After leaving Salon Siesta, Sidney wandered aimlessly without a clear destination.

With her hands in her coat pockets, walking without direction while facing the falling snow, Sidney stumbled and turned her head.

The middle-aged gentleman who had just bumped into her looked at Sidney’s shoulder with an apologetic face.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Um, by the way…”

“It’s alright.”

It’s not alright.

Although she was really upset… Sidney said that and moved on. She thought she heard someone calling “Excuse me” from behind, but she didn’t look back.

Because of familiar faces.

Logan Redford, Walter Asner, Andy Spencer, and even Victoria Owello… Just those alone were too much to handle…

The biting wind that scratched her face blew away that sound. Then she raised her gaze to take in the gray sky.

Among the heavily falling snow, the coachman’s shout urging on his horses spread across her white lips.

“Hah!”

As if that sound had pierced her ears, the clop-clop of horse hooves and the sound of carriage wheels rolling hit her ears.

Then the pedestrians hurriedly moving while huddled together also came into view.

Sidney narrowed her eyes as she slowly shifted her gaze and muttered.

“46 Tiery Avenue, Holden Newspaper Company…”

The Holden Marquis family, which owned the largest media organization and publishing house in the Asnel Empire. That reddish-brown brick 4-story building was like its heart.

“Lady Warden?”

As she turned her head, Ernest Holden, who had gotten out of the carriage, approached with a bright expression on his face.

“It really is Lady Warden. What brings you to the newspaper company? Did you come to see me?”

“I was just passing by.”

As she gave a perfunctory reply and tried to leave, Ernest Holden pushed Sidney’s back towards the building while laughing heartily.

“Haha. I actually had something to tell Lady Warden… Let’s go inside first.”

“I’m sorry, but…”

“I know, I know. You must be very busy right now during work hours. But you can spare me enough time for a cup of tea.”

It was awkward to refuse when he was smiling so kindly and urging her like this.

That’s how she ended up following Ernest into the Holden Newspaper Company building. In one corner of the first floor lobby, employees were stacking up piles of newspapers and handing them out to boys.

“It’s a bit chaotic, isn’t it? It’s time for the evening edition to go out.”

“Yes.”

Boys tucking newspapers under their arms that would be distributed on the evening streets. They only left the building after asking an employee to confirm the content of the front page.

They passed through the busy lobby and went up the stairs.

The employees coming down the stairs all greeted Ernest with eye contact or a nod of acknowledgment.

At those times, Ernest would smile back or tell them to keep up the good work.

Even though they were old friends, how different they could be. Thinking of Logan Redford, who coldly received greetings and went on his own way, Sidney brushed off the snow that had gathered on her head.

Like that, they went up the stairs and entered Ernest Holden’s office on the 3rd floor.

People sitting at desks busily working with their hands, people talking while looking at newspapers, people sitting on desks drinking tea while looking at documents… It was a somewhat disorderly yet free atmosphere, but their expressions were serious and passion could be felt in their eyes.

After a brief nod of greeting was exchanged, Ernest Holden guided Sidney to his room.

And refusing the hand of the employee who followed, he personally hung the hat he was wearing on the coat rack.

“Tom, please bring some warm tea.”

“Yes, sir.”

After sending out the employee named Tom, Ernest Holden walked towards the sofa while unbuttoning his coat one by one.

“Well, shall we sit down and talk?”

Like any office, there were leather sofas for receiving guests, fancy decorations and framed pictures, a desk piled high with documents, and bookshelves and cabinets packed full of newspaper scrapbooks and magazines.

As she slowly looked around the room and sat down on the sofa, Ernest let out a chuckle.

“Why are you laughing?”

It was just an expression of discontent, but he pointed between his eyebrows and kindly explained.

“Here, Logan also frowns here every time he looks at my bookshelf. Saying what kind of mindset could possibly be unbothered by looking at that…”

Ernest’s eyes sparkled mischievously as if asking ‘Are you the same?’

If she clumsily refuted or went along with it, the conversation would drag on endlessly.

Sidney hardened her face and refrained from speaking.

“Very like the Captain. By the way, you said you had something to tell me…”

“Anyway, you’re becoming more and more like Logan.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

She raised her eyebrows as if urging him to get to the point.

Ernest leaned back on the sofa with his hands clasped together. Just then, an employee came in and set down teacups on the table.

Only after they were alone again did Ernest Holden open his mouth.

“Logan detests human empathy or interaction, and basically doesn’t trust humans at all. That guy who always suspects everything first, to an almost pathological degree of checking and double-checking… is getting married. And to a woman known only by the name ‘Marien’…”

Trailing off at the end and gauging her reaction… Was he suspecting her? That couldn’t be. Even Logan Redford hadn’t immediately realized that she and Marien were the same person.

