Chapter 1386. An Unexpected Debut (21)

‘Lee Ki-Young, that bastard.’

“Bastard,” I[1] mumbled.

When I first came here, I could never have imagined that such a damned situation would unfold. The plan to gather information in the middle of the continental war, operate a small force, secure Kim Hyun-Sung, and return was all thrown into the trash can in the blink of an eye.

No, if that damned hexagram had just thrown us into an ordinary scenario, things wouldn’t have turned out like this. A debutante ball, they said. Absurdly enough, in this gate, there was a debutante ball. Thanks to that bastard’s twisted logic, I lost the initiative, and the situation started flowing in a direction I never wanted it to go.

I couldn’t understand why the version of myself from the first life was here, or why that bastard Lee Ki-Young had taken an interest in him.

It wasn’t unreasonable to feel as if the world were cursing me.

No matter how I thought about it, I could only grit my teeth.

I told myself there was no need to get worked up, that if I just didn’t care, it wouldn’t be a problem, but it was impossible for me to stay calm here. If it weren't something related to Lee Ki-Young, I'd be able to act as usual, but...

‘Why, of all things...’

Why, of all things, was the first life version of myself getting entangled with that bastard?

To make matters even worse, that guy was smoothly driving everything in the direction that he wanted. Whenever that idiot moved left, the first life version of myself would move left; whenever that idiot moved right, he would move right as well.

Of course, I'd understand it if the first life version of myself had simply given that idiot the benefit of the doubt. I'd understand it even if he were to do that a hundred times.

Back then, I was desperate for talented people. Objectively, Lee Ki-Young, or rather, Aina Peneloti, was the kind of person who could be called a talent.

I hated to admit it, but if I were in that position myself, I would desperately try to recruit her as well. The persona Lee Ki-Young had created, Aina Peneloti, was an unpolished gem. A genius unaware of her own worth, a jewel with limitless potential—that was Aina Peneloti.

Even the fact that she could play multiple games of blind chess was far from ordinary. The same applied to her approach to games. Even though they were called “games,” they were like miniature wars.

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

On that board, she displayed her true abilities. In an environment with no education, where she had never received any formal training, she broke out of her shell and displayed her talent.

She moved her forces to bite into her opponents and was always making bold decisions. She would abandon what could be abandoned and seize what could be seized, no matter the cost.

Naturally, the first life version of myself desperately wanted to see Aina Peneloti standing on a battlefield with her own two hands and feet, with her true talent blossoming on that stage.

‘Damn it.’

The problem was that "she" was not Aina Peneloti. What was inside her wasn’t a jewel of infinite potential, but a filthy, rotten lump of rot steeped in war, strategy, and politics.

That idiot, Marquis Jayce, was bamboozled. To make matters even worse than worse, he was actually showing interest in her. However, it was unclear if that came from a genuine desire to possess a talented person or if it was pity toward her.

It could also even be from a budding romantic attraction.

I kept telling myself that there was no way it could be like that, but whenever I observed the guy, I couldn’t help but feel a shiver of unease.

‘Why aren’t you starting? Jayce, you idiotic bastard.’

Why was that fool, Marquis Jayce, hesitating when the mission was right before his eyes? For what reason? As expected, the voice of the man from the Republic, who seemed to be thinking the same thing as me, echoed in my ears.

His voice was delivered to me through a recording artifact that Ha Yeon-Soo had set up.

— I’m certain that there's a tail on us.

— ...

— Why hasn’t the Commander made a decision yet? We can’t afford to waste any more time. Of course, I completely trust his judgement, but still...

— The Commander said it’s not time yet.

— Did you not hear what I said? I told you, we’ve been tailed! We still haven’t confirmed who they are... whether they’re from the Empire, the Union of Kingdoms, or someone else, but they’re moving around this debutante ballroom like they own the place. They could already have the list in their hands. Our people might already be fully exposed!

— Isn’t that just your assumption? I recall it was you who said there was no solid evidence. Unless you’ve found some?

— ...

— It’s nothing more than speculation. There’s no way the Commander’s plan can fail. Are you saying you’ll jeopardize everything just because you’re nervous? Our role is to trust him and wait for the right time. You don’t have the authority to make your own decision. Or... am I mistaken?

— Haven’t you considered that he’s delaying the mission because of Aina Peneloti?

— That’s ridiculous.

It definitely didn't sound ridiculous at this point. He wasn’t the only one feeling uneasy.

— Of course, I understand the Commander’s fondness for talented people. And yes, I understand that he values Lady Peneloti greatly... but this is irrational. The Commander is obsessed with her. I’m starting to wonder if he even cares about the mission anymore.

— Doubt? Are you saying you dare to question the Commander’s decision?

— Do you think I

want

to be saying this?! The mission is right before our eyes! All it'll take is for him to say the word. He just has to pull the trigger, and everything would be settled!

— However, things are stalling because he’s infatuated with the third daughter of a collapsing family! Didn’t you hear it at the meeting the other day? “Aina Peneloti’s safety"? Her safety? Seriously? The mission is literally in front of us? How could her safety even become a topic of discussion?!

— Didn’t you hear what the Commander said? She’s a genius. A talent who might one day become a pillar of the Republic. If he’s prioritizing her over the execution of the mission, then there must be a reason.

— And are you

sure

that’s the only reason?

— ...

— ...

— I don’t even know what’s going on anymore. The Commander seems confused, too. I haven’t served under him for long, but I can feel it. The way he looks at Peneloti... it's unlike him.

