Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Joining the Organization
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Fortunately, Carnivella managed to give birth safely without Aremai finding out. After desperately nursing her body back to health for a full month like that, she gazed at her own face one last time.
‘Lucia isn’t well-known. Still, who knows when someone might look at my face and think “Carnivella.”’
She felt uneasy. No matter how little-known her face was, the defining features of “Princess Carnivella” were her golden blonde hair and blue eyes. Because of that, she couldn’t relax, not knowing when they might recognize her.
It was especially troubling since she had no idea how the Rasoni Kingdom viewed her now. It was true that Lainen had handled things by declaring her dead, but that child Lansien would surely be suspicious. For that reason, it was best to eliminate as many of “Carnivella’s” features as possible.
‘If only I had that artifact.’
She deeply regretted leaving behind the necklace Lainen had given her, the one that changed eye and hair color. If she’d only brought that, everything would have been fine. No, she couldn’t even understand why she’d left it behind in the first place.
‘And so I needlessly exposed my true appearance.’
She felt that regret keenly. But there was no time to dwell on it. She needed to come up with a solution as quickly as possible.
She tapped her cheeks thoughtfully, then stared at the flickering candle flame. She touched her cheek with her palm, still tapping. That’s when a brilliant idea struck her.
‘Let’s leave a burn scar on my face.’
Of course, she couldn’t actually splash fire on her face. So, she needed a disguise. She learned makeup techniques from Marie and bought the necessary tools.
“Ah…….”
There she sat in a chair, disguised with burns. Only now did it truly sink in that she was joining Aremai’s organization for real.
With all preparations complete, she hurried to contact Reshinka before he could grow suspicious. When he saw the bizarre burn scars on her otherwise fine face from their last meeting, he looked puzzled.
“You’ve got burn scars now. Did it hurt?”
“Yes, fortunately an acquaintance helped me out, so it wasn’t too bad.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Thank you.”
“And it looks like your body has fully recovered…… There shouldn’t be any issues going forward.”
“Yes, I’m ready.”
Reshinka led her to a carriage and they boarded. Looking out the window, she was surprised to find the temporary branch located in a surprisingly bustling area. Though rundown all the same.
“We try to set up branches near where our members live, whenever possible.”
“I see.”
After traveling for a while, the carriage stopped in a back alley. She silently gazed up at the branch building, which loomed quite tall. The structure was old but high—perfect for secretive dealings.
“You’re here.”
As Reshinka approached, a masked man guarding the door discreetly greeted him. Reshinka chuckled and lightly tapped the man’s chest with the back of his hand.
“Relax. I’m not even the boss—do you need to greet me like that?”
“Come on, I’m just practicing ahead so I can greet the boss properly with full flair. The others don’t seem to mind anyway.”
Reshinka smirked at his subordinate’s witty retort.
“Oh? I see. Ah, say hello. This is a new member.”
“Hello. You wouldn’t be…… the one from the rumors?”
“Rumors?”
She tilted her head. She’d only just arrived today—had she done anything rumor-worthy?
“The bold new recruit who’s already the talk of the place. Not content with demanding a high position, you even scored a year’s vacation. What a cheeky one.”
She smiled awkwardly. She’d only asked for what she needed at the time, and now it had turned into this.
‘Have I gotten off on the wrong foot already?’
But judging by the man’s reaction, it didn’t seem like anyone viewed her negatively. Of course, she had no idea about the personalities of the higher-ups she’d be dealing with.
“Is everyone inside?”
“Yes, they’re waiting now.”
At those words, she and Reshinka quickly entered. But with so many rooms, she had no clue where to go.
“Just follow me.”
She trailed closely behind Reshinka. After walking some distance, they knocked on a door right in view. A man emerged from inside.
‘He’s beautiful…….’
The man was more pretty than handsome—so stunning that a casual glance might mistake him for a woman. It was truly shocking. At least his voice was unmistakably masculine, which was a relief.
“Are you the new member?”
“Yes, yes.”
“I’m Sikaon. I handle intelligence.”
She dazedly grabbed Sikaon’s hand and shook it. Sikaon chuckled at her stiff reaction and went back inside. Reshinka followed, and she stepped into that dimly lit space after them, unsure if it was light or shadow.
The room had a large table, surrounded by three people seated around it. Reshinka and Sikaon took their familiar seats. Leaving her to wander uncertainly about where to sit, the others began chattering noisily.