Sidney tilted her head slightly as she slowly closed and opened her eyes.

“And so?”

“Thinking about it carefully… Things got complicated when I took that guy to the Armand Hotel. The person who was originally supposed to show up there was the Police Chief, Viscount Steve Deniro, my older brother.”

What nonsense is this.

“Are you saying that Miss Marien tried to approach Lord Deniro with impure intentions?”

“It seems so.”

Crazy. How could he say that she tried to seduce Logan Redford instead of Steve Deniro…

Ernest Holden’s absurd assumption went beyond bewilderment to being insulting.

Sidney clenched her trembling fist and explained as calmly as possible.

“Lord Holden, I heard that Miss Marien didn’t know it was that kind of gathering, let alone that she was going to be introduced to Lord Deniro, until she arrived at the hotel.”

“Victoria herself arranged the penthouse for her cousin brother and Miss Marien to stay in? That innocent child?”

Right, why would that innocent child do such an outrageous thing?

She wanted to tell the truth, but Victoria’s reputation was at stake, and if she let it go like this, Marien would be misunderstood strangely…

It was frustrating and upsetting. If he had just thought about it a little more, he wouldn’t have come to such an absurd conclusion.

Sidney pointed out the more fundamental part than the story Ernest had laid out.

“Victoria Owello, although she may be a bit eccentric, is neither stupid nor gullible. She would have immediately seen through any intentions to use her and dealt with it quietly without anyone knowing.”

It seemed to have an effect, as Ernest didn’t mention that day’s events any further. However.

“Of course, Victoria is just as sharp and temperamental as Logan. But when it comes to matters related to you, those two become like gentle lambs.”

“Matters related to me?”

She immediately asked back as soon as Ernest’s words ended.

Wondering if he had realized that she was Marien, she felt a burning thirst in her throat.

After a brief pause, Ernest spoke as if admonishing Sidney.

“That woman is an acquaintance of Lady Warden. So Logan and Victoria had no choice but to trust her blindly.”

“I can’t agree. The Captain and Victoria I know are not people who would do that.”

He lowered his head and let out a hollow laugh. As if he had obtained the answer he wanted, he stared while laughing as if mocking this moment.

“Seeing you say that… Logan and Victoria must know that woman’s true identity.”

Damn it, I won’t give away any more.

“…Ask them directly.”

Even after snapping back coldly as if to shake off the feeling of being thoroughly played, the uneasiness remained.

So she waited for Ernest Holden’s silent laughter to end.

Tap, tap, tap,… She stared intently at his lips while tapping the sofa armrest with her index finger.

Finally, the laughter that was like a hazy fog, damp and irritating, cleared from his face and.

“The social circles are buzzing about what happened at Yvonne Boutique. Although it probably wasn’t Logan’s intention, with Victoria accompanying him, rumors are spreading that Miss Marien, who is of commoner origin, is now under the protection of not only the Redford Marquis family but also the Owello Duke family.”

“……”

“Honestly, I had expected Marquis Redford to oppose Miss Marien at least once…”

It was understandable for Ernest Holden to show aversion.

Marien, a commoner of uncertain origin who suddenly appeared. Such a woman joining high society with the help of his friend and cousin sister? Anyone would be uneasy like Ernest in that situation.

Rather, it was unusual for Marquis Douglas Redford to accept Marien so readily.

Nevertheless, why did she feel so irritated? Sidney picked up her teacup and smirked.

“It seems you quite dislike Miss Marien.”

“Well, since she’s a stranger… just being cautious.”

“You wouldn’t have rashly said such things just for that level of wariness, Lord Holden.”

What could it be? Ernest Holden wouldn’t show such blatant hostility towards Marien without any basis. And deliberately in front of her.

Breaking the silence that continued amidst the tension, Ernest Holden opened his mouth.

“Recently, there have been those trying to recruit Asnel nobles. Using quite vicious methods…”

Again, the Agnes resistance? Her brow furrowed involuntarily at the shapeless troublemakers.

“Miss Marien has nothing to do with that.”

“You sound certain.”

“I’ll stake my name on the fact that she didn’t approach the Captain and Victoria with any impure intentions.”

Sidney glared at Ernest Holden as he stood up following her. He offered an awkward smile and a typical apology.

“Alright, if that’s the case… I’ll trust you. I apologize if I offended you.”

Sidney stared at him blankly with an unpleasant expression before just giving a slight nod.

“I’ll be going now.”

“Wait, I still have some business left.”

“This time, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t try to sound me out and got straight to the point. I don’t have much time.”

“Of course.”

Ernest Holden hurriedly went to the bookshelf and brought back a book. The title of that book was one Sidney was already familiar with…

“It’s a work by Lady Burgundy. It seems to be about your family.”