somewhat relieved, and that there would be no more such victims.

Sidney grumbled, trying to shake off her lingering regrets.

“Even though we’ve handed over all the materials to the court? That’s unusual.”

She narrowed her eyes and focused on the list Andy Spencer had brought.

Since ancient times, the Anes Kingdom and the Arsnel Empire had maintained active exchanges while keeping each other in check due to their geographical proximity.

This relationship, which was both the closest enemy and ally to the rulers, was quite irritating and unsettling. Whenever this happened, the Arsnel Empire adopted royal marriages as the most definite and simple solution.

But the Anes royal family was not satisfied with just that.

They pursued an aggressive marriage policy to win over the imperial family and nobles of the Arsnel Empire.

This was a strategy for the king of Anes to seize even the imperial throne of Arsnel and swallow up the Arsnel Empire.

When the imperial family and nobles of the Arsnel Empire belatedly realized this, they were greatly angered and severed diplomatic relations, declaring war.

As they became enemy states, nobles with relatives settled in the other country through marriage were pushed out of major official positions, and noble families, in order to minimize damage, expelled their relatives in the other country and erased the records.

So now…

“There are only records from 20 years ago. But there must have been some marriages between the two countries.”

Still, you should have found out somehow. Under Sidney’s reproachful gaze, Andy Spencer offered an explanation with a troubled face.

“After they were expelled from their families and erased from the noble registry, there was no way to know.”

Once they were abandoned by their families and naturalized in another country, there would be no records left.

At that moment, Logan Redford opened the door and entered, frowning.

For a moment, Sidney was embarrassed by the fact that she had almost jumped up like a dog welcoming its master.

Hurriedly composing her emotions, she nodded a greeting to Walter Asner who was following behind.

Walter forced a smile in response. The way he was walking with slumped shoulders, dragging his feet, was not normal.

Even when she mouthed ‘Why?’, he just avoided her gaze… This wasn’t like him. How harshly must Logan have spoken to him for him to be so dejected?

Concerned, she pulled out the chair right next to her, but Logan promptly took the seat.

Not only that, he casually draped his arm over the back of Sidney’s chair and peered at the documents she was holding.

Then he nonchalantly asked Andy Spencer a question.

“What kind of list is this?”

“Warden asked about the Anes Kingdom and…”

Andy Spencer calmly explained their earlier conversation.

But Logan’s side profile, almost touching her shoulder, was so distracting that she couldn’t properly hear the explanation.

It was uncomfortable. It was so awkward that she was about to say something when Logan slowly spoke.

“To maintain noble status in any country, you need to register a marriage certificate and a birth certificate for mixed-blood children. They would have bought noble status to avoid it being a blemish on their children.”

“They would have been adopted into another noble family right before marriage. That should be in the records.”

That’s right. They would have to be listed in the noble registry of some kingdom. But that method…

Sidney added to Andy Spencer’s suggestion.

“That’s too broad and cumbersome. For now, focus on investigating the families who have reported incidents to the security force in the past two months.”

“Warden, may I ask the reason?”

Sidney leaned to the left and stared intently at Andy Spencer.

“I just made an assumption. If the Anes resistance forces want to take root in Marcel, who would they cling to?”

The nobles of the Arsnel Empire. Especially those who had been hiding the fact that they had married into the Anes Kingdom.

They would cling to that weakness and try to somehow take root here in Marcel.

Andy Spencer, who had been listening quietly, raised an objection.

“But the noble families of the Arsnel Empire won’t even deal with them.”

True, the nobles who had abandoned even their own bloodline wouldn’t be so easy. They would slam the door in their faces at the very least, and if necessary, they would stop at nothing to hide their own shame.

The Anes resistance forces, knowing the psychology of the nobles, would…

“…Since a normal approach is difficult, they’ll try to blackmail or persuade them. The nobles who fall for it unknowingly will report to the security force… and then gloss over it.”

Sidney pointed to the security force report materials she had reviewed last night and continued speaking.

“In other words, we’ll investigate the noble families involved in cases where the report was withdrawn or the investigation fizzled out. For that, we need the investigation reports stored in the security force’s archives…”

“Andy Spencer, request the materials from the security force through an official document.”

Logan cut her off in a firm tone.

That alone was unpleasant, but Logan had unilaterally given his opinion, excluding her who had suggested it, and assigned the task to Andy Spencer.

What’s going on? Although Logan Redford had tormented her to the point where she thought he might dislike her, he had never ignored her like this in work matters.

It seemed she wasn’t the only one who found it strange.

Walter Asner, who had been lost in his own thoughts all this time, as well as Andy Spencer, who had suddenly received instructions, looked around nervously with surprised eyes.

Despite the atmosphere, Logan was stubbornly fixing his gaze on Andy.

For him to act like this when he’s not an insensitive person means it’s intentional…

Sidney cleared her throat, covering her mouth with her fist, and said,

“Captain, I’d like to conduct the investigation secretly as it’s just my hunch for now. I’ll meet with the security force chief separately…”

“You say it’s a secret.”

He cut her off again. Moreover, without even glancing at her, just like before.

“Andy Spencer, find something with the investigation team personnel. Meeting the security force chief comes after that.”

“Yes, understood.”

What a temper. Sidney stood up without hesitation, giving a clear answer.

Along with the sound of the chair scraping, Logan grabbed her wrist as if snatching it. She looked down obliquely.

“Let’s talk separately in the office.”

He was still staring straight ahead.