Chapter 44

A cloudless and clear Sunday.

Shannon was leisurely spending her time in the academy infirmary.

Her body had already recovered several days ago.

It was only due to Professor Sophia’s strong insistence that she remain in bed to monitor her recovery that she was stuck there.

Except for twice-daily checkups and three meals a day, no one came to see her.

It was boring and dull, but Shannon didn’t completely dislike this time.

Having pushed and drained herself under her great-grandfather’s madness for the past five years, this solitude felt peaceful… like the stillness after a rainstorm, like the calm of dawn.

Just as physical wounds take time to heal, so too does the soul.

But wounds inevitably scab over, and when they do, they itch. That’s the way of the world.

Sitting by the window, letting the warm morning sunlight trickle over the back of her hand, Shannon suddenly curled up as if she was tickled.

Then she clutched her cheeks and squirmed.

“Ugh, why did I do that?”

It was one of those moments everyone experiences at least once… reliving an embarrassing memory.

Though it had been days already, one particular scene refused to leave Shannon’s mind.

It was right after her duel with Professor Winslet.

She had cried in front of that man.

And not just cried…. she bawled her eyes out like the world was ending.

Now that she thought about it, the shame was unbearable.

Of all people, why did it have to be in front of him that she broke down like a child and cried her heart out?

“If I’d been in my right mind, that never would’ve happened. Absolutely not.”

Still, it wasn’t a memory she entirely hated.

– Don’t be hasty, Shannon Quinlivan.

– You have talent.

– Decide for yourself where you belong.

Whenever she recalled the words he had spoken with such consideration, Shannon felt a strange emotion stir inside her.

A kind of admiration for a mage more skilled than herself.

A joy and pride in having been acknowledged by such a person.

A sense of relief in having someone she could lean on.

Maybe it was a mixture of those things, but she wasn’t entirely sure that was all.

At any rate, it was definitely a warm and comforting feeling.

And it was strange.

There was a time when she had convinced herself he was to blame for all her misfortunes and pain, and fabricated reasons to hate him.

Yet now, it was that very person who had ended up comforting her.

Had she known it would turn out this way, she wouldn’t have wasted her time resenting him so much.

Still, she was thankful for one thing. That her hatred had never led her to actually hurt him.

Though that was less thanks to her self-control and more because she simply never had the chance.

From the very first time Professor Winslet had encountered her at the academy, he had picked fights with her in strangely persistent ways.

So Shannon had used that as an excuse to lash out freely.

But now that she looked back on it, she couldn’t help but feel incredulous.

“Why did he do that?”

Provoking her as if deliberately trying to push her into challenging him to a duel—

Could it be that Professor Winslet had already seen the twisted emotions within her?

And that he had acted that way to take in all those feelings himself?

No way.

That was too far-fetched.

Rather than search for a reason, Shannon chose instead to be grateful for the opportunity that had come her way and this chance to return to normal life.

And she knew exactly whom she had to thank.

But it’s kind of embarrassing to just go up and say it. Isn’t there a good excuse I could use?

As she pondered this, Shannon glanced over at the corner of the hospital room.

A man’s coat was hanging on the rack.

Oh, right. That.

It was the coat Professor Winslet had used to cover Shannon’s tear-streaked face.

Right after the duel, Shannon had fallen asleep as if fainting, and she had been taken to the infirmary still wrapped in the coat.

That was why the professor’s coat was still there.

Unintentionally, she had ended up with someone else’s clothing.

Shannon decided she could use returning the coat as an excuse to see him.

But… what should I say?

As she gently ran her fingers along the sleeve of the large, black coat, lost in thought—

Swish!

Someone suddenly yanked open the curtain around the bed.

It was Jacqueline.

“Shannon! I’m here!”

“……!”

“Huh? What’s with you?”

Jacqueline tilted her head at Shannon’s reaction.

Shannon had jumped like a startled cat.

Not only that, she had quickly pulled her hand away as if she’d been burned, stepping back in a hurry.

The clueless Jacqueline just laughed.

“Haha, don’t tell me… were you really that happy to see me? Shannon, you always act all cold, but deep down you’re just a big softie who gets lonely easily, huh?”

“……”

Shannon was someone who could speak volumes with her eyes alone, and Jacqueline immediately realized her silence was a strong sign of displeasure.

“Uh… did I say something wrong?”

Shannon let out a sigh.

“Never mind. Just sit over there.”

Jacqueline quickly plopped into the caretaker’s chair and pulled out a gift she had been hiding behind her back.

“Tada! Guess what I brought?”

“…A basket of apples?”

“Mhmm! I mean, apples are a classic for hospital visits, right? I picked them out myself at the market yesterday. So, want me to peel one for you?”

“No.”

“Aw, but they’re really good…”

Jacqueline smacked her lips in disappointment, then asked,

“Well, can I peel one for myself, then?”

“……”

Shannon gave a reluctant nod, clearly displeased, and a moment later, Jacqueline began peeling the apple while humming a cheerful tune.

Scritch, scritch.

With one hand, she deftly handled the paring knife, removing the apple’s skin with practiced ease.

Even while working the blade, Jacqueline had no trouble chattering away to Shannon.

