Chapter 29

The dealers who were taken to the Guard Headquarters were locked up in the underground prison.

Fortunately, Gideon and Diana’s situation was a little better. They were placed in a detention cell, not in the prison.

“I’m telling you, we’re innocent! This is illegal detention!”

“Quiet! Didn’t you trespass into the mill warehouse?”

“That wasn’t a warehouse, it was an illegal casino! I told you, I went in to save my younger brother!”

“Alright, alright, just be quiet!”

The guard, who had probably heard similar protests countless times before, answered irritably.

“How is my younger brother doing?”

“Your brother? You mean the boy with the broken arm?”

The guard’s nose twitched.

“An officer just came by, so he’s probably being examined right about now.”

“I see. Thank you for not interrogating him too harshly, since he’s a patient.”

“It’s not like we torture people here… but fine, understood.”

When Gideon asked politely, the guard’s hostility lessened.

“Anyway, until the investigation is complete and your identities are confirmed, we can’t release you. Please wait.”

“Wait—!”

Clang!

The cell door shut firmly.

“What kind of investigation is this if you don’t even let people finish explaining? What kind of person acts like that?!”

Diana had followed them all the way here thinking they would be questioned properly and sent home.

But the reality was the complete opposite, and her anger exploded.

“…Pft.”

A muffled laugh stabbed at her back.

Diana turned her head in disbelief.

“…Gideon. You’re laughing at a time like this?”

“Forgive me, I know this isn’t a situation to laugh in, but… pft.”

“If you know, then don’t laugh!”

Though Gideon apologized sincerely, the laughter slipped out anyway.

He leaned back against the wall, covering his face with one hand as his broad shoulders shook non-stop.

After burying his face between his knees and laughing for a while, Gideon finally spoke.

“Never in my life have I spent such a chaotic day.”

How on earth is that funny?

“Not only did I fail to help a lady I’d just met, I dragged her into danger, and now we’re even stuck in a cell together…”

His voice was tinged with self-mockery, but there was also relief in it.

As Gideon laughed helplessly, Diana’s own tension drained away.

“This is my first time being locked in a cell. It’s surprisingly spacious. I’m impressed.”

“Do you really think this is the time to be impressed?”

Of course, this was Diana’s first time in a cell too. The difference was, she had zero desire to “admire” the place.

“Stop laughing. It’s annoying being the only one sulking while you laugh!”

“My apologies.”

“I don’t care if my prison companion is a handsome man like you, Gideon—I don’t ever want to be locked up again.”

“Prison companion…?”

That phrase set him off again, and Gideon chuckled to himself.

The change in his expression was striking. A man who had been stiff and tense all this time suddenly relaxed and laughed softly, like a hedgehog finally lowering its quills.

“There won’t be a next time. In a world full of people like you, Lady Diana, cells like these would never even be needed.”

“But here I am, locked up—proof that they are needed.”

“I know. It’s my fault. Forgive me. I… I’m not usually the kind of man who causes this kind of trouble for others.”

Yeah, right.

Diana scowled at him, unconvinced.

Sensing her disapproval, Gideon could only smile awkwardly.

Finally, he took a deep breath.

“You suffered because you tried to help me. I am deeply sorry. You may not believe me, but I never intended to drag you into this mess.”

“…I know. But apologizing now doesn’t change anything. Lift your head.”

From Carmine Pierce’s insults to all the accidents today, it wasn’t fair to pin it all on Gideon.

Besides, thanks to him, she had found the runaway dealer—so the day wasn’t a total loss.

“Even though Lucas is injured, he didn’t lose consciousness. His identity will be confirmed quickly. Someone from the family will come soon, so please endure until then.”

“Alright.”

The place was damp and smelly, but at least there was no one here threatening them—it was much safer than the basement.

Finally calming down, Diana added softly:

“I’m glad you found your brother.”

“So am I.”

“He looked badly hurt. Will he be alright?”

“…I’ll probably need to take him back to the family estate and watch over him for a while.”

“You weren’t living together before?”

“Lucas left home last year after a fight with me. This is the first time I’ve seen him since.”

“I see… so there was a story behind it.”

“Nothing grand.”

Gideon gave a wry smile.

From what she gathered, Lucas Valentine had left after fighting with Gideon, but he hadn’t cut ties completely. He still wrote letters to their parents regularly. The trouble began when he got mixed up in gambling and stopped keeping in touch.

By the time he asked Gideon for help, his house, his bank account—everything was already empty.

“I believe Lucas has learned his lesson this time. When he comes home, I’ll try to talk with him calmly.”

“That’s the best thing you can do.”

Especially since the boy was injured—trying to “talk” with fists could mean calling a mortician instead of a doctor.

“I should also thank your knight properly.”

“…What?”

“The man who helped us.”

Diana flinched, frantically waving her hands.

“Don’t worry about him! He’s just… um…”

But Gideon had already convinced himself that the mysterious cookie-debt savior was Diana’s bodyguard.

‘But that man’s real identity is probably…’

Diana racked her brain for a good excuse.

Just then, as she shifted her weight on the ground—

“Ouch!”

“You’re hurt?”

Gideon’s expression hardened instantly.

“Show me.”

Before she could react, Gideon leaned close, gently taking her left hand.

The movement was so natural and fluid that she couldn’t even refuse.

“The wound looks bad.”

“I think I scraped my palm. Probably when I was trying to force open the trapdoor…”

It must have happened while she was desperately pounding on it.

When Gideon’s face darkened, Diana instinctively tried to hide her hand.

But he held onto it firmly.

‘Now that I’m paying attention, it hurts even more. I think I might’ve twisted it too…’

To make matters worse, his eyes filled with determination.

“You should see a doctor.”

“It’s fine. I’ll just treat it at home…”

“No.”

His tone was peculiar.

Anyone else would have sounded forceful, but coming from him, it was more like a headmaster giving a stern lecture—something you couldn’t help but obey.

Not threatening, but heavy with pressure.

“I’ll call a guard.”

He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and carefully tied it around her wound, handling her as though she were a patient with a serious illness.

“The doctor can’t have left yet.”

“It’s my left hand, it’s not that inconvenient…”

“Commissioner? Commissioner!”

Suddenly, the door to the detention area burst open.

A man rushed in, holding a lantern, his expression anxious.

His neatly tied hair and square glasses made him look like a library clerk.

He scanned the room with an urgent voice.

“Commissioner, are you here?”

“This is against the rules! Only guards are allowed in here—”

The guard tried to stop him, but the man ignored him completely.

Before long, his eyes landed on Gideon and widened.

“Commissioner Valentine!”

“Gerard.”

“What on earth are you doing here? What happened?”

Gerard’s words were less scolding than they were full of worry.

But that worry quickly turned into anger toward the guard.

“Open this cell immediately!”