Marius' Sweet Chapter 02-04
Overview
- Stage Cost: None
- First Clear Rewards:
S-Chip x100
Guide
- Hover to view spoiler content.
Script
Give the hot drink to Marius.
Back in the office, Marius stands before a massive glass window.
Hearing the sound of your entrance, he turns around with an aggrieved expression on his face.
Marius: You were gone for such a long time. I was almost ready to go look for you.
You: Sorry, there were a lot of people...
You walk up to give him his coffee and take his hand while you're at it.
Marius chuckles, and his eyebrows unfurrow.
Marius: If Pax facing a crisis makes you take the initiative more often, then I don't mind.
You: Don't be silly...
His eyes twinkle as he speaks, and there is a playful smirk on the corner of his lips.
This is the Marius that you're most familiar with.
You: Try it. How does it taste?
Marius takes a sip as instructed.
Marius: Perfect. You really know me well.
He bends down slightly and looks you in the eyes as if referring to something else.
You: But I can't guess what you're thinking right now.
Marius: Can't you? I thought you could see right through me.
The more nervous he is, the more he'll avoid the subject. This is Marius' habit.
In that sense, you really can see right through him.
You: So, who do you suspect? Who do you think leaked the information about your "Xbone Alloy" technology?
Marius: Wow, you're really cutting to the chase huh?
Marius curls his lips and takes another sip of coffee.
Marius: Miss, have you been wanting to ask me this for a long time?
You: Well, yeah. I'm worried about you...
Marius: I know you are.
Marius gently hugs you and pats you on the back.
You: What is this... for?
Marius: I'm comforting you...
You: You're the one in trouble. What are you comforting me for?
He laughs, the pleasant tone lingering in your ears.
You: Wait, you haven't answered my question!
Marius: What do you think, Miss?
Marius: How about this: I'll count down from three, then we'll say who we suspect at the same time.
You: ...
Marius: What? Isn't it more interesting this way?
Marius pouts like a child who wants candy.
You: (Men just love to act cute. He knows I can't say no to that pouting face...)
You: Okay, okay...
Marius: Three...
You: (Who leaked the "Xbone Alloy" technology? According to what Marius said in the board of directors meeting, the directors seem to be the most suspicious...)
Marius: Two...
You: (If Marius thinks I know the answer, then it means that this person must have given himself away at the meeting...)
Marius: One...
You: (At the board of directors meeting, some directors were putting pressure on Marius, while others acted like they were giving their honest opinions...)
You: (Who on earth is it? Who has been hiding their malicious intentions?)
You: I suspect...
You: Nathan Coleman.
You say the answer before Marius opens his mouth.
He blinks, looking surprised.
Marius: Huh, why?
You: Hmm... Well, he took the initiative to make the suggestion.
You: His suggestion seemed harmless and frank, but if you analyze it carefully, it would actually end up favoring Crimson's interests.
You: If he's the source of the leak, then his motives could also be explained.
You: It's a conspiracy to help Crimson obtain the "Xbone Alloy" technology.
Marius ponders over it for a while.
Marius: If it really was Coleman... then he could have used someone else to make this suggestion.
Marius: Then he could both achieve his goal and avoid suspicion.
Marius: But he took the initiative to put forward this proposal and put himself on the line.
Marius: Isn't that a risky move?
You: Hmm, you have a point...
You: (Who could it be?)
You: If it wasn't Coleman who made the proposal to cooperate with Crimson, then...
You: Is it Don Edison?
Marius: Oh? Why? What's the reason?
You: I was unsure about those two. After listening to your analysis... I now think that Edison is really suspicious.
You: Furthermore, Edison has a history of doing things that could damage Pax's interests.
You: Secondly, in the board of directors meeting, he changed his attitude and became very aggressive.
You: That's how he fell into your trap, isn't it?
You: However...
Marius: However?
You: Although what he did before was dangerous, he was only targeting you, and it had little impact on Pax's interests.
You: But this time, it's different.
You: Edison is a shareholder of Pax. Leaking information to the competitors would harm Pax's share price. It doesn't benefit him in any way.
You: Don Edison.
Marius: Don Edison.
You both say the name at almost the same time.
Although you were mentally prepared, you're still surprised to hear Marius coming to the same conclusion.
Marius: I told you. Miss, you really do know me best.
Marius: But why do you think it's Don Edison?
You: First of all, Edison has a history of doing things that could harm Pax's interests.
You: Secondly, in the board of directors meeting, he changed his attitude and became very aggressive.
You: That's how he fell into your trap, isn't it?
You: However...
Marius: However?
