Sidney has a low alcohol tolerance.

She gets drunk quickly, to the point where even a small amount dulls her senses and body.

So whenever she felt even slightly tipsy, she would drink water or listen to conversations while waiting for the alcohol to wear off. Once she felt somewhat better, Sidney would drink again, always staying vigilant. To avoid revealing that she was a woman.

But today was different.

There was no need to suppress her voice to sound rougher, or pay attention to her gait or posture like usual… None at all.

She intended to spend today as her female self and meet an old friend… She let her guard down.

Yes. That one moment of carelessness, combined with her arrogance in thinking she could control the alcohol.

It led to the current disastrous situation.

No, perhaps she should blame her own ignorance.

She should have known that when alcohol and pleasure mix… there’s no turning back.

If she had known that.

She would never, ever have followed “Logan Redford” up to the penthouse.

When the stormy kiss ended, she felt too drunk to regain her senses.

“Haa, Logan…”

“Marien.”

Even at this moment, Logan’s hands were lowering her shoulder straps.

She had to say it before it was too late. Sidney placed her hand on top of his and exhaled shakily.

“I… we shouldn’t…”

She swallowed. Her unfinished words, her breath, and even her lips… Logan consumed them all.

Sidney’s eyelids fluttered and closed as she was swept away by him again.

Her thoughts stopped and all her senses followed Logan’s touch grazing her skin.

Unfamiliar sensations she had never been aware of before went wild, matching the beat of Sidney’s heart.

The kiss was more intoxicating than alcohol. As breath and heat tangled between their lips, it completely paralyzed her thoughts.

Along with that, Logan’s hot hands traced her collarbone and traveled lower and lower.

Whenever Sidney squirmed and resisted, Logan gently stirred inside her mouth, as if soothing a child.

In this way, Logan Redford undid Sidney’s locks one by one.

Even to her most intimate and deep places.

And yet he didn’t allow her to reach climax.

Even when her hips lifted on their own, even when she begged with desperate eyes.

He just smiled incomprehensibly while persistently tormenting her.

Damn it.

Sidney bit her lip, clenching her fists in the blanket. It was to forget the desire for something she didn’t even know and the burning thirst.

Thanks to that, Sidney barely regained her senses and pleaded in a trembling voice.

“…Stop.”

But what came back was…

“Marien… You have such a beautiful body.”

Logan murmured praise without context. As the kisses continued, Sidney’s ragged breaths mingled.

Once again, waves of pleasure crashed over her.

More, more, just a little more.

Sidney wrapped her arms around Logan’s neck, breathing heavily.

“It hurts… so…”

“You’re a first-timer… Not yet.”

Though he looked as pained as she was, Logan firmly refused. Always pushing her to the brink of pleasure, but never beyond.

As this process repeated, Sidney gritted her teeth, swallowing the moans that threatened to escape her lips.

She could endure it. This much… was nothing.

Thinking of the time she had marched for three days straight in sweltering heat without proper sleep or food… This was nothing,

But contrary to such resolve, it wasn’t long before Sidney found herself despairing again.

No matter how hard she clenched her teeth, her trembling hips wouldn’t stop.

Damn it! Why?

Any sympathy Logan may have felt was long gone. Exhausted by unfulfilled desire, Sidney glared at him and whimpered.

“I… hate you.”

“Marien?”

I hate it. Logan Redford’s incompetence, the fact that he lacked the ability to extinguish the flames he had ignited.

“I hate it so much I think I’ll go crazy.”

Her resentment, her eyes wide open trying to hold back tears… Logan’s palm covered it all.

Whispering gently, just as he had when she had let everything go in the past.

“Shh, don’t cry. Can you… really accept me?”

“…”

“It will hurt a lot. But… if you’re okay with it…”

How could he be so consistent? Even when force-feeding soup to Sidney in the past…

Because Logan Redford was always right.

If it was him, even this maddening heat… Sidney’s lips parted.

“…Give it to me.”

The bed rippled as he moved.

Sidney turned her head to the side and closed her eyes. It was her own form of consideration for her superior.

But Logan grabbed her chin and made her face him.

“You should look properly.”

“…”

“At the man who will take your first and last.”

Were the eyes of a beast encountered in darkness like this? His eyes glinted greedily, like a predator about to tear into its hunted prey.

However, his wish was not fulfilled.

As the pain of flesh tearing and body splitting in half took away Sidney’s vision.

[This is the timeline separator]

After the storm had passed, Logan licked the tears gathered at the corners of Sidney’s eyes.

“Marien… are you alright?”

“How… could I be?”

Sidney’s voice was as rough as metal, from how much she had cried out. Logan chuckled at her curt reply.

Sidney flinched at his softened gaze and captivating smile, as if he was determined to seduce her.

“Ah, Marien… It was so good.”

“…For me too.”

Sidney was being polite rather than honest. And she turned to lie on her side.

