Chapter 30
“…….”
“Of course, this room is His Excellency’s study, so it can be considered his space as well. You are free to read the books, but please make sure to return them to their proper places when you are finished.”
“Yes, I will.”
“Please, come in.”
Barbara opened the door on the right and entered first. The room Seo-ah stepped into was decorated with pale green wallpaper, making it feel bright and cozy.
The three windows overlooking the Annex were draped with sheer curtains, and the bed was positioned against the wall opposite them. From the bed, the Annex would be the first thing she saw upon waking. Nightstands sat on either side of the bed, each topped with a small gas lamp.
While Abel, who had followed them in, placed her luggage by the bedside, Barbara pointed to a wooden wardrobe in the corner and the door beside it.
“You can organize your belongings here. This door leads to the bathroom, for your reference.”
“I see.”
“Meals will be brought to your room at the scheduled times, but please let me know if you need anything else. And in case of an emergency, pull the cord to the right of the bed.”
Looking closer, a thick cord hung down from the ceiling to the right side of the bed.
“Do you have any more questions?”
Seo-ah, who had been staring at the thick, black braided cord, shook her head toward Barbara.
“No.”
“If you have any questions while you settle in, feel free to ask. I will return later with your dinner.”
Barbara walked briskly around the room, giving it one last look before leaving with a parting wish for Seo-ah to rest comfortably. Abel followed her out, closing the door behind him. Their footsteps grew distant as they passed through the study, followed by the soft click of the outer door closing.
Left alone, Seo-ah stood still for a long time. With her hands clasped tightly together, she remained motionless until a long, heavy breath finally escaped her.
“Haa….”
Her eyes fluttered shut. The tension left her shoulders, and her hands, which had been pressed against her stomach, fell to her sides. She held her breath for a moment before inhaling again, the scent of the still air filling her lungs. In the distance, she could hear the faint chirping of birds.
After a moment of silence, she opened her eyes. She took in the high ceiling and its ornate carvings, the draped curtains, the sunlight filtering through them, and the landscape beyond the window.
As she gazed at the Annex surrounded by forest, the manicured lawn with its elegant patterns, and the circular fountain, the reality finally sank in: she was in a foreign land, thousands of miles away.
The ship where she hadn’t been able to lie down and sleep for even a single moment; the train to Pelfe and the bank where her anxiety had peaked because of her pursuers; the place she thought was an inn and that terrible night; and… Oscar.
This place resembled that man, who seemed as if he were molded out of darkness itself. It was impossible not to know that this was his home.
She pressed a hand to her chest. Her heartbeat felt distant. She had traveled a long way and finally arrived here. At that thought, the pulse in her neck quickened. Pressing her hand to her chest once more, Seo-ah stumbled toward the bed like someone who had lost all strength. As she sat on the plush mattress, the tension that had kept her back rigid finally gave way, and she sank into the bed.
She would be monitored, but it seemed she had enough freedom to move around to some extent. For now, at least, she could probably trust the contract she had made with Oscar.
That was enough.
From her tilted perspective, she watched the grains of sunlight dancing over the window frame. Even the dry, moderate warmth of the sun felt utterly foreign to her.
Blink, blink.
Feeling the sunlight prickling at her eyes, Seo-ah closed them before she even realized it.
“My letter should have been tucked inside the envelope the crow brought. Did you not see it?”
“I saw it.”
Abel frowned at Barbara’s cold response.
“Then why didn’t you prepare a room for her next to mine? At the very least, you should have assigned her to a guest room in the Annex.”
To think that his target—whose hand he hadn’t even managed to hold yet—was staying in a room meant for the Marquis’s personal staff.
The room given to Seo-ah was originally intended for Simon von Bernheim. It was a room that could be connected to Oscar at any time; in fact, that area was technically part of Oscar’s private quarters.
However, Simon, being of noble birth, had found the room stifling and refused to use it. Oscar, too, had been lukewarm about having Simon in his personal space, so the room had remained vacant for a very long time.