— ...

— I...

— ...

"I..."

— ...

— I’ve never seen the Commander smile like that before.

My hands trembled, and I gnashed my teeth.

‘

This is absurd. Damn it... don’t make me laugh.

’

I wanted to shut my ears and block it all out, but I kept hearing their voices.

— I’ve never once seen the Commander smile so warmly. His voice and his actions... everything about him has changed. I don’t know if he’s aware of it himself, but... he changes when he’s in front of Peneloti.

— ...

— No, he must be aware of it. Maybe he thinks it’s just an act, something necessary for the situation, but I can tell. I just... know.

— Are you jealous?

— W-what do you take me for? Jealous? I’m not saying this because of some useless emotion like that. I’m just worried about him and about the mission. She’s... she’s a bad influence. An outsider. The Commander has to stay himself until the very end.

— Don’t be ridiculous.

— Can’t you just listen to me, even for a moment? I mean it.

— Even if she’s what you say she is, a bad influence, an outsider, that’s not for you to decide. Only the Commander can make that decision for himself. You seem to be mistaken. We’re chess pieces. Even if he’s given us the will to think, that doesn’t mean we can overstep our boundaries.

— But...

— This conversation is over. If you want to bring your opinion to the Commander, come with information solid enough to justify it and not some baseless theory.

— ...

— ...

Her anxious voice got on my nerves, and it was because she wasn’t the only one feeling uneasy.

‘

Damn it...’

I was also feeling anxious—desperately and unbearably anxious. I couldn’t suppress the fear that something that ought to never happen

could

actually happen.

I couldn’t remember the last time I felt this uneasy. I had already promised myself not to even glance that way, but the more I tried to hold firm, the more cracks appeared in my determination.

If the worst I imagined were to come true or if it had already happened, how was I supposed to endure the humiliation and disgrace that would follow suit?

Just the thought of it made my whole body crawl. The itch of anxiety spread to places I couldn’t reach, and I felt like throwing myself out the window. How was I supposed to bear the aftermath, or the smug look on that bastard’s face?

I knew, of course, that I wasn’t Marquis Jayce, but accepting that fact was a different matter entirely. Jayce was the one making a fool of himself, but I would be the one left to deal with the aftermath.

The idiot was sticking his neck straight into the lion’s jaws, and I was the one who would have to endure the shame that followed.

‘I have to kill him... I have to kill that bastard...’

It wasn’t just a passing thought..

‘Damn it... damn it... No, there’s no need to panic.’

Yeah. As long as I stayed out of it, everything would be fine. Ignoring a problem wasn’t my style, but if it had anything to do with Lee Ki-Young, then this was the only right choice.

It was the truth I learned through bitter experiences—a Lee Ki-Young manual I had made through those bitterness.

'Never let him drag you into his nonsense. Ignore every offer he makes, no matter what it is. Avoid him at all costs. It doesn’t matter whether his intentions are good or bad—there’s no way to tell, and no reason to try.

'The moment you get tangled up with him, everything will collapse—your composure, your reason, your common sense, your humanity, your pride—everything you’ve built.'

This was why I couldn't get involved with him. Missions, operations, games—those were unavoidable, but I had to follow the manual in a situation like this.

‘

He does his thing, I do mine, and-’

That was when it happened.

—

Ah~!

I suddenly heard a voice. It was unmistakably Lee Ki-Young, or rather, Aina Peneloti's voice.

“...”

“...”

‘I definitely disconnected it.’

I had no idea what kind of trick the bastard had pulled, but I could just shut it off again.

— Marquis Jayce...

‘What the...’

— Please... be gentle.

‘...’

— I’m happy, my lord.

Ah

... I’m so happy... like that...

ah~!

‘He’s doing it again. That insane, ridiculous act.’

This was most likely another ploy to draw him in. The timing was too perfect. A reopened channel and a staged performance. Pointless, predictable, and doomed to fail. There was no way it would work and no way it could ever work.

Even if Lee Ki-Young was a reckless bastard, surely... he wouldn’t... go

that

far just to ruin things for me...

‘No... that bastard Lee Ki-Young...’

Could he really hold himself back?

‘T-that lunatic really might...’

He would never hesitate to use his own body or someone else’s body for his goals. He’d do it without blinking. Lee Ki-Young was

that

kind of bastard. He was the kind of bastard who would sell his soul, his life, or whatever it would take if it meant getting under someone’s skin, especially

my

skin

.

If it were Lee Ki-Young, he would do anything.

Whatever one could imagine, he’d always go one step further than that.

He was the kind of bastard who could do

anything

.

It was like he was born with the sole purpose of making other people’s lives hell. If this were revenge for cutting off the comms earlier, it would make perfect sense. That was exactly who he was.

Whether it was a trap, an act, or something that was actually happening on the other side, I couldn’t tell, but I kept hearing his voice.

— M-Marquis Jayce! Marquis Jayce! J-Jayce!

Ah~!

Jayce!”

I swore I wouldn’t get involved. I promised myself to follow my own manual for dealing with Lee Ki-Young, but in the end, I had no choice but to get up.

“Cut the crap! You bastard, Lee Ki-Young! Cut the damn act! J-just stop with the bullshit and do your damn job already! Damn it!” I shouted.

“...”

“Please... please! Just stop it... Lee Ki-Young....” I mumbled.

1. Second Life Commander Jin’s POV ☜