Chapter 42 - Banishment Order (2)

I told him the facts. I had replied twice to messages from an unknown number, but never to the ones with the sender ID blocked.

Yehyeon listened quietly to my explanation, looking at my phone.

There were three desks in the spacious office, which was surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows. The three members of senior leadership sat at their respective desks, listening closely. Yun stared sullenly into space with his arms crossed.

The office commanded a breathtaking view of the city at night. The soundproofing was so thorough that once the door closed, none of the noise outside reached us. After my brief explanation, I waited for my superiors to respond.

All three members of senior leadership remained silent in their immaculate suits.

Yehyeon broke the silence.

“Yun.”

Yun turned his head.

“Have you seen them recently?”

Who was “them”?

Yun slowly uncrossed his arms and shoved his hands into his lab coat pockets.

“No, sir.”

“Have they contacted you?”

“Not at all.”

“As for Hilde’s number... No, whatever method they used, it wouldn’t be surprising.”

Yehyeon set down the phone and heaved a deep sigh.

I tensed, pressing my lips into a tight line. What was this now? I’d thought it was just some lunatic sending me random nonsense.

Everyone here had a very clear idea who the sender was. Not one of them had shown any uncertainty about whom Yehyeon meant by “them.” They all simply looked as though the trouble they’d expected had finally arrived.

The commander-in-chief sighed wearily and leaned back in his chair.

I swallowed hard.

“I’m sorry.”

Eyes turned toward me as I hesitantly spoke.

“I should have told you sooner, instead of replying...”

“It wouldn’t have changed anything, whether you replied or not.”

Yehyeon reassured me, unable to hide the fatigue in his voice.

“Nor would telling us sooner have made a difference. You don’t need to feel guilty.”

“Thank you. But still...”

“By the time those messages reached you, there was probably nothing we could change.”

Yehyeon murmured as if to himself, then remained silent for a long time, his expression inscrutable.

The silence broke when the commander rubbed his face and released a breath that was almost a groan.

“Hilde. Listen carefully.”

I nervously straightened my back.

“Sooner or later, they’ll come for you.”

“Pardon?”

“And unless you leave the core, you won’t be able to escape them completely.”

Who was this person? And why did I have to run from them?

I must have looked utterly blank. But it never occurred to me to compose my expression.

Yehyeon rested his forehead against his clasped hands and closed his eyes. The others watched him in silence.

He murmured, almost to himself.

“I’ll have to keep you outside the core for a while.”

“Did I do something to wrong this person?”

I couldn’t hold back my questions.

“Do you happen to know why they’re angry?”

Everyone looked at me. Yehyeon, too, slowly opened his eyes. With all those gazes upon me, I met his.

He slowly lowered his clasped hands.

“I don’t know either.”

An odd sadness colored his reply.

“I didn’t even know they were angry with you, and I don’t know why they’re this angry. Though the reason is probably absurd.”

“Who on earth is it? If I knew their name, I might remember something.”

Yehyeon hesitated. The others frowned as well. I watched them all think of the same person at once, their expressions souring.

City lights filtered into the office in the night.

The commander-in-chief answered slowly.

“Jaeyeon.”

I blinked slowly.

“Jaeyeon?”

They watched my reaction. I tried to remember the name. Jaeyeon. Jaeyeon. Jaeyeon. Jaeyeon...

Jaeyeon?

Nothing came to mind. Well, I’d forgotten even my own face. Hearing a short name was hardly going to bring my memories magically flooding back.

I answered dejectedly.

“I’m sorry. I don’t remember. Could you at least tell me their gender?”

“Gender is meaningless.”

I couldn’t make sense of Yehyeon’s words.

I raised my head, eyes widening.

“Pardon? Why... Oh, do they look very androgynous? Or are they transgender?”

“No... Sometimes they take the form of a woman, sometimes a man. And we have no way of knowing which form they’ll approach you in.”

“What?”

What was he talking about?

I was dumbfounded, but no one else was surprised. Instead, they let out deep sighs at Yehyeon’s words.

Yehyeon, too, lightly rubbed his face with his palm, looking tired.

“Their hairstyle changes every time, and their eye color... There’s little point in describing their appearance anyway. As long as you’re inside the core, they’ll find you sooner or later.”

“But what do they intend to do once they find me?”

“Who knows? But judging by those messages, it won’t be a friendly encounter.”

But why the hell not?

I was speechless. I stood rooted to the spot, with no idea how to respond.

Ska, who had been listening closely all this time, spoke up.

“The birthday party on December 26.”

The tall, handsome man turned toward his superior.

“I believe that refers to you, Commander. Could it be you they’re actually trying to screw over, rather than Hilde? You would be the one in the most difficult position if Hilde’s circumstances were exposed.”

“I think that makes sense as well,” said the brown-haired man beside Ska.

He had a clear, melodious voice.

“December 26 is your birthday, isn’t it?”

“No.”

Yehyeon’s rebuttal was succinct.

He explained with his eyes half-lowered in thought.

“They would never do anything that would cause such a major public upheaval.”

“Do you have a reason to be so certain?”

Yun, who had been frowning throughout the conversation, asked.

Yehyeon’s eyes shifted. My training officer met his gaze squarely.

“Yehyeon. That bastard hates you.”

“Yes. But the most they could do is drag me into a locked room and gouge out my eyes. Direct physical violence is the limit of what they’re allowed.”

The most?

His eyes? Gouge out his eyes? I couldn’t get my head around this torrent of dizzying revelations. Yun scowled. He fell silent, looking displeased with absolutely everything.

In the chilling atmosphere, Yehyeon murmured to himself without checking anyone’s reaction.

“Their master would never permit anything beyond that...”

The furrow between Ska’s brows deepened. The brown-haired man whose name I didn’t know bit his lip.

An ominous atmosphere settled over the office that night. Everyone looked troubled.

I stood speechless. I had no desire to ask any more questions. All I had was the instinctive sense that I’d become entangled in something hideously complicated.

When on earth had I earned this Jaeyeon’s wrath? What had I done?

I had never missed my excised memories so badly. If only I could remember, this might be easier.

I bit my lip and lowered my eyes, then looked up at Ska’s gentle voice.

“Hilde. There’s no need to blame yourself. They probably hate you for some ridiculous reason.”

Ska looked at me reassuringly, as one might regard a much younger junior. His next words were just as gentle, utterly at odds with their meaning.

“They hate everyone.”

What an impressive person.

“But they hate Yehyeon most of all. Commander. I have no intention of standing by and watching that bastard beat the shit out of you again.”

“Yes. And I have no intention of standing by when Hilde could be dragged away by them. If Jaeyeon is back, we’ll need to prepare to welcome them.”

Yehyeon leaned far back in his chair as he answered Yun.

He rested a hand on the armrest and drummed his fingers against it in quick bursts. I drew in the chilly air and waited for their decision.

It was Ska who addressed our highest-ranking superior as he sat lost in thought.

“As things stand, Jaeyeon will find Hilde eventually.”

Yehyeon looked up and met Ska’s eyes. Ska continued as Yehyeon nodded.

“Shouldn’t we at least put a tracker on Hilde in preparation for that? Escaping Jaeyeon on his own won’t be easy.”

So these people were certain that this Jaeyeon would kidnap me someday.

I wasn’t afraid. Probably because the possibility didn’t feel real. I listened quietly as the men discussed whether a tracker would even work, and whether, if they used one, implanting a chip beneath the skin of my hand would be more reliable than attaching it to my clothes.

It was nearly midnight already.

The discussion dragged on. Yehyeon was the one who brought it to a close.

“We’ll send Hilde outside the core for the time being.”

His voice was tired but firm as he gave the order.

“The creatures will swarm him, so assign our best Badgers to him.”

“I’ll inform the head of HR,” the brown-haired man replied.

Yun nodded wordlessly as well. I kept my mouth firmly shut, watching Yehyeon straighten in his chair. His already pallid face looked even paler than usual.

“Send him out as soon as he recovers. Make arrangements for him to remain outside the core until I give further instructions.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I agree that a tracker is a good idea, but we’ll need to ask Hilde how he feels about it.”

Me?

I’d thought the discussion was almost over, and the sudden attention caught me off guard. Before I knew it, everyone in the office was looking at me.

I reflexively swallowed and met Yehyeon’s eyes.

The commander-in-chief spoke in a husky voice.

“Would you be all right with that?”

“Pardon? Yes...”

“If you have questions, ask.”

My pale superior spoke quietly.

“I’ll answer as much as I can.”

Whenever I stood before this man, countless questions sprang to mind.

This time was no exception. Once again, I chose the question that most occupied my thoughts, the one I most wanted answered. It had come to me as I retraced everything that had happened so far. To anyone else, it might sound unrelated to the discussion.

I looked straight at Yehyeon.

“Um.”

Even though they all waited patiently, I had to muster the courage to ask.

“This may sound out of the blue, but have you and I ever met before, Commander?”

Three of my seniors widened their eyes. Only Commander-in-Chief Lee Yehyeon met my gaze without surprise.