“I prioritize His Excellency’s orders above all else. His Excellency said she must not be lost. If there is a place in this mansion easier to monitor and protect than that room, tell me.”
“…….”
“If I had put her in the room next to yours or a guest room in the Annex and something happened, then what?”
Barbara gave a cold smile.
“I wouldn’t be the only one held responsible; you wouldn’t escape the consequences either. Do you still want the room next to yours?”
Abel’s brow furrowed.
“Never mind.”
“I’ve heard plenty about your reputation. Are you really going to let the success of your mission hinge on something as trivial as the room’s location?”
“…….”
The veteran wolf, having skillfully silenced Abel, let out a low chuckle.
“Though, for all that talk, it seems you haven’t even managed to hold her hand yet.”
Abel immediately twisted his lips into a smirk.
“Senior, this isn’t something that happens instantly like baking bread. You have to observe your opponent carefully. If you recklessly grab for their hand first, it’ll only backfire.”
People who only know how to swing swords might not understand, but this is a rather aesthetic process.
The young wolf threw the sarcastic remark, but the veteran didn’t even bat an eye.
“I wouldn’t know, since that isn’t my specialty, but since you’re also acting as her guard, make sure there are no lapses.”
“…….”
“I mean, don’t get so caught up in trying to hold her hand that you become careless. I’ll provide backup, but you’re the one right next to her.”
The look in her navy-blue eyes as she scanned him from head to toe made it clear she didn’t quite trust a honey trapper with primary protection duties. In fact, she didn’t even bother to hide it.
“You worry too much. The only reason I ended up on this path was because of this face. I wanted to join the Combat Team, but the Intelligence Team practically begged me to join them. Don’t you remember?”
Abel smiled, his long, beautiful eyes crinkling perfectly.
“But to compare me to the kids coming in as backup… I’m hurt.”
“Yes, your face is certainly something to look at. See to it that you succeed brilliantly and put everyone in their place.”
Her tone was so indifferent it bordered on dismissive, making her meaning crystal clear: she didn’t care whether he succeeded or not, as long as he didn’t make a mess for her to clean up.
Abel stopped walking and took a deep breath.
This is why I want to quit this job.
Regardless, why did those Combat Team bastards—young and old alike—always have to pick on someone who was just minding their own business?
Just as Barbara said, he would have to succeed brilliantly. He would show them just how much the target woman would come to depend on him. And after he had put everyone in their place, he would definitely quit this godforsaken job.
Abel licked his lips suggestively with his red tongue, then called out to Barbara as she turned to head down the stairs.
“Senior?”
When Barbara stopped and looked up at him, Abel asked in a very low voice.
“I can stay in His Excellency’s study, right?”
Abel, who had been unhappy with the location of Seo-ah’s room, quickly changed his mind.
It would be a few days before Oscar returned. That meant that until Oscar arrived, the area was essentially a private, enclosed space—the perfect place for his work.
“Go ahead.”
With Barbara’s permission granted, Abel retraced his steps back to the study.
Seo-ah seemed to be holed up in her room.
Abel took off his jacket and draped it over the sofa before unbuttoning several buttons on his shirt. After slightly mussing his pomaded hair, he sat back languidly on the couch.
Based on his countless seductions, when it came down to whether emotions or the body came first, it was more often than not the body. Allure them with your eyes, entwine them with your hands, and once the bodies were joined, emotions followed naturally.
Many targets had fallen that way before.
Furthermore, she was in an unfamiliar place and afraid. In a strange, frightening environment, even the smallest kindness or bit of trust was bound to feel immense. Though, the incident on the train nagged at him slightly.
“…Are you coming?”
He wondered what she had meant by that, but there was no clear answer. It was likely just the clumsy words of a foreigner.
Abel glanced at the mirror on one side of the study. He was satisfied with his reflection; he looked handsome even to himself.
Like a spider spinning a web and waiting for its prey, Abel set his trap and settled in to wait leisurely for Seo-ah.
