“Let’s go.”
Yun ignored Jaeyeon completely and stopped beside .
“What are you doing here.”
“Ah. There was a bit of... misunderstanding.”
“You look thinner.”
Jaeyeon spoke lazily, cigarette dangling from his lips.
Naturally, Yun ignored him. My ntor stopped beside , pulled a cigarette from his inner pocket, and lit it.
Click—flick. The familiar Zippo lighter he always carried flared, then died out.
“How’s the Chairman’s health?”
Despite being brushed off, Jaeyeon closed the distance.
His foxlike eyes curved with a sly smile.
“Now that you ntion it, it’s been a while since we visited together, hasn’t it? Sweetheart, we should go greet him again soti soon.”
I narrowed my eyes and looked at Jaeyeon.
What the hell was he talking about?
None of this made sense.
Of course, nothing that ca out of his mouth was trustworthy. He was probably just trying to get on Yun’s nerves.
And sure enough, Yun slowly turned his head toward him.
The expressionless face he showed was terrifying.
“There are civilians around.”
I whispered the warning close to his ear, because the killing intent radiating from him pierced my skin. This wasn’t the kind of threat used to intimidate—it was the kind that preceded a real punch.
Of course, Yun ignored too.
“Your master must be busy.”
His low voice was calm, almost casual.
Jaeyeon didn’t answer, just stepped closer.
I watched the two n, nerves tight.
The scent of perfu grew heavier.
Colton’s little pet leaned an elbow on my shoulder and smiled wider.
“Why bring him up now, huh? We were talking about us.”
Jaeyeon said reproachfully—and then dropped a bomb.
“We’re engaged, after all.”
“...What?”
Excuse ?
What did he just—
“What?”
“We promised each other our future when we’d just beco adults, didn’t we?”
That smooth, playful voice delivered sothing utterly absurd.
Yun smoked without denying or confirming it.
My jaw dropped.
“And now you act so cold? How heartless.”
“You’re joking, right?”
My voice cracked halfway through the question.
Jaeyeon lowered the arm that had been on my shoulder and looked back at . Amusent glead in his black eyes like crystals.
“Joking? I spent hours dressing up for our first eting, you know.”
I mouthed soundlessly, then turned to my ntor.
He was blowing perfect rings of smoke, one after another.
Seeing my look, he said in a dangerously soft tone,
“My foster father sold well.”
That voice was gentle enough to cut skin.
“When he was still clinging to that idiotic ambition of expanding his influence in every direction. Thought marrying his adopted son to the daughter of a U.S. senator would shift the political landscape.”
“Daughter of a U.S. senator?”
“And you trample poor Ohara’s pure heart every ti, don’t you?”
Jaeyeon smirked at Yun.
When he looked like a man, it was impossible to picture his female form; when he looked like a woman, it was impossible to picture this one.
But they were the sa being—that much was certain.
“Poor thing, she really loved you. You should’ve seen the fuss she made before going to et you.”
“I told you to stop using that revolting self-objectifying tone.”
Yun shot back coldly.
Jaeyeon ignored him completely, and Yun’s eyes burned with undisguised disgust.
Standing between them, I felt a mont of light panic.
So they really had been engaged once?
Ohara must’ve been Jaeyeon’s alias, and “the senator’s daughter” a cover identity. She—or he—used to pull stunts like that often.
But still...
Don’t tell they still—
“Are you still engaged?”
“Do you think so?”
“If the war hadn’t killed her, we’d be one by now.”
Jaeyeon swiped at imaginary tears with a fingertip.
“Such a tragic love story!”
“The war had its uses,” Yun said coolly beside him.
His next words dripped with contempt.
“Well, there are always matchmakers who sell off their subordinates’ bodies for gain.”
Crash!
Jaeyeon’s fist swung.
Actors scread. High-pitched shrieks and crashing glass filled the room. Bottles exploded across the table—clatter, shatter, alcohol spilling onto the floor.
I yanked back the frozen actress—the one who’d dragged here—and grabbed Jaeyeon by the nape before he could lunge at Yun.
“Pick your damn ti and place!”
Yun had blocked the punch with a bottle, shattering it cleanly, then tossed the neck of it aside.
I tightened my grip on Jaeyeon’s collar, frowning.
“Save your tantrum for sowhere without civilians!”
“Alright, alright. Since you’re asking so nicely.”
The man of a thousand moods erased his rage in an instant.
It was so sudden the actors—who had braced for another blast—only managed dazed gasps.
Jaeyeon relaxed completely. I looked down at his limp arm with a dull stare.
“When a handso friend asks, how can I refuse?”
Seriously, what was this act now.
I released his arm in annoyance and watched him help the fallen actress up again.
The actors were half out of their minds from shock.
I sighed and began kicking the shards of glass into one pile.
When I was done, I looked at Yun.
“I’d like to see Yehyeon.”
He snorted.
“Stop cleaning and let’s go. Why are you doing that?”
“You broke it.”
“When?”
“You provoked Jaeyeon and—never mind. Let’s just leave.”
Was it amusing to watch exhausted like this?
Yun blew out smoke and grinned, and I glared at him.
Annoyingly, Jaeyeon was patting my back.
“Such a good boy, isn’t he?”