“You’re Lucia?”
“Oh my, oh my, so nice to meet you!”
“Finally get to see you.”
It was a cacophony. She’d expected a shady, secretive atmosphere, but this was different. Their constant loud chatter was making her head spin. In the end, she just stood there rigidly.
“Ahem, Lucia, go sit next to that lewd woman.”
Unable to stand their market-square racket, Shunkarin stood and guided her to the seat beside Kanna, who wore a low-cut top that emphasized her cleavage. As she sat, Kanna flashed a quick smile.
“Instead of a full meeting today, let’s just do introductions for Lucia. I’m Shunkarin, the vice leader of this organization.”
“I introduced myself at the door earlier, so you should know already.”
She nodded at Sikaon’s words. Even if she forgot the others, she’d never forget you.
“I’m Suika. I handle arms trafficking.”
“I’m Kanna. Don’t let appearances fool you—I manage the organization’s territories. In short, all the lands where we’ve expanded.”
Looking at Suika, the quiet one with black hair, she thought it surprising. He really didn’t seem the type for arms trafficking.
“You’ve already met Reshinka next to me, so you know him. Despite looks, he’s the action leader.
Reshinka bristled at Shunkarin’s words.
“Hey, ‘despite looks’? What’re you saying in front of the newbie!”
But Shunkarin ignored him nonchalantly. The others showed no reaction either, as if accustomed to it. Instead, Shunkarin glared back at Reshinka for interrupting and added,
“For reference, two more are absent due to circumstances.”
“Circumstances?”
“Those two are nobles, so they can’t move freely. They handle military training and funding.”
‘I see.’
Once introductions ended, all eyes turned to her. With a somewhat tense expression, she spoke.
“I’m Lucia. I don’t know what role I’ll take yet, but please take care of me.”
She crammed the names of the four others besides Reshinka into her head. The atmosphere was a bit different from expected, leaving her flustered, but even for a mere contract, she didn’t want to linger long in a group that spied on people.
She’d think of an escape plan while staying here. Then she could live with her child.
She resolved herself. Fighting!
Shunkarin handed her documents outlining the organization’s basic operating principles. He explained the group based on the info in them.
“Today’s just introductions, so we’re all showing our faces, but normally we wear outfits like Suika’s and masks for security against risks.”
He also said they all had cover jobs and gathered via letters or messengers on set dates. They only knew each other by code names, not real ones.
Higher-ups used real names, but regular members didn’t—for their own sake and their comrades’. That way, even if captured, they wouldn’t betray names.
Or leak their own.
‘They’ve got solid security. Impressive.’
Meetings dates always changed, and info access varied by member rank.
“Lucia, as you said, you’ll be a big help, so we’ve promoted you to S-rank member. But since you haven’t done any missions yet, your access level is A-rank.”
“Missions?”
“We do all sorts of things. You haven’t trained or succeeded at any, so on paper you’re S-rank but with no real authority.”
She nodded. Just becoming S-rank was fortunate. She needed to rack up missions fast to reach S-level access.
“After training, you’ll work with Reshinka as action leader. And since ‘Lucia’ risks exposure, pick a code name.”
“Lucia” was indeed too risky. After pondering Shunkarin’s words for a while, she blurted out a name that came to mind.
“Aini.”
“Aini?”
“Yes.”
It had slipped out unconsciously. “Aini” was the name Lainen had wanted to give a daughter if they’d had one. A flicker of emotion crossed her eyes, but no one noticed.
“Aini’s a good name.”
“Suits you well.”
“……Thank you.”
The other members started chattering again, but Shunkarin quieted them.
“Very well. Meeting adjourned.”
And so the gathering ended.
* * *
She was told to stand by for now. She needed training, but the trainer was away on another mission, so nothing could be done immediately.
Yet she wanted to move her body. To empty her mind. Naming herself “Aini” had brought him back to her thoughts after so long. She’d tried to forget amid adapting to the new environment, but here he was again.
“…….”
It hurt. And what she hated more was how her heart still reacted to thoughts of him. Faint as it was, even that tormented her.
‘The man who did this to me, who contributed to Lukamin’s death—why do I still feel this way?’
She despised it. He’d awakened her “firsts,” but taken her last things too. An object of love and hate.
She gazed at the moonlight softly brightening. Unlike her mood, the moonlight shone endlessly bright.