Come to think of it, from the beginning, Marquis Redford asked difficult questions, but was very friendly.

It seemed he had given permission for the marriage even before seeing Marien…

For what reason did he decide to accept Marien, whose identity was unclear.

Sidney glanced at Marquis Redford while capturing the marquis’s pawn with her knight.

His hair, which must have been platinum blonde in his youth, was now white, deep wrinkles marked his once-smooth forehead, his sharp jawline was covered in white beard, and his blue eyes that once held the clarity of a lake on a clear day had become cloudy like an overcast sky.

His imposing figure would remain the same, but now his back was bent by the weight of years and his legs were unsteady, relying on a cane…

What about us?

As she imagined Logan and herself in the distant future, her eyes met with Marquis Redford’s.

“I believed that boy would surely have made a fair deal with Miss Marien.”

“…”

A fair deal… Though it was a natural expression, for some reason, a part of her heart ached as if cut.
The marquis’s story continued.

“He may have had a brief flight of fancy wandering the battlefield, but Logan is a merchant to his bones, so he never loses.”

Marquis Redford’s chin lifted with pride in his grandson, and his arrogant eyes gleamed greedily.

And one question he posed…

“So what did Miss Marien give him in return?”

It caused a small ripple in her cold heart.

Nothing.

She had nothing to give but her lowly body, and on top of that, she was even a being that endangered his well-being…

Logan, you who are said to be a merchant to your bones and never lose, what are you trying to gain from Sidney Warden?

It seems like a losing deal for you no matter how I think about it. That’s probably why the marquis is asking like this.

Get a grip. Are you going to have a conversation with Logan in your head?

Anyway, I have to show that his choice wasn’t wrong in this situation. Even if I have to put on a bit of a bluff…

Sidney gripped tightly the marquis’s pawn she had captured earlier and slowly opened her mouth.

“Isn’t trust essential for a businessman? Even between close associates, the terms of a deal shouldn’t be disclosed.”

“That’s right. Unless you don’t want to leave room for future deals with me.”

When she emphasized trust, the marquis dangled a carrot.

If he had really wanted to know, he would have threatened rather than cajoled.

The marquis wouldn’t have said such things for no reason.

King and queen.

Does he hope his grandson’s wife will play the role of queen beside his grandson? Or is he testing if Marien is capable of that?

If it’s a test, there are two errors in the marquis’s question itself.

First, Logan Redford should be placed in the queen’s position, who actively moves to seize victory, rather than as a king who needs protection.

Second, the question itself contains a flaw.

Sidney placed both hands on her knees and straightened her posture.

“How could an excellent businessman like Your Excellency share a future with someone who would let go of what they’ve grasped for immediate profit?”

How could one trust and do business with, let alone associate with, someone who easily abandons their principles.

Marquis Redford narrowed his eyes and sneered.

“Would you be satisfied with just what you’ve already grasped?”

“Your Excellency, if someone offered to give you two, would you give up the one in your hand? Or would you be wary of their intentions and protect what you have? If they truly wanted a deal, they would have put two in your other hand.”

It meant she would take more if offered, but wouldn’t regret it if not.

Marquis Redford burst into hearty laughter, greatly pleased.

“Haha, my grandson’s wife is truly greedy.”

His gaze sharpened, as if on guard.

Sidney looked down at the chessboard, paused for a moment, then casually borrowed the marquis’s words.

“Could I perhaps learn this as I go along?”

The smile disappeared from Marquis Redford’s face.

He then grumbled as if displeased, but his once fierce eyes had curved gently.

“This is why that boy is flustered. He’s truly met his match.”

Logan Redford, flustered? And by her? Impossible.

But not wanting to go against the marquis who believed he knew his grandson well, Sidney kept her mouth shut.

Instead, she focused on gathering the chess pieces and placing them one by one in the box.

When she finished tidying up, the marquis coughed and stood up.

As she went to support his arm, he turned his head and said,

“Just one request.”

“Please speak.”

As if finding it difficult to bring up, the marquis stared into the darkness beyond the window for a moment.

The old man reflected in the window glass was a full span taller than her, unlike his appearance.

Yet why did he look so diminutive? Perhaps because the weariness was evident in his profile and voice.

“Despite appearances, he’s delicate and gets very lonely. Yet he’s utterly inept at reaching out first.”

The marquis’s entreaty, thick with longing and regret for years past, and concern for a grandson so much like himself…

Who would believe it?

