SFYF 12

Chapter 12

The Duke cast a leisurely gaze out the window. Outside, the scenery had already changed. Instead of vast fields, deep blue sea waves rolled gently—apparently, the train had entered his territory.

You’re going to have a hard time of it.

Recalling Marien’s resolute expression, the Duke let out a sigh-like murmur and quietly narrowed his eyes.

Failure, too, was a gate through which every Schneider heir must pass. Better to break early than to crumble at a crucial moment.

“But…”

Don’t suffer too long, Marien. Still, I feel sorry for my seemingly indifferent grandson.

Duke Schneider leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes. It seemed he had truly grown old.

Marien rubbed her dry eyes. After poring over piles of documents all day, her neck felt stiff and her shoulders ached. She felt less like a police officer and more like an office clerk.

“It’s like this on your first day. You’ll get used to it soon. Go home and rest well tonight—this job demands stamina.”

The crimson sunset painted Marien’s and Jan’s cheeks in orange hues.

Though it was quitting time, only Marien and Jan left the police station precisely on schedule. That fact alone spoke volumes about their standing, and she grimaced bitterly.

There was a considerable gap between ideals and reality. She’d assumed that once inside the police station, she’d have the chance to prove her abilities—confident she could silence the grumblers with astonishing skill.

But reality wasn’t so kind. She hadn’t even participated in an investigation; instead, she’d spent the entire day sorting paperwork. Her presence was as cumbersome as the documents piled on her desk.

“While I was organizing mountains of paperwork, did you manage patrols well, Senior Officer Jan?”

“The jewel thief who robbed the store has surely fled to another city by now. What fool would stay in the same city after committing a robbery, right?”

His boastful tone wasn’t particularly grating. It was almost amusing, like watching a child show off.

“Is that so? If he hasn’t been caught by the police yet, he must be extremely confident. Maybe he’s still lingering around here somewhere—mocking officers like us.”

“That’s just because you don’t know any better, Marien. That’s exactly why rookies are hopeless.”

Rookie.

For some reason, she felt she’d heard that word very recently. Where was it? As Marien pondered, she unconsciously murmured, “Ah,” and nodded.

She remembered Maxim calling Jan a “rookie.” It seemed she was now next in line to inherit that title.

Jan shrugged lightly and struck a proud pose as he spoke.

“If catching criminals were that straightforward, I’d already be an inspector by now.”

“Exactly, I thought so too—wait, huh?”

Marien, who had absentmindedly nodded, suddenly froze mid-sentence. Her brisk steps halted as well. Jan, who’d been about to launch into a lengthy lament about the hardships of police work, turned back to her with a puzzled look.

“What’s wrong, rookie?”

Marien said nothing. She simply stared intently at someone.

It was a stout man. Dressed in clothes that looked expensive at first glance, he was just exiting a restaurant, arm-in-arm with a slender woman.

“Do you know him, rookie?”

Jan tilted his head, asking curiously. At his words, Marien asked herself, “Do I actually know that man?” Clearly, he wasn’t someone familiar—but he felt oddly recognizable, as if she’d met him somewhere before.

“…No.”

“What are you doing? Let’s hurry. Do you think days like this—when you can leave on time—are common? As your senior, I advise you: on days like this, you must rest as thoroughly as possible. Understand, rookie?”

That damn “rookie” again.

Marien glared at Jan with wide-open eyes, but the next moment, she obediently nodded meekly. Surrounded by enemies on all sides, there was no need to create another one.

“Yes, Senior Officer Jan.”

“…Senior Officer Jan.”

Jan, lost again in thought as he savored the echo of those words, took a step forward. Marien shook her head slightly and followed behind him—when suddenly:

“Ah!”

Her eyes widened. In her field of vision appeared a man’s ear, folded in half. She also noticed a mole beneath his left eyebrow.

Simultaneously, the suspect’s composite sketch flashed vividly in her mind. The image floating in the air slowly merged with the man before her eyes until they became one single picture.

A perfectly matching picture.

“!”

“What’s wrong? What happened, Marien? Did you step in horse dung or something? That’s why you should walk on the inner side of the road like I do. Honestly, rookies are hopeless.”

“It’s not that…!”

Marien pointed directly at the man, then turned to Jan with wide, round eyes. Jan stared back at her, utterly bewildered.

Flap, flap.

Why didn’t he understand? Frustrated, her lips twitched impatiently before the words she’d held back finally burst out.

“He’s the jewel store robber!”

“What? Where? Where?”

Jan quickly scanned the surroundings with tense eyes. Marien shifted her finger toward the man heading for the carriage platform.

“Over there—the man who just came out of the restaurant with the woman in the blue dress.”

“So where exactly… Ah, forget it.”

Jan’s initial enthusiasm deflated instantly, and his shoulders slumped. A sigh-like sound escaped through his teeth.

“If you’d seen the composite sketch, you’d know the jewel thief was so thin his cheekbones stuck out—he broke into the store through that narrow ventilation shaft. But that man is plump!”

Marien prided herself on her sharp eyesight. Moreover, anything she saw once was etched clearly into her memory, ready to be recalled whenever needed—in short, she had an excellent memory.

This ability had been extremely useful as Madam Schneider. Noblewomen often altered their appearances drastically with makeup; some even arrived wearing wigs.