“Sorry I’m late. I actually meant to visit yesterday, you know? But when I went to the dorm supervisor to get a day pass, I saw something that totally shocked me.”

“What did you see?”

“What I saw was… ugh.”

Jacqueline suddenly paused with her knife in hand, hesitating.

When Shannon looked at her with curiosity, Jacqueline pressed her lips together and seemed to wrestle with herself before finally blurting out:

“Ugh, I promised I wouldn’t tell anyone… But since it’s my precious friend asking, I guess really, just this once I’ll tell only you. But you absolutely must promise not to repeat it to anyone, okay? This is top secret.”

A secret that you’re telling someone “just this once” isn’t exactly a secret anymore.

Shannon was about to shake her head and decline.

“It’s fine. You don’t have to—”

“Professor Winslet!”

That name came out of nowhere.

And that changed everything.

“What about him? Keep going.”

“Didn’t you just say I didn’t have to—?”

“I said, keep going.”

Shannon’s gaze was so intense it looked like it could pierce through a couple of sheets of paper.

Jacqueline had no choice but to continue.

“Yesterday, I saw Professor Winslet and the dorm supervisor meeting in private. I mean, it’s not that strange for them to meet, but the weird part is… I kinda eavesdropped, and I heard something strange from behind the door…”

Jacqueline had been recounting her vivid story enthusiastically…until she suddenly realized Shannon was glaring at her.

“Uh, wait—did I say something wrong again? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“…It’s nothing.”

For some reason, Shannon’s thoughts suddenly grew tangled, and she found herself resenting Jacqueline for no good reason.

***

Café Dain et Moselle which was tucked away in a corner of Blondin Street in the central district of Lambart, was the usual place where Sakis Lubas waited for his subordinates to report in.

As always, he sat at the bar. Though since it was daytime and he couldn’t drink, his expression was one of excruciating boredom. When the doorbell chimed, he turned around.

Upon seeing the person he’d been waiting for, he gave a slight nod.

A handsome young man, dressed in a beige suit and wearing a hunting cap, had just entered the café and now walked straight toward him.

“You’re here, Jamie.”

“Yes. I’ve returned after completing the mission, Master.”

As the young man removed his hat and bowed, sleek golden hair fell to his shoulders.

“You look just like your brother in that outfit.”

“Well, we do share the same blood.”

“Nathan was good at using his looks to win over targets too.”

“It made things go more smoothly. And it made disguising myself as a man easier.”

Sakis Lubas asked,

“You said you’re running a masquerade club?”

“Yes. It caters to young nobles and noble heirs of lower standing. It’s a good way to gather non-sensitive information or recruit civilian collaborators.”

“They’ve got pride but aren’t satisfied materially, so they’re likely discontent with society. And at that age, when desire is hard to control, they’re easily tempted and manipulated.”

“I’m honestly a bit surprised at how well it’s going.”

“How many civilian collaborators have you recruited so far?”

“194. Out of them, I’m training about ten with the potential to become mid-level managers.”

“Any of them start to question what they’re doing?”

“Not at all.”

“If you stimulate the right emotions and psychology, they end up helping us without even realizing they’re aiding a spy. It’s pathetic, yet convenient. You’ve found just the right angle to exploit, Jamie.”

“Thank you.”

The young man….no, the young woman in disguise as a man called Jamie asked Sakis Lubas,

“By the way, what happened with the deal you were placing so much importance on?”

“It’s a long story. You might as well eat something while you listen.”

“I already had a meal before coming here.”

“You probably barely touched it anyway. The food in this country doesn’t suit our taste. We run that fake restaurant as a supply outpost mainly to keep morale up among our agents, so don’t refuse.”

“In that case, I’ll accept gratefully.”

Jamie placed an order in the kitchen, and soon a familiar colleague came out smiling and served the food.

She wasn’t one to have much of an appetite, but since it was an order from her master and commander, Jamie dutifully chewed and swallowed each bite.

After finishing about half of the dish and setting down her utensils, she asked,

“What about the item we were after?”

“There’s a problem. Seems the Laurencia royal family caught on. Baron Winslet has decided to halt further production and only send us what’s been made so far.”

“Won’t that be insufficient?”

“We’ll have to replenish it.”

“Is there any way to obtain caraphine in this country?”

“Well. It’s not confirmed, but we’ve picked up intelligence that the Laurencia Railway is planning to switch the fuel used in their cross-border trains to high-concentration caraphine.”

“Sounds like things are about to get busy.”

“That’s right.”

Sakis Lubas pulled a cigarette from his pocket and added,

“In exchange for the deal, we’ve agreed to grant Baron Winslet access to a Level 2 intelligence network.”

“Level 2….that’s the network I manage. As it happens, I have a suitable contact in mind to act as the intermediary.”

“A suitable contact, you say.”

Jamie whispered a name into Sakis Rubas’s ear.

Hearing it, Sakis let out a faint chuckle.

“That’s in rather poor taste.”

“Isn’t it fine? They happen to be an enthusiastic member of the masquerade club I run, so I’d like to test whether they can be of more use to us…beyond just a mid-level manager.”

“Hmm. Not a bad idea.”

“Thank you.”

“Winter Winslet is someone whose thoughts are hard to read. Stirring things up from an unexpected angle like this could be entertaining. I’m curious to see how he’ll react.”