Jane dropped a bomb as soon as she appeared. The chief of police and the lawyer froze like statues, and Cain’s eyes tensed.

Then Jane sat in the seat where Cain had been sitting.

“Please vacate the seat for a moment.”

Cain, who had asked for understanding from the chief of police and the lawyer, nervously ran his hand through his hair.

“Yes, Your Grace. I made a big mistake. Please speak comfortably, you two.”

The chief of police tightly gripped the note Jane had handed over and watched Cain’s reaction.

He had almost made a big mistake with Cain, trusting only the report. Worried that he might be reprimanded for this incident, the chief of police kept bowing and dragged out the lawyer, whose expression was not good.

The room became as quiet as if ice water had been poured.

Cain, who had been exhaling rough breaths with his hands on his waist, turned to look at Jane.

“Are you in your right mind?”

Cain growled lowly. His sharp gaze pierced Jane’s face.

“What reason is there for me not to be in my right mind?”

Looking at Jane’s clear eyes, his insides twisted.

After checking if the door was properly closed, he frowned.

He looked down at Jane with both hands on the sofa backrest.

“Do you know what you’ve done?”

“Yes. I said that I was the one who received contact from the Rose Faction.”

“Did you think about the consequences before committing this act?”

“I’ll be detained. Unlike you, I have solid evidence.”

“You came here knowing that?”

Cain was dumbfounded. Jane had instantly turned to foam all the time he had endured, calling a lawyer while putting up with the chief of police’s arrogant behavior.

“You have things to do, don’t you? Outside, rather than here. I don’t have anything to do anyway. I only received a note and never colluded with them, so there’s no problem even if I’m investigated.”

“That’s just your thoughts.”

It was greedy to expect convenience or mercy in an investigation related to the Rose Faction. It was a privilege that only someone like Cain could hope for.

Moreover, wasn’t Jane also related to the rebellion seven years ago? Although it was her parents’ crime, Jane could never be free from it.

One didn’t need to see to know what humiliation she would suffer at the police station after Cain left.

Cain’s jaw tensed firmly.

It was his job to question Jane and to dig into the background of that note.

Not for the chief of police to step in.

But he couldn’t take Jane out right away.

The chief of police had received a report, and Jane had testified that she met the Rose Faction with evidence, so an investigation would certainly take place.

This was a matter of duty. It had to happen.

Irritation surged up.

“…I want to find them.”

As Cain couldn’t calm his anger and kept sighing, Jane said.

“What?”

“The person who sent this note. I want to find them. If they did wrong, they should be punished, right?”

“I’ll take care of that.”

How well he would handle it. They dared to mess with the Hastings.

Jane smiled faintly at Cain’s confident tone.

“I know. But… it’s difficult if you’re here. Go out and catch them for me.”

Although she asked him to catch the terrorists, the more fundamental reason Jane appeared at the police station was because of Cain.

She hated the thought of him being investigated and detained instead of her.

Thinking of him sleeping on a cold, hard floor and suffering all kinds of humiliation from the arrogant chief of police, the hotel sofa felt like a bed of thorns.

Moreover, he could even incur His Majesty’s displeasure because of this incident, so how could Jane just sit still?

Losing her parents, having her property taken away, being ostracized from the noble world, and being pointed at just for being associated with the Rose Faction was enough for Jane to experience.

She hoped Cain would remain a person unrelated to the Rose Faction like this.

Standing at the pinnacle of nobility, living an innocent life without a speck of dust.

Cain closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, his face looked calmer than before.

“Don’t say anything without a lawyer. If there’s anything you haven’t told me about that note, tell me now.”

“There isn’t. What I said in the carriage is everything.”

Cain stared intently at Jane. It was a look gauging whether she was lying. Jane didn’t avoid his gaze.

“The man you bumped into yesterday, was he really a stranger?”

“Yes.”

Cain sighed. They had fallen into a trap set openly by the Rose Faction.

No matter what anyone said, it was his own mistake.

“Bear with it a little. I’ll come to get you as soon as possible.”

Cain’s expression softened considerably. He let go of the sofa backrest he had been holding onto and gripped Jane’s shoulders.

As his warmth touched her, Jane’s stiff trapezius muscles relaxed gently.

