Chapter 2: A story from 24 years ago

A public servant must obey orders without question.

Being affiliated with the National Intelligence Service is no exception.

“Go to the secretary’s office. To Jeong Hee-baek’s side.”

“Is he a suspect?”

“For now. But the people around him are suspicious too. Something keeps coming up.”

Cover Operation

The latest mission was to infiltrate Yeryeo Group, the top-ranked conglomerate in the business world.

The reason?

Intelligence indicated that drugs smuggled from Colombia were being distributed through Yeryeo Group’s logistics network.

“I believe in you, Lee Seon. If you dig, you’ll find something.”

I nodded at Team Leader Baek’s voice, which carried a trace of trust, and finished the last of my coffee.

It was bitter but drinkable.

Being a secretary wasn’t a bad identity.

***

Executive Director Jeong Hee-baek wasn’t the talkative type, which made working with him comfortable.

Concise orders, clean feedback, no small talk.

He was exactly the type of boss I preferred.

If there was one thing I regretted, it was probably that I no longer had any reason to stay by his side…

‘It was a misjudgment from the beginning.’

Of course, I initially considered him a suspect.

His position, accessibility, and low public exposure all seemed like the perfect conditions for handling something as dangerous as drugs.

Team Leader Baek had also told me to keep a close eye on him.

So I tracked his movements, phone records, and even lists of meeting attendees for a while.

But what came up wasn’t suspicion — it was evidence that leaned closer to innocence.

He had no unnecessary contact outside of work, the accounting records were clean,
his personal life was overly simple, and his social network was limited.

The conclusion was clear.

Jeong Hee-baek wasn’t the one.

There was no longer any reason to spend time watching him.

‘Next is Jeong Hee-seo, huh.’

Jeong Hee-seo.

The second daughter of the royal family that is Yeryeo Group.

And my next target.

As I was thinking of ways to approach her — more suspicious than her older brother — the elevator dinged open.

There wasn’t supposed to be anyone coming at this hour.

Maybe someone pressed the wrong button?

“Um… Hello.”

The voice was younger than expected.

I slowly turned to look — they were twins.

Jeong Do-yoon and Jeong Hwa-yoon.

Jeong Hee-baek’s twin children.

They looked like they were in early elementary school.

For some reason, they hadn’t gone to school and came all the way here.

So the elevator button hadn’t been pressed by mistake.

They had found their way here just fine.

“Mister, where’s our dad?”

Jeong Hwa-yoon spoke first.

Her voice was clear, and the slight firmness at the end of her sentence revealed she’d been raised with care.

“Mr. Jeong is in a meeting room, young lady. It’ll probably take about an hour.”

I set down the documents I was holding and turned toward the children.

“Did you both come because you were bored?”

“Yeah. We’re bored.”

Jeong Hwa-yoon replied right away.

Jeong Do-yoon looked at my face and frowned slightly.

Despite his young age, there was a glimpse of caution in his expression.

“…But,”

Jeong Do-yoon began, “Why are you still our dad’s secretary?

All the other secretaries moved to different departments after two years.”

Sharp for a child.

As if he had seen right through my true identity.

Of course, that couldn’t be the case, but…

Anyway, I couldn’t exactly say, “Well, your dad used to be my suspect.

Now that he’s been cleared, I’m trying to get close to someone else.”

So, leaning back in my chair, I replied in a soft voice.

A little superficial.

And with a slight smile.

“I’m here to seduce him.”

“Huh?”

“I’m trying to charm Mr. Jeong and turn my life around. But he’s not falling for it.”

At my completely absurd response, Jeong Hwa-yoon burst into laughter and covered her mouth with both hands.

Well, they were at that age when even falling leaves are hilarious.

“Really? You’re being his secretary because you want to seduce my dad?”

“Yes.”

“Um, but…”

As if holding back a big secret, Jeong Hwa-yoon paused before speaking.

“My dad’s married.”

“Yes, I know. That’s why I keep failing. These days I’m thinking of trying to seduce someone else.”

I shrugged lightly.

The kids looked at each other in silence, and then Jeong Hwa-yoon stared at me and asked,

“Who? If not our dad, who are you going to seduce?”

I looked at both Jeong Hwa-yoon and Jeong Do-yoon in turn.