I want to see Colton.
That insane thought crossed my mind as I pulled away from the lunatics. Not far, though—just to the sofa where the actors were sitting. I ant to grab an unbroken bottle. One looked decent enough.
Might as well have a drink before I go.
As I reached out, the actors flinched.
I ignored their reaction.
Then the woman who’d dragged here stamred,
“E-excuse .”
“Yes?”
When I turned my head, she flinched again.
Probably terrified because of Jaeyeon—or maybe just the fight itself. I stayed perfectly still so she wouldn’t get more frightened, just waiting, hand still on the bottle’s neck.
She mumbled in a timid voice,
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know....”
I gave her a wry smile.
Honestly, that other actor should’ve been the one apologizing.
Not that I particularly cared anymore.
I answered, pitying those who had just witnessed a clash between the two most dangerous enhanced n alive.
“It’s fine.”
“N-no. I’ll apologize properly later! Could I have your na...?”
“Mr. Taleb.”
A familiar voice called my na.
I turned—and saw the man standing beside Yun. Sa as ever: a face as pale as Yehyeon’s, hollow eyes, half-tied red hair, neat as always.
I was genuinely glad to see Shashinsky.
He observed quietly.
“He’s waiting for you.”
So am I.
I nodded and followed the light leading to the eccentric Elder’s quarters.
***
No matter how many tis I saw it, it was a hall perfectly suited to Erich Erhart.
Corinthian columns soared toward the ceiling, chandeliers hanging every fifteen ters—not overly ornate, but refined. The ceiling was plastered white.
On one side stood a grand piano, where a musician played classical pieces while a singer in a cobalt-blue gown perford beside him.
A graceful aria floated through the air.
“Sit.”
Lounging lazily, Erich Erhart greeted with a pleasant smile.
Of course, he didn’t even glance at Yun.
His preferences were as consistent as ever.
“I prepared a cigar for you. Hope it suits your taste.”
“Do I have to sit?”
I’d expected this, but it didn’t make any happier.
“I was planning to take the ga and leave right away. Isn’t this a busy ti ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) for you?”
“Not at all. Sit, both of you.”
No use arguing.
I sat heavily across from Erhart. Yun slouched into the sofa beside . Eyes in the hall flicked toward us, then away.
Behind Erhart stood Shashinsky—and a woman I didn’t know.
Blunt bangs, chin-length hair, skin as pale as his. She wore square black-rimd glasses. Probably another of Spitfire’s subordinates.
Where had the blonde gone?
I made a ntal note of it and reached for the cigar on the table.
Smoking always felt like inhaling and exhaling stale air, but—
“Not bad.”
Shashinsky lit it for .
Resting one leg over the other, I took a puff and gave my honest opinion.
“Heavy.”
“I’m glad it suits you.”
Erhart’s eyes narrowed in amusent.
The bright suit fit him perfectly. A different breed of elegance from Colton’s—effortless, aristocratic.
“I worried it might not be to your liking.”
“You exaggerate. You know my standards aren’t that high. I’d have smoked whatever you offered.”
“Oh? I’m sure you recognized its quality, even if you don’t show it.”
He picked up a cigar himself.
The dark-haired woman lit it for him.
Spitfire smiled without bringing it to his lips.
“You’ve been in contact with Falcon for a long ti, haven’t you.”
At those words, a flicker of unease passed through before fading.
What was that?
My brow furrowed slightly on its own. Sothing in his words had stirred an unpleasant mory—one that vanished before I could grasp it.
...I couldn’t rember.
“Before I give you the ga, let’s talk about sothing else.”
Just as I tried to chase that mory, Spitfire’s voice pulled back.
“About your kidnapper.”
Yun ground out his cigarette.
I could feel the tension radiating from him. I set my cigar down as well.
The Elder spoke easily,
“To get straight to the point—we didn’t find him.”
“What?”
“Do you understand what that ans?”
The words made raise my voice before I could stop myself.
He didn’t care. The man across from , the third most powerful human alive, simply tilted his head, waiting.
An Elder who turned followers into playthings, more interested in amusent than power—so unlike Falcon or Sukhoi.
I regained composure quickly.
It had been months since the search began.
“So Falcon or Sukhoi is hiding him.”
“Likely the result of an old deal. Those two eccentrics wouldn’t normally bother sheltering anyone—but it seems they’re honoring so arrangent to keep his identity hidden.”
“You must’ve found at least a clue.”
My back had left the sofa.
So had Yun’s. We both leaned forward, fully alert.
“If you could share that much, I’ll speak to Falcon directly.”
“Oh? So you’re certain Falcon’s the one unknowingly harboring your culprit.”
“Not exactly certain, but... I find Falcon far easier to deal with than Sukhoi.”
If you could call that man “easy.”
“I’ll reach out to him first—”
BOOOOM!
A deafening explosion cut through our conversation.
Screams erupted. The sound of collapsing walls, detonations, shouts—guards drawing their weapons all at once—
And Spitfire’s laughter.
“Well, our challenger is quite bold tonight.”
So soone had co to seize Erich Erhart’s power.
Without blinking, he turned toward the shattered wall, his voice filled with amusent.
“Shashinsky, go welco our guest.”
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