Chapter 674: Walking Disaster [4]
“…Do you perhaps not know the way?”
The very air around me seemed to freeze, the surrounding temperature dropping as the captain’s voice continued to whisper from behind.
“Is everything alright?”
I stopped.
Not quite immediately. Just a half step after I should have. Enough to make it seem like I was being disturbed. Then I turned, slowly, and looked at him for the first time since we’d started walking.
He held my gaze.
That was the first thing I noted.
His suspicious stare.
‘He’s been watching me.’
“What makes you say that?”
I asked slowly, keeping my tone in check.
“You’ve passed two corridors that would have been faster,” he replied, trying his best not to sound accusatory.
At least, not yet.
“I assumed you had a reason.”
He was giving me an opening. The question was whether it was genuine or a trap.
I studied his face. The slight tension around his eyes. The way his hands were still giving away at the tension in his hands. He was anything but relaxed.
‘He suspects. But he isn’t certain.’
“And if I did?”
I tilted my head curiously.
“Then I wouldn’t question it, sir.”
He paused.
“But if you didn’t, I’d rather tell you now than later.”
There it was. Still careful, and still polite, but the implication was clear. He knew something was off. He just didn’t know what.
No, he did have an idea, but he wasn’t quite certain.
I let the silence stretch between us, watching him the entire time as his jaw subconsciously tightened.
‘He’s nervous too.’
A man laying a trap doesn’t get nervous. He was genuinely uncertain, weighing me the same way I was weighing him. Which meant he hadn’t made up his mind yet.
That was something I could work with.
“The black door…”
I said finally, nudging in its direction.
“What’s behind it?”
His expression shifted.
“That’s…”
He paused.
“That’s a restricted area, sir. It isn’t part of the standard route.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
“It requires separate clearance. Even for an Enforcer, the protocol would need to be—”
“Is that so…?”
Another silence. He was watching me very carefully now, trying to decide what my knowing meant.
“Is there something that is bothering you, sir?”
And there it was. The real question that he had been wanting to ask me from the start. He wasn’t asking about the door anymore. He was asking about me.
I held his gaze for a long moment. Then I turned back toward the corridor.
“That’s none of your business.”
“Sir—”
“I said, stay here.”
My voice rose for a brief moment. It was just a brief moment, but it was present and noticeable. I heard his footsteps shift behind me as I walked toward the black door, and I didn’t look back.
‘This should be enough.’
My heart drummed inside my chest, feeling so loud that it almost felt as though it could be heard by the captain. I wasn’t certain if this would work, but I had no choice but to continue.
I couldn’t afford to hesitate.
The captain was sharp. Sharper than I’d given him credit for. Every second I spent second-guessing myself was another second he spent building a picture of me that I couldn’t control.
I reached out and pressed my hand against the door.
That was also the moment the captain’s voice echoed once more.
“As I’ve said… That’s the wrong door.”
My hand stopped.
‘I know.’
“…We’re in the wrong area.”
The atmosphere paused.
My grip remained firm over the handle.
I waited.
I waited in the silence.
And soon⎯
“I’m… aware of your current situation, sir.”
The words that I was desperate to hear reached my ears.
“If you’d like, I will lead you to the right place. She’s in good hands. The doctor is very capable, I’m sure you understand.”
I remained standing where I was, not moving a single muscle as my hand remained fixed on the handle.
“Sir…?”
Even as the captain called out again, I remained where I was.
I had no choice.
For… I couldn’t show him the smile that lingered across my face.
‘He’s finally caught on.’
“Sir?”
Wiping the smile from my face, I finally turned around. I didn’t say anything further, but the security captain already seemed to have an idea as he moved ahead in silence, not saying a single word.
It was only then that the corners of my lips pulled upwards as I found myself unable to suppress them any longer.
To be honest, it was a risky gamble. I hadn’t even been sure if it would’ve worked. However, taking a look at the current situation, it paid off.
‘It only makes sense that he knows. Since he’s the security captain, he must have information on everyone, including me. He should be aware of the Enforcer’s relationship with Soran.’
I knew of this since I had gauged his reaction earlier with the call.
‘…And I’m also almost certain that the Enforcer is the one who insisted on bringing her here.’
I didn’t know the extent of the Enforcer’s relationship with Soran, but I had been present when he had ‘kidnapped’ us. I had seen the way he looked at her, and even overheard a few things.
Given how Soran was currently very injured, it would only make sense for him not to be in his right mind.
I’d hoped the captain would catch onto this, and thankfully, he did.
“Let’s go.”
I spoke coldly while staring at the captain.
“You lead.”
As I said those words, I lowered my tone.
“You are not to pry further.”
“…Understood.”
Following behind the captain, he led me two corridors ahead before turning into one where a similar black door came into view.
Further ahead, we took another turn and were led into a room where two men dressed in black stood motionless. The captain stopped and pressed his hand against the door.
“We’re here.”
***
Click! Click! Click!
The rhythmic tapping of a keyboard echoed through the room, each keystroke sounding sharp against the heavy silence that filtered through the room. Seated behind the monitor, Dr. Veyra stared at the images displayed across the screen, the pale glow reflecting faintly against the surface of his glasses.
He didn’t speak.
He just calmly observed the images.
The silence stretched, broken only by the subtle movements of his mouse and the steady rhythm of typing.
Seconds passed.
Then a sudden notification chimed through the room.
Ding!
The door behind him slid open with a soft hiss, and a figure moved inside.
“Oh…?”
Dr. Veyra slowly turned his head.
The newer looked stiff, shoulders tense as he stepped into the room. His breathing appeared fairly even, attention fixed entirely on the doctor.
“Sir, there’s a message I need to relay to you. It’s from the security captain.”
“Evan? Is something going on?”
“Ah, no. Nothing serious.”
The man quickly shook his head.
“He asked me to inform you that the Enforcer wishes to meet with you.”
“Brandt?”
“Yes.”
“….”
The room fell silent once more.
Dr. Veyra’s gaze lingered on the messenger for a moment before drifting back toward the monitors. He calmly analyzed the brain scans, staring at the numerous cracks appearing in the nodes of one particular image.
Slowly, he leaned back into his chair.
‘For him to request my presence personally…’
His eyes narrowed slightly.
‘He seems to care about the woman far more than I expected.’
The corner of his lips curled upward ever so faintly.
Then, as though recalling something, he looked back toward the man standing by the door.
“Did Evan say anything else? Why is he with the Enforcer? Did they catch the rat?”
“The rat?”
The man blinked in confusion, but under the doctor’s stare, he hurried to continue.
“From what I heard, there was apparently something suspicious. The Enforcer and the security captain are heading to the monitor room to investigate the situation. There was a small outage while the Enforcer and Osvald were both present.”
“A small outage?”
The doctor’s fingers stopped moving.
“Yes. Nothing major. Just a brief blackout that lasted a few seconds.”
The man swallowed nervously.
“The captain responded immediately, but by the time he arrived, everything had already returned to normal. They’re checking things just in case.”
“Is that so…?”
Dr. Veyra twirled the pen between his fingers.
A few quiet seconds passed.
Then, suddenly, he smiled.
“In that case,” he murmured as he rose from his chair, “perhaps I should help them out.”
The chair scraped softly against the floor as he stepped toward the door.
“Let’s go.”
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