His large, firm hand gave Jane great reassurance just by touching her.

“I’ll trust you.”

“Trust, huh…”

Cain muttered. Then he kissed the crown of Jane’s head and left the room.

* * *

“I’m so sorry!”

Nathan, who had been pacing anxiously in front of the police station, saw Cain and bowed deeply from the waist.

“Explain what happened.”

“Well, you see.”

Nathan, who had firmly believed Jane’s words that she wanted to rest at the hotel, moved to the next room.

Then, thinking he should at least check on her meal, he went to look for Jane, but the room was empty.

“Really, I was in my room for less than 5 minutes.”

In that time, Jane had caught a carriage and headed to the police station. Nathan ran until his feet were sweating. However, he missed Jane by a hair’s breadth.

Cain sighed deeply.

Too much had happened today, so Nathan must have been tired too. And how could one catch someone who was determined to escape?

Cain tried his best to think rationally. Having barely regained his senses, he said,

“Impose an embargo.”

Cain gave the order to Nathan as soon as they left the police station.

“Regarding the embargo, from where to where exactly? Journalists are already camped around the station.”

“Block everything related to the Rose Faction. Don’t even let them make guesses.”

“I’ll meet with the police’s media liaison. And it seems we should move your lodgings as well.”

Cain, seated in the carriage, crossed his long legs. In a skewed posture, he was expressing his dissatisfaction.

“Um, that’s because journalists have also come to the hotel.”

Shortly after Jane left for the police station, journalists rushed to the hotel. It was fortunate for Jane, but unfortunate for Cain who had to return to the hotel.

“A hotel that can’t even handle journalists should just go bankrupt. Call the hotel manager and have him sort it out.”

Nathan, who was about to advise that it would be better to stay at a different lodging, shut his mouth tightly.

He was tapping on the window frame. His deep eyes darkened, and the tapping became rhythmical.

It was a signal that Cain’s mind was working at high speed.

Instead of disturbing him, Nathan took out his notebook and organized the tasks to be done. It seemed they would be busy from the moment they got off the carriage.

* * *

As Nathan had predicted, they didn’t even get to sleep for two days, except for catching a few winks on the sofa.

Thanks to Cain’s order to completely block information, the newspaper companies were quiet, but protests demanding accountability for this incident broke out around the station and near the hotel.

This was despite Jane already making an excessive offer to the injured.

What Jane had proposed was medical expenses until full recovery, living expenses, a large sum of consolation money, and even a promise to provide jobs at Hays Railway if desired.

Given that the victims’ injuries were not severe compared to the scale of the explosion, the compensation officers of Hays Trading Company unanimously claimed it was excessive compensation.

However, Cain said to do as Jane wished, and while the compensation negotiations were wrapping up well, protests broke out.

It looked like there was a mastermind behind it, as anyone could see.

Because of this, Cain and Nathan became even busier.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the reception room of Count Carelina’s mansion in the capital.

Scarlet was in conversation with Ken.

“So such a thing happened? Jane is detained at the police station? What should we do…”

Scarlet pretended to be concerned and covered her mouth with her hand. It was to hide her lips that kept trying to curl upwards.

“But what are the charges?”

When she asked as if out of pure curiosity, Ken answered readily.

“They say she colluded with the Rose Faction.”

Scarlet’s eyes lit up.

“Colluded with the Rose Faction? Can you tell me in detail? I was wondering if there might be something I could do to help.”

“That won’t do, miss. If it becomes known that you got involved in this matter, the Count won’t stand by quietly.”

Ken shook his head.

“I know. But we can’t just stand by when someone is in danger, can we? Ken, tell me.”

Scarlet stroked the back of Ken’s hand placed on the table. Ken flinched, then explained in detail what he had investigated.

Not everything Ken investigated might be true, but two things were certain.

The Rose Faction had approached Jane, and that Rose Faction group had committed terrorism.

‘It will be difficult for Jane to clear the charges of aiding the Rose Faction.’

Does the Queen know about this fact too?

‘The probability is high that she does.’

Then should she keep quiet, or should she prod the Queen’s side?

Whatever the case, Jane was now finished.

Contrary to what she told Ken, Scarlet intended to sit back and observe the situation.

But the situation flowed in a completely different direction from what Scarlet wanted.