Reluctantly seated by the servant’s arrival, Logan Redford grumbled and openly displayed his displeasure.

Regardless, Sidney gently smiled and placed a glass filled with Bourge in front of Logan.

“Let’s have a drink first.”

“Bourge… will that be alright?”

With 40% alcohol content, how could it be? But this much should be…

Sidney smiled slightly, recalling how composed Logan had been at the hotel in the past.

“When drinking with Walter, two bottles is the minimum.”

During military academy days, that was the first and last time I drank two bottles.

At that time, Walter and I personally experienced whether humans could walk on all fours, how painful endless vomiting could be, and what the worst hangover felt like.

Even Walter, who loves alcohol so much, still shudders at the sight of Bourge. How could Logan endure it?

Unaware of this, Logan fell for Sidney’s provocation and ordered the servant:

“Bring another bottle.”

“Understood.”

Left alone again, Sidney raised her glass of Bourge to further provoke Logan, then downed it in one go.

As soon as it went down her throat, her head spun and her body felt heavy from the alcohol.

Ah, needlessly… As unpleasant memories began to surface and regret started to set in, Logan gently put down his glass.

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

Trying to get out of it by pretending to be concerned? Not a chance. Sidney lightly pressed Logan’s glass with her fingertip and shook her head.

“As expected, only Walter can endure it so crudely… Huh, Logan, don’t push yourself.”

Due to her slightly slurred speech, her voice sounded more like concern than mockery.

“You’re right. To carry out the plan properly, at least I should stay sober.”

“…!”

“Pretending to worry doesn’t suit you. Rather, just…”

What a way of speaking. Sidney pouted as she pushed the glass towards Logan.

“Then, drink.”

Logan fiddled with the glass and raised his gaze askew.

The blue eyes visible between his narrowed eyelids were piercingly cold.

Why is he looking at me like that? Even though he’s already figured out my intention to put him to sleep with alcohol… Ah, he had a severe case of suspicion.

Considering that, given the relationship between Logan and herself, it was natural, but she still felt oddly hurt and displeased. And she wasn’t even drunk yet.

“Let’s just have wine…”

As Sidney reached for the wine glass, Logan tilted his head back and poured the Bourge into his mouth, just as she had done.

“No, why did you…”

Thud, Logan set down the glass with a groan. His contorted expression and gaze were unsettling.

“Answer me. What were you thinking that made you distance yourself from me?”

Looking closely, his slightly unfocused eyes and slurred speech… He was clearly drunk.

Was he this weak?

The alcohol at the Armand Hotel was high proof too, but at that time Logan had just been pleasantly tipsy, not showing any signs of being out of sorts.

“At this rate, you’ll pass out before we can have a proper conversation. Let’s switch to wine or something else…”

Sidney sighed and reached out to remove the Bourge bottle. But before her hand could reach it, Logan snatched it away.

“No, let’s stick with Bourge. That way, you can’t hold back your words until I get the answer I want.”

Was that why he didn’t intend to hide anything? Having all her intentions seen through was a bit embarrassing, but it made her feel more at ease.

Sidney leaned forward and stared at Logan as he filled the glasses.

“How did you know?”

“Answer first.”

Logan pushed the Bourge glass over and raised the corner of his mouth.

A laugh escaped her at the inevitable situation of having to give an answer.

“I felt a sense of dissonance. At some point, sharing the same house and bed with someone who had been my superior until now… it felt awkward and confusing.”

“…Now, of all times, suddenly.”

“I thought so too. But our marriage is based on mutual need, in other words, a kind of transaction, right?”

Logan tilted his body slightly in displeasure but didn’t seem to have any intention of refuting.

It was confirmation that this marriage was just a transaction for him too. Suddenly, an empty feeling in her stomach made her quite uncomfortable.

Sidney took a moment to collect herself before continuing her explanation.

“A transaction is possible regardless of emotions. Everyone accepts it as natural, calling it a political marriage. But in a political marriage, unless the purpose is to continue the lineage…”

Crunch, the sound of teeth grinding startled her, making her eyes fly open.

Why is he looking at me like that…

Although it was hard to put into words, the emotion swirling in his eyes seemed somewhere between contempt and anger.

Wouldn’t the eyes of someone whose heart had been torn to shreds and abandoned by someone they trusted look like that?

“So, what exactly are you trying to say?”

His sharp gaze and biting words pierced her heart.

