Chapter 124
"Wow, it’s been so long! Uncle."
Gilda stopped what she was doing and welcod Kinuan.
"You look busy, so I’ll make the coffee. Was the break room this way? The interior seems a bit different."
"You saw the sign, right? We started a business as G&G Workshop. We also changed so of the equipnt."
"Oh, I’ll always be cheering for you."
Kinuan pretended not to know, even though he was already aware of G&G Workshop’s collaboration with Giselle.
’Calm down. Don’t show any agitation. Act as usual.’
I half-closed my eyes and controlled my body, consciously suppressing emotional signals and blocking the anxiety that could be revealed physically.
"I didn’t expect to see you in the lower district, Instructor."
I spoke to Kinuan, who was in the break room. He was mixing various things into his pitch-black coffee, creating his own recipe. The boiling-hot oil mixed with the coffee, giving off a strange aroma.
"I happened to have so free ti, so I ca by. I didn’t expect you to be here."
Kinuan said he hadn’t expected to be here. Whether that was the truth or a lie, I had no way of knowing.
’Was this a coincidence, or was there an ulterior motive?’
Thinking about it now wouldn’t give an answer. The information available to was limited.
Kinuan was a master of emotional control. Even a seasoned warrior like Rick Silva Núñez had been caught off guard because he couldn’t read Kinuan’s true intentions.
...If that was the case, I had to assu the worst as always.
’Kinuan is here because of Agatha’s chip.’
That was the most reasonable assumption to make.
"Uncle, did you know? Luka has beco quite the celebrity in the lower district."
Gilda loosened up on her work and joined the conversation. She was quite fond of Kinuan.
"Oh, I know. I heard he even got a nickna... What was it again?"
Kinuan sat down with the coffee he had just made.
"They call him the Noble Hunter, Luka."
I was the one who answered.
"That’s a dangerous nickna to have. You must be going through a lot."
Kinuan took a sip from his coffee cup.
"A lot of unexpected things have happened. Lately, I’ve been feeling like my plans are going off track."
"When do things ever go according to plan? What we need isn’t just planning but adaptability. Anyone can stray from the path. But the real question is whether they beco a lost cause or find their way back to the right road."
"...I’m doing my best."
I sharpened my senses, trying to read Kinuan’s emotional signals. If my perception had a physical form, it would be like tendrils crawling all over Kinuan, scrutinizing him from every angle.
However, Kinuan was astonishingly emotionless. He was like a statue.
’His emotional control is perfect.’
Kinuan did not reveal a single emotional signal on the surface. The occasional smiles and composure he displayed were false signals. He shielded himself with deception and pierced others with the spear of truth. There was no one more fitting to be a double agent than him.
And if I wanted to survive, I had to beco soone like Kinuan. No matter what anyone said, he was my teacher.
"So, Luka. How is your work going? Your ti as a cadet will be over soon. I doubt there has ever been a cadet as tumultuous as you in the history of the Imperial Guard."
"I’ll be producing results soon."
Whatever those results may be.
’Kill Kinuan to blind His Majesty’s eyes.’
’Remove Hemillas and beco the head of the Custoria family myself.’
One of these two tasks had to be done by my own hand. Only then could I and the Custoria family survive.
Both were formidable challenges. That was why I had to choose whichever opportunity presented itself first. The mont that opportunity arrived, I couldn’t afford to hesitate.
’Can I defeat Kinuan?’
Kinuan had a broken brain, but his true capabilities and depth remained imasurable. If I acted recklessly, I would be the one to fall.
’Hemillas goes without saying—he’s a soldier as unyielding as steel.’
Don’t think too deeply, Luka. If you get lost in your thoughts, the scent of your anguish will start to leak out.
"By the way, Gilda’s workstation is quite sothing."
Here it ca. Kinuan’s curiosity had shifted toward Gilda’s work.
"It’s a project I commissioned."
There was no point in trying to deceive him. I hadn’t coordinated anything with Gilda beforehand, anyway.
"Leaving the tech team at the Imperial Guard headquarters aside and choosing Gilda? Ah, Gilda, I don’t an to belittle you. I’m just stating the facts."
Gilda, who had been working, lifted her head with a pout.
"That is belittling ! Geez. Of course, I admit my skills aren’t as refined as those elite engineers in the upper district. This is just Luka giving so pocket money. You know, as a friendly favor. I work with Luka’s younger sister, after all."
Gilda spoke nonchalantly. I was stunned inside.
’Gilda just lied for .’
I had the sudden urge to hug her right then and there. I never imagined she would respond this cleverly.
’She must have realized that decoding the chip is a job that requires confidentiality. She’s a smart woman, after all.’
There was no real reason for Gilda to lie. She had simply picked up on my conversation with Kinuan and acted on my behalf.
My chest felt tight. It was hard to put into words. No—let be precise. Damn it, I was honestly moved.
"So you deliberately gave Gilda the job. I’ve thought this for a while, but you really are..."
Kinuan trailed off with a playful smile.
"A kind person?"
"...A good boy."
"Let’s just go with that. Arguing over every little thing is exhausting."
I grumbled. After that, we exchanged small talk, briefly touching on the topic of Crown Prince Francec.
"The recent parade incident and the nickna ’Noble Hunter’—there must be a lot of people out for your life. Even those who have no real grudge against you will start to dislike you."
"The number of people gunning for has gone from one truckload to two. That’s why I always stay ard."
I pushed my coat aside, revealing my weapons. Crucis and Ruina ca into view.
