"Mr. Karen did nothing wrong—please let me explain!"
"Lixia…"
Lixia raised her hand to address the police captain, while the obsessed guy called her name with visible concern. The captain then turned to her and asked about her identity.
"You are?"
"I'm Lixia Ethe."
"Ethe? Ah, the daughter of Count Ethe, I see. And this man?"
After repeating her surname, the captain seemed to recall her family background. Noticing the obsessed guy standing beside her, he politely asked for his identity as well.
"I'm Shien Infellet."
The moment obsessed guy introduced himself, the captain's expression shifted to shock, followed by a hint of excitement.
"Shien Infellet… the prodigy with all four magic attributes?!"
"Uh… that's an exaggeration. I'm not a prodigy."
Obsessed guy scratched the back of his head shyly, but Lixia shot him a cold glance, clearly displeased.
"As expected of someone chosen by the Goddess of Fate—so humble. But we must proceed professionally. Since you were both present in this room, you must know what happened. Could you please give us a detailed account?"
Despite the praise, the captain didn't forget his duty—truly a responsible officer.
Lixia and obsessed guy then explained everything, including the train attack by the organization and my identity.
"I see. Thank you very much for your explanation. Release Mr. Karen—and arrest the real culprit."
The handcuffs around my wrists were removed and immediately placed on the fox-eyed knight instead. He was then escorted away.
The captain stepped in front of me and bowed deeply in apology.
"Mr. Karen, I sincerely apologize. I failed to recognize you as the hero who hunted down Samidoride. I was blind—please forgive me."
It's fine if didn't recognize me. I've never tried to make my identity known anyway—the important thing is not showing favoritism based on status or rank.
"It's fine. I'm more grateful that you listened to my explanation."
"I didn't sense any fear from you. Most criminals panic and look for a way to escape. That made me suspicious."
That was exactly why I waited until I was handcuffed before explaining. If you've done nothing wrong, there's no need to panic. Resisting only makes things worse.
Still, this captain was both perceptive and responsible—a truly fair officer.
"I'm glad I ran into a good policeman."
"Thank you for your praise, Mr. Karen!"
He looked genuinely pleased, like he'd just received recognition from someone important.
…Please don't treat me like that. Basic respect is enough.
At that moment, the nanny—who had been listening the entire time—looked at the fox-eyed knight in disbelief.
"Young master… did you really do all this?"
"..."
He didn't dare meet her eyes. He offered no defense, allowing himself to be taken away in silence.
That silence was enough. The nanny understood the truth—and it broke her.
Tears streamed down her face as she cried out in anguish.
"How could you do such a thing?! You've stained your life forever! How am I supposed to face your late mother?!"
Hearing that, I couldn't help but feel a flicker of sympathy for him.
But sympathy isn't forgiveness. Only repentance is.
"...I'm sorry."
His voice was filled with regret.
The nanny froze, unsure how to respond. Then, suddenly, she turned to Lixia and the obsessed guy—and dropped to her knees.
"...Young Master Infellet, Lady Ethe… please forgive him. Please don't let him go to prison. I beg you—I promise he'll never do this again. Please, just this once… forgive him."
Lixia hesitated.
I've always believed something about people: men's relationships are often simpler than women's. No complicated emotions—if they don't like someone, they don't like them. Even in the same space, they won't speak.
But Lixia… she was wavering.
"..."
She hadn't done anything wrong. But refusing would sever ties completely. Accepting would betray her own feelings.
She was trapped.
Seeing her struggle, the obsessed guy stepped forward and took the role of the villain.
"No. If you do something wrong, you have to face the consequences. Even family can't be protected from that."
"Shien…"
Lixia looked at him, visibly moved.
Still… wasn't he a bit too passive? He always seemed to act only after watching her reaction.
The nanny, rejected, broke down in tears. No one comforted her.
Even I felt uncomfortable watching this. I just wanted to leave.
At that moment, the captain called out to us.
"Young master Infellet, Lady Ethe, Mr. Karen, please come with us to the station to give your statements."
"Mr. Karen… what should we do?"
Lixia looked uneasy, so she left the decision to me.
Honestly… I was uneasy too.
Even if we hadn't done anything wrong, being surrounded by police still made you nervous—like you might get arrested for the smallest mistake.
"Lady Ethe, don't worry. We only need to record the details of the incident. That's all."
After hearing the explanation, I decided to trust him.
Still, I might need to explain my connection with the fox-eyed knight—and that meant I'd need the official mission document Jacob was holding.
I reassured Lixia, then turned to the captain.
"It'll be fine. Let's go. But my companions are still at the train station—I need to inform them."
"I can send someone to deliver the message."
"No, it's easier if I explain it myself. Could you assign an officer to accompany me? I don't know where the police station is."
The real reason is to have Jacob and the others drop their invisibility—and give them a proper scolding.
The captain probably worried I might disappear if I left, so I suggested bringing an officer along.
"Very well. Ebo."
"Yes, sir. Karen, this way."
A seemingly honest officer stepped forward, crossing his hands over his chest as he accepted the order.
…What's with that gesture?
Confused, I followed the honest officer as we headed back toward the train station.