You: Although what he did before was dangerous, he was only targeting you, and it had little impact on Pax's interests.
You: But this time, it's different.
You: Edison is a shareholder of Pax. Leaking information to the competitors would harm Pax's share price. It doesn't benefit him in any way.
You: So, although Edison is suspicious, I can't figure out why he would do it.
He nods as if to say something, but the sudden sound of a text message interrupts him.
He takes out his phone, gives it a quick glance, and frowns slightly.
Marius: Miss, go somewhere with me.
You: Eh?
Marius: I think all your questions will be answered when we get there.
Marius seems to have found some clues. Go check it out.
You follow Marius to North Stellis. Along the way, he keeps being mysterious and refuses to tell you anything...
...Until you arrive at a dilapidated house.
As you're about to ask, he quietly gestures for you to pay attention to the voices coming from the room.
???: What the hell is going on!?
From somewhere behind a wall comes the angry voice of a man asking questions.
???: I was just trying to show that brat Marius who’s boss. Who knew he would get me involved in this bet!
???: Now I might lose everything!
???: Didn't you promise me that nothing would go wrong!?
You: (That voice!!!)
You look at Marius, who gives you a nod and acknowledges your guess.
The speaker is Don Edison.
Unknown Voice: Mr. Edison, I just want to pave the way for President von Hagen's return.
Unknown Voice: Who knew you would go so far as to anger Mr. Marius.
Unknown Voice: Mr. Marius may be young, but he's a member of the von Hagen family, so this isn't surprising.
There's obviously another person in the room, who seems to be Don Edison's accomplice.
You: (They don't seem to be talking about the information leak.)
Don Edison: I just wanted to show him who's boss. I didn't know he'd go crazy like that.
Don Edison: If it wasn't for this, they would've found out about me.
Then, Edison seems to let out a sigh of relief, and the tone of his voice softens.
Sounds like he's trying to comfort someone else.
Don Edison: You have a point. Once this gets out, there will be fewer people looking into the anonymous email incident...
You: !!!
Edison's words are like the last piece of a jigsaw puzzle. The facts are still hidden behind a layer of fog, but the truth is being revealed.
You: (According to Edison, he is responsible for both the anonymous emails and the information leak this time.)
You: (He leaked the information to distract Marius from the anonymous email case...)
Now his motive and the course of events are clear.
You look at Marius.
You: (Having found out about Edison's repeated betrayal, Marius must be very upset. Is he...)
You thought that Marius would walk right in and confront them.
Marius: ...Let's go.
Instead, he takes your hand and gestures for you to leave with him.
North Stellis Street
Ask Marius what's going on.
You: (Who's the other person talking to Edison in the room? He sounds like someone related to Giann...)
Along the way, your mind runs wild.
You: (But how did Marius find out about everything?)
You: (Why doesn't he look the least bit surprised about this secret meeting and all the conspiracies involved...?)
You: (Has he known about it this whole time?)
Subconsciously, you turn to look at Marius. His slightly pursed lips reveal his turbulent mood.
You: (No, he didn't know... but he probably noticed something along the way somewhere.)
You: (The conversation just now must have confirmed his suspicions.)
Thinking about this, you can't help feeling sorry for Marius, so you grab his hand tightly.
You: *sigh*...
Marius: What's up? I should be the one sighing here, so why the sigh?
Marius looks tired, but he still pretends to be relaxed with his lighthearted jokes.
You: Marius...
Marius: Okay, okay, I know you must have a lot of questions.
Marius: Let's get back to Pax first.
Marius: I promise I'll answer all your questions when we get back.
At this moment, the more he pretends to be relaxed, the heavier your heart feels.
You: Good. You better tell the truth, or I won't go easy on you.
You don't want him to worry about you anymore, so you try to act casual.
Marius: Yes, Miss Attorney.
Marius seems to have something to say. Return to the President's Office and talk about it with him.
Back at Pax, you feel a sense of fatigue permeating your body as soon as you sit down on the couch.
You: (There have been too many ups and downs in one day. I'm exhausted from the information and emotional overload.)
Marius hands you a cup of warm water and sits down next to you.
Marius: Miss, you must be tired. Thank you for running around with me.
You look at him, and a corner of your heart softens.
An idea appears in your mind. You turn around and hug him.
You: You're the one who must be tired.
You: Marius, you've done very well. I mean it.
Before he can open his mouth to explain, you have already sensed all the effort he has put in.
For a moment, he seems stunned. Then, he raises his arms and gently wraps them around you.
Marius: As soon as I heard the news of Crimson's press conference, I suspected that someone on the Board of Directors might have leaked the information.
