Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Exile Order (2)
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I relayed the facts. I only replied twice to the texts from an unknown number. I didn’t respond when they came with the sender’s number hidden.
Ye-hyeon listened quietly while looking at my phone.
The spacious office, surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows, had three desks. The three command staff members sat at their respective desks, listening intently to my words. Yoon stared sullenly into space with his arms crossed.
The office overlooked a suffocating nightscape. The soundproofing was so thorough that once the door was closed, no noise from outside could be heard. I finished my brief explanation and waited for my superiors’ reactions.
The command staff remained silent, all dressed in immaculate suits.
Ye-hyeon broke the silence.
“Yoon.”
Yoon turned his head.
“Have you seen him recently?”
Who was he?
Yoon slowly uncrossed his arms. The master slipped his hands into his gown pockets.
“No.”
“Any contact?”
“None at all.”
“Hilde’s contact info…. Well, it’s not strange no matter what method he used.”
Ye-hyeon set down the phone and let out a heavy sigh.
I tensed up, pressing my lips into a thin line. What was this about? I’d thought it was just some crazy person sending me random messages.
Everyone in the room had accurately guessed the sender of the messages. No one showed any doubt about whom Ye-hyeon’s “he” referred to.
They all wore expressions that said something had gone wrong.
The Supreme Commander let out a weary sigh and leaned back in his chair.
I swallowed hard.
“I’m sorry.”
As I mumbled awkwardly, all eyes turned to me.
“I should have told you sooner. I replied, and…”
“Whether you replied or not, nothing would have changed.”
Ye-hyeon scolded me in a voice that couldn’t hide his fatigue.
“Even if you’d told us sooner, nothing would have changed. No need to feel guilty.”
“Thank you. Still…”
“From the moment the message reached you, there was nothing we could do.”
Ye-hyeon muttered to himself, then fell silent for a long time with an inscrutable expression.
The silence was broken by the commander’s sigh as he rubbed his dry face.
“Hilde. Listen carefully.”
I straightened my back tensely.
“Whether soon or late, he’s coming for you.”
“What?”
“You can’t fully escape unless you leave the Core.”
Who was he?
And why did I need to run from him?
I must have looked dumbfounded. But I didn’t feel like fixing my expression.
Ye-hyeon closed his eyes, resting his forehead on his clasped hands.
The others watched Ye-hyeon with lips pressed tight.
Ye-hyeon muttered to himself.
“I’ll have to keep you outside the Core for a while.”
“Did I do something wrong to him?”
I couldn’t hold back the question.
“Do you know why he’s angry?”
Eyes turned to me. Ye-hyeon slowly raised his eyelids.
I met Ye-hyeon’s gaze amid the focused stares.
Ye-hyeon slowly lowered his clasped hands.
“I don’t know.”
A strange sadness tinged Ye-hyeon’s voice as he answered.
“I didn’t even know he was angry at you, let alone why he’s this furious. Probably some absurd reason.”
“Who is he? If I know the name, maybe I can remember something.”
Ye-hyeon hesitated.
The others’ brows furrowed as well. I took in the sight of them all recalling the same person with displeasure.
The office at night, with city lights filtering in.
The Supreme Commander answered slowly.
“Jaeyeon.”
I blinked slowly.
“Jaeyeon?”
People watched my reaction. I racked my brain to remember the name. Jaeyeon. Jaeyeon. Jaeyeon. Jaeyeon….
Jaeyeon?
Nothing came to mind. Of course. I’d even forgotten my own face. No way a short name alone would magically revive my memories.
I replied in a subdued voice.
“I’m sorry. I don’t remember. Could you tell me at least the gender?”
“Gender doesn’t matter.”
Ye-hyeon said something incomprehensible.
I widened my eyes and looked up.
“What? Why…. Ah, is he super androgynous? Or transgender?”
“No…. Sometimes he appears as a woman, sometimes as a man. And we can’t predict what gender form he’ll take when he approaches you.”
“What?”
What was this?
I was stupefied, but the others weren’t surprised. Instead, they sighed deeply as they listened to Ye-hyeon.
Ye-hyeon rubbed his face lightly with his palm, looking exhausted.
“Hairstyle changes every time, eye color too…. Telling you about his appearance wouldn’t mean much anyway. As long as you’re in the Core, he’ll find you sooner or later.”
“But what does he want with me?”
“Who knows. But judging by the message, it’s not heading in a friendly direction.”
Why on earth?
I was at a loss for words. I stood rooted to the spot, unable to grasp what to say.