Even that simple movement made all the bones and muscles in her body scream in pain. A moan of suffering escaped her lips involuntarily.

Sidney cursed the novels Victoria had shown her.

She wanted to kill the authors who wrote that it hurts at first but soon feels good.

Of course, from the middle it did feel good with tingling sensations. But the problem was that it wasn’t enough to offset the pain.

“You didn’t seem to enjoy it much.”

Logan embraced her from behind. And he kissed her shoulder. The skin where his lips brushed tingled hotly again.

“…I should have been more considerate of you this time, but…”

“No, that’s not it…”

Sidney had lived in close quarters with men. As a result, there were things she saw whether she wanted to or not.

For example, changing clothes, playing in streams, or bathing… situations like that.

Logan was overwhelmingly… Her aimless gaze settled on her own wrist.

Unable to read her thoughts, Logan promised:

“It will get better.”

“…That’s not it.”

“Marien, trust me.”

Sidney was certain she wasn’t in her right mind. In the end, she fell for his persuasion again.

Fortunately, Logan Redford kept his word. The second time was fine, and the third time was even better. And from the fourth time onward, she completely melted into the pleasure he gave her.

To the point where she didn’t even know when she had fallen asleep… Sidney had become one with him.

[This is the timeline separator]

Clop, clop.

Sidney’s index finger tapped the armrest of the chair in rhythm with the regular sound of hooves. Every time the carriage shook, a low moan escaped her lips.

Mulling over yesterday, Sidney struck the armrest with her fist.

“Walter Asner, I was foolish to believe you. What, useless? Without even properly checking…”

Murderous intent flickered in Sidney’s eyes as she muttered to herself.

Logan Redford was fine. Too, too healthy to handle.

To think she had felt sorry for him. Sidney leaned her head against the carriage wall and let out a long sigh.

“Even so, I should have… refused. Who’s pitying whom.”

The carriage turned onto Mayfield Avenue. Sidney gathered her thoughts while looking at the trees lining the street, bathed in morning sunlight.

What’s done is done. What use is there in blaming anyone or worrying about it…

Fortunately, Logan doesn’t know that Marien is Sidney. If he had known…

“He was probably just saying that. What won’t a man say to seduce a woman. It’s fine. He won’t even remember Marien’s face anyway…”

Sidney fiddled with her earrings, which were still in ring form, as she muttered to herself.

A moment later, the carriage shook and came to a stop. Then came the coachman’s call.

“My lady, we have arrived.”

As she stepped out of the carriage, snowflakes began to fall from the sky one by one.

It was the first snow. Sidney looked down at the snowflakes that landed on her hand and melted away, murmuring:

“…We won’t meet again.”

Her voice was drowned out by the sound of the carriage departing.

[This is the timeline separator]

Sidney looked up at the building after confirming the address, number 34. The building’s exterior looked no different from yesterday, and the surroundings were quiet.

“Why… is the door open? Where did the doorman go?”

Sidney entered the apartment, muffling her footsteps. As she walked down the hallway towards the elevator, she heard someone grumbling.

“What good is being nobility? Drinking and vomiting anywhere they please. Damn it! Not even cleaning up after themselves.”

Sidney gave up on the elevator and chose the stairs to the side.

But she regretted it after climbing just a few steps. Her whole body ached from last night’s events.

Yet she didn’t want to go back down and take the elevator. As much as she had decided to pretend last night never happened, she wanted to overcome this pain nonchalantly as well.

In any case, Sidney stubbornly climbed up to the fifth floor. Even though her legs trembled and cold sweat drenched her body… there was a sense of accomplishment in having overcome something.

When she rang the doorbell, Sarah opened the door with a just-woken face.

“Lady Sidney? At this hour… Oh my, look at this sweat… Please come in.”

She quickly ushered the exhausted Sidney inside.

“Sarah, I’d like to wash up.”

“This way, then.”

As they entered the bathroom, Sarah naturally approached to help Sidney. Not wanting to show her body with traces of last night, Sidney declined Sarah’s help.

“I’ll do it alone. Sarah, could you bring me the uniform I was wearing?”

“The mistress will be disappointed…”

“I’ll explain to her separately. An urgent matter came up.”

“Yes, I understand.”

After Sarah left, Sidney immersed herself in the hot bath water. Seeing the red marks here and there, Logan’s touch and gaze came vividly back to her.

“This is driving me crazy.”

Sidney shuddered and got out of the tub. She quickly dried herself off with a towel.

There was a light knock and the door opened.

“Lady Sidney, here are your clothes to change into.”

“Thank you, Sarah.”

Sidney thanked her as she checked her uniform and bandages. Then, as usual, she tightly bound her chest with the bandages.

Whether from the stinging pain or dislike of the situation, curses occasionally escaped her lips.

Only after changing into her uniform did Sidney leave the bathroom.

“Sidney Warden?”

At the male voice, Sidney slowly turned around. Hiding the red dress behind her back.