"Commander Jin, do you believe in destiny?"
— Shut your mouth, Lee Ki-Young.
"I’m not saying this for no reason, it’s just that the situation is kind of... you know..."
— I clearly told you to shut up.
‘It must be embarrassing, even for someone like him.’
"Will you be alright?"
— I already told you that he and I are not the same person! Whatever he does or whatever misunderstandings he causes has absolutely nothing to do with me.
"But even so... it’s kind of unfair, isn’t it?"
- I’m extremely grateful for your concern. Truly grateful, Lee Ki-Young. I’m so grateful that I feel like repaying you somehow.
‘That bastard... he seems to be in a bit of pain...’
As a Commander Jin expert, his heart looked troubled to me. Of course, he was acting like nothing was wrong, and he probably believed it himself, but deep down, he was definitely feeling bothered.
Consciously, he wouldn't stop insisting that he and Marquis Jayce were two different people, but subconsciously, he couldn't believe that at all, as evidenced by the sharp edge in his voice.
Perhaps all the pent-up grievances within him were rushing out at once.
‘It's understandable...’
It was understandable for him to feel resentful. It had only been a few weeks since he confidently entered the first life after accepting Ji-Hye noona’s proposal. Naturally, he expected to be dropped right into the middle of a war, and he even engaged in a battle of nerves over control of the party because he was that serious about this mission.
Out of nowhere, however, a debutante ball started. It was already painful enough that it wasn’t a stage where he could shine, but on top of that, Marquis Jayce and Aina Peneloti suddenly became entangled.
From the lofty Commander Jin military master’s perspective, the situation made his blood boil. The biggest problem was that there was nothing he could do about it. He was providing not-quite-rear support while talking about backstage matters, but was he the type of person to feel satisfied with just that?
The protagonist-obsessed narcissist was born with the destiny of being the main character. Of course, he would deny it, but if one thought about his tendency to live for style and die for style, one would be able to deduce that he had the personality of someone who had to be the star of the party.
'Aren’t there always people like that at drinking parties or gatherings?'
I was talking about those who always show up last, and those who would appear only when the mood had ripened to strike all kinds of ridiculous poses. Those who would grow subtly cold upon receiving no attention, and those who wouldn't want to be embarrassed but stubbornly insist on playing the role of a main character.
Someone like that was pushed out of the main mission and reduced to a mere spectator from the sidelines as if he were a retired old man. Without a doubt, it had to have been stressful for him.
‘He is just a kid. He really does act childish like a toddler sometimes.’
Taking the blame for the undead summoning was like the death blow. He was already feeling miserable, so this decision could be like the straw that would break the camel's back.
I felt like he would vow to never set foot in the first life again after all this.
‘I can tell just by hearing his voice.’
— Just worry about doing your own job, Lee Ki-Young.
"Commander Jin... are you angry?"
— Stop with the ridiculous jokes.
"I guess I was being a bit careless..."
— I told you it would be better for you to stay careless, so you can just do your own job. You should already know what that damned Hexagram wants and how we need to take care of this incident. I’m saying not to come in at the last moment and ruin things. Right now, I just want to go back as quickly as possible
"We’re almost there."
All the important events were done, and it felt like we were following the correct route. In fact, it wasn’t that strange that Commander Jin became the culprit.
The route from this debutante ball to the continental war hadn’t changed much. Sure enough, the faces of the commander of the royal guards and Kim Hyun-Sung twisted. In particular, Kim Hyun-Sung looked grim as he had completely ignored the possibility that the Republic had a hand in this.
However, it was convincing. No matter how one looked at it, this wasn’t a terror attack that simple rioters could carry out. It was far more reasonable to conclude that a well-organized group had prepared this over a long period of time.
They infiltrated the debutante ball, unleashed disposable pawns, plunged the entire castle into total darkness, and unleashed violent undead. From the perspective of those who didn’t know that someone with a brain stood behind the Brigade...
