By the time the sun began to set, a black car came to a stop in front of the hotel.

“Thank you so much for today. I had no idea there was such a beautiful place in the capital.”

Before they left, they stood on the hilltop and looked down at the capital. Bathed in the colors of the sunset, the city glowed with soft pink hues. Bella would remember the breathtaking nightscape that followed, with each home lighting up one by one, for a long time.

“I’ll take you again next time.”

Bella smiled and nodded at Logan’s words.

After slipping back to her room to avoid attracting attention, she carefully hung the flower wreath on a hanger. Each time she looked at the tightly woven white wildflowers, she could feel the memory of that day gently returning to her.

She stood there for a moment, gazing at it, before smiling quietly to herself.

***

After their secret walk, Logan started visiting Bella occasionally. He rarely had time to take her out, so they usually just ate meals together at the hotel.

Nevertheless, Bella’s complexion gradually improved.

Initially, she did most of the talking while Logan listened in silence, offering only brief replies. But as the days passed, he found himself speaking more and more, his attention lingering on her as she chatted away. Whenever she spoke about a book she had read, her dark eyes would light up with unmistakable excitement.

“I think I may have gained a little weight from staying in the room all day, so I’m considering doing some exercise. One of the books you sent included a guide to indoor workouts, Your Grace. I didn’t realize it before, but when I was working, I was actually quite active.”

Eating balanced meals every day while barely moving had begun to make her feel uncomfortably heavy.

“Is there anything inconvenient about your stay?”

“It’s almost too comfortable. I’m worried I might grow used to living like this.”

She had the clean, cozy bed all to herself. Delicious meals were served every day. She was free to sit in her room reading without being told off. At first, she had felt uneasy about such luxury. Now, however, she was gradually getting used to it.

“It’s fine if you do.”

Before Bella could even show her confusion, Logan continued.

“What I mean is—how would you feel about working in the capital? With your abilities, I believe you could serve as a secretary.”

It was a proposal.

Bella was one of the few servants who could read, and it was this that had first drawn his attention to her. Observing her more closely only served to reinforce his belief. Tell her one thing and she would understand five.

With a little more training, he was sure she could work alongside him — not as a maid.

But Bella gently shook her head.

“I’m truly grateful that you think so highly of me, Your Grace. But I still have too much to learn to work under you. In Rosedale, I only did simple tasks like organizing photographs. I’ve never even attended a proper school.”

She declined calmly and without hesitation.

She could have asked to stay longer. She could have clung to the comfort she had grown accustomed to. Yet despite being surrounded by such ease, Bella’s thoughts remained fixed on returning.

The capital no longer felt as foreign as it once had. She had grown accustomed to its streets and skyline. And yet it was the quiet, unhurried air of Netherwell that she missed more than anything else.

“And I’m worried about the Grand Lady as well. I’ve been away for so long—she must be lonely.”

The main reason she wanted to return was not only the feeling of being suffocated by not being able to go outside freely, but also the thought of leaving the Grand Lady on her own. Who would read aloud to her if not for her? Was she sleeping well? Was she still in good health?

Whenever Bella thought of her, her heart would beat faster.

“If that is what you want.”

Logan did not force her to choose. Where she lived should be her decision.

“The trial will likely conclude within this month. With so much attention on the case, the imperial court seems eager to resolve it quickly.”

“I’m relieved it will end sooner than I expected. I’m sorry for causing you such trouble because of me.”

“You don’t need to apologize. Even if it hadn’t been you, if I had witnessed such a situation, I would have acted the same.”

Whenever the subject of the trial arose, Bella seemed to shrink into herself. In an attempt to ease her guilt, Logan said things that he did not entirely mean.

If he had encountered a woman in distress, he would have helped her. However, he wouldn’t have offered her a free hotel suite or taken responsibility for the trial itself.

He was a businessman, not a philanthropist.

The only reason he had gone to such lengths was because it was Bella — because she was involved.

“Still… thank you for helping me.”

Unaware of the darker thoughts he concealed, Bella smiled at him with unguarded sincerity.

“Come to think of it, the Founding Day festival will be held soon.”

“Oh! That’s right.”

At Logan’s casual remark, Bella clapped her hands softly.

“I heard the capital celebrates it on a much grander scale than Rosedale.”

Although crowded places tired her out easily, Bella still looked forward to the annual Founding Day festival.

In Netherwell, where there were too few people for a proper celebration, the day passed quietly, marked only by a simple home-cooked meal. The festival she had attended in Rosedale when she was eighteen had been her first and last.

Even so, she had never forgotten it.

She would never forget the sight of the streets overflowing with people dressed in red, the Empire’s symbolic color.

“Joshua said we absolutely have to watch the parade. Do you think it will be visible from the hotel?”

Bella asked, already knowing that she wouldn’t be able to go out during the festival. Her gaze drifted towards the window. Although she understood her situation, an unmistakable hint of disappointment flickered in her eyes at the thought of missing the celebrations.

“On the day of the festival, things will be chaotic. The reporters’ attention should lessen. I’ll assign guards to you so that you can go out for a while.”

The color returned to Bella’s face at once. Seeing her fail to hide her delight, Logan found himself smiling without realizing it.

***

“Judging by the fact that you’re still sane, it seems you haven’t had too hard a time.”

After parting ways with Bella, Logan went straight to the detention center where Jack Hunter was being held.

Having been arrested on the grounds that he posed a flight risk, Jack slowly lifted his head at the sound of a cold voice echoing from beyond the bars.

His hair, which had once been stiffly waxed, now hung greasy and matted. A sour stench rose from the clothes he had not changed out of for days. In such a short time, he had become almost unrecognizable.

His unfocused eyes, which had been staring blankly into space, shifted to the shadow falling across the bars. He muttered under his breath, then suddenly seemed to recognize his visitor and lunged forward.

“You bastard—you’re Logan Fraser, aren’t you? Huh?”

His handcuffs clanged harshly against the iron bars as he shouted and thrashed around in a fit of rage. But with his front tooth missing, his words slipped out in a broken hiss through the gap.

“If you possess even enough sense to understand your situation, this seems like the moment to beg for forgiveness.”

Logan did not so much as blink at Jack’s aggressive display. He merely looked down at him with an expressionless face.

“Violations of food safety regulations. Fraudulent contracts. Embezzlement. And this isn’t the first time you’ve laid hands on women, is it? You must have enjoyed yourself.”

As Logan listed each charge, the dark flush drained from Jack’s face.

“You can read the newspapers even in here, so you must know what your future looks like. The penalties alone seem too much for your company to bear.”

“W- we’re both businessmen! Is this any way to treat a fellow in the trade? Everyone uses tricks like that!”

“Is that so? At the very least, I conduct my business within the law.”

“Duke Fraser…! I’ll never do it again. Just this once—please let me go! I swear, I swear I’ll never do such a thing again. At least spare my business—”

At Logan’s unwavering response, Jack dropped to his knees on the stone floor.

“I’ll apologize to Miss Bella too. I’ll kneel before her just like this and beg.”

He pressed his forehead against the bars and pleaded.

Jack Hunter, who had once stood tall even when Bella gave evidence against him, had become pitiful the moment his life’s work was on the brink of collapse.

Logan looked down at him with undisguised contempt.

“I would prefer it if you didn’t utter her name from your filthy mouth.”

If it had been something that could be resolved with a few words of apology, he would never have begun this in the first place.

Cutting off Jack’s plea with a cold remark, Logan turned without a backward glance.

“Argh! Logan Fraser!”

Jack’s scream echoed through the dim facility behind him.