“But why did you run away from me?”

With gauze and bandages plastered all over his nose, he glared coldly at Debbie.

“Well, you suddenly started following me, so I thought you were a pervert or a gossip reporter. I was so startled!”

“You should have given me a chance to speak! Are you saying you did well making me look like this?”

“I’m sorry.”

Debbie hung her head low.

The man in front of her had tried to continue his work even after injuring his nose like that.

He seemed both rigid and different from other security officers.

So Debbie told Jerome about that day’s events again.

Like a drowning person grasping at anything within reach. He wrote down everything Debbie said in his notebook without missing a detail.

“But I thought the investigation was already closed. Why are you reinvestigating? Isn’t my statement still on record?”

“The departments aren’t cooperating with each other, so we’re investigating from the beginning. The entity overseeing the case is different. You said you went to meet Lorraine on the day of the incident but returned because you were busy?”

“Hmm? No. I definitely talked about the suspicious men who took Lorraine and mentioned the duffle coat too.”

“That was a duffle coat? The statement just says ‘coat.'”

“I clearly stated that it was a duffle coat made of rough woolen material with golden embroidery near the pocket.”

Then his black eyes sparkled.

“If you’re summoned later for witness questioning, can you give the same statement?”

“Of course!”

“A tip came in that the case was handled hastily, so it was transferred to the Central Investigation Unit. If there are any developments, I’ll ask for your help again.”

Jerome said while writing down Debbie’s words.

“By the way, has anyone personally approached you to ask about the progress?”

Debbie momentarily thought of the white-gloved phantom thief. She hesitated about whether to mention him.

“There is someone?”

His eyes sharpened. Debbie thought revealing information about someone who might be a colleague at ‘Troublesome’ would cause more harm than good, so she spoke vaguely.

“The dancers at Voluptas where Lorraine worked and Lorraine’s acquaintances asked me, so I answered them.”

Jerome only closed his notebook after thoroughly asking for their personal information.

“Ow… ow…”

He winced like his nose hurt.

“Let’s end the statement here.”

Jerome put his notebook in his jacket while grimacing in pain, then pressed a small piece of paper into Debbie’s palm. It was an emergency room treatment bill.

“Because of your violence, I’m in danger of becoming ugly. How will you compensate for this damage?”

He asked Debbie with a disgruntled expression. Seeing Debbie at a loss for words, he chuckled and said one thing.

“Buy me a meal later. After the investigation is concluded.”

* * *

Jerome Dublac.

Blake read his personal profile. It was the name mentioned in the note Debbie had left for the white-gloved phantom thief behind the supply room memo board.

— Inspector Jerome Dublac from the Central Investigation Unit is reinvestigating the Lorraine case.

So he looked into it. His personal information was filled with quite favorable reviews: ‘A person who values principles,’ ‘Graduated first in the security officer training program,’ ‘Has many enemies within the security office for not knowing how to compromise,’ ‘When he takes on a case, he persistently pursues it,’ and so on.

‘Reinvestigation is surprising. It would be good if we could win this guy over to our side. Speaking of which…’

Blake tapped the desk with his fingertips, lost in thought.

Several invitations lay on the desk.

Blake was thinking about which order to tackle them when a knock made him look up and stuff the invitations into a drawer.

“Miss Debbie Jones is here.”

“President?”

Hearing the voice from outside, Blake told her to come in.

“Thank you for agreeing to the charity auction request.”

Blake put on his hanging coat and took out his gloves. Debbie stood with a somewhat determined expression.

“You look like you’re going to battle.”

“It’s my first time doing something like this. Phew.”

“If you don’t really want to, we can postpone it.”

“It’s not that. When we go there, other media will come to cover it too. We’ll naturally be photographed.”

“So?”

“I’m worried we’ll become the subject of strange rumors again, you and I.”

Seeing Debbie’s reluctant expression, Blake chuckled.

“Rumors are temporary anyway.”

“It might not be a big deal to you, President, but it’s serious for me. I’m not used to being gossip material.”

He kept chuckling like her words were amusing.

“Think of it as our second date. Gossip magazine material is always around. It’s the trials and tribulations of the industry.”

The day she went to the supply room to leave a memo about Jerome, how startled she was to discover the white-gloved phantom thief’s message behind the supply room inventory memo section.

‘Yellow Sun’ magazine had selected 20 sexy men and women through a survey-style vote and was holding a one-day date auction at a charity bazaar.

— …Please participate in that auction. After mingling appropriately, go to the desk at midnight claiming you left something behind and pick up a bag for me.

Debbie was excited because it was the first time the white-gloved phantom thief had asked her for something.

So despite it being an event hosted by ‘Yellow Sun’ magazine, she proposed covering it and got approval.

It helped that Blake, the president, was among those 20 sexy men and women.

Blake gave Debbie one more warning.

“I was going to skip this bothersome event, but I’m going because you asked. Whatever the amount, I’ll pay for it, so you must win the bid for me.”

Blake left the president’s office with Debbie, wearing a meaningful smile.

“I’ll definitely do that.”