The one who spoke up was Ska, who had been listening silently until now.
“December 26th birthday party.”
The tall man turned toward his superior as he spoke.
“It sounds like the Commander’s story. Not Hilde, but maybe he’s aiming to embarrass you. Exposing Hilde’s situation would put you in the most trouble.”
“I think that makes sense too.”
The brown-haired man next to Ska said.
He had a soft voice.
“December 26th is your birthday, isn’t it?”
“No.”
Ye-hyeon refuted concisely.
The superior explained with half-lowered eyelids, lost in thought.
“He wouldn’t do something that causes such a huge social uproar.”
“Is there a reason you’re so certain?”
Yoon asked, his brow furrowed throughout the conversation.
Ye-hyeon’s eyes shifted. The master met Ye-hyeon’s gaze head-on.
“Ye-hyeon. That bastard hates you.”
“Yeah. But the most he can do is drag me to a back room and gouge out my eye. Direct violence is his limit.”
The most?
Gouge out an eye? I couldn’t process the dizzying flood of information. Yoon scowled. He clamped his mouth shut, his face saying he disliked everything about this.
In the chilling atmosphere, Ye-hyeon muttered to himself without checking reactions.
“His master wouldn’t allow anything more….”
Ska’s brow furrowed deeper. The nameless brown-haired man bit his lip.
An ominous air settled. Everyone wore troubled expressions in the night office.
I stood speechless. No desire to ask questions arose. I just had a gut feeling I’d gotten tangled in something viciously tricky.
When had I incurred this Jaeyeon’s wrath? What had I done?
I’d never regretted my lost memories so much. If I could just remember, things might get easier.
I bit my lip and lowered my gaze.
Then Ska’s gentle voice made me look up.
“Hilde. No need to blame yourself. He probably hates you for some nonsense reason.”
Ska looked at me with a comforting gaze, as if at a much younger junior.
His following words were soft in tone, mismatched with the content.
“He hates everyone.”
What a guy.
“But he hates Ye-hyeon the most. Commander. I’m not just going to watch you get beaten by that bastard again.”
“Yeah. I’m not going to stand by if Hilde might get dragged off by him. If Jaeyeon’s back, we need to prepare to greet him.”
Ye-hyeon replied to Yoon, leaning back long in his chair.
He rested his hand on the armrest and tapped it rhythmically: tap, tap, tap. I inhaled the chilly air and waited for their decision.
Ska spoke to his deeply thoughtful top superior.
“At this point, Jaeyeon will find Hilde eventually.”
Ye-hyeon looked up and met Ska’s eyes.
As Ye-hyeon nodded, Ska continued.
“Shouldn’t we at least put a tracker on Hilde for that time? Escaping from Jaeyeon on your own won’t be easy.”
So they were all convinced I’d get kidnapped by this Jaeyeon someday.
I wasn’t scared. The scenario didn’t feel real yet. I quietly listened as the men discussed whether a tracker on clothes would work, or if implanting a chip under the skin of the hand would be most accurate.
It’s almost midnight already.
The discussion dragged on. Ye-hyeon summarized the back-and-forth.
“Send Hilde outside the Core for now.”
He commanded in a tired but firm voice.
“Creatures will swarm, so assign the best badgers.”
“I’ll relay to the HR Director.”
The brown-haired man replied.
Yoon nodded silently as well. I pressed my lips tight and watched Ye-hyeon straighten his upper body. His already pale superior looked even more ashen than usual.
“Send him out as soon as he recovers. Until my further orders, make sure Hilde can stay outside the Core.”
“Yes.”
“I agree on the tracker, but we should check Hilde’s preference on that.”
Me?
Thinking the talk was wrapping up, I panicked under the sudden stares. Everyone in the office was looking at me.
I swallowed reflexively and met Ye-hyeon’s eyes.
The Supreme Commander spoke in a husky voice.
“You okay with that?”
“Yes? Yes…”
“Ask any questions.”
The pale superior said softly.
“I’ll answer what I can, as much as possible.”
Standing before this man always brought a flood of questions.
This time was no exception. I picked the one I was most curious about, the one I wanted answered most. A question from retracing everything that had happened. It might sound out of context to others.
I looked straight at Ye-hyeon.
“Um.”
Even with everyone waiting, I had to muster courage to ask.
“This might sound out of nowhere, but… have I ever met you, Commander?”
The three seniors widened their eyes in surprise.
Only Supreme Commander Lee Ye-hyeon met my gaze without astonishment.