Marius: So I told Vincent to keep an eye on the directors' movements.
You: Oh, this is what you were talking about in the studio?
Marius: Yes. Then, at the board of directors meeting, I taunted and challenged them as a form of test.
Marius: I made a bet with Edison on purpose.
Marius: I already discovered his link to the anonymous emails before.
Marius: So, it didn't matter whether he leaked the information or not. Either way, I'll take this opportunity to remove him from the board of directors.
Marius: But surprisingly, he was frightened by the wager.
You: So that's when you received the message from Vincent.
Marius: Yes, Miss, very clever.
Marius: When Vincent found out that he has a meeting with someone in North Stellis, he immediately informed me.
Marius: What we just heard confirmed all my suspicions.
Marius: It's actually a good thing. Since Edison is the perpetrator, I don't have to show him any mercy anymore.
You: Then... why didn't you go in and confront Edison back in north Stellis?
Marius: Because the removal of a director must be announced, and the reason for the dismissal must be made public.
Marius: Regardless of whether this is due to information leaks or anonymous emails, it will have a negative impact on Pax and... my brother's public image.
Marius: Therefore, the best way is to make Edison resign.
Marius: If it's merely a wager, not only can we force Edison to leave the board of directors voluntarily and protect both Pax and my brother's image, but also...
Marius looks down. He seems to be completely honest, but you feel as though he is withholding something.
You: (Does Marius have something else to say?)
You: And what else?
Marius: Don't worry. I just suddenly thought of something unimportant.
He raises his head again. His eyes are clear — so clear, you can even see your own reflection in them. It calms your nerves instead.
You: (Marius has always been very honest with me. So... maybe there's something he doesn't want to talk about now.)
You: (He must have his own reasons if he doesn't want to talk about it now.)
He stands up and takes your hand. You squeeze it tightly in return.
You: (It's clear that this incident was unexpected, but Marius is handling it in his own way...)
You: (He even quickly came up with ways to counter his opponents, one by one. Almost like......)
You: (Like it was all part of a plan... but is Marius part of the plan or not?)
You're shocked by your own revelations.
You: (What am I thinking? How could this be arranged by someone...)
Marius: Miss, let me show you something.
You: Eh?
While you are lost in thought, you suddenly realize that Marius has led you to the windows.
You didn't notice it earlier, but it's already nighttime.
The night is dark. Thousands of lights twinkle like specks of light, and the stars in the sky are like broken shards of diamonds, embedded in a dark blue cloth of silk.
The two sources of light resonate with each other, making the entire scene appear surreal.
Marius: Isn't it beautiful?
You: ...It's gorgeous.
You: It's gorgeous, but it feels lonely...
You raise your hand and glide your fingertips against the glass, smoothing Marius' eyebrows in the reflection.
Marius: Yes, it is so beautiful that it seems almost unreal.
Marius looks at you, his eyes sparkling like shooting stars.
Marius: I've always wanted to show you this view whenever I see it.
Marius stands beside you in front of the windows. He turns to look at you. There is a vast sea of light behind him.
Marius: Miss, do you think I'm a little selfish?
Marius: It's a lonely view, but I still want you to enjoy it with me.
Marius is smiling, but his eyes glimmer so brightly that they look like they are about to shed tears.
Suddenly, you realize that Marius was not only asking about the night view.
What he cares about is how you see the world he lives in.
Marius: Do you think I'm a little scary?
Marius: Manipulating people's emotions, playing with politics, scheming and plotting...
You place the palm of your hand gently against his chest. His heart beats slowly, but powerfully.
You: You want to guard this place, don't you?
You: Including this lonely and beautiful view. Although you feel lonely, you're still doing your best to protect it.
You: I'm only starting to understand the burden you're carrying on your shoulders.
You gaze into the distance again. At this point in time, the burden and loneliness you feel may be less than even a sliver of the burden Marius usually carries.
You: Extreme measures are necessary for extreme situations.
You: I just need to know that your heart is still the same as before.
Under your palm, his heart beats faster and faster. Although you can't hear it, you can still sense his pulse resonating in your ears.
Maybe that's not Marius' heartbeat at all.
Marius: [Player]...
Marius: Thank you for your company.
He bends down and kisses your lips softly, like the gentlest breeze.
Your fingers are entwined with his, and the distance between your minds and bodies diminishes.
Marius: Shouldn't you pay back what you owe me?
Before you close your eyes, you steal one final glance at Marius.
Your beloved possesses a pair of eyes more beautiful than the stars in the sky.