Paused briefly, then answered with a smile.

“You, young master and young lady. Aren’t you both future powerhouses?”

“Huh? Me and my brother?”

“Yes.”

Maybe it was because they didn’t expect that answer.

Or maybe because they even found it ridiculous.

Jeong Do-yoon narrowed his eyes and pressed his lips together.

Jeong Hwa-yoon burst out laughing again.

It was cute that they were so innocent… but it wouldn’t be good if they liked me too much.

“Mister~. When are you going to seduce me?”

“Um… Secretary. Hwa-yoon is kind of…”

“Mister… My brother keeps saying it wasn’t me… but…”

“Secretary. Later, when you talk to our dad…”

…A bad feeling never turns out to be wrong.

Instead of carrying their backpacks, I should have been chasing more dangerous adults.

But through our repeated meetings, at some point I naturally became part of their daily lives.

One day, Jeong Do-yoon got into a fight at school.

The reason was simple — a classmate snatched his recorder to tease him.

“Young master, are you hurt anywhere…?”

As I stood in for Jeong Hee-baek at the school, Jeong Do-yoon lowered his head, and I simply walked alongside him.

Without saying anything, I took him to a snack shop and bought him tteokbokki.

One day, Jeong Hwa-yoon made a mistake at her piano recital…

Her eyes welled up with tears, but she held them back and even managed a farewell.

I stood quietly, watching the child bowing on stage from afar.

A few minutes later, comforting Jung Hwayoon who sobbed in my arms was an expected step.

“Sir, I… I really… hic… worked so hard…”

“…Where are the tissues?”

From start to finish, it all began as a favor for Jung Heebaek, but before I knew it, I was doing everything on my own.

Even though the reason I became a secretary had nothing to do with being a babysitter.

Thinking about it now, I was acting strange.

I’m someone who’s more used to drawing clear lines than anyone else.

But strangely, when Jung Hwayoon waited at the door and said, “Let’s go together!” or when Jung Doyoon mumbled, “Um, Secretary…” it was hard to turn them away.

“We’re going on a family trip, and the secretary should come too.”

Eventually, it reached the point where I was tagging along on a family vacation.

When it was first brought up, I was honestly flustered.

It was the first time Executive Director Jung Heebaek made such a personal request so directly.

“Would it be alright for me to come along…?”

“The kids seem to like you. Both Doyoon and Hwayoon. They seem to have gotten attached.”

Whether it was affection or dependence—there was a subtle difference.

Jung Hwayoon tried to hold my hand, and Jung Doyoon, though tight-lipped, didn’t want to stray from my side.

Instead of answering, I simply smiled slightly and nodded.

Well, maybe it was for the best.

Just this trip.

After that, I decided to devote my time solely to my next target, Jung Heeseo.

Unlike the clean-cut Jung Heebaek, his younger sister had several questionable aspects.

I felt sorry for the kids, but the people I needed to focus on had been decided years ago.

If I delay this any longer, I’ll lose sight of the bigger picture…

On the last day of this trip, I planned to say goodbye to the children.

Of course, I’d still be around at Yeryeo Group, so we’d probably run into each other from time to time.

But I wouldn’t be able to spend time with them like I do now.

Saying goodbye to the kids—

That was the only reason I joined the Jung family’s vacation.

No other reason, really.

The Yeryeo Group villa was bigger than I expected.

So big that calling it a “villa” felt wrong.

Twelve rooms, a private pool, a theater, a terrace, even a golf practice area.

Of course, none of that had anything to do with me, the secretary.

As I looked around, all I could think was how luxurious it all was.

But the kids were thrilled.

Jung Hwayoon was busy picking out swimsuits and towels, while Jung Doyoon sighed watching his little sister.

He really doesn’t act like a kid.

I hadn’t planned to go with them at first, but when Jung Hwayoon clasped both my hands and pulled me saying, “You too, sir!” I ended up rolling up my wet shirt and sitting on a chair by the pool.

Still, nothing happened that day.

Just an ordinary day.

Jung Hwayoon splashed around, and a little farther off, Jung Doyoon quietly read a book.

I just sat and watched.

Still, just in case—

I decided to be prepared.

If the kids got sick or anything, we’d have to get to the hospital right away.