Sidney pressed her left chest firmly with her palm and finished what she had been trying to say.

“I want to stop the physical intimacy devoid of emotions, yes, the relationship that only pursues physical pleasure.”

Finally, she said it.

Before she could show a shameful sight of being addicted to the pleasure of Logan’s embrace, that she would no longer be swayed by him.

Logan sat back askew on the sofa and twisted his handsome lips.

“What, did you expect some grand love?”

Snip, she seemed to hear the phantom sound of a gardener cutting off a protruding branch with sharp pruning shears.

She could even feel the pain of something being cut off as if she had become a tree.

It was quite an apt metaphor. Right now, Logan Redford was essentially pruning away unnecessary parts of their marriage.

Sidney forced a smile and returned his sarcasm in kind.

“It’s my turn to ask a question.”

Logan raised his thick eyebrows as if granting permission.

It felt somewhat forced and exaggerated, like feigned cheerfulness, but that must be her imagination.

Sidney lowered her eyes and fell into thought.

If possible, she wanted a question that could bring down Logan Redford’s arrogant pride, and preferably one that could make him feel the same shitty feeling she had just experienced…

First, cut off the branches.

“Since you’ve already said what I can never give you, I’ll ask frankly too. What do you gain from this marriage?”

“That answer was already…”

“Don’t try to gloss over it. Nothing could be more troublesome or bothersome than changing the laws of the Arsenel Empire.”

There’s no rule that says a garden can only have one gardener.

Sidney quickly cut off Logan Redford’s excuse and personally served him a glass full of Bourge.

What answer would Logan give? Sidney watched Logan, who was quietly looking down at the glass, and brought a grape to her mouth.

As she lightly bit into the round grape, the fragrant grape aroma filled her mouth, followed by sweet juice.

“Sidney Warden.”

“Yes.”

She only answered because he called her name.

But why did a mocking laugh escape Logan’s lips?

As if to answer that, Logan slowly, frustratingly slowly, raised his gaze. And with a scornful look, he smiled with his eyes.

“You.”

What did he just say? Sidney blinked, doubting her ears.

Darkness, and Logan Redford.

Darkness again, and his smile remained.

Darkness once more, and his eye smile was gone.

Her eyelids drooped, narrowing her vision. In the darkness, a confident voice was heard.

“You’re the only thing I want to gain from this marriage.”

What could that mean?

What about herself?

To stake the survival of the Redford family and say the only thing he gains is Sidney Warden.

Is it because of the count title? The family had long since fallen so far that they had sold off their territory and castle.

All that remained of the Warden family was the useless title of “Imperial Guardian Sword” and faded honor.

Saying he’s a merchant to the bone?

He wouldn’t have wanted the Warden count title that was in name only.

It’s not like he and she had shared a passionate love that could be called the ‘scandal of the century’.

They were closer to sworn enemies who growled at each other whenever they met.

“Now you have to answer my question.”

“Before that, I need more explanation. You need to tell me exactly why it’s me, what you expect from me.”

For some reason, her throat felt parched. Sidney quenched her thirst with wine instead of the Bourge that was meant as punishment.

If Bourge was a fire that clawed from her throat to her stomach, wine was like welcome rain on drought-cracked earth.

Feeling tipsy and in a good mood, she tilted her head back slightly to savor the wine’s flavor.

Through the tilted wine glass, her eyes met Logan’s.

No, a more accurate description would be that she glared at the distorted Logan through the curves of the glass.

If asked why she glared…

It was because she resented him for not giving an answer quickly.

It absolutely wasn’t because she felt hurt that he acknowledged their ‘transaction’ and denied ‘love’. As she had already said, she thought the same way.

Am I drunk? Indeed, the old saying is true. You shouldn’t mix different types of alcohol.

No, no. How can wine be considered alcohol?

Sidney put down her wine glass and raised her eyes.

“So, what about the explanation?”

“There were two questions disguised as explanations. Why you, and what I want you to do.”

“Yes.”

“The reason it has to be you is because there’s no one who knows me better or accommodates me better than you.”

“Because I was your aide.”

“Yes, you handle things efficiently without needing to be told twice… and you’re also an extremely beautiful woman. Where could I find a more perfect wife?”

Considering that Logan, who was famous for not having a separate aide, had only acknowledged her as his aide… it was quite a plausible and satisfying explanation.

But why did it make her feel so bad?