"And since we’re here, I should let you know. Before the storm arrives, you and I will need to et with certain individuals. I’ll be calling for you soon."
I instinctively felt it—this was an opportunity. It could be a turning point.
’At last, Kinuan and I will be moving alone.’
It could have been a chance orchestrated by Ivan. I suppressed the surge of excitent and anticipation.
"Luka, the data transfer and recovery are done!"
Gilda lifted her head from behind the equipnt and called out. The data restoration for the chip I had entrusted her with probably wasn’t actually complete.
’I have to trust Gilda.’
I stood up and approached her.
Gilda had been working the holographic interface but suddenly paused.
"Looking at the data format, it seems to be so kind of video... Should I play it?"
"Ah, well, let’s check it out."
I nodded casually.
Kinuan was watching us while sipping his coffee. His gaze was oddly sharp.
Beep.
A large holographic screen was projected onto the wall. After a few bursts of static, a blurry video began to play.
—Haa, huk, ahang.
An obscene sound ominously filled the room. As the image cleared, a man and a woman were seen entangled in a rough embrace.
The man had sculpted, handso features, while the woman had an unrealistically perfect figure. Their skin glistened as if wet. Even through the screen, the air felt thick and humid.
Even as soone unfamiliar with this field, I could tell... this was quite explicit. It was so sensuous that it almost felt artistic.
Moreover, there was sothing abnormal about the interaction between the two, whose entire bodies had been modified for enhanced sexual function. The man and woman were entwined like an octopus and a snake, their movents fierce and predatory as if they were trying to consu each other.
"...Ah, so it was sothing like this."
Gilda shrugged and turned off the video. I instinctively took two steps away from her, feeling awkward for no reason.
"I really had no idea it contained this kind of data."
"Oh, no, no. This happens a lot. Sotis, when a chip has strangely tight security, you think it’s hiding secret assets or sothing, but when you recover it... well, you know? It turns out to be a collection, mories of parents, records from soone’s youth, things like that."
Gilda smiled knowingly, as if to say it was no big deal.
"Either way, it seems like useless data to ."
"Should I dispose of it, then?"
"The chip’s owner would probably want that. I’d like to preserve their honor."
Kinuan had been watching us, and now he rose leisurely from his seat. With a smile, he stepped toward .
"Seeing the contents, it’s a good thing you didn’t hand this over to the Imperial Guard. Can I ask whose chip it is?"
"...It belongs to Nikolaos."
I’m sorry for dragging your na into this, Nikolaos.
But if I had to guess, Nikolaos’s sexual appetite was probably not ordinary. This wouldn’t even be a disgrace to him... or so I rationalized to myself.
"The coffee was good, Gilda. And Luka, you shouldn’t stay in the lower district too long. I have information that people are after you."
"Thanks for the warning."
"Then, I’ll be off."
Kinuan stood up from his seat.
"You’re leaving already? I just finished my work. Stay a little longer and hang out!"
Gilda, reluctant to let him go, tried to stop him, but Kinuan declined with an apologetic smile.
"I have a lot on my plate. I ca to the lower district for business today, and visiting you was just an added bonus."
Leaving behind only an empty coffee cup, Kinuan stepped out of the workshop.
Thud.
The door closed.
’Kinuan didn’t co here knowing everything in detail. In a ti as sensitive as this, he must have found my visit to the lower district suspicious and followed . Today, he was just testing the waters.’
I felt a strange sense of exhilaration. I was almost certain—I had succeeded in deceiving Kinuan. I had read his intentions and defended myself!
Of course, this wasn’t sothing I accomplished on my own.
’Even Kinuan wouldn’t have expected Gilda to help like this.’
It was thanks to her unexpected assistance that he had been completely fooled.
"Thank you, Gilda."
Gilda gave a bright smile. She lightly bumped her shoulder against mine.
"The real data recovery will be done soon, so just wait over there. I don’t know what’s going on... but I’m rooting for you, Luka."
"You trust ?"
"Working with Giselle has made even more certain. Luka, you’re a good person."
I gave a bitter smile.
"I’m probably not as good a person as you think."
"Maybe to so people, you’re not. But to , you are."
Gilda operated the latest terminal. The data restoration process seed to be reaching its final stage.
"That quick thinking earlier was impressive. You must’ve had a hard ti finding a video like that on such short notice."
I complinted her efforts while inputting numbers into a credit chip. This was the least I could offer in return.
"Oh, that? It’s from my personal collection. Let know if you want more—I’ve got a carefully curated selection. To be honest, after the kidnapping incident, I completely lost my sex drive for a while... but I’ve been doing a lot better lately and enjoying life again."
Gilda said it casually. I was montarily at a loss for words.
She must have struggled silently to free herself from the weight of her past trauma.
...Now that I thought about it, Gilda was no ordinary person either. She wasn’t rigid, but she wouldn’t break. No matter what hardships she faced, she always found a way to stand back up.
Then, I suddenly rembered that Gabriel had been at the workshop today as well. He was probably here for security reasons, but it still made uneasy.
"Gilda, by any chance... you and Gabriel..."
"I told you before, Gabi and I aren’t like that. I care about looks."
It wasn’t that I disliked Gabriel. But for so reason, I felt like a woman as good as Gilda was wasted on him. Hmph, my own twisted nature was probably to bla for that.
Click. Beep.
A series of chanical sounds followed. Gilda wiped her forehead, straightened her posture, and flashed a thumbs-up.
The data recovery was complete.
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