“It would be easier for both of us if I just donated directly, but we have to attend this troublesome event.”

Blake grumbled lightly.

Moving to where they had parked, photographer Black and Gray were waiting there.

“Oh? Are you coming too, Editor-in-Chief?”

Gray was dressed in a suit wearing a gentleman’s hat, but for some reason, after a brief greeting, he silently turned and went to sit in the driver’s seat.

“Editor-in-Chief?”

When Debbie called him, he didn’t turn around but briefly lifted his hat and put it back on as a greeting.

Blake pulled Debbie away when she tried to say more.

“What’s with turning your attention to someone else when you’re with me?”

Blake turned Debbie’s head toward himself. Then Black, who had been waiting, opened the car door, closed it after they got in, sat in the passenger seat, and greeted Gray.

Gray still just nodded quietly and started driving. A strange sense of discord flowed throughout the car ride.

Debbie somehow felt Gray was being distant, like he was angry.

Strange?

Gray had left work early today. And he had said to have a good time at the charity bazaar.

Not only had he not mentioned he would attend, but his avoidance of eye contact felt unfamiliar.

‘Could he be angry with me about something?’

But Blake kept talking to her, so Debbie soon turned her head.

“I never imagined a competing magazine would include you as a candidate, President.”

At Debbie’s words, Blake slightly raised the corner of his mouth.

“Are you finally getting it? How amazing I am.”

After appropriately agreeing with him, Debbie looked back and forth between Gray and Blake. She was in a car with two candidates for the white-gloved phantom thief who had left her messages.

She was curious about his intention in telling her to participate in the ‘charity bazaar,’ but she couldn’t ask outright.

It would be awkward if Gray was the white-gloved phantom thief, and it would be awkward if Blake was the white-gloved phantom thief.

So this situation felt uncomfortable like sitting on a bed of thorns.

It was uncomfortable showing Blake affectionately stroking her cheek and talking to her in front of Gray, and it was uncomfortable watching Gray just drive in silence.

Debbie glanced at her bag. She was also curious why the white-gloved phantom thief had told her to pretend to lose her bag and retrieve it from the desk.

He could have told me the detailed reason before giving me work…

The only thing she could vaguely guess was that ‘Yellow Sun’ magazine was owned by the Temorin Count family, who were currently in charge of the western region construction of the transcontinental railroad.

Since the phantom thief had once said what he wanted was the downfall of the Marquis Clarence family, she thought there must be some connection.

Anyone could see that the Marquis Clarence family and the Temorin Count family had to be connected.

In the Golden Gate incident, lobbyists appeared in the bidding for trains to be used in the transcontinental railroad plan, manipulating unit prices and causing officials to embezzle public funds, resulting in the Conservative Party leader’s resignation, but Marquis Clarence survived without direct impact.

The phantom thief seemed to think this charity bazaar had some relationship with Marquis Clarence and was using her accordingly.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have requested help for such a random event.

‘Does he think I’m still lacking to confide the whole story honestly?’

Debbie looked at her bag with slightly hurt feelings. Whether knowing Debbie’s thoughts or not, the car quickly headed toward its destination.

* * *

The charity bazaar was being held in the Harrison Hotel event room.

“Bidders, please choose a mask before entering.”

Event staff guided Debbie and Blake in different directions. Blake smiled at Debbie and silently mouthed words.

‘Make sure to win the bid for me. I don’t want to be sold to someone else.’

“The auction stars, please enter the waiting room this way.”

Debbie chose masks with Gray and photographer Black.

“Editor-in-Chief?”

Debbie tried to talk to Gray, but Gray just grabbed the first mask available, put it on, and entered the event hall first.

“I’ll find some interview material worth covering and come back, so go in first.”

From that one sentence, Debbie felt another strange discord. Because Gray hadn’t looked at her eyes.

Moreover, Gray had rarely been formal with Debbie.

“Isn’t the Editor-in-Chief acting strange today?”

Debbie asked photographer Black beside her.

“What? I don’t really know.”

“Something about the atmosphere…”

“Isn’t he just nervous? The Editor-in-Chief is always sensitive whenever he goes to events.”

At Black’s words, Debbie wondered if she had thought wrong and tilted her head.

“Today’s charity auction is being held with the top 20 sexiest men and women voted by our magazine ‘Yellow Sun,’ and all proceeds from today’s auction will be used entirely for underprivileged neighbors. The 20 sexy lovers won in the auction will be the most wonderful dating partners for the winning bidders for 24 hours.”

The host announced the start of the event. Then performances for the auction event followed.

Acrobatic feats you might see at a circus, comedians doing comedy routines, magician’s magic shows, strongman’s strength shows, and so on.

“The quality is really poor.”

A nobleman who was enjoying dinner while watching the event program threw his wine glass to the floor.

Crash!

The wine glass shattered on the red carpet.

“It’s not even a children’s school festival.”

The stage became quiet like cold water had been poured on it due to the commotion he caused.

The man in his thirties who caused the disturbance wore a mask, but his silver hair and red eyes showed through the mask, clearly revealing which family he was from.