That Marquis Douglas Redford, called a cold-blooded man obsessed with money, who started a war unsatisfied with overflowing wealth and power, said such words.

They couldn’t imagine that the great marquis, in the twilight of his life, would worry about his grandson being left alone like any other grandfather.

The moonlight visible through the window was unusually cold. Pushing aside the desolate sound of the wind, the old man’s promise took its place.

“Just stay by his side. In return, if it becomes unbearable, then… I’ll prepare a place for you to stay. Somewhere he will never find you.”

“…!”

Was it insight gained from years of experience? That she wanted to abandon everything and leave freely.

In any case, the marquis’s offer was quite appealing. Even if she had no such plans right now, it was too tempting to refuse.

Sidney looked quietly into the marquis’s eyes and opened her mouth.

“It’s a deal.”

“No, this is an old man’s earnest request.”

The marquis gently patted the back of her hand resting on his arm.

Request. With that one word, she could dare to guess why the marquis had made such an offer.

Perhaps he hoped that Logan, with his prickly personality like herself, would not be alone, that someone would stay by his side.

At his gesture indicating that was enough, Sidney withdrew her hand and stepped aside.

Sidney restrained her words and bowed forward with one hand on her chest and the other holding her skirt.

“I’ll take my leave now.”

“Yes, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I’ll see you tomorrow. She bid farewell in a small voice to the marquis’s back, already turned away.

Stepping out into the long corridor, her shoulders involuntarily hunched from the chill.

The light leaking from the gas lamp held by the maid walking ahead wavered unsteadily.

Walking as if chased by the echoing footsteps in the corridor, her eyes fell on a decorative suit of armor.

With those words, the marquis knocked over his queen with a knight.

How subtly annoying. Sidney pouted and tightly wrapped the shawl around her shoulders.

A hideout Logan could never find…

That meant Sidney could cut off the marriage, cut off Logan Redford, of her own accord.

A sneer crept onto Sidney’s prim lips as she mulled over the marquis’s offer.

Things that had become natural now.

Logan Redford’s touch and heat, the excitement and pleasure from it were such.

Unconsciously looking for Logan, imagining a world with him had become such a daily occurrence.

It’s funny.

Compared to how duty and responsibility were the only certainties in Sidney Warden’s life until now, this is truly an impossible thing.

Not even once, really not once, did things go as she wished, and happiness dispersed like bubbles as soon as she felt it.

Her mother, who had stayed by her side when she first suffered from fever, her father and brother who had headed to the battlefield saying not to worry anymore, had disappeared like that.

Even Emilia, who had assured they would be together forever, was now slowly crumbling to illness. To Sidney, happiness, hope, and peace were no different from omens of impending misfortune.

But she thought Logan Redford, who had always exceeded her expectations, would be an exception.

In front of his uneasy gaze and secrets…

She ended up imagining the worst situation she could think of. Logan Redford embracing another woman…

Sidney’s face contorted as if in pain as she continued her thoughts.

Again…

Even after repeating the cycle of being consumed by groundless delusions and then reassuring herself it was fine dozens, hundreds of times… to be back at square one like a hamster on a wheel.

Sidney let out a long sigh and glared at the maid walking ahead for no reason.

It was because she wanted to shake off her idle thoughts even like that.

A moment later, the maid stopped and bowed her head.

“Then, sleep well.”

As she stared blankly at the light seeping through the door crack, footsteps faded away and a chilly silence fell over the corridor.

Sidney took a deep breath, expanding her chest, and exhaled slowly.

Still feeling stifled, she chided herself as she turned the doorknob.

“How pathetic. If you’re going to be like this, you should have asked him directly.”

That’s right, I should. Only after such self-questioning and answering did she push open the door.

The reception room was bathed in a cozy atmosphere with the heat emanating from the fireplace and the soft light of the lamp.

Sidney moved her steps while taking off the shawl draped over her shoulders.

She was about to head straight to the bedroom when she casually turned her head towards the window and paused.

Seeing the table decorated with red roses and candles, and fruit appetizers and wine, she muttered to herself.

“What’s all this at this late hour…”

As if answering her words, a presence was felt behind her back.

Sidney whirled around, throwing the dagger hidden in her wide sleeve.

The moment the dagger left her fingertips, Sidney’s eyes shook greatly as she recognized the other person.

“Ah.”