[The line’s secured through an unofficial channel, and there are two on-site backups. Estimated time to reach the site is about 15 minutes.]

“Confirmed.”

While the kids weren’t looking, I quietly exchanged information with the NIS.

It would be best if nothing happened.

But a little insurance never hurts.

Then night fell, and the next day passed uneventfully too.

Peaceful days.

Something began to feel off… starting from the third day.

I first noticed something strange when Executive Director Jung and his wife suddenly became unreachable.

Neither their phone nor messenger worked.

With no nearby places around this massive villa worth visiting, I paused for a moment.

I tried checking the CCTV for confirmation—

-bzzzzt.

The signal was cut off.

Around the same time, the outer perimeter sensors were triggered.

Not good.

From past experience, this wasn’t just a coincidence or a misunderstanding.

Something had clearly gone wrong.

“Young master. Miss. Let’s go inside for now.”

“Huh? Why?”

“There are too many bugs outside.”

With an increasing sense of unease, I went to get the kids.

Thankfully, they followed without much suspicion.

Jung Hwayoon dried her hair with a towel, and Jung Doyoon quietly stayed silent as usual.

But as soon as we got inside, I had to push them into a small room next to the kitchen.

Somewhere in the villa, I could smell the metallic scent of blood.

It was dangerous.

Now it was.

“Both of you, when I count to three, run. Head for the emergency exit downstairs.”

“W-what? Sir?”

“Secretary…?”

“At three, you run no matter what.”

I could only hope the NIS backup would move faster than they did on the last mission.

Estimated arrival time: 15 minutes.

We had to hold out.

Otherwise, the kids would be in danger.

…Right now.

I couldn’t allow the kids to get hurt or die in the place I was standing.

For now, they were under my protection.

One, two, three.

Barely had I finished counting in my head when I heard movement from the hallway.

Four or five presences.

Masks, gloves. Quiet footsteps.

They were clearly trained professionals.

I pulled the handgun from my back pocket and shot the front guy in the knee first.

The second guy who was following me had a knife, so I grabbed his arm and slammed him into the wall.

“…Seven minutes, huh. I’m getting old too.”

By the time the third one came in, I was a bit out of breath.

But my hands weren’t shaking.

Because my body remembered.

After taking care of about six or seven of them, I headed toward the direction where the metallic scent of blood was coming from.

“……Haa.”

The Jeong Heebaek couple was already dead.

One in the master bedroom, one next to the stairs.

Both of them showed signs of a quick, precise end.

It only took me three seconds to realize it.

Then I headed straight for the children.

This wasn’t the time to get sentimental.

The principle that the living must always come first—I’d internalized that long ago.

[ #%@#%#…. Team Leader…. …both have joined…. now just you left…@#$@#%…. ]

According to the belated radio message, it seemed the children had met up with the backup team.

Yeah, it wasn’t too late.

Though I couldn’t help but wish I had been just a bit faster.

“For now, move. There’s still more left on this side.”

[#%@%#····@@#%@# ]

After that, my memory gets hazy.

Fire.

They multiplied like cockroaches, so I sprayed meds on every one I could see, but I started having trouble breathing and leaned against the wall.

The guests…

Time… I think I bought us some time.

“…I don’t know.”

Even thinking became dizzying, so I closed my eyes.

I only meant to rest for a moment before getting back up, but my heavy body wouldn’t move as I wanted.

Eventually, I forced my eyes open again, but the rush of dizziness made me close them once more—that was the last thing I remember.

I thought it was the end.

It wasn’t.

‘…What is this?’

A warm temperature, the feeling of being wrapped in something.

An unfamiliar texture.

I tried to get up but froze.

My arm was short.

No—small.

The hand floating in the air was unusually low.

My hand—

And my feet, all smaller and thinner than what I was used to.

The world in front of me was strangely bright.

The tone too—

Too vivid to be a hallucination, too unbelievable to be real.

“…Seoya. Seoya~?”

A strange voice I’d been hearing for a while now.

And with it, the onset of sleepiness.

Even though it felt like only seconds had passed since I opened my eyes, they closed again on their own.

Before I could even understand what had happened to me, I lost consciousness again.

***

“…Still alive.”

Those were the first words I spoke once I grew enough to talk with my own strength.

That was how simply I summed up my thoughts about being given a new life.