Thanks to Cain, Nathan, and Jane’s diligent efforts, the explosion site was quickly cleaned up.

After driving away onlookers and transporting the injured to medical facilities, they cordoned off the area around the new station.

There were still some who glanced curiously at the scene, but no one dared approach the new station.

Cain silently stared at the station bearing traces of the explosion.

The look in his eyes, visible through his disheveled hair, was fierce.

His attire, which had been perfectly neat when he got off the carriage, was now in disarray.

A couple of unbuttoned shirt buttons, hastily rolled-up sleeves, and pants covered in dust.

Normally, he would have immediately changed into clean clothes, but Cain remained silent with his hands roughly shoved into his pockets.

‘What could he be thinking?’

Though unsure of his complex inner thoughts, Nathan knew one thing for certain.

It was not the time to disturb him.

However, the Chief of Police had been waiting to meet Cain since earlier.

Given the situation, Nathan had told him to withdraw for today and visit the police station tomorrow, but he was immovable.

And now he seemed determined to meet Cain directly.

‘His Excellency is in the worst mood. Disturbing him now could be fatal.’

It would be better for him to die than the Chief of Police, who appeared to have a wife and children.

But it still felt a bit unfair.

‘As if one life is worth more than another!’

Grumbling inwardly, Nathan addressed Cain.

“Your Excellency, the Chief of Police… Eek.”

Nathan’s heart sank as his eyes met Cain’s. Cain’s eyes gleamed with madness.

It had been a very long time since he’d seen that look.

“What about the Chief of Police?”

Seeing Nathan’s startled expression, Cain covered his eyes with his hand. When he lowered it, he had returned to his usual self.

The prickly but manageable state, as long as he wasn’t provoked.

“He’s waiting. Says he has something important to tell you.”

“Tell him to come tomorrow.”

“I did, but…”

Seeing Nathan’s troubled expression, Cain ruffled his hair.

These incompetent fools are such a bother.

Cain was aware that the head of Delphion had sent several requests for cooperation to the police. They were about crowd control.

The large number of people at the construction site today was not unusual.

Since the new station began to take shape, people had been flocking to the area. With no tourist attractions nearby, the construction site had become something of an attraction itself.

This was largely due to the schemes of merchants trying to secure spots in anticipation of the station’s official opening.

With street vendors lining up, people naturally came to look.

‘Or it could be the other way around. Why would people gather to see an unfinished building?’

Though irritated, Cain soon let go of such emotions. What fault was it of the spectators?

It was the fault of the police for rejecting their requests.

‘They even reported suspicious individuals lurking about.’

The police had provided no cooperation whatsoever.

The Rose Faction committed the crime, but the damage was compounded by the police, himself as the president of Heis Railway, and…

‘Jane can’t escape blame either.’

Cain turned his gaze to Jane, who was sitting on a broken stone pillar.

Her appearance as she stared blankly at the explosion site was a mess.

Her hair was disheveled, her dress was torn from catching on something, and her face was smeared with black soot.

Seeing her exhausted profile reminded Cain of Jane bustling about to clean up the incident.

Jane had been as active in managing the aftermath as if her own family had been in the accident.

Honestly, it made Cain’s work much easier.

There were fewer complaints from the injured and their families toward Heis Company than expected. They were moved by Jane’s rolled-up sleeves and busy efforts, apparently.

“The mistress has worked hard. Shall I escort her to the hotel?”

“Together.”

“Pardon?”

“I said we’ll go together.”

Cain approached Jane.

* * *

“Where’s Cain?”

Jane sprang up. Nathan shook his head with a dejected expression. Jane slumped back down, burying her face in her parched hands.

Cain had told Jane they would return to the hotel together, but only Jane had made it back.

Cain was now in the police station’s detention cell.

The Chief of Police had grabbed Cain’s arm as he was about to board the carriage.

As Jane flinched, Cain stepped in front of her.

Cain cut off Jane mid-sentence and boarded the police carriage before she could stop him.

Jane tried to follow, but Nathan held her back.

Saying that since Cain was a Duke and had the Queen’s full trust, there would be no problem.

Whether the Chief’s words were true or not.

If someone as insignificant as the Chief of Police could arrest Cain, the tip was likely true.

If so, there would be at least a formal investigation of Cain, and given the nature of the tip, he would probably stay at the police station for about two days.

In the meantime, issues like compensation for explosion victims and adjusting the reconstruction schedule needed to be finalized.

Though Nathan would handle all the practical matters, the final decision-maker’s approval was needed.

With Cain absent, Jane had to fill that role.

Jane reluctantly returned to the hotel. And without washing or eating anything, she anxiously waited for Cain’s return.

However, Nathan, who had gone to the police station with the lawyer, came back alone.

“It seems he won’t be able to return at least for today. So it would be best for the mistress to rest comfortably. I’ll call Haley who’s on standby.”

“Wait a moment, Nathan. What exactly is Cain being charged with?”

Nathan hesitated.

When he met Cain at the police station, he had said nothing except for one request:

He couldn’t disobey that order. Nathan knew exactly who paid his salary.

“Nathan, he might have been arrested because of me.”

“Pardon?”

“I can save Cain.”

Jane, speaking with a contorted face, looked absolutely desperate.

“Please, Nathan.”

She clutched Nathan’s collar tightly. Jane’s miserable appearance tugged at Nathan’s heartstrings.

Moreover, Jane gave off the impression that if Nathan didn’t tell her, she would rush off to the police station right away.

Scratching his head, Nathan finally surrendered.

“He’s being charged with collusion with the Rose Faction.”

“That’s absurd!”

Jane gasped.

“Of course it is. It’s nonsense. But they keep insisting they received a tip from a reliable source.”

“So? What happens if Cain can’t clear himself of the charges?”

Nathan let out a sigh first. He didn’t even want to imagine that scenario.

But if he had to, the Queen would probably throw a fit first.

She wouldn’t rashly order Cain’s execution, but she would devise and implement various ways to bind his hands and feet.

“…Things would get complicated.”

Jane mumbled weakly, guessing the answer just from Nathan’s expression.

“Don’t worry too much. It’s not true. We never received any tip from the Rose Faction. I can assure you of that.”

Jane smiled bitterly. Nathan and Cain never received a tip. But Jane did.

In the end, Cain was in trouble because of her.

‘Because I hesitated…’

Jane retrieved Cain’s jacket that had been set aside.

It was the jacket he had draped over her shoulders when he saw her dress sleeve was torn. A roomy jacket that smelled of Cain.

Jane clutched the jacket tightly. Glaring at it as if trying to pierce through it, Jane spoke.

“I want to rest, Nathan. Could you leave?”

* * *

“Your Grace, why are you being like this when you should know better? Let’s just resolve this amicably. Just tell us when you were contacted by the Rose Faction and what the content was.”

The Chief of Police sitting across from Cain spoke in a taunting manner. He repeated the same words like a wound-up music box.

Cain remained silent and looked at his lawyer. The lawyer’s lips twitched.

“Bring us evidence.”

“They would have met secretly through back channels, so where would we find evidence? Testimony is all we have.”

“Then verify the identity of the person who testified.”

“We have to protect the identity of a public interest whistleblower.”

Cain chuckled at the Chief’s smarmy attitude.

“A moment.”

As Cain opened his mouth, the Chief brightened, but was soon disappointed by what followed.

“Let’s take a break.”

“Your Grace, dragging this out won’t…”

“I’ll have a cigar while we’re at it.”

Cain’s lawyer opened the cigar case Nathan had left. Cain took out a cigar and held it out to the Chief.

The Chief’s eyes gleamed. From the case to the wrapping, it was a high-end cigar he could never dream of affording on his salary.

“Try it, and if you like it, say so. You can keep it.”

“A break is indeed needed. It smells wonderful already.”

The Chief grinned broadly.

The lawyer lit the end of Cain’s cigar. Soon, white smoke rose.

Cain leisurely inhaled the smoke and exhaled, watching the Chief imitate him.

Rather than the tension typical of someone being interrogated, he exuded composure.

If anything, it was the Chief who grew more nervous as time passed. Though he tried to hide it with exaggerated expressions, it showed.

The acrid smoke loosened Cain’s taut nerves. Thanks to that, his mind, which had been as stiff as an unoiled engine, began to turn.

Why was the Chief putting on this show?

‘Given that he seated me in the Chief’s office instead of an interrogation room, he probably doesn’t want to antagonize me.’

Was money the goal?

‘The police were uncooperative throughout the station construction, I hear.’

It seems he wanted to use this opportunity to extort money, and the explosion incident came at just the right time.

But what bothered him were the tip and Jane’s note.

The contents of the report were all true, in a way. Only the reported person had changed to Cain.

Who on earth could have reported it?

Cain had deliberately come to the police station to find out.

He planned to humor the Chief while searching for the informant.

But everything had gone wrong.

“You can’t go in, I said you can’t!”

Just as things were getting noisy outside, the door burst open. Jane appeared.