Sometimes they disguised themselves for secret trysts, or applied heavy makeup to conceal obvious signs of illness.

Yet Marien could instantly see through to their true faces. Thanks to this, she avoided careless slips during invisible battles of wits.

This time was no different. It wasn’t just the mole and the half-folded ear—his eye shape and eyebrow contour were similar too. Weight could be gained or lost easily, but physical traits weren’t so easily changed.

Marien finally realized just how remarkably accurate the anonymous artist’s composite sketch had been. And at that very moment—

“Stop right there!”

She bolted toward the man climbing into the carriage.

“Yikes! Rookie! What on earth are you doing! Hey, you! Don’t move another step!”

Flustered, Jan immediately shouted after her, cursing as he chased her down. But Marien paid him no mind.

Startled by the sudden shout, the man turned his head and frowned upon seeing her. Then, catching sight of Jan running after her, he glanced around in panic.

He clearly recognized Jan—perhaps even knew he was a police officer.

In that instant, Marien’s suspicion hardened into certainty. The man shoved the woman beside him toward Marien and began fleeing in the opposite direction.

“Kyaaaah!”

“Are you alright, miss? …See? I told you he was the culprit, Senior Officer Jan! Why else would he run if he had nothing to hide?”

“We can’t be sure yet! Maybe he’s running because your face scared him! Or maybe he urgently needs the restroom!”

Marien hiked up her dress to her knees and chased after the man. People stared at her with wide eyes.

“Oh dear, how disgraceful!”

A noblewoman covered her eyes and let out a quiet sigh.

The man kept glancing back as he pushed through the crowd. People caught in the unexpected chase stumbled and screamed as they were shoved aside, instantly turning the area into chaos.

“Ahaha.”

It was strange. Despite being so exhausted she felt breathless, a grin kept slipping out. Perhaps she’d longed for a moment like this for a very long time.

Not standing beside Christoph like a beautiful flower—but running on her own two feet, grounded firmly on the earth.

“Who wouldn’t run away if you’re chasing them like a madwoman? I’d run too! Rookie, you’ve got a terrifying look on your face right now!”

“Let’s talk after we’ve caught him, Senior Officer Jan!”

“Where did the ‘-nim’ go? You should call me Senior Officer Jan-nim!”

Ignoring Jan’s sullen complaint, Marien regretted too late that she should’ve followed Mrs. List’s advice.

If only she’d brought her parasol—she would’ve whacked that man’s head long ago.

“Ugh, damn it!”

Just then, a cart loaded with cargo appeared in front of the man. Blocked by the sudden obstacle, he cursed and hastily changed direction.

In that split second, the distance between Marien and him narrowed slightly. She snatched a cane from a nearby gentleman, shouting, “I’ll borrow this for a moment!”

“What on earth…!”

Before the startled gentleman could react, Marien swung the cane straight at the fleeing man. The rounded handle caught his shin, throwing him off balance.

“Waaah!”

At the same moment, Marien launched herself at him.

“Stop right there!”

“Wow!”

An incomprehensible exclamation erupted from behind her. Marien soared through the air with a soft whoosh.

It wasn’t a metaphor or exaggeration. Literally like a bird taking flight, she stretched out both hands and snatched the man firmly by the neck.

“Guh!”

Crash.

They tumbled to the ground in a tangled heap.

“Ugh.”

A groan escaped Marien’s lips. It hurt—dull, heavy pain spread through her entire body, as if she’d been beaten with a hammer. Without a doubt, her whole body would be covered in bruises tomorrow.

“Let go of me!”

The man scrambled to his feet, thrashing violently to free himself from Marien’s grip. He kept glancing nervously at Jan while struggling roughly.

But Marien clung stubbornly to his leg.

“Do you think I’ll just let you run? Senior Officer Jan, hurry and help me catch this guy!”

At that very moment, as she cried out desperately—

“Marien?”

A familiar voice struck the back of her head—a low, solemn tone that made her heart drop. Instantly, all expression vanished from Marien’s face.

“……”

In disbelief, she slowly turned her head. Her vision fell upon gleaming leather shoes. Her eyes slowly traveled upward—past sharply creased black trousers and a matching jacket, over a silver waistcoat and a dark gray ascot tie—until finally:

“…Christoph.”

His name slipped from her lips like a dazed sigh.

Christoph looked down at her with an unreadable expression. His usually neat hair was slightly disheveled, and dark shadows—like Florian’s—lined the skin beneath his eyes. His cheeks appeared a bit thinner, casting deeper shadows along his cheekbones than before.

Christoph didn’t approach rashly. Instead, he stood rooted in place, slowly clenching his fists. His chest rose and fell very gradually, as if swallowing down surging emotions.

“Marien.”

He called her name once more. Whether it was her imagination or not, his voice sounded desperately urgent and anxious. His dark eyes remained unwaveringly fixed on her alone.

Marien was quite flustered. She’d even thought he might not come looking for her at all—after all, Christoph had many things more important than her.

Yet here he stood, appearing far sooner than she’d expected.

Your Grace.

Marien slowly closed her eyes. She’d hoped he’d appear only after she’d fully let go of every lingering attachment in her heart—when hearing his voice wouldn’t make her heart sink, and seeing his face wouldn’t steal her breath.

“……”

The moment her grip loosened, the man she’d been holding seized the chance and kicked out with his leg.

Thud.

“Kyaaah!”