‘It could only be explained as an intervention on the scale of a nation.’
The puzzle pieces in their minds were coming together.
I heard a gulp as the commander of the royal guards muttered to himself.
“Jin Cheong of the Republic, I heard he values honor above all. Count Kim Hyun-Sung, do you know the man?” the commander asked.
“Hoo... yes, of course I’ve heard of him. I’m told that he’s the leader of the Five Tiger Generals who currently leads the Republic. I also heard that he’s involved in all major and minor affairs of the Republic. I don’t have detailed information about him myself, but I’m certain about one thing,” Kim Hyun-Sung answered.
“And that is?”
“If that man has revealed himself... then this matter will not end here,” he answered.
“That’s certainly true. For a commander of the Republic to move personally... ha... I still can’t believe it. However, it truly feels real. Lady Paint, it’s not that I doubt you, but...” the commander trailed off.
“It’s only natural that you'll doubt me. Even I can hardly believe it myself,” Lady Paint said.
“Then... may I ask where the information came from... and what part is fact and what part is merely speculation?” the commander asked.
Lady Paint nodded and looked straight at me.
“It was Lady Peneloti,” Lady Paint answered.
“...”
“He urged Lady Peneloti to come with him to the Republic. It happened during last night’s ball,” Lady Paint added.
“What?”
“Lady Peneloti?”
Naturally, I had no choice but to say something.
“It’s true. That man introduced himself, not as Marquis Jayce, but as Jin Cheong of the Republic,” I confessed.
“So that’s why Lady Peneloti shouted for everyone to run,” Lady Paint said.
“Right. He didn’t mention exactly what would happen, or when it would happen, or what the purpose was, but he told me to leave the ballroom immediately and wait in the salon, and if only I had responded a little more calmly...” I paused.
“It’s not Lady Peneloti’s fault. No one could easily act rationally in that situation.”
I nodded slightly at Kim Hyun-Sung’s words of consolation.
Lady Paint spoke again, saying, “Of course, there’s no hard evidence that he’s truly a commander of the Republic. He may have spread false information to sow confusion among allies, but I believe there’s a high chance that it's true.”
“May I ask the reason for that?” the commander asked.
“Think about what their objective could be. I believe it's the assassination of the key figures in the alliance between the Union of Kingdoms and the Empire. From the Republic’s perspective, a meeting between those two groups can't be pleasant,” Lady Paint replied.
“...”
“...”
“So you already knew,” the commander mumbled.
“I didn’t know from the beginning. I simply realized that their objective wasn’t the debutante ball itself. No matter how you think about it, it made no sense for their targets to be merely young ladies and young lords who had come for nothing more than a marriage alliance.
"I know that many important people came from the Empire as well, beyond just those like Count Kim Hyun-Sung who participated in the debutante ball. The true targets were not us, but the figures on the fourth and fifth floors here. After seeing the results, I am even more confident in my deduction,” Lady Paint explained.
It was a reasonable assumption. As Lady Paint herself had stated, it was an empty shell without concrete proof, but there was no time to run around trying to find such proof in this kind of situation.
Naturally, it couldn’t simply be dismissed as the ramblings of a delusional young lady. It could be done before, but now, Lady Paint’s words carried real weight.
She gathered the ladies in the salon and carved a path up to the fourth floor. She even brought a brand-new wind to this battlefield, so who could possibly dismiss her as just an ordinary noble lady?
This result wouldn't have been made had it not been for the fact that she had proven her abilities. As expected, even the commander of the royal guards looked solemn as he listened to her words.
“Why would he reveal his identity to Lady Peneloti?” the commander asked.
“Who knows?”
‘Why else would it be if not for love?’
“He probably believed that Lady Peneloti was worth it. Lady Peneloti is a genius. I’m not saying this as her friend, but as objectively as possible. She's such a genius that even a commander of the Republic covets her,” Lady Paint said.
‘Thanks for the flattery.’
“It’s already a well-known story that Marquis Jayce visited the Black Rose Salon every single day. We saw him visit daily without ever growing tired just to play games with her.
"They played chess to complicated games unknown to me, and only recently did I realize that those games were like mini wars, and he was clearly trying to assess Lady Peneloti's prowess,” Lady Paint continued.
“I've heard he's extremely greedy for talents, but even so...” Lady Paint mumbled.
“Of course...” the commander trailed off before continuing, “His feelings for Lady Peneloti must’ve played a part as well."
“...”
“...”
‘It almost felt like I had become a sinner for no reason.’
“So even a monster like him can love someone, it seems,” he commented.
After delivering that cool line, the commander of the royal guards looked around. Even now, they were still finding waves of undead. Here and there, wounded soldiers were groaning, and the safe zone was covered with a layer of blood and torn flesh.
If I were to exaggerate a bit, I'd say this was a living hell—a scene far too cruel and brutal to be called the product of a single human being. I could understand what the commander meant. How could anyone believe that the one responsible for creating such horror possessed the heart of an ordinary human being?
‘Damn it, he's like an evil spirit. No, he’s worse than an ordinary evil spirit. Unleashing so many undead is just too much; he's crossed the line.’
“A person can’t control their own heart as they please. And I'm sure it's a side of himself that he didn’t want Lady Peneloti to see. That may be why he wanted her to remain in the salon,” the commander said, assuming things.
“What a monster...” he muttered, lowering his head with a bitter face. It was his own way of trying to salvage the last remnants of the honor Commander Jin once possessed. It was as if he was showing that he too was thinking along the lines of, “Had he really done this?”
Marquis Jayce, of course, was a man woven entirely of lies, but at the very least, he wasn’t someone who would commit such cruelty.
Of course, he was still a villain. He was a terrorist who brought death to this place. From the standpoint of the Union of Kingdoms and the Empire, he was an enemy so great that even calling him "mortal enemy" wasn’t enough. But still....
‘But he...’
This could be a thought born from her personal feelings, as someone who once opened her heart to Marquis Jayce, but it was also a conclusion drawn from the many hours she had spent with him. It was something that only Aina Peneloti could realize.
‘Our commander is an honorable man.’
He was honorable. He worked for his nation and for those who were loyal to him; he was the kind of person who would never disappoint them.
Their actions could bring about the death of quite a few people, but Marquis Jayce would never destroy his own honor.
‘He’s... not a monster...’
Of course, there was no way I could ever speak such thoughts aloud.
Just as I quietly lowered my head, an unpleasant voice suddenly rang out.
“So... can she be trusted?”
I turned my head and saw Duke Pinkrain with a sleazy smile.
“What do you mean by that, Duke Pinkrain?” Lady Paint asked.
“I’m referring to Lady Peneloti,” Duke Pinkrain clarified.
“...”
“What...”
“...”
“...”
“Lady Peneloti. I’m asking whether she can truly be trusted. You never know. We must at least consider the possibility that she may already have aligned herself with the Republic... or rather, she might have already taken the hand of that so-called Five Tiger General,” he explained.
“Please refrain from making any further insulting remarks, Duke Pinkrain,” Lady Pastel warned him.
“This is no insult. I swear to the heavens that I do not have even the slightest intention of disparaging Lady Peneloti. I’m merely saying that even the smallest possibility deserves consideration. As I recall, her relationship with Marquis Jayce was quite passionate and rather special,” he argued.
“What did you just say?!” Lady Pastel shouted.
‘No, don’t get angry, Pastel.’
“If there's even a one-percent chance, then she's a liability. Am I wrong? Commander and... Count Kim Hyun-Sung?”
‘He actually left Lady Paint out of it.’
By now, I could more or less tell what this snake was aiming for.
'This sly and foul bastard. I'